The Dreaming

My least listened to Kate Bush album, because for all of the weirdness it lacks the goodness. No bangers here, and too limited in its scope of plinky plonk circus songs.

It had its moment but compared to The Kick Inside this is horrible. like bjork mmets yoko in places, I couldnt get away with it.

No puedo parar de escuchar a Toad durante todo el álbum, y, lamentablemente, eso me lo ha arruinado. Lo siento...

Given that this was supposed to be her most experimental album, I’m surprised I liked this quite a bit more than Hounds of Love. Definitely a little weird in parts but not boring.

Kate Bush sets the experimental tenor early on The Dreaming; immediately in "Sat on Your Lap," she is pushing the boundaries of what her voice can do. She growls, she shouts, she sweetly whispers, and builds up what amounts to a delectable sonic tension. Her vocal exploration is almost entirely fruitful, and creates quite a musical spectacle. The instrument choices are wild, but intentional, and prove evocative throughout the album, though I would call the bagpipes on "Night of the Swallow" a personal highlight. "Intentional" is a word that sets this album apart from a lot of experimental music: the compositions are all carefully arranged, and nothing feels like an afterthought, and it nonetheless remains provocative music even today. Of course, not all ventues into new territory will bear fruit. I found some of Kate's vocal experiments on "Houdini" and "Get Out of My House" a bit too far-fetched. On top of that, some of the synth lines did not age as well as some of the albums contemporaries (e.g. Kraftwerk, Duran Duran). But the misses are incredible, and the hits are incredible, and I am still floored with the broad musical territory Kate Bush opened up on this effort.

Særegen stil, litt kult men ikke tipp topp. 3 av 5

8.5

This felt less like an album and more like a collection of noises. Maybe some perfume adverts at best. Quite crap considering some of her songs are great, but not on here. Not really what I expected and disappointing.

Man, I love Kate Bush. Some well crafted songs here and of course I love the opening song, but most of it can be a bit too theatrical for me, but she clearly learned to balance everything out after.

Kate Bush you are one wacky sonuvagun. Gotta put some respect on experimental music, especially when it was done this long ago, and especially when it's done by a woman. Nice. Can't say this was my favorite thing to listen to, but hey, maybe I'll find more to love on further listens.

So rich, there are so many things going on in each track and in the record as a whole but they all fuse together to create a very cohesive work. It's so emotional and grandiose. I'm glad Kate Bush blew up recently because her artistry should be known by all nowadays. Art Pop in its purest and finest form.

Progressive/Experimental 80’s rock. A little weird for me.

---🎧re-listen--- old score: 4* new score: unchanged (strong 4) going into this one again after first listening to it about 2 years ago, i was maybe expecting my score to drop a bit for some reason, but nah, this is still an amazing album! i did have to listen to it a few times right now to get into it again but once i did it was great. i can clearly see that this album is not gonna be for everyone, though. Kate's vocals on here could be very polarizing, and there's also a ton of crazy theatrical things happening on each song. but personally, i like it :) it's crazy and fun! i remember my mental images on my first listen being so clear, my imagination was running wild the first time i heard this. my favorite song on this is definitely the "Night of the Swallow" song. "Suspended in Gaffa" is great, too. upon relisten i also liked the first track, "Sat In Your Lap" a lot as well.

This is awful. I know music is subjective... but I genuinely don't think I can be friends with someone who likes this album

1085 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

I found this remarkably irritating, was quite surprised how I didn't enjoy it. Maybe I was hoping for something in the same vein as Hounds of Love, and maybe it needs more listens. Not sure if I fancy the latter though.

I have not heard this before. I’ve said before that if Kate Bush dyed her hair black and wore thick eyeliner she’d probably be considered a goth act and it’s readily apparent here. The production is similar to an early Bauhaus or Siouxsie and the Banshees tape especially on the drums, and the music fits into that genre in the industrial chamber orchestra fashion. Maybe she should sing more about bats or dress like she wasn’t about to go apple picking. Anyway every song is a great example of art-pop and since the genre is so dang fashion focused maybe e can call it casual Friday goth.

Okayy

A sustained 40 minutes of bizarreness and artistry, musically and lyrically, journeying into the untold corners of sounds, yet managing to sail back with some beautifully melodic treasure

just absolutely wonderful. The fretless bass is my highlight here, it's produced perfectly, and I prefer it to Hounds Of Love actually

Kate at her mode creative and experimental is running up that hill with some problems.

