The Sensual World (was: Hi! Some responses)

[Julian Shaw <julian@dragonfire.demon.co.uk>]

In article <v01530506ae7ec08394e3@[138.110.18.16]>, Jeff Gower
<jgower@mtholyoke.edu> writes

[large snip]

>>7. Sensual World. Time Magazine gave this album a two-word review: 
>>Press Delete. (It's a reference to one of the songs on the album.) I 
>>couldn't agree more...

You are obviously playing it in reverse.

>
>I don't agree - I think this album is quite good, really.  Yes, a bit
>of a let-down after the brilliance of the preceding two, but still a
>very enjoyable album!

I certainly don't agree either and I don't accept that it was a let-down 
after the previous two albums.

So, all Time said was "Press Delete", eh? I didn't know about that 
before, but I'm glad I do now - it will ensure that I never buy their 
cruddy magazine in the future. How can a magazine with an international 
reputation to maintain condone such unprofessional journalism? And to 
think that they actually *PAID* the asshole who wrote it! I think even 
an amoeba could come up with something better than "Press delete". 

Come on, what is it that people don't like about this album? The
negativity towards it sounds to me suspiciously like musical snobbery by
those people who think that after "The Dreaming" and "Hounds Of Love"
anything she releases that isn't 'experimental' or 'daring' or
'conceptual' is worthless. She cannot be criticised for something purely
because it has wider appeal, unless someone out there is seriously
suggesting that she compromised her artistic integrity to achieve it. I
don't believe for one moment that she did, and surely, all that matters
at the end of the day is whether the songs are enjoyable or not?! For
example, "This Woman's Work" had me spellbound when I first saw her
performing it on a television show, and it still sends shivers down my
spine. It's a beautiful, haunting, emotional song and is worth the price
of the album on it's own. 

Too commercial? Well, even "The Dreaming" - although very different to 
everything else she has done - contained a few commercial songs. Kate
must have thought so, after all she released at least three tracks as
singles in the UK, although they turned out to be less appealing to the
general public than she must have hoped for. I can't believe that she
released these singles purely as a way of publicising the album.

At least three tracks were lifted from "Hounds Of Love" (or maybe four?) 
and released as singles, of which "Running Up That Hill" was very 
successful commercially, the others somewhat less so, but they still
sold well. In fact, *all* Kate's albums contain *some* tracks that have
commercial appeal, and the irony is that singles from "The Sensual
World" fared worse (AFAIK) than releases from any of her previous
albums. If anything, this rather suggests that the album is *not* as
commercial as some people think it is. 

>I don't have "Red Shoes" (I am ashamed to say) because I took a leave 
>of absence from Katophilia for several years and heard that it was 
>quite poppish.  But now that I have found this list, perhaps I'd 
>better run out and get it so that I am 'on top of things', eh?
>
>Jeff

Quite poppish? Does the person who told you this make a habit of talking 
nonsense? Take no notice, and buy it immediately. Kate doesn't release
bad albums. Some take a few plays to fully appreciate - this one might
do, it took a while for me to get into it - but *none* of them are bad.
(The title track is mesmerising, and if you can keep still whilst it's
playing then you must be dead.) 

It's excellant. You'll like it. Trust me. 


Julian 

P.S. Another reason for buying "The Sensual World" is the picture of Kate on the
CD (the disc itself). Beauty personified.

Turnpike evaluation. For information, see http://www.turnpike.com/