Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush isn’t really a songwriter. She’s an author of strange, literary fiction. Wisps of magic (the magic of nature, especially), bizarre imagery and metaphor entwine with the usual anxieties: love; motherhood; death; making deals with God. It just so happens that rather than write her baroque, gothic literature in text, she writes it in sound. These are not songs, they’re stories, and her lyrics tell the inner lives of her characters: Cloudbusting is the yearning, revolutionary youth marching through her life (“The sun coming out… I just know that something good is going to happen… Your sun’s coming out…”); The dreamer, pushing away modernity and their companions in Big Sky (“We pause for the jet… [jet noises] What was the question? I was looking at the big sky.”). But why does she not just write stories in text then? Bush’s genius is in making the music perform the other roles in her stories - antagonist, chorus, mood-generator, weather, scene-setter - it is the canvas (to further mix the mediums) on which she paints her characters. So it seems to me she’s not all that interested in what makes a song a song, rather what makes a song a story. Every element is put towards that purpose - what will best tell this story? Your mileage may vary on how much of that you can stomach, but to me I see genius in her particular brand of storytelling. There’s no-one like her.

Man, nothing sounds quite like this. Shame she never really caught on in the US and it always amazes me that something so experimental was able to be so popular in the UK/Europe. She definitely paved the way for other iconoclasts like Bjork, etc. Gotta respect the unbridled vision and the genreless expression. Love when artists build their own studios and go into their own little worlds.

How wonderful to listen to two women in a row! (Björk was yesterday. These two make a nice pair.) I've not listened to this one and didn't know anything beyond Running Up That Hill. I'm sorry I waited so long. Or maybe not. Maybe it needed to be now for me to appreciate it. Big Sky and Jig of Life were my favorites. I'm quite well taken with her voice, especially how it drops on the word "God" in Running Up That Hill. I sense a particular kind of authenticity in her music, that she's making exactly the kind of record she wants and needs to make and that makes me want to listen more. Excellent.

I believe Kate Bush was ahead of her time in '85. Minus some obvious keyboard parts here and there, Hounds of Love presents as something that could have dropped anytime in the last decade even though it's 35+ years old. Other than epic single, Running Up That Hill, I hadn't heard any of this record before today but it is really interesting and diverse. The power of her voice, songwriting, and experimentation is inspirational. Kate's experimentation and sound has obviously echoed into the hearts of artists such as Enya, St. Vincent and Florence & the Machine. Cloudbusting and Under Ice are cool dark favs of mine. What's up with Waking the Witch? Nasty. And I'm a sucker for a jig, so Jig Of Life was a really cool addition for me. Nice ending with 6-minute Hello Earth. Hounds Of Love really sounded like a soundtrack to a twisted indie film. This album wasn't major for me, but definitely triggered an urge to sample some more Bush! ;)

Progressive pop - can something like that even exist? Pop, by definition, is just not very innovative. It relies on the familiar. In my humble opinion, there can just be very few progress pop albums. Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is one of those very few examples. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.

An absolute dream! Kate Bush's piano drives you into a dreamland that's equal parts dream and nightmare. The subtlety and variety of the vocal production really stands out.

She literally arfs like a dog during Hounds of Love and it's like the fifth worst thing that happens on this album. Best track: I honestly don't know, and I'm not going to listen again to figure it out

This album is phenomenal. People will (finally) listen to Kate Bush again due to Stranger Things and it's inclusion of Running Up That Hill. And that's OK, because it is an excellent song. But the rest of the album is no less fascinating. It defies genre definitions: Pop meets Art Rock meets Folk meets Chorale .... (I could go on.) Among the twelve tracks on this album nearly every single one is different, and each has something new just waiting to be discovered. The first side (which includes Running Up That Hill) is slightly more pop oriented. Running... , Hounds Of Love, The Big Sky and Cloudbusting are real standouts. The second side is more of a concept album. The listener needs to pay more attention here, but is rewarded with excellent music. Forget everything you thought you knew about 80s music, this album is something else. 5/5