So singular, so original. Not always my favorite sounds, but done in a unique way.

Love some Kate Bush songs, but an album is too much to swallow for me sadly.

Insane in a bad way.

Die Britin Kate Bush nahm The Dreaming von 1980 bis 1982 in London auf, verteilt auf die Advision und Odyssey Studios, Abbey Road und das Townhouse; gemischt wurde alles bei Advision. Es erschien im September 1982 bei EMI und ist ihr erstes Album, das sie komplett allein produziert hat. Als Art Rock ist es nur grob beschrieben, denn mit Pop hat es wenig zu tun. Der Fairlight-Synthesizer liegt fast überall unter den Songs. „Sat in Your Lap" prescht mit Trommeln los, als sei jemand vom Lernen genervt. „There Goes a Tenner" erzählt einen missglückten Coup im Ton eines Gaunerstücks. Im Titelsong spielen Rolf Harris das Didgeridoo und Percy Edwards die Tierstimmen, und der Song geht mir schon nach zwei Minuten unter die Haut. „Night of the Swallow" holt irische Folk-Musiker dazu, „Suspended in Gaffa" ist der Song, der am ehesten noch ins Radio passte. Ich brauchte mehrere Anläufe, bis mir das Album nicht mehr wie ein Kraftakt vorkam. Verkauft hat es sich schlechter als die Vorgänger, das hörte man ihr damals an, und ihr nächstes Album Hounds of Love (1985) ist deutlich zugänglicher. Ich verstehe beide Seiten: Wer hier nur Kratzbürstiges hört, hat nicht ganz unrecht. Wer die Dichte und den Mut darin überhört, verpasst das Interessantere. Ihr sperrigstes Album ist für mich auch ihr ehrlichstes.

An unquestionably brilliant piece of music. It’s a strong 4. Maybe a 5?

3/10

Don't know what the fuck this is.. sounds like cilla black

Super weird, even challenging, but also super different and interesting. An absolutely wild ride.

M'n derde Kate Bush album in deze lijst en dan begin je al ietsjes teleurgesteld aan zo'n album, maar potverdikkie dit is ook niet het beste album van haar wat mij betreft. Hele lelijke, goedkoop klinkende jaren '80 geluiden komen er uit de synth, de liedjes zelf klinken überhaupt wat gaar, vormloos. Uiteraard doet ze wat gek met haar stem en dat trucje ken ik inmiddels eigenlijk ook wel. Ik kom vandaag niet verder dan 2 sterren. En ik heb de laatste 2 nummers geskipped, m'n geduld was op. Weet je wat: Ik hou het op 1 ster.

aiuto

Сраный ковбой

Been almost a month since I've had a female solo artist. Shame it had to be this.

At first I disliked this enough that I questioned if I needed to revisit other Kate Bush albums to lower my ratings. But upon a second playthrough it did start growing on me. This was probably a bit too experimental for my tastes but the desire to understand the music did increase my enjoyment.

Very inventive. Sometimes the voices and all the little sounds are a bit too much together.

I guess I don’t like art rock. I found myself very confused at some of these samples

Experimental and creative but doesn’t always land

Somewhat ethereal, sorta spooky, pop

Kate at her tweest and most exhausting. Was reading, while listening to this, a reddit thread from someone recently transplanted here to Vancouver, where I live, who as recent transplants often do was struggling with our particular brand of reticence and surface friendliness and struggling to make friends or known why their eagerness wasn't getting a conventional human response, and reading them being all "Why doesn't anyone want to hang out with me? I have a radiant personality and my conversation is animated and well-informed" (Vancouver's antisocial nature is real but this person sounded awful, to be clear), I couldn't help imagine Kate: "Why don't they want to hang out with me? I know the secrets written on moonbeams and where the fairies gather their nectar." Anyway, I almost like this, and maybe if my son still talked to fairies I could like it in that context, but wow it's a lot.

those last two songs were absolutely horrible and took the album from a two to a one

I like some Kate Bush songs. I like parts of some songs on this album. Then boom donkey noises. I understand the point. Doesn’t make it sonically enjoyable to me.

