Reviews (page 13 of 16)
Fun
Dramatic, narrative, often dark but always compelling, Hounds of Love by Kate Bush is a masterwork. Conceptually, it's split into two: the first five (ending with Cloudbursting) comprise Hounds of Love while the final seven see subtitled The Ninth Wave - a concept suite said to be about a woman drifting alone at sea. The album is dense with ideas, not only musical but of production and storytelling. Rich with textures, melodies and rhythmic ideas, it leaves an emotional mark. Bush's vocal work is vulnerable and powerful and there's little more you could ask of a singer. Throughout, I was continually reminded of the concept albums of progressive bands like Pink Floyd, or more modern entries from projects like Ayreon and Dream Theater. The song Under Ice should feel familiar to any metal fan, even without distorted guitars. It really is fair to say that everyone ought to listen to Hounds of Love at least once.
🫶🏻
Five star album right there
Wild and weird - Some of it I hated, most of it I liked, some of I loved.
I kind of liked this. I'm just as surprised as you are.
Not a big fan of this. Just not my groove.
The first track became popular because of “Stranger Things”, but doesn’t offer the punch it does when coupled with the show. At times Kate’s voice is hidden behind the instruments and can be much more powerful. A Linda Ronstandt type of sound, but again, Kate needs to show off her
Yay the same song 12 times awesome.
Would rate this 3.5 if I could, but sure let's round up. I like it in general, first few tracks are very enjoyable, but after that I feel it loses traction. The spotify playcounts seem to agree with me.
It was perfect, but it was dang good
2nd listen. Favorite song: “Jig of Life”. I don’t really love any of the songs on this album, but I still like it overall. I don’t know what else to say about this album, it’s just good.
Iconic
It’s alright. Definitely seemed progressive for its time.
Brate ne znan što bi reka. Nisan zna da postoji progresivni pop, a još manje da more zvučat ovako jebeno. Jedan od najboljih albuma koje sam u životu posluša i opet ću. Najbolja pisma: Running up that hill
overrated
Obvs amazing but hard to listen to entire album at once.
I was excited for this one coming in and holy heck was I correct in that excitement. The first two tracks are the obvious hits, but the album continues on to invoke a strange, hazy, chilly, waking-dream state of a world. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly I find so good about this. There's such a variety of mood and tone and style, and a few odd tracks I'd never listen to as standalones, but it all fits together so well as an album. I've always meant to listen to more Kate Bush and really glad I did today.
I really like what I heard from this album. Enough to give it a couple of spins. Some of the songs make me think of Lorde, especially Green Light, and some Cindy Lauper. I'm happy I gave this one a chance.
I don’t like to skip songs in this, but blimey, a few I had to. One or two good tunes here which achieved a lot of mainstream success, however the majority is experimental and slightly boring. Not terrible, but probably would avoid in the future. I think this one just isn’t up my street. Songs added to playlist: - Running Up That Hill
Go Kate go!
3.0
Kate Bush is always good and Running up that Hill has been my favourite of hers for a long time. An enjoyable album with nice softer music, Jig of Life and Hounds of Life were both another highlight to the album.
👍
- cooles Instrumentarrangement, besonders bei Cloudbusting - generell nicht so packend - album wird trippy mit waking the witch... - kate bush konnte mich noch nie fesseln und dieses album hat dies nicht geändert
Didn’t really like this one. It started to improve on the last few tracks, though. Don’t think I’m a Kate Bush fan. 4/10 Top 3: 1. Jig Of Life 2. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) 3. Hello Earth
Definitely headlined by Running Up That Hill but the poppy sounds and added effects help to round out of the rest of the album. A before it’s time album that laid groundwork for genres and styles after it to do it better.
Otherworldly, intense, groovy, cool vocal melodies
Dramatic.
I liked jig of life. Great voice. But not a huge fan of this kind of music or of Kate bushs sound
Constantly wavering between symphony and cacophony. Interesting for the most part but didn't have me moved
2/5
Mixed feelings. There are elements that I enjoy and recognize. A chill album to play in the background while painting. I can feel the work that went into the album. Favorite/surprising song? Under the Ice and Jig of Life. Most WTF song? Waking the Witch.