This is one of my favourite albums of all-time. It's worthy of a full user review, as it's a true classic. For those who have lived under a rock, or are born this millennium, Kate Bush is considered a true genius and this is viewed my many, as her seminal album. Side 1 has a collection of "hits", including; Running up that Road, Hounds of Love, The Big Sky and Cloudbusting. The subject matter is varied, including a mother's love for her son, who has committed murder, and exploration of dreams, with inspiration take from the Peter Reich memoir A Book of Dreams. It is Side Two that in my opinion the album flourishes. A suite of seven songs based on the same theme, under the heading, "The ninth wave". The story is of a woman/mother who has fallen through the ice on a frozen lake and is trapped, thinking of those left behind, as she fights to stay afloat and alive. Highlights for me are, "And dream of sheep" and "Hello Earth". There's even a Celtic Jig in there (Jig of Life). What an album! 46 minutes of perfection. Impossible to fault.

When you get an early morning message declaring excitement at the day’s album, you know it’s a good ‘un. So good, I played it over and over.

The only album with proven anti-Vecna properties. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) Date listened: 20/03/23

After keeping its head above water for so long I kept thinking this had started to sink. But nearly (nearly) every time, it kept those little arms and legs paddling. The Big Sky chorus was kinda bland, I thought, but then realised the chorus was the whole song, and that it had become its own coda less than halfway through, opening the door for some spectacular drums at 1:31. Mother Stands For Comfort sounded like it couldn't figure out what to do with itself, until some imperceptible moment when not figuring out what to do with itself became its purpose. "Those strings are nowhere near enough to keep my ears awake," I said at the start of Cloudbursting. Only then it stole a march on me, celebrating its victory (and rewarding my patience) with the bass and chanting at the end. When Bush repeated the same trick for Under Ice, I concluded it was all part of the design. I still think she's limited, but now I'm satisfied that if she doesn't have the chops to pull off all her ideas, she's at least able to communicate the scale at which she's dreaming. Not only that, she works with her limitations to make it sound like she's exceeding them. I can get behind that.

All the magic you believed in as a child is real, and this music is the proof.

Mesmerising, cloudbusting a highlight but there were many others

This is one of the most listened to albums of my life. It’s been in heavy rotation since I discovered it in 1987. I cherish every note. I very rarely listen to single songs off this album. I feel incomplete hearing these songs out of context. Throughout my life, artists come and go and return again as my tastes drift. But Kate Bush has been at the core of my listening without pause for over 30 years regardless of what other musical interests I may be pursuing. This album helped me navigate some of the most challenging times in my life. I am hopelessly in debt to Kate Bush. There isn’t no score high enough to reflect that.

Kate Bush's strongest album to date also marked her breakthrough into the American charts, and yielded a set of dazzling videos as well as an enviable body of hits, spearheaded by "Running Up That Hill," her biggest single since "Wuthering Heights." Strangely enough, Hounds of Love was no less complicated in its structure, imagery, and extra-musical references (even lifting a line of dialogue from Jacques Tourneur's Curse of the Demon for the intro of the title song) than The Dreaming, which had been roundly criticized for being too ambitious and complex. But Hounds of Love was more carefully crafted as a pop record, and it abounded in memorable melodies and arrangements, the latter reflecting idioms ranging from orchestrated progressive pop to high-wattage traditional folk; and at the center of it all was Bush in the best album-length vocal performance of her career, extending her range and also drawing expressiveness from deep inside of herself, so much so that one almost feels as though he's eavesdropping at moments during "Running Up That Hill." Hounds of Love is actually a two-part album (the two sides of the original LP release being the now-lost natural dividing line), consisting of the suites "Hounds of Love" and "The Ninth Wave." The former is steeped in lyrical and sonic sensuality that tends to wash over the listener, while the latter is about the experiences of birth and rebirth. If this sounds like heady stuff, it could be, but Bush never lets the material get too far from its pop trappings and purpose. In some respects, this was also Bush's first fully realized album, done completely on her own terms, made entirely at her own 48-track home studio, to her schedule and preferences, and delivered whole to EMI as a finished work; that history is important, helping to explain the sheer presence of the album's most striking element -- the spirit of experimentation at every turn, in the little details of the sound. That vastly divergent grasp, from the minutiae of each song to the broad sweeping arc of the two suites, all heavily ornamented with layered instrumentation, makes this record wonderfully overpowering as a piece of pop music. Indeed, this reviewer hadn't had so much fun and such a challenge listening to a new album from the U.K. since Abbey Road, and it's pretty plain that Bush listened to (and learned from) a lot of the Beatles' output in her youth.

