"Rate Kate" debate - late!

[Steve Thomas <hyuzt@csv.warwick.ac.uk>]

Dear LoveHounds,

	I thought it was about time I entered the "Rate Kate" debate, so here
is my twopen'orth:

ALBUMS:

1. "Hounds of Love". Impossible to pick out any track since the whole thing
   stinks of class. Probably the best album released by a British artist in 
   the last ten years. Up there with "Meat is Murder" (The Smiths), "The Stone
   Roses" (er.. The Stone Roses), "Suede" (Suede) and "Parklife" (Blur).

2. "The Dreaming". Still sends shivers down my spine. "Night of the Swallow"
   - why not ever released as a UK single? So many subtle touches (notably the
   second half of "There Goes A Tenner"), yet such a powerful message in "Get
   Out..." and "Pull Out The Pin".

3. "The Red Shoes". Despite everyone's reservations, I feel this to be an
   absolute stonker of an album! "Rubberband Girl" achieves what it sets out to
   do (i.e. be a slightly eccentric, fun pop song about idealism... "If I could
   learn to give like a rubberband....!") The absolute highlights are, natch, 
   "Lily", "And So Is Love" (dig Clapton's guitars!) and "MoP", which is
   probably going to give Kate the dubious nickname of Mrs MoP!!!

4. "The Kick Inside". Kate's early stuff lacks maturity, yes, but there is 
   absolutely no lack of worldliness, even for a doctor's daughter from Sarf
   London!! The title track is so poignant that it is difficult to believe it
   was written by a teenager, "Wuthering Heights" captures the essence of the
   novel superbly and the flirtatious cheek of "Feel It" and "Kite" strike a
   chord with most teenagers, I daresay! (And I'm 19!)

5. "The Sensual World". Growing on me.... at long last!! The poignant streak
   comes out again as Kate sings us tragic stories about life and love. The
   natural successor to this album is, of course, "The Red Shoes" with songs
   like "ASIL", "You're The One" and "Constellation of the Heart". The whole
   thing seems now like a preparatory exercise for "TRS" and the outstanding
   tracks are "This Woman's Work", "Never Be Mine" and "The Sensual World".

6. "Never For Ever". Quirky in places, but the overall impression is not very
   good, really. Take out "The Wedding List", "Babooshka", "Army Dreamers" and
   "Breathing" and all that's left is "Violin" which can grate occasionally.
   Thank God "The Dreaming" came next!!

7. "Lionheart". Rather grim, to be honest. Lots of nice melodies, but the only
   good songs are "Coffee Homeground", "Don't Push Your Foot..." and most 
   especially "Hammer Horror", which is probably Kate at her wittiest, and 
   her lyrically cleverest song ever. Apart from these, "Kashka" is probably
   the only one to come even close to raising it up the table.

NON-ALBUM TRACKS:

Difficult......

1. "Under The Ivy".
2. "Don't Give Up". This one should be allowed to count.
3. "Rocket Man". 
4. "The Man I Love".
5. "Ken".

VIDEOS:

Too difficult - most of them are artistically superior, and I really can't
pick five out. "There Goes A Tenner" is good, though!

	Finally, Monday 10/10/94 sees the video release of TLTCTC in the UK,
so anyone going to Virgin Megastore, Coventry - I'll see you there!! No release
date for "And So Is Love" yet though - any info please???????

Cheers,

Steve

===============================================================================
Steve Thomas - hyuzt@csv.warwick.ac.uk         Publicity Officer,
                                               W963 (University Radio Warwick),
"C'mon, c'mon, face it!"                       University of Warwick, Coventry,
(Kate Bush, 1993)                              Warwickshire, CV4 7AL, U.K..