Stevie Nicks Loves Kate Bush Ahhhhh!!!

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket

How are you doing with it now, days later? I have to admit I was shocked at how slow the first three songs unfolded. It was sort of like watching a theatre curtain go up...part way...then stop...and then rise some more.

But I love it. Most of it (still not crazy about the Elton John Duet).

I'm still really struggling, to be quite honest. There is no question that this is a beautiful piece of music in the same way that a choir singing a hymn is a beautiful sound. But despite its beauty, it's not the sort of thing that begs repeated listening or closer inspection. This album is just soooo expansive, meandering and empty; I keep wishing there was a way I could boil it and condense it into something more urgent and musically compelling. The heart of the problem resides within the song "Lake Tahoe," which is sooo long and sooo aimless... and even grating at times. And it seems that Kate features her guest vocalists more prominently than her own voice; arguably her son does more singing on "Snowflake" than Kate herself. Even more succinct songs like "Among Angels" suffer from having no distinctive melody, let alone some semblance of a time signature. The song "Misty" reminds me of something from Jane Siberry's 1995 album Maria, which, suprise-surprise, was largely improvised. But unfortunately for Kate, Jane did the meandering jazzy siren thing much better.

I understand from hearing recent interviews with Kate that this is the type of direction she was thinking about going for a while. And I applaud her nerve and chutzpah to do something like this. After all, perhaps with age, she may have grown weary of the 3-minute pop song structure. But then after listening to The Director's Cut again, I was reminded that Kate still has that amazing voice and the ability to do amazingly extraordinary things with it, e.g., "Lily." And nothing on 50WFS can compare to the haunting beauty of "Never Be Mine."

Am I the only one scratching my head over the avalanche (pun intended) of glowing reviews for this album?

[Pyewacket]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Am I the only one scratching my head over the avalanche (pun intended) of glowing reviews for this album?

The reviews have been insane for this album, a few already calling it album of the year, and the huge preponderance of reviewers giving it four or five stars. Some US reviewers have ranked it 3.5 stars...but other than that, it really has sewn up the critics.

I am very pleased to see this, though I have to say this: I think if Tori Amos had come up with the exact same songs and production and had even managed to sing like Kate, the reviews would have savaged her. There's something to be said for Kate's halo having never tarnished...every album receives huge accolades. And usually deservedly so.

I do love this album...it is very brave and very different. Ten years ago, an ad for Sarah McLachlan's new album said that she was the only artist who took her time to unravel a song. Well...no pop songstress has ever done it to this length or time signature to my recollection. And yet, I don't have a problem with it. "Lake Tahoe" is actually my favorite on 50WFS. It's as if she wants a sustained mood more than a pop song, and she does achieve that. The melody and lyric (though there is poetry in it) have become secondary to the overall sound and emotion.

That said, I am shocked that there aren't at least a few reviewers who wanna rip her a new one. Maybe it's a case of the emperor's new clothes -- no one wants to be the idiot who called Queen Kate's new album just a little too naked.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket

The reviews have been insane for this album, a few already calling it album of the year, and the huge preponderance of reviewers giving it four or five stars. Some US reviewers have ranked it 3.5 stars...but other than that, it really has sewn up the critics.

I am very pleased to see this, though I have to say this: I think if Tori Amos had come up with the exact same songs and production and had even managed to sing like Kate, the reviews would have savaged her. There's something to be said for Kate's halo having never tarnished...every album receives huge accolades. And usually deservedly so.

I do love this album...it is very brave and very different. Ten years ago, an ad for Sarah McLachlan's new album said that she was the only artist who took her time to unravel a song. Well...no pop songstress has ever done it to this length or time signature to my recollection. And yet, I don't have a problem with it. "Lake Tahoe" is actually my favorite on 50WFS. It's as if she wants a sustained mood more than a pop song, and she does achieve that. The melody and lyric (though there is poetry in it) have become secondary to the overall sound and emotion.

That said, I am shocked that there aren't at least a few reviewers who wanna rip her a new one. Maybe it's a case of the emperor's new clothes -- no one wants to be the idiot who called Queen Kate's new album just a little too naked.