Utterly brilliant. Not my usual flavour but the songwriting was superb. Loved the last few celtic inspired songs
I was initially excited for the second side as it was more conceptual and proggy, but while listening to it, it didn't quite captivate me as I thought it would, but that said I do still like the second side more than the first. I really liked the instrumentation, especially on the second side with the Irish folk instruments.
Honestly, I don't like running up that hill. I preferred most of the rest of the album over it. I didn't like it years before, I didn't like it when it got overplayed from stranger things, I don't like it now. Not my thing.
Very mediocre
some radio hits, but fairly boring for the most part
As a proghead, I know I should have heard more of Kate Bush until now. But for some unknown reason, I had not. Probably because the second thing I heard was her cover of "Rocket Man," which I found dreadful. Anyway, this was good. It reminded me a lot of Peter Gabriel's early work. The bass work (at first) made me think of Tony Levin, but I knew it was different than that. "Running Up That Hill" found a new life thanks to Stranger Things, but most of the other tracks are just as good. I didn't like the conceptual side as much as the front side, but it still was decent. This gives me the idea to listen to more of her stuff, I should just not listen to that "Rocket Man"cover. Sheesh.
I wish I had got this album before all the kids got ahold of Running Up that Hill via Stranger Things and all the adults tried to be cool by playing it incessantly. Now I feel jaded and like I have to knock that song or this album down a peg or two to show I'm not getting swept up in the once-again fad. Still, that song was a massive hit in the 80's and likely one of the few remembered songs of Kate Bush before all this nonsense from a couple years ago. It is a solid tune but I think Cloudbusting is the superior single. The Big Sky wasn't too bad either. Side one is so typically 80's with the musical accompaniment (i.e., fake music as my sister calls it). But it's solid. Side two gets weirder. Dream of Sheep is a beautiful, simple piece that focus mostly on Kate's voice and piano. But then the synth comes back as well as backup singers with intentionally weird or haunting voices (Under Ice, Waking the Witch, even Watching You Without Me). I get that side two is more of a concept album telling a connected story. But it's a bit like Thriller gone wrong for that three song sequence. Jig of Life has a cool Celtic sound and The Morning Fog had some good energy, despite slipping back into a predictable 80's formula. Feels like a 3.5 but I'm rounding down.
Pretty good.
Songs: Cloudbusting, Jig of Life, Waking the Witch
deal with god in no way gives you any information about what the rest of the record sounds like. and that winds up being completely okay.
Erinomainen a-puoli, tyypillinen b-puoli siinä mielessä, että menee kokeelliseksi. Mutta! Konsepti (eli kivilinnat, kylmät nummet ja suuret tunteet) pysyy loppuun asti ja hyvin vahvasti. Suosikkeja.
Artisti käytti kolme vuotta puskemaan tämän ulos The Dreamingin jälkeen - onko B-puolen "taide" todella perusteltua? Levyllä on kuitenkin ihmeen mukaansatempaavia biisejä, tai vyöryviä äänivalleja, ja se täyttää kolmosen selkeimmän kriteerin: kiinnostuksen kuulla se uudelleen, jotta selviäisi, oliko se todella kolmonen.
weird but cool
It was all over the place but some songs were interesting
Lazy Sunday afternoon essential
It was unique. Good. Not great.
Fiona Apple precursor. Enjoyed the unique vocals effects and percussion choices. The close attention to the environments created in each song reminded me of Lana. The album could stand beside other art-pop/experimental-pop like FKA twigs, Melane Martinez, Fiona & Lana, etc. Cohesive across most of the tracks but switches it up enough to be worth playing through. 6.5/10
Not really my style, some interesting songs though
Some tunes are great. Some are meh
Seichter Rock, einzig interessante Ausnahme, da bekannter der erste Song.
Made a deal with god mmhmmm lots of fun sounds varied takes you on a journey
Pleasant but not my thing
Deal with God immaculate vibes, relatively nice album with Bush's own airy style. Had one track with a much darker tone, likely providing wonderful contrast to other tracks when replayed.
Obviously a visionary musician and producer. There are some really great, unique textures, it’s just not quite catchy enough for it to get a five from me.
some legendary songs, but there are moments where it gets a bit old. still pretty amazing though
God it had to be this one!
Not really my vibe, it’s almost too synth
Running up that hill
Dark and twisted -- a total winner.
Big sky!!! Great song. Really solid themes, spooky and ethereal, fun and sad
Enjoyed this.