Even more than Hounds of Love, this is a fully realized vision, fully articulated, and Kate is using every bit of her vocal range and talents to explore a wide variety of concepts and styles. This is just pure music bliss, cutting through direct to the heart. It's art rock with a real purpose, something that by 1982 had become a hard commodity to come by. Kate strikes at the essential core of things, akin to the glow of seeing beautiful art or tasting an exquisite meal. A really astounding record.

I like Kate Bush. She’s different, but a great voice and an innovator. Kind of like a female Bowie. I liked many of the songs - some not so much. Hope we get to hear more of her music.

Although it’s not my favorite, I’m glad this album exists. I like Kate Bush being weird and experimental. Particularly, I enjoyed the theatrical moments and even her haunted, spooky elements (tis the season). Not what I expected but not a terrible listen.

This album was weird. Sometimes this was good. Usually it wasn't. The theater kid energy is strong with this one. In summary, I got full bush when I wanted Bush light.

Not the strangest thing I’ve ever listened to but definitely up there. Strongly prefer Hounds of Love over whatever was happening on this album but even in its strangeness I was definitely having a good time.

I enjoyed this less than the last KB album we had.

Strange album. You kinda gotta stop resisting and embrace how weird this is.

this is the fourth album release by kate bush. being an art pop diva, this project was very ambitious and took about two years to record. it's considered to be very experimental compared to her other work, which is more suited towards radio airwaves. besides the odd instruments and recordings, this album is best known for exhibiting tracks that make use of the fairlight cmi. fans of kate bush and wonderfully weird art kids like me will be pretty enthralled by many of these tracks; it's certainly an album where she isn't afraid to get strange in all the right ways. it gets a little unconventional sometimes but her musical identity is unmistakable. even with the high quality music here, i'm going to classify this album as more of a hidden gem rather than a legendary must listen... but hey, what do i know. you might gag at her growls.

My 18 yr old self spent many hours trying to be convinced that this was her best work and I agreed while trying to impress the edgy girls in my dorm. After a listed 49 years later, I am finally understanding what they were saying. While less popular, the album seems like some of her most authentic and artistic pieces.

I like Kate Bush so unsurprisingly I like this.

I didn't know her. A few good songs, an OK album.

Muito bom. Canta muito, ótimas melodias, banda excelente.

weird and i love it

This was great. I’ve never really listened to Kate Bush outside of the popular tracks. This was felt ethereal, but sometimes dark and challenging to listen to. It really does sound like music you would run through a field in a long flowy dress in.

This was alright, some interesting songs on here but it didn't really capture me as a complete project. Probably wouldn't listen again.

Hey! So this is very, very, annoying! Best Song: n/a Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2

Just not for me. Be as experimental as you want but dont do silly voices.

Kate Bush comes with a warning even when I read the book to see why they suggested her. Here she's weird, here she's "gone crazy." Which, to me, always means she's just not acting like the demure perfection society demanded of women. And continues to. Less they be weird or a slut. She has moments of demonic voice, moments of ethereal, or whimsical, it's obscure, but respect for her lack of giving a fuck.

Can't believe I used to not like this album, it's incredible. Stroke of genius in Kate's already phenomenal discography, the peak of her experimentation and extravagance. The amount of complexity is simply stunning, the way she incorporates elements of opera and cabaret to create these massive, dense, surreal songs is incredibly cool. The instrumentation is amazing, so progressive, layered and rich, beaming with creativity. It's very over the top, especially with her vocals sounding weirder than usual. This album sounds magical.

6/10

Probably worst of the 3.

Like this was her art project.

Sat In Your Lap

Tal vez le dé otra oportunidad otro día.

The music is definitely weird. Maybe there's some very specific mood you can be in where it really resonates, but I couldn't tell you what that is and I'm certainly not in it right now.

this is was not good. She should be friends with Tom Waits. Their experimental noise could get even more experimental but not for me on this list, please.

This entire album is very eccentric; half of it hits for me and half of it doesn’t. Probably wouldn’t revisit on a regular basis but can definitely appreciate parts of this

Experimental and very out there. Her voice is so special it makes me stop and listen more than I normally would.

Did I need to hear this album before I died? Yes. Do I need to hear it again? I don't think so.

作为Sample伟大的一张专辑，但我欣赏不来

It started with shrieking and ended with braying. It felt more like a visit to a petting zoo than a pop album.