To quote the first 5 star review I came to here: “Kate Bush isn’t really a songwriter. She’s an author of strange, literary fiction. Wisps of magic (the magic of nature, especially), bizarre imagery and metaphor entwine with the usual anxieties: love; motherhood; death; making deals with God. It just so happens that rather than write her baroque, gothic literature in text, she writes it in sound. These are not songs…” Exactly. That, and the fact that her music causes people to write like that about it, is why it’s awful.

It takes a few listens to really get a grasp of it. It’s so unique and I never know where the song is going to go. Rating: 4.7

I had never listened to a Kate Bush album before now. I knew a couple of her hits from radio play, but I didn't ever really have an interest in her beyond that. I am glad that this project has brought her back to my attention. I enjoyed the album. It seemed full of drama to me...almost theatrical with the variety of sounds.

A genuine masterpiece. Incredible vocals and orchestration, few albums achieve this level of power, beauty, emotion and passion and remain popular and even catchy. The first five tracks have to be one of the best sequences on any album ever: The haunting synths on Running Up That Hill; the snapping, urgent drums on Hounds of Love; the luscious orchestral arrangements on The Big Sky; the peculiar melodies on Mother Stands for Comfort; and that incredible violin riff on the immortal Cloudbustin’. Amazing, amazing, amazing. These opening tracks alone would earn five stars. And whilst I find the rest of the album elusive and intangible, these tracks reward repeat listening and immersion. Nobody makes music quite like Kate Bush. Iconic. What an artist.

Well this is one of the great pop albums, it is difficult to think of a pop album that is resonated with me as much is this one. It is a record that still holds its weight 35 years after its release,There is a time is quality that makes this album still sound young and fresh on each listen. Despite the success of this project Kate this remains an artist it was quite an enigma keeping public appearances minimal. There is something very certain about this record coming out in 1985 as I believe if this was a modern classic album Kate Bush would’ve been pushed in every angle to sell commercially and the genius buying this project would’ve been lost behind horrible chart remixes.This is one of Kate Bush strongest albums to date in my opinion and this album broke the name of Kate Bush across the world making her not only a British popstar but topping the American charts. It is a sound that was much before its time with no popstars creating a sonic landscape like this. Each of the 12 tracks and a purpose and strong identity. It is an album where I feel there is genuinely no fillers, also including one of the greatest intros of all time. The album sound light and airy like a fever dream whilst having roots of electronic music played again. There’s also something crazy about this record being a fifth album but it still self produced sounding DIY but embracing the possibilities of digital sampling synthesisers and marrying that sound with something that is technical genius and a step into the exploration of sound. Not only is it a technical step of genius that it is a project that has incredible song structures and is underpinned by voice of lyrical genius. Capers having vocals that are truly impeccable both sweet dreamy and light whilst being full of emotion and passion. When comparing the content of this records to any modern day pop record you would think the content is cheesy and cringing but there is a genius much more before its time in this project, these lyrics are now what shaped what we listen to today in popular culture. With some of the most beautiful metaphors of love. Each song is written like a poem both beautiful and definitive. The cover for this project is also work about being something truly remarkable, and Like the quality of this project the cover is something that really is up there with the greats being synonymous with Kate Bush. It is a cover which is both simplistic yes affective and you can almost hear the sounds of a spear-headed “running up that hill” bleeding through the cover. To conclude for this project there is little else that’s all I can say, Kate Bush is one of the great popstars and her work is almost on matchable in quality. It is a shame she did so few live shows and she’s not a popstar this is still going but maybe that is part of a genius – always leave the audience wanting more. No words can do this album justice, put it on for five minutes and I promise you you’ll be there for entire track list.

