Re: Playing the numbers

[jimbob@mis.ca (Robert Matthews)]

In article <9607240744.AA28195@chaco.com>, stev0@zuni.chaco.com (Steve
Berlin) wrote:

> OK, the hot (or at least interesting) topic right now
> is "What's Kate's THIRD best album?"
> 
> Since we all know The Dreaming is number one, that
> begs the question:  What is number two?
> 
> "Hounds of Love" is a common answer, but before we
> leave it at that so quickly, let's look at it more closely.
> Sure, "The Ninth Wave" is by far the best piece of music
> ever heard by mere humans.  Beats The Dreaming, in
> fact.  But let's mosey on to the Hounds of Love side, shall
> we?  Sure, The Big Sky and Cloudbusting are insanely great
> A+ Goes-to-eleven songs.  But the rest?  Let's face it -
> they range from "OK" to "pop drivle".
>
> How about "Never for Ever"?  Starts with a solid winner,
> and everything from Egypt on down is a study of perfection.
> And nowhere on the album is a snoozer like "Mother Stands
> for Comfort".  However, nothing also comes close to
> the sheer power of The Ninth Wave.
> 

     Whoa there! "Mother Stands for Comfort" is okay, or pop drivel, a
snoozer? I don't think so. It's scary, creepy, atmospheric--even more so
than "Waking the Witch" and "Under Ice", and that's saying something. It's
like a look inside the head of a psychopath. It gives me cold shivers just
listening to it--just thinking about it.

> So then we have "The Kick Inside" and "The Sensual World".
> both hit-or-miss affairs, but admittedly many more hits than
> misses.  And these are STILL the two best albums in the
> world to make love to.

     As for "The Sensual World", probably I'm in a minority, but the title
song is the only thing on the whole album worth listening to, I think.
"Heads We're Dancing" and "Deeper Understanding" are just plain silly--I
mean, songs about dating Hitler and falling in love with your computer?
No, thanks. But the title song is worth the price of the album--one of the
most purely sexual songs ever written, without being obvious and sleazy.
"Mmh, yessssssss!"

> Then how about the much maligned "The Red Shoes"?
> Don't knock it, folks - it's the BEST Kate album to do Mindless
> Physical Work to.  Really!
> 
> So finally, the also-maligned "Lionheart".  Another hit-or-miss
> affair, only this time many more misses than hits.

     More misses than hits? Naaah. Occasionally I skip the last two cuts,
because they're not really up to the standards of the rest of the album,
but everything else is fine, fine music, particularly the inspired pairing
of "In the Warm Room" and "Kashka from Baghdad".

> So, after looking at the research, we have:
> 
> Best Kate Album:  The Dreaming (You knew that already).
> Second best Kate Album:  Everything Else (except Lionheart).
> So, Third Best Kate Album:  Lionheart.

     Try this:

Numero Uno: The Dreaming (no debate there, surely)
Second Place: Never for Ever (a seamless flow from first note to last)
Third Best: Lionheart (but not for your reasons)

     Which means Hounds of Love takes a very close fourth, followed in
rapid succession by The Kick Inside, The Red Shoes, amd The Sensual World.

Robert Matthews
-- 
jimbob@mis.ca

Really Useful Information, Part 87:

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