Forgetable

Pretty good listen

(Decent to strong 8/10) Whoa this thing is super wonky, and I love it. Kate's voice is all over the place but that is not a bad thing. Her range is incredible and you really FEEL those lyrics. Her style of production is totally unique, and every song has a bizarre but fitting sound palette that perfectly compliments the track. It's a strange record but one that hits really hard when you dive in. The final song is a doozy also.. damn

She has a great voice but experimental aways scares me away

4/5

While very creative, not an album I can listen to very often.

A little Kate Bush goes a long way. This is a lot of Kate Bush

Didn’t really like it, never liked pop, especially a bit “weirder” stuff like this

This was cool and crazy and awesome. If I was a teen in 1982 this would have been my jam.

like how its a little weirder and rougher than hounds of love. the borderline goofy synths are so sick and i like whar they do with kate's operatic vocals. i feel like maybe jun togawa was influenced by this? added to the streaming library, gonna vibe more on these cow toy percussion sounds

This album is like a super hoppy double IPA. Super complex, lots going on, takes real craftsmanship and skill to make and not for everybody. Unfortunately I tried listening to this while going for a drive on a hot summer day and it was pretty hard to genuinely enjoy. If I tried again in a different set of setting, I would probably find different results, but I guess I was in the mood for a coors light.

While Kate Bush found a perfect mix of 80s pop sensibilities and experimentalism on Hounds of Love, she was going full on experimental art pop for the Dreaming. There are still some pop sensibilities on the Dreaming, but they're hiding behind layers of strange samples and instrumentation, weird singing styles and effects, and unconventional song structures. It takes a few listens to really start making any sense of this album, but it's quite rewarding once you get there.

Not my favourite Kate Bush album

Kate Bush is NOT new wave, which is why it took me so long to enjoy and understand her music. I constantly see her lumped in with the new wave, probably because she was a quirked up pop musician who made records in the early 80s. Her music has absolutely no relation to punk rock -- this is prog rock through and through. But her ability to write insane (and catchy) hooks, plus her willingness to experiment with textures and timbres, makes for a really great album. Side A of this record is damn near perfect and Side B has a ton more to enjoy. On relisten, I think The Dreaming might be the best thing she ever made (and that says a lot, given how great Hounds of Love is). Thank heavens for Kate Bush, that magnificent weirdo.

Good one!

TOAD GANG

mh

Cracking start but just kinda mellows out. Still enjoyable though

2.6 out of 5 stars for The Dreaming. I do like that Kate Bush is using the studio as an experimental workspace and a lot of these songs venture off into the bizarre, with no coherent rhythm, lyrics, or harmony. Just random screaming and noises. I appreciate what Kate is doing to move her forward to better things (Hounds of Love, The Sensual World), but this is just raw nonesense for the most part. Funny thing is, when I finished the last song on this album, Running Up That Hill came on next and wow, what a difference. But you can see how she got there from this album. Worth being on this list? Yes. Worth hearing more than once? Sure, if you enjoy chaos.

The person who put this list together must really like Kate Bush. This is the third or fourth album. I found this - her voice in particular - annoying.

This is not good. It's quite awful actually.

not my thing.

Kate Bush is off-kilter in the best way possible.

Too weird to enjoy

Strange, raw production, and a fun listen. Certainly needs a few listens to appreciate. Rating: 8/10 Favorite Song: Pull out the pin

Almost dismissed this with a drive-by take down based on perception but then decided to lean in. Hello, there’s some quality in here if you take a minute to actually listen. I put some earbuds in and it really changed my perception of this album. I mean I already liked Running Up That Hill and I remember Kate Bush’s general vibe from the 80s. So the second half of the album really pops with Night of the Swallow which is really good followed by All The Love, which is a very strong track. Get OUt of My House is great too (See the hackles on the cat!) and all the talk about braying donkeys makes much more and works in context. Started out thinking this was a slam dunk 1 or 2 and going with a solid 4.

Putting this in the tortured cats category. Maybe there's a significant historical reason for its inclusion in the book that I'd know if I had read it, but it was most certainly not chosen for listening enjoyment. The only positive is that the final track is named "Get Out of My House", which is exactly my thoughts towards Kate Bush after this.