A perfect album that I have written just... so much about. Top 10

This is it. This is the album praised as the pinnacle of pop. Kate Bush, through her passionate songwriting and dreamy production, has gifted us the Hounds of Love in 1985. As far as anyone is concerned, Kate Bush is in her own league with this album. To just call it a "pop album" would be underselling how truly unique, how damn great it is. Some of it is cheesy, sure, but I think it's easily backed up by the incredible high moments of the album. I will say I find side B noticeably weaker than side A, making me lose interest. Incredible songs otherwise.

Like if a witch from the 80s adapted her grimoire into a pop album. Wow

I love Kate bush and this is her at her best

A conveniently timed album to receive thanks to Running Up That Hill's resurgence on the charts from its feature in Stranger Things. And although that song definitely hooked me into Kate Bush's work, I didn't really gain a great appreciation for her until listening to this album two years ago. It was COVID time and stuck in lockdown, Running came up a lot on song radios and decided to check Hounds Of Love out. The thing that stood out the most then was The Ninth Wave suite. After some decent to great pop songs, you got a soft lullaby which after a somber gathering of clouds, bursts over Waking Up The Witch which scared the shit out of me. It was so dark and sinister after the first side being joyous and a bit happy with songs like Cloudbusting, The Big Sky and the title track. The Ninth Wave then goes to a calm state before going Celtic in Jig Of Life, a resurgence in Hello Earth and then the curtain call in Morning Fog. It was such an interesting listen as you have a pop artist whose prime was the 70s/80s and they could do both great singles, and weird as hell concepts and suites. Since then I have gotten the album on vinyl and listened to a bunch of Kate Bush's albums and though she isn't in my top 3 artists, have gained a massive amount of respect and love for her. And post Stranger Things, I am very pleased her work is in the limelight again, and hopefully some of those who came for Running, will like this album and some of her other works.

Kate Bush is able to pave a whimsically emotional journey for the listener. Her haunting voice, the complex poetic songwriting, the dreamlike synths and romantic piano transports you to the depths of a different world. Bush’s lyrics are spilling over with feeling and she has a natural ability to paint vivid dreamscapes with her words. Every track feels so full with expression and experimentation yet never feel crowded or too jarring. You can tell a lot of artists have drawn inspiration from her, from then and til today, and specifically her contribution to the 80’s goth and darkwave scene is definitely felt on Hounds of Love. Top tracks: Running Up That Hill/Cloudbusting Least favourite track: Watching You Without Me

I'd never really seen it before, but I think you can really clearly see the influence of Kate Bush on St Vincent on this record.

4.5/5. Almost every track slaps, and it’s the Wall for Women. Can’t go wrong 👍.

Did not expect to love this as much as I did. Kate bush rocks and has such a unique voice with some great songs to carry it

By 1986 Kate Bush was eight years into a highly successful career which had seen her rise to be the preeminent British female pop musician of the age which an international reputation. The Hounds of Love was her fifth studio album, all her previous collections had seen remarkable changes in style. Hounds of Love continued in that vein. It benefits the listener to approach Hounds of Love as two separate collection of songs (the two sides as originally released) bound together by similar themes. Side one represents a more traditional approach to song writing with some very strong and compelling pop songs (Running Up That Hill and Cloudbusting stand out). Side two- often referred to as The Ninth Wave- represents a rich journey through musical experimentation and the lyrical exploration of life, death, and rebirth. Deliberately bold, the tracks have both a dramatic and dream like feel. Despite all of its experimentation, the female challenges to the idea of ‘progressive’ rock and the standout song writing, Hounds of Love is a reflection of some very traditional themes: love, loss and the challenges and comforts of childhood memory. It’s impossible to overstate its musical and lyrical pull. It stands at the head of the pantheon of what can be prosaically described as rock or pop music. Score: 5/5

kate bush is an icon, love her so much!! one of my favourite albums everrrr

What a weird, cool, beautiful album

One of Kate’s very best and also of the 80s IMO. Her voice has never been more powerful, crystalline, clear and pure. And her writing is simply in a class of its own. The brilliant singles from this album speak for themselves but the experimental Side B is also a revelation. I’d give this a 4.5 but since I was so hard on Pet Sounds yesterday I’ll round this up to a 5

Strange in a good way.

