I guess the dislike for Gate And Garden goes back to the time when I was
15 years old , I was so excited for the album , the only track I knew on it was Stand Back as it was the pre album single.
So I go to my bedroom , as teenagers will do , light the incense , turn on the blacklight and take the album for its maiden voyage on my (at the time) very fabulous, very big , very loud stereo system , took a seat on the floor and checked out the Album cover and the liner notes etc ..
did I mention that I lit incense ?
( it's how us old folks used to listen to a record
"Wild Heart" comes on and it's like the best most epic song I've ever heard .
Then : "If Anyone Falls" . Still blown away .
I notice immediately that her voice is drastically different sounding from Bella Donna
And I somehow loved it even more , there was this power and confidence and edge , that to my ears was not previously demonstrated .
Gate and Garden comes on and it was like a crash landing .
This major buzzkill .
Suddenly those new nuances in her voice seem self indulgent and borderline annoying .
4 minutes is a long time when your 15 years old .
And it's a long way ( to go) from the floor to the stereo ... after all that "incense" .
So I suffered .
Enchanted and Nightbird set the Universe right again .
Thanks for indulging me that little walk down Stevie Memory Lane ,