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Date: Thu, 22 Aug 85 18:22:00 edt
From: Doug Alan <nessus>
Subject: Review RUTH + Interview, Smash Hits Aug. 1985
I just picked up a copy of the August 1985 issue of Smash Hits magazine. It's a pretty awful pop music magazine, but this issue has a full page ad for "Running Up That Hill" and a small interview and several reviews of RUTH. I'll include all this stuff (well, not the ad) in this letter.
The singles reviewer, Ian Cranna, seems to have fairly reasonable tastes (and I say this on the basis of his other reviews not just because he likes Kate Bush), which seems strange for a trashy pop magazine. Maybe all the decent critics in England work for trashy pop magazines, rather than the supposedly refined music journals (which are actually even more trash).
These are the reviews for "Running Up That Hill". They appear scattered throughout his reviews of other singles:
KATE BUSH: Running Up That Hill (EMI) -- Now *this* is how to return in style! Yet more modern experimenting with pounding percussive rhythms and electronic sounds, but with its melodic strength, intriguing lyrics (about deals with God) and coolly restrained performance, this sounds not unlike Eurythmics before they went off the boil recently. It's definitely, um, what's the expression? Uh, er -- look, I'll come back to you on this one...
KATE BUSH: Running Up That Hill (EMI) -- Er, amazing? No -- too obvious. Uh, hang on a mo...
KATE BUSH: Running Up That Hill (EMI) -- ... appetising? No --hey don't go away...
KATE BUSH: Running Up That Hill (EMI) -- ... provocative? piquant? tantalising? ...
KATE BUSH: Running Up That Hill (EMI) -- ... interesting? Yes, that's it -- *interesting*! And therefore it must also be (ta daa) Single Of The Fortnight! Hurray! Don't you just love a happy ending?
Here's the short interview with her. It appears with a picture of her, where she's dressed up all trendy-like (I'm upset!). Also, Kate seems much more assertive in this interview than she used to be. This is probably a good thing, but she doesn't come off quite the same way she did a few years ago. Then again, the article has only provided selected quotes.
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friends. Cast your mind back a few years and you might recall a raven haired "beauty" with a squeaky voice being very famous. Kate Bush, right? She had loads of hits with things like "Wuthering Heights", "Wow" and "Babooshka", and dodgy impressionists were always on the telly doing "comic" imitations of her dancing technique (much wiggling of the arms etc.)
Anyway, in 1982 Kate seemed to disappear. Pouff! She was gone! Just like that!
But now she's back with a new single -- "Running Up That Hill" -- and a long player to follow. And *Bitz*, long time admirers of the "lady" who was renowned throughout the globe for using the words "amazing" and/or "wow" about seventeen times in every possible sentence, managed to wangle an exclusive 'n' legendary interviewette.
So, Kate, says *Bitz*, you haven't been doing very much for about three years...
"Would you care to rephrase that?" says she.
Oh dear. Seems that la Bush has actually been tres busy, building her own recording studio, writing zillions of new songs and being generally "creative". Whoops.
So, Kate, now that you're back will you be treating us to your funny dancing all over again?
"You have a way with words, young man."
Oh dear.
So, Kate, do you get recognised when you're out shopping at *Sainsburys*?
"Yes. I find it very interesting and very positive because I haven't actually been in the public eye for a while and people do constantly recognise me and they're very nice. They're very nice people."
What do they say to you?
"Hello."
Quite. So, Kate, what about TV? Do you watch TV?
"Yes, when I can. Normally it's Saturday evenings when I get a chance to watch the box. It's my weekly rubbish and it helps me to unwind. It's wonderful to unwind with something visual like a great film or *The Young Ones* or *Fawlty Towers*."
I wonder what these TV shows are...
One thing is puzzling *Bitz*. We've been "rapping" for some time now and Kate hasn't said "amazing" or "wow" once.
"No, I haven't. I think they call it aversion therapy, don't they? I think one changes words that one found interesting at the time. And that was a *long* time ago. And you chappies are *so* fond of pulling up things that happened a *long* time ago."
Ahem, yes. So Kate, what words do you find interesting these days?
"'Interesting'. That's an interesting word... And 'boomerang'..."
Quite...
Well, that's all for now. My fingers are tired.
"Let me steal this moment from you now"
Doug
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 85 15:55 MST
From: "James J. Lippard" <Lippard@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Smash Hits
Fawlty Towers was a sitcom John Cleese and Michael Palin (I think) were involved with before Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 85 20:03:46 cdt
From: James Jones <allegra!uokvax!emjej>
Subject: Fawlty Towers
I don't recall Michael Palin's appearing in *Fawlty Towers*, a show starring John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, landlord of the boarding house named "Fawlty Towers." Fawlty was always getting into trouble for voyeurism (mostly attempted only), promising boarders services he didn't deliver, etc. It had its moments, but wasn't up to Python snuff. (Which caused me to not watch all the episodes, possibly including one with Mr. Palin...oh, well.)
James Jones
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