Eerie and ethereal. Though I admit that I was one of the millions who made their way into Kate Bush's catalogue due to "Stranger Things," "Running Up That Hill" is still the best track on this album. "Cloudbursting" was also good.

Really fun album. First song was instantly recognizeable considering how many tik tok videos I've seen using it. I never really listened to Kate Bush, so I didn't even know that was her song.

Really solid.

Pretty solid album. I remember seeing her albums in the 80's but this was the first time I've ever listened to her. The songs are well crafted and you can tell she is talented. I probably won't revisit but I enjoyed it.

This album entertained me throughout! She creates an unique atmosphere and the well known "Running up that hill (a deal with God)" is the highlight of the entire album. "Cloudbusting", but "Jig of life " gives the Irish/folk touch that is always appreciated. To re-listen it again. 3.5/5

I love kate bush and I love this album. Some of the tracks and the ‘cutting edge’ audio treatments have not aged too well but it still makes for an interesting listen. Bold, beautiful and probably a little crazy, she is a beautiful songwriter. It’s a 3 star album but a 4 star artist! Discovered by the legendary David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Somebody should really use this “Running Up That Hill” song in a film…very cinematic feel. Nah, who am I kidding? It would probably work better in a TV show.

Very unique sound. Tracks like Running Up That Hill have taken on a second life which is what this album will likely be most known for. Want to give it another listen at some point.

Not really my cup of tea, but nice songs still

This was an interesting album with a lot of variety, and by interesting I mean weird. I used to really dislike Kate Bush but I have to say she is growing on me over time and I didn’t mind this. Listens: 1 Fave Track: The Big Sky Rating: 3

Is this album a bit over produced? Yes Is it a bit all over the place? Yes Do the bangers make up for it? Yes Can I forgive her for Jig of Life? I’m just not sure

It was more annoying than good. And I think Placebo's cover of Running Up That Hill is much more superior.

Kate Bush has a nice voice, but this is a little slow, light, and basic for my taste. Only the first song is a real standout, and it's even kind of slow. There's too many songs that are just total start-to-finish duds, like "Mother Stands for Comfort" and "Under Ice", neither of which really does anything. There's not a lot of diversity, and even some of the stronger tracks, like "Cloudbusting" and "Running Up That Hill" sound exactly the same throughout, they just don't develop their main idea at all. This CD seems like it's supposed to function as a vocal showcase for Bush, but she's not quite a good enough singer to make that work well, and on some of the songs most devoted to that concept, like "And Dream of Sheep", she never really takes over and fully opens her voice up, she's content to be just another background instrument. That leaves the overall sounds kind of rudderless and drifting - so fine background music, but not something I'd put on again.

that aint it for me dawg

ew 80s

Easily one of the most creative and interesting pop album ever made. Kate Bush was never afraid to push boundaries and always challenge what popular music should sound like, and this right her is her masterpiece. Side A while still fantastic definitely is the more "radio friendly" half of the album, and side B is full of uniqueness and innovation.

9/10 Kocham Tori Amos. Kocham Bjork. Więc to oczywiste, że kocham też Kate Bush. Eksperymentalny pop. Jednostka wybitna i skrajnie oryginalna. Śpiewa to co chce i tak jak chce. Zostawiam kawałek mojej duszy przy tej płycie

Indispensable.

Love it!

This I often do not do. Generally I hold very tightly to my ratings and find it important overall not to be haphazard and just throw out random ratings. yet at the same time this is NOT a random rating. The more I hear Kate Bush, of which I have always been a fan (being a child of the 80's and all), the more she grows on me as a songwriter and a storyteller. This album is not homogenized and overproduced and predictable. It is still as fresh as it was the day it was released and is brave and open and emotional. Really what else is there for music to be?

I'd be amazed if there's another record as weird as this one on the list, and I really appreciate how singular and unique it is. A true one off.

The sudden success of "Running Up That Hill" reminded us that Kate Bush is a truly great artist and reminded us how timeless "Hounds Of Love" sounds regardless of the era with its ethereal sound yet so powerful in its emotional charge. It was good to revisit this album because it reminds us that Kate Bush is a legend and will always be in our hearts.