I think I read a blog posting somewhere that went something to the effect of, after hearing Kate's new album, Tori Amos must be somewhere slitting her wrists because there is no way she could copy it. It's so true! I have despised Tori Amos, I mean, despised that worthless hack since the second I first heard her desperately blatant mimicry of Kate Bush. And then she had the utter gall to say that she really wasn't very familiar with Kate's music. B**ch, please. The only thing original she ever did was playing a piano with her legs spread wide and flashing her v****a to the audience.

I really am picking up on the Kate Bush halo effect amongst the critics. Even Entertainment Weekly gave it an A-. On the UK side, I get the sense that Kate embodies a homegrown hero of sorts- someone who has always remained unapologetically British when just about every other UK act sang with American accents and aspired to mimic American sounds. She achieved extraordinary success on her own terms and never became the archetypal sexualized tarted-up girl singer despite the fact that she was an extraordinary physical specimen back in the day. Today it seems that she has geeky fan-boy appeal, especially given her penchant for storytelling in her songs. There is clearly a whole generation of middle aged British men (and women) who grew up idolizing Kate and are now writing for magazines, newspapers and blogs.

[Meowi]

Every critic must be in love with Ms Bush and 50 Words for Snow, and that is a fair point too!
Apparently, Kate is gearing up her third album since her release of Director's Cut. This was mentioned in a tweet by a BBC interviewer.

"JohnWilson14 John Wilson Kate Bush trending? Then listen to her speaking to me @BBCFrontRow tomorrow night. She reveals there's ANOTHER album already on the way 3 minutes ago"

[Pyewacket]

Originally Posted by Meowi

Every critic must be in love with Ms Bush and 50 Words for Snow, and that is a fair point too!
Apparently, Kate is gearing up her third album since her release of Director's Cut. This was mentioned in a tweet by a BBC interviewer.

"JohnWilson14 John Wilson Kate Bush trending? Then listen to her speaking to me @BBCFrontRow tomorrow night. She reveals there's ANOTHER album already on the way 3 minutes ago"

It would be her second album since "Director's Cut" -- there's only been "50 Words For Snow" since then.

However, I've heard the John Wilson interview, and it's really jumping the gun to say there's another album in the pipeline. As she's said in other interviews, she has some ideas in mind for an upcoming release. But before she fleshes them out, she wants to take a break. As you know, a Kate Bush break could mean just about any amount of time (on up to 12 years, in fact).

I suspect she won't be able to stay away from the new idea for long (because she's said 50 is the proudest she's been of an album since her very first, and it came quite quickly and with some ease). I think we're talking at least a year, but probably two or three.

[wheart]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket

The reviews have been insane for this album, a few already calling it album of the year, and the huge preponderance of reviewers giving it four or five stars. Some US reviewers have ranked it 3.5 stars...but other than that, it really has sewn up the critics.

I am very pleased to see this, though I have to say this: I think if Tori Amos had come up with the exact same songs and production and had even managed to sing like Kate, the reviews would have savaged her. There's something to be said for Kate's halo having never tarnished...every album receives huge accolades. And usually deservedly so.

I do love this album...it is very brave and very different. Ten years ago, an ad for Sarah McLachlan's new album said that she was the only artist who took her time to unravel a song. Well...no pop songstress has ever done it to this length or time signature to my recollection. And yet, I don't have a problem with it. "Lake Tahoe" is actually my favorite on 50WFS. It's as if she wants a sustained mood more than a pop song, and she does achieve that. The melody and lyric (though there is poetry in it) have become secondary to the overall sound and emotion.

That said, I am shocked that there aren't at least a few reviewers who wanna rip her a new one. Maybe it's a case of the emperor's new clothes -- no one wants to be the idiot who called Queen Kate's new album just a little too naked.

check out katebushnews.com. Though most of the reviews are beyond glowing, there are a handful of negative ones. I think one actually graded the album an "F". No everybody is loving this new work from Kate

[Pyewacket]

I'm a regular poster there... I've heard a few radio review panels that weren't enthusiastic...and I've seen one print review that was mild. But these are just a few bad flakes in a landslide of good press. So far on Metacritic.com (which compiles available reviews into an average) this album is getting an unprecedented 91%.