Couple good songs. The rest fell flat for me.
nothing to catch the ear
so good
Not bad. Knew most of it
Man, this album was basically ear candy. So many great synth sounds and recording gimmicks; pretty sure one track had backing vocals dubbed to a mellotron to give it an uncanny valley sounding vibrato. I liked all the occasional creepy voices or synth sounds that got snuck in, gave the album a haunted kind of feel. Will definitely be listening again to hear more.
This album rules. I kept being surprised about what I was hearing and recognizing sounds that I love from The Knife, but I guess Kate Bush was making the same sounds (with a different aesthetic) like 20-30 years earlier. I think it's a bit of a grower, but even on first listen, I know I'd enjoy it more on subsequent listens. 4.25/5
*obligatory I liked Kate before Stranger Things comment* No one compares when it comes to pop music. Her ear and eye were and still are immaculate, which is why her music resonates so long beyond its heyday and can still reach new heights with no effort on her end. The album is full of highs and lows, a cohesive and exciting collection. Essential listening. A
Love songs over cheesy synths Bush >>> murdering millions of innocent people in the Middle East Bush
Good - been feeling burnt out so I can't really connect with the music, but beyond Running up that hill, it felt fine. Like its a nice album and reminds me like a precursor to Florence and the Machine, but I didn't really engage with it like I did a lot of other albums. Some other ideas: This album felt very 1980s - I could sense the massive shoulder pads in the music, and the composition in Watching You Without Me feels like a product of its time. Maybe its a sign that I don't resonate with either of the other big female pop artist that have came up (Sinead O'Conner or Joni Mitchell), but I definitely liked this album more than their work.
Firs time I hear Kate Bush, (only one listening). I liked her style, many things happening on her songs. Pop/soft rock (?)
Really good, creative pop music. Some is very experimental but she has such a solid, unique voice.
3.75
So far ahead of its time.
Some good songs, but nothing memorable - at least not to me. Also, I kinda hate that "Running Up That Hill" has 1 billion plays on Spotify simply because of that dumb show stranger things. Awful awful stuff. There are better songs, like Cloudbusting or Under Ice . Just my opinion. Overall an album that I listen to, I don't dislike, but nothing that I would add to my list of favorites. That spot is for Wuthering Heights.
Lots of sounds. Barking, seagulls, breaking glass, and Kate blending in there somewhere. I liked it. I felt like I was playing a really old JRPG.
Hairspray bjork. Pretty good considering I don’t usually like 80s. 3.5.
Not quite my tempo
It's very enjoyable when listened to in full, but I wouldn't listen to most of these songs separately.
interesting album, but carried by Running up that hill
Not a genre that I like but I enjoyed half of it
Great mix of phenomenal tunes and weirdness. Love it.
Not my usual jam but v good. Lots of range, great breaks, unexpected instrumentation
I've heard the first track before and love it. There is a placebo cover which is great. It's intresting to see how these songs are familiar, because of Kate Bush's influence of future music. It's almost like I've heard parts of them before and they feel like old friends, but this is the first time through. There would be no Tori Amos without this.
So Good
Exceptional
Exceptional.
Both the album cover and actual music feels old. It was an interesting listen with many unorthodox songs, but it's hard to say whether I liked it or not. 'Quirky' is probably a good way to describe this album, and a bit all over the place. Not something I'll return to for sure.
I remember first hearing "Running up that Hill" in an interview for Pitchfork where "Big Boi" was talking about it, was immediately impressed with the song. So going into this album I had high hopes. I thought it was ok but nothing quite reached the same height of "Running up that Hill" although i thought "Hound's of love" was good too. I was also today years old when i saw that there were two dogs on the cover so TIL.
Idk why just kinda lame compared to her other projects
Idk. Made my train ride worse.
Partly heard before Saved 4/12 Top track: Running Up That Hill
Some really nice songs but a bit too artsy white girl vibes for my liking
Decent. A bit weird...i think that's par for the course when it comes to kate bush?
This is my first time intentionally listening to Kate Bush. I've always heard good things about her music. Right off the bat, I'm really not a fan of her voice. I noticed this was very experimental for the time it was released. I can see how this went on to be very influential for many pop artists that we see topping the charts today.