An absolute classic. So many textures and musical ideas but so truly reflected in the concept. A truly original sound and a truly original artist.

phenomenal. Thanks Kate for everything

incredible

ну хел е конечно классика тут все заметчально почти каждый трек хит, ну база база

it's weird how this album ends with cloud busting 100 times in a row

Like many people, I first heard of Kate Bush when her single "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" saw a resurgence in popularity after being used in the soundtrack for the show Stranger Things. I genuinely enjoyed that track and was amazed to hear it on modern-day pop radio, what with its percussive gallop, the accompanying synthesizer made to sound like a cello, and Kate's profound lyrics about having man and woman "swap places" to understand one another better and bridge the gender divide. It was extraordinary to experience, and after listening to Hounds of Love, I can say that specialness extends to the rest of this album. Starting on side one, Hounds of Love is front-loaded with the pop bangers Kate crafted and self-produced. Each of these tracks is accompanied by pounding drum beats, light synthesizer motifs, Kate's soprano vocal delivery that's as comforting as a pillow, and some commanding distinct elements. Whether it's Kate's crooning dog barks on the title track, the full band accompaniment on "The Big Sky", the somber piano and theremin on "Mother Stands for Comfort", or the string arrangement on "Cloudbusting", these songs offer a unique perspective into the eloquent soundscape created. If this album were just side one, it would have been a standout in my book. But, the addition of side two takes it to the next level. Kate has spoken about how side two, The Ninth Wave, is comparable to a film, wherein the tracks tell a larger narrative about a person lost in the water and the arduous journey of getting back to land. Without giving the full story away, this is some of the most ambitious work I've heard in a pop record, as Kate took full command of this narrative in evoking her nightmares and invigorated spirit in the lyrical imagery. Accenting the story are various musical elements that help paint the scene, including the tense string accompaniment to signify the coldness of the water in "Under Ice", the vocal effects to represent the character's subconscious in "Waking the Witch", and the Irish folk swell of "Jig of Life" for the character's increased adrenaline. It is a narrative that captures the sense of one's survival in a turbulent situation and what goes on in their mind, executed rather beautifully. Hounds of Love is an outstanding album, and I'm glad Kate Bush has seen renewed popularity in recent years. This record stands among the greatest of them all.

Weird, unique, and all along surreal. There's a reason Kate Bush has such a strong cult following, and this album shows it better than any other I've heard from her so far.

This is pure genius. Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love and Cloudbusting are three of the most perfect songs ever composed. And that’s just in the first half of this record. Kate Bush is a goddess.

Me: "Why has no one told me this is this good?????" Ron Howard narration: "They had." Better late than never. This was excellent from start to finish.

Siendo uno de los LPs más revolucionarios de la historia de la música, "Hounds Of Love" se posiciona orgullosamente en esta lista y con justa razón. El sonido que Kate Bush logra en este trabajo, no solo como compositora, sino también como productora, está por lo menos 20 años adelantado al panorama musical en el que se lanzó. "Hounds of Love" es uno de los pilares fundamentales de la música alternativa, y a pesar de que "Running up that hill" se volvió tremendamente popular gracias a "Stranger Things" (serie que solo ha ganado detractores con el tiempo), este LP no ha perdido ninguna pizca de relevancia o prestigio. Escúchelo, pocos discos son tan buenos como este.

I thought this would be an easy 5 for me, but I think it does have its imperfections. As a cohesive piece of art it’s pretty great, but some of the tracks at the start of the second half don’t have much standalone value for me. Still there are so many groundbreaking tracks and ideas here, that are so uniquely Kate Bush, I think it would be a disservice to give it anything less than 5. Fave Tracks: Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love, The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Watching You Without Me, The Morning Fog 4.6/5

Kate Bush is weird, quirky, artsy - in other words wonderful. With Hounds of Love she added inventive, forward thinking, and popular. One of the first popular albums to make extensive use of a Fairlight system, Hound of Love is a tour de force of 80s progressive pop. The title song, Running Up That Hill - an MTV and college radio hit - and Cloudbusting are the highlights but the whole album is amazing. If you can only have one Kate Bush album, this is it. If you have a "ten albums on a dessert island" list, this belongs on it. You won't be disappointed.

