The Dreaming

[gt7851a@prism.gatech.edu (Billy Kutulas)]

Wow!!  I saved THE DREAMING for last--after I'd heard all the other 
albums--because I've read that many consider it Kate's masterpiece.  Well, now 
that I've heard it, I *agree*!!!  To me, this is far and away her best album.  
It's kind of scary to think that the album has been around for nearly 15 years 
(though it doesn't sound the least bit dated), and no one ever told me about it.
I can understand why it didn't sell well, though, because it certainly isn't 
music for the masses.  If ever anything has made me think she's a genius, this 
album is it.  How did she come up with all this stuff in two short years?  That 
makes me realize the amount of time spent working on an album is not necessarily
a good indicator of its quality.  There does seem to be a definite logical 
progression from her first two albums to NFE, and then from that to this one.  
Boy, the weirder she gets, the better!!  :)      

I'm so impressed with this album that I'd like to make a few comments about the 
songs (even though I don't really understand what some of them are about :).  

"Sat in Your Lap" -- This one took a while to grow on me.  I think parts of it
                     are a bit awkward, and it doesn't quite seem to fit in
                     with the rest of the album in certain ways.  But I like it.
                     I love the booming percussion, and my favorite part is
                     the refrain "I must admit/Just when I think I'm king..."

"There Goes a Tenner" -- A great one.  I like her Cockney delivery, and the
                         humor never wears thin.  My favorite part is the 
                         mesmerizing "We're waiting..."  What is the last      
                         line ("That's when we used to vote for him") supposed  
                         to mean?  Talking about the guy on the money?       
                     
"Pull Out the Pin" -- One of the album's best cuts, I think.  I get a knot in
                      my stomach every time I listen to it, even though I know
                      what's coming.  There's always this sense of danger just 
                      around the corner.  If this song doesn't communicate the 
                      horrors of war, nothing does.  The feral "I love life"    
                      lines make you shudder.

"Suspended in Gaffa" -- The most infectious song on the album.  Its stately
                        pulse and playful vocals work their magic to put the 
                        listener into a trance.  I'm still trying to figure out 
                        some of the muffled lines that lead into the chorus.  
                        Perhaps the only drawback to the song is that it seems a
                        little repetitive.  It's definitely one of the more 
                        lighthearted tracks on the album.  A great song, and
                        one of my favorites here.    

"Leave It Open" -- Another stellar track.  What is it really about?  I love
                   the eerie refrain "But now I've started learning how."  At
                   the end, she's saying, "Leave it open [something]," but I
                   can't figure out what that last word is.  I looked at the
                   lyrics for this song (as well as the others) on Gaffaweb, 
                   which is a tremendous help.  Unfortunately, some of the   
                   lyrics seem to be incomplete.  Her delivery here is amazing.

"The Dreaming" -- This is an interesting one.  I know it's about Australia,
                  but don't quite understand the significance of that.  This 
                  song is not as accessible as some of the others, but its 
                  rhythmic, chanting style is memorable.  I also like the 
                  general airiness the song has.  I wonder why she chose 
                  this one, in particular, to be the title track.  The Irish 
                  music at the end--does that belong to this song or the next?

"Night of the Swallow" -- One of the reviews on Gaffaweb described this as the
                          epic track on the album, and I have to agree.  Kate
                          does have a fascination for lurid drama, doesn't she?
                          The Irish music lends a mysterious yet vibrant quality
                          to the story here.  This is like watching one of those
                          brilliant action movies that just hold you spellbound.
                          I can picture the night, the ocean, the mist, the
                          danger, and even "the swallow."  What is she saying
                          after "Tonight's the night of the flight of the..."?  
                          The hook is intoxicating, and I love the way she 
                          repeats it three times at the end to build to a 
                          climax.  You can barely even hear the concluding "But 
                          you're not a swallow."  Get me a plane--I'm going to 
                          Malta!!  (But I'll be back before the morning. :)

"All the Love" -- This seems to be the Gothic track of the album.  I love all
                  those disquieting sighs.  Again, I don't entirely understand
                  the meaning of the song, but it obviously involves death.  
                  Kate's delivery is fittingly subdued and somber, and the 
                  sinister piano haunting.  The restless, brooding undercurrent 
                  permeates the song, giving you this numbing sense of doom.  
                  Then comes the final "goodbye" sequence.  In some ways, it 
                  almost seems ludicrous.  But this is so odd that it actually 
                  adds another dimension of creepiness and makes the prospect 
                  of a final parting all the more horrifying.  I guess she 
                  decided to try a little bathos here, and it works.  I can't 
                  quite make out the messages of a couple of the voices, though.
                  My only complaint is that the song seems to end a bit 
                  abruptly.       

"Houdini" -- This is an intriguing little song.  It's not as infectious as
             some of the others, so at first I was a little taken aback.  Now
             I know the inspiration for the album cover.  So, Houdini failed 
             this time?  Is that the theme--that everybody fails sometime?  Who 
             is the other guy, and what's the code about?  I'm not quite sure.
             I like the reassuring strings, which create a kind of dreamy 
             atmosphere, and my favorite part is the "With a kiss/Through the   
             glass" refrain.  In the last line ("You and I and Rosabel 
             believe"), I really can't hear the "believe."  

"Get Out of My House" -- Never hurts to end on a bizarre note!  :)  This song   
                         has a fascinatingly frenzied, hypnotic groove.  I 
                         particularly like the parts where she starts to become 
                         manic.  The "Woman, let me in..." lines toward the 
                         end are just ghostly.  Who's the guy singing that?     
                         Then comes the endearing braying.  What's the 
                         significance of it?  I also like his performance here. 
                         They definitely seem to be braying in time!  Clever way
                         to finish off the album.      


This is an album for the ages, and I don't think I've ever heard a better one.
Every song is just so original.  Will Kate someday top this?  It would be hard, 
but with Kate, you never know.  

-- 
Billy Kutulas
gt7851a@prism.gatech.edu