Oh, YES. So happy to see this come up. I love everything that Kate Bush touches (breathes into?). This album is so weird, so cool, so ahead of its time. My only critique is that it starts out with the two best songs on the album and then sort of gets weirder and weirder from that point on, making for an interesting experience. But. KAAAAAAAATE. Love it. 5/5
Was already familiar with Running Up That Hill and liked it, but was surprised the whole rest of the album has a very consistent and similar vibe. Really really liked it. Kind of fantasy-like.
So ahead of her time
My first and still favorite Kate Bush record. Simultaneously experimental and accessible in ways that very few other musicians have achieved. And this one in particular is her most consistent record, divided between a very lush, beautiful, and wild first side, followed by a quieter, sparser, and more heartfelt second side that feels more like a movie soundtrack at times, complimenting her songwriting as an experience in itself. You can't argue with this many hits. I actually always preferred "Cloudbusting", even before "Running Up the Cloud" was mainstreamed. Drops rock in favor of a much more ambient synthpop sound that reminds me of sophistipop acts, very atmospheric and fitting for her ethereal sound. Only weakness is a few tracks were a bit too sparse and lost my attention, particularly "And Dream of Sheep" and "Hello Earth": mostly skippable tracks but doesn't ruin the album. It's just an improvement I could see to make the second side just as impactful as the first. Close enough for me to give full points.
somewhat boring b-side for me, i do understand the people that find that kind of thing very pretty and everything but i do not care for it myself. meanwhile, the a-side has running up that hill and the big sky, so it's not all bad. somehow "hello earth" reminded me of the spirit of eden by talk talk in that it does almost nothing for most of its runtime
This was basically fine, then just gets fucking weird at the end. The end of this album drops the rating.
Nice, I liked it 4 stars
YOU JUST KNOW First half is hella mid (except for Mother Stands For Comfort), and I feel bad saying that because the rest is so charming. Great variety, beautiful sound
tokfu music it was nice and pretty decent but I didn't particularly likenit 4 but probably won't relisten for at least a few years at the earliest
Super interesting. I really enjoyed it. It made me curious about the inspirations behind the songs. I love the strangeness of it. I can't
I love Kate Bush and I love this album. I was recommending songs from this album to someone just a few weeks ago. Four timeless songs are on this album: Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love, Big Sky and Cloudbusting. They seem to be a deep psychological study of love and other relationships, with lines like, “Tell me we both matter, don’t we?” And “you and me… won’t be unhappy”. Do yourself a favor and watch the video for Cloudbusting with Donald Sutherland. It’s really a short movie about a young woman’s relationship with her father. I shared it with my daughter and the end is so moving it always makes me cry. She has a song about her relationship with her mother too. Still, as a album, it trails off toward the end. The second half seems to me to be almost like a concept album or a rock opera. Interesting but not great to listen to more than once. So deduct one star for that.
Has some bangers but drops off toward the end
About a year ago I want to a hi-fi listening party in the Hollywood Hills. A group of about 30 of us sat in chairs before enormous (reportedly $16,000) speakers in anticipation of hearing Kate Bush's Hounds of Love. The presenter opened the evening with a lecture on Kate Bush's young career at the time of this record, and played a few selections that helped fill out her world of influences and collaborators. I remember John Martyn's "Over The Hill" being one such track we listened too. We also listened to the earlier Kate Bush song "Babooshka" and learned of the Peter Gabriel meets Fairlight CMI origin story of the sampled sounds of breaking glass on that cut, one of the earliest examples of Fairlight CMI sampling in recorded music (https://vimeo.com/206712365). Then we listened to Hounds of Love, which as everyone says—and as I already knew—is amazing and has all-time classics on it. What was most revealing that night though, was the album's second half, which I had always found to be weird and dull in comparison to the pop-heavy front half. But on those speakers, the album's second side, the operatic "The Ninth Wave" that explores the cycles of death and rebirth, were far and away the most-astoundingly brilliant sonic textures the album had to deliver. My jaw was on the floor.
1984 was Hounds of Love *and* Purple Rain?? Insane. Am I right in saying that those two have no personnel overlap? What was in the air? It’s the LinnDrum again. Damn you, LinnDrum! No, but really. This explosion of artistry from artists who got to be their own producer, thanks to the commercial availability of samplers (The Fairlight) and drum machines (LinnDrum), to do home recording demos. Kate Bush did this, Prince did this. One-human bands, demos then fleshed out by a band and probably a small army of other engineers on 24-track. Winning formula. So now that I know that, and I’ve been disabused of the false belief that this was produced by anyone but Kate Bush herself… this is stunning. We heard her previous album, The Dreaming, and the through-line of her creative outbursts, explosive lines, and, a pure-spirited *witchiness* about her music aesthetically… it’s all here. A super, super creative person is given all the paints in the paintbox to play with, and just makes a masterpiece by having fun. I’m fascinated by these moments, when technology suddenly enables people who wouldn’t make art in the way they do to take ownership of more of the process. It gives me hope that we may yet see some zany, insane, creative geniuses with the same mindset as Kate Bush here. An artistic icon, with probably her most accessible and driving songs ever. I’m glad we got a version of Kate Bush that people can actually parse. God, those ballads though… “And Dream of Sheep.” Stunning. Now I think, between this, Peter Gabriel, Prince… we were blessed. A genuinely insane time of quantum leaps for music. 5/5
Mix of a few outstanding songs, and few nondistonctive ones. Overall album experience quite positive, but not very rememberable.
Good stuff. Interesting and nice drums
Was looking forward to this when I saw who it was, but am left a bit disappointed, I'm sure that's all on me. Still an ok album but I just expected Shakeshack but got Mcdonalds.
magical. starting to get people writing essay long reviews now.
Good one. Running up that Hill is the obvious standout. The other tracks are not ones I felt I needed to hear again. Three stars.
Ugh no.
Très théâtral, comme si un drame se tramait. Influences folk et religieuses, mêlées aux synthétiseurs trépidants, surprennent. Et la voix s’élève, triomphale.
Not my style but she’s pretty talented.
I know Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) got a lot of attention in recent years due to Stranger Things, but I actually somehow avoided it until this moment. I'm glad it found me, because this is a goddamned jam. The synth work and composition have all the markings of 80s pop, but I love the experimental feel of it all. Bush's vocals sound almost ghostly on top of the driving, yet sparse instrumental. The title track continues with the same vocal effect. Honestly I'm really into it. Really makes me want to put on my matching aerobics set. The Big Sky jams. After this point, I let the album drift to the background. I find it interesting, but not captivating. I'll try another listen tomorrow to see if I can sink in a bit more. Mother Stands For Comfort is an interesting one that feels like an experimental electronic song centered around a slithery electronic bassline with all sorts of crashing in the background. After another listen, I find myself feeling similar to the first go round -- basically I find this to be an interesting listen with some standout songs, but on the whole I wasn't really sucked in. I appreciate the experimental nature of the instrumentals and composition as a whole, but there wasn't enough for me to really want to come back for repeated listens. 3 / 5.
Trying not to let the last Kate Bush album cause too much bias here. I know "Running Up That Hill" topped Billboard recently because of Stranger Things, but it wasn't that special of a song... Waking the Witch certainly got my attention. Jig of Life was solid too. This album is better than The Dreaming. Still wasn't anything great. Points for originality as well. Maybe 2.5 for this one...
It's just a bunch of weird talking. A bunch of the song would be ok if there were only a minute long Running up the hill is a bop. And cloudbusting is pretty good Making the witch was really weird but not in a good way. Back to old Kate Bush style which stinks I walked outside and when I came back in more weird shit was happening in Jig of Life This album stunk but at least there were some actual tracks that I could call songs in the beginning so that saves it from a 1
Listened to Running Up That Hill a few times since Stranger Things but have moreso been listening to the MMJ cover at Roo which was a fuggin BOP. Solid song. Definitely liked this more than The Dreaming which was a giant piece of shit to me. Still doesn't do much for me but some songs were actually kinda pretty. I just don't think I can get down with her voice, but some of the musical aspects are pretty wild in a good way. Also, what the actual fuck is happening in Waking the Witch? Not sure if I should go down or up .5 for that song alone.
very enjoyable art pop, there's much more to this album than just 'that Starnger things song'. Everyone should listen to this album
Track 1 is a classic. Track 4 can go in the bin.
Not my cup of tea
Liked it a lot more than I expected. Very different tracks but come together really well.
Raw powerful and experimental at times. find it not as strong as other albums but still just in aa style and world of her own 4.3
I think this is a bit of a complex album. I don't like the hollow/thin sound of this record - too synthetic and 80's sounding. I do like the lyrical content and musical complexity. This one surprised me a bit in this way. It starts off a bit more accessible and the first 3 tracks are prob the best set. But as it progresses it descends into more chaos and darkness and as I mentioned already a surprising amount of complexity. Overall this is quite an accomplished record, if not always to my personal tastes.
Thought it would be just your standard 80s pop songs, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sound was otherworldly, very emotional and surreal. Loved every second of it.
Some of this doesn't age gracefully - but it has some seriously great songs.
An album to listen to on shrooms. Very experimental and interesting. I didn't expect that.
A bit weak towards the end
Like a strange dream that you keep thinking about throughout the day. Kate Bush has clearly inspired many weird and wonderful artists who came after her. Nearly 40 years old, this album still sounds bold and unique.
Creative brilliance. Fitters out towards the end, but a really strong start
Running up that hill. Also some Boards of Canada sounds.
For the longest time, I thought that Kate Bush was holding two oddly shaped blankets on the album cover. Never figured that they were dogs... But, in all seriousness, this is the album that not only cemented Kate Bush's place amongst the pantheon of pop giants but it laid the groundwork for what's to be expected in the decades to come in regards to female musicians coming up with groundbreaking, wide reaching material. Considering what had come before, one wouldn't have been mistaken for not expecting a bona-fide hit out of Kate. Yet she has a habit of proving people wrong all the time. If The Dreaming was considered to be the album where she went "mad" then Hounds of Love not only served as somewhat of a course corrective but a further refinement of what she was offering the masses. And the masses answered in kind with ongoing adoration that persists to this day. Its newfound resonance with the younger generation in recent times is testament to that. A beautiful record with long-lasting importance.
Berry nice! Most songs absolute bangers.
Iconic.
Eh was ok but not something I’m planning to return for
There were some good songs on here. 2.5/5
Loved this album and Kate's music overall for a while now, it's got to be a 5. First half is some of the catchiest and easily enjoyable pop music you'll ever hear. The chorus of Running Up That Hill, the strings on Cloudbusting, her vocals on the title track. It's all incredible. Then if that wasn't enough, the whole second half of the album is a single story told through some pretty artsy instrumentals and song structures. She really was a genius for this one.
This is one of those albums that you know is a 5/5 about 20 seconds in to track 2. Running Up that Hill has probably become overplayed in the last 2 years, buts its still fantastic, Big Sky and Hounds of Love are excellent. The album maybe loses a little momentum towards the end but the last track is excellent too. There are similarities to So by Peter Gabriel. Really enjoyable, love this album
Kate Bush was a part of my youth😁
I might listen to the album again
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: Yes, I’d really like this one, strong start and finish present here! Favourite song: Track 1 - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
There are some good songs here but too much of a good thing for me.
Revolutionary for the time but tame by now. I'm glad Stranger Things resurrected her briefly though, it was really such a fitting song for the show. Definitely not something that I'd listen to regularly.
This was good, as I expected it to be. The atmosphere of the music and the story and themes are great and really made the album for me. I'm not sure if I like it more than The Dreaming? I probably do. I think I've gotten all of Kate Bush's albums now, so that's cool. I'm glad I listened to them. My favourite song was Running Up That Hill.
Despite being a 100% verified fan of "A Kick Inside", I hadn't heard this album before. I have now, and I will again many times.
For my second Kate Bush record, I think I enjoy this way more than the first. Hounds Of Love is pretty interesting as it's more like Hounds of Love and an additional album, I believe called the Ninth Wave. Each takes up about 20-something minutes of time, so it's pretty evenly split. I'll start with Hounds of Love first, and it's great. While less conceptual than the Ninth Wave, these are the more enjoyable songs, which makes sense as these are easily pop tracks, albeit more artsy. This art-pop is truly fantastic and Kate Bush's vocals feel so breathy and delicate, it's just soothing to the ears. Not to mention this album has some great sounds and ideas. The opener, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) is a banger. It feels uplifting and powerful even if you don't entirely know what the lyrics mean. The instrumentals soar as Kate Bush deepens her voice a bit during the chorus. It's amazing. It's not my favorite song though as that would be The Big Sky. It feels more rock-adjacent, incorporating a groovy bassline and a nice rhythm to the music. Kate Bush's vocals become more powerful and lively, I truly love this track. I think it may be the bass riff, but it's just perfect. I will mention two other tracks, Mother