What an amazing bush

Imagine how good stranger things would be if that girls favorite song was cloudbusting

Classic, great synth.

Not as magical this time around probably cause I own it on record and listening to it in my shitty earbuds doesn't compare. Also one of my most relistened albums. Sounds crazy but arguably has 3 of the greatest tracks of all time. Running up that hill, waking the Witch jig of life. And yes I mean all time greatest tracks not just Bush greats or pop greats. Music greats. You could even further the argument and extend it to cloud busting as well. It's a Masterpiece, no ifs or buts. The first time I heard this I was delivering pizzas and I thought I had crashed my car and fucking died and was simply hallucinating finishing the delivery meanwhile my soul stood before St peter. That's how this album makes me feel. 10/10

holy moly peak

Kate's Best. Perhaps equal to the quirkier 'The Dreaming'

Bush’s voice throughout Hounds of Love is mesmerizing, ranging from tender and delicate to powerful and theatrical. Her ability to merge genres, from pop and rock to folk and avant-garde, makes this album feel timeless.

A definite banger. Some of her most accessible work but still has her style.

Great

Kathryn notes: First of all, so weird. I literally chatted to charlotte about 5/5 albums and i said this would be one of mine. Will add the girls notes. I’m p sure they also rated 5/5

This sounded like an instant classic when it first came out in 1985. Today, it sounds like a timeless classic. Bush is amazing! I can't think of any artist more deserving of the renaissance she got a couple of years ago.

Ughhh absolutely ethereal!! Does it make me wanna die a little bit? Yeah, and come back as a depressed fairy

So beautiful and sentimental. from the instrumentals to her singing and the lyrics, everything. also love that I can recognize this served as inspiration for a whole generation of artists.

OH MY GOD YESS YES YES YES I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO SO MUCH KATE BUSH MY ANGEL 10/10 CHRIST ITS SO PERFECT This album literally changed the face of pop music. Big and boisterous but also very tender and intimate, Kate Bush manages to create an album that gets better on every listen. It incorporates so many different styles and subgenres, and the production is so clean and well done. Not even to mention Kate’s voice, which is just entrancing and compliments the sound of this album beautifully. And her vocal arrangements are just incredible, I love how she truly utilizes her voice as an instrument. The lyricism is so captivating (especially on the second side, the concept-ness of it is incredible and worth really actively listening to the lyrics). Will always have more to say but just know I will forever put this album on repeat. 💜

love love love love Favourite songs: - running up that hill - the big sky - cloudbusting - jig of life the intro to waking the witch almost made me cry as well. maybe I'm the witch

Kate Bush has been running with the wolves and sharing her singular vision with them. Powerful and sublime, often deeply odd, never less than a masterpiece. Take off my shoes and throw them in the lake!

god she's so weird what's happening here. 10/10 no notes. favourite tracks: cloudbusting (of course) the weeewwoooo noises and faint AWOO in mother stands for comfort watching you without me jig of life (or i might hate it, not sure)

This album was such an odd, magical experience, and nothing else I've heard sounds quite like it. I almost gave it a 4, mostly because I caught my attention drifting during some of the slower tracks. I'm also not a fan of the 80s production gloss that obscures some truly brilliant material. But eventually my mind was changed. The vocalising here is distinctively Kate Bush, and the real highlight of the album - along with the strings, which are generally excellent (Under Ice, Cloudbusting, the title track). The album keeps throwing surprises, twists, and turns at you, whether it be reversed octave-harmonised singing in Watching You Without Me, the exciting medieval battle-esque fiddles in Jig Of Life, or the beautiful overlapping piano and acoustic guitar in And Dream Of Sheep. Kate Bush is honestly one of the most badass artists of the 80s. She pulls off this powerful aura with her voice, songwriting, and experimentation, inspiring the likes of Bjork and other atmosphere-experimental female artists of the 90s and early 00s. 5/5 Key tracks: Running Up That Hill, Hounds Of Love, And Dream Of Sheep, Jig Of Life, Cloudbusting

Love this album. Saw her concert a few years ago that she pretty much played this album. At that point I realised The second half was a concept album - I had a tape that was a copy

Love / Admiration / Overwhelming / still exploring new things on every listen / out of this world / a million stars album

Wow this came out of nowhere. Started off like 80s pop but with a soul voice, and I enjoyed it. But then it continued to get more experimental, throwing in Celtic music and old hymnal style singing. I enjoyed it a lot.

one of my favorite albums ever. cloudbusting one of my favorite songs ever. I think it's universally considered as a masterpiece, what's more to say?

Undeniable masterpiece! Half the album has some of the most perfectly written pop songs of all time, the other half is a highly conceptual song cycle that keeps throwing new ideas and influences at the listener without every losing its focus or becoming cluttered. Truly remarkable in every possible way. Key tracks: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) Hounds of Love The Big Sky Cloudbusting And Dream of Sheep Jig of Life

amazing album!

Sublime. One of my all time favourites. Kate Bush has always been fearless and this album is a bit bonkers but it just works

Волшебный голос, волшебные песни, очень крутой альбом!

Oh boy, hold me down, I’m about to gush. It’s just over ten years since Kate Bush returned to the stage for her first shows in 35 years: the record-breaking, resoundingly successful “Before the Dawn” shows. With almost no photos or videos available, they’ve already passed into rock mythology, but they featured almost every song on “Hounds of Love”, including a theatrical rendering of its second side (“The Ninth Wave”) in its entirety. So where was I: enraptured in the audience? Desperately begging for tickets outside the venue? Nope- I was on holiday in a quiet cottage countryside retreat, much like the farmhouse studio where “Hounds of Love” was born, slowly discovering one of my favourite artists of all time. That holiday is inseparable from Kate Bush’s music: I uncovered “The Kick Inside” by the fireside, I danced to “Cloudbusting” on bright summer mornings, I was terrified by “Waking the Witch” at 3am in an old draughty room. The very next month, I left home, became known in university halls as “the one with a crush on Kate Bush”, and enjoyed this beautiful album over and over through those crucial years. It was with me when I laid in the dew-soaked fields after my first deflating night out; took a witchy wander through foggy streets before dawn; attended a concert performance by a premier Bush tribute act. I’m now ten years older, but moments all across this album still hit me like the first time. The way she sings “Hold me down” near the end of the title track. The handclaps and screams in the coda of “The Big Sky”. The chanting prayer in “Waking the Witch”. The haunting Georgian choir in “Hello Earth”. There’s not a single note or step taken out of place. Take the first side: call it overplayed all you like, but “Running Up That Hill” still surges with sensual urgency. “Hounds of Love”- my favourite track on the first side- is still primal and vital. “The Big Sky” expresses the wonder and joy of being alive more than almost any song I can name, and it’s not even the most transcendent song on the album… that goes to the incomparable “Cloudbusting”. And as for “The Ninth Wave”, I don’t have the words. Flawless. While much of Bush’s earlier work- “Babooshka”, “Army Dreamers”, “Wow”, even “Wuthering Heights”- feels a little self-conscious and kitsch after so many years, to my ears none of “Hounds of Love” has aged a day. It’s a masterclass in musical maturation: an artist taking in all she’s learned and unleashing a behemoth, once-in-a-lifetime crystallisation of unassailable talent, perfectly packaged. I’ll love it forever.

I have this record un vynil. Its great!

Kate Bush to me has always been inextricably linked with one of my favorite artists, Peter Gabriel. Hounds of Love has so many progressive rock inspirations that it is one of those very few examples of progressive pop music. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. It could be released now and still sound fresh and relevant. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless. 4.5⭐️

Finally, I've already landed on The Dreaming and The Sensual World prior to this and its the big payoff. Hounds OF Love is a certifiable masterpiece, its got the monster hit in "Running Up That Hill" but it's also got "Cloudbursting", "The Big Sky", and "Jig Of Life", its got production for days, like that gated reverb drums on the title track. Kate deserved to be a pop star, shame she released this 20 or 30 years before its time.

Incredible album, one of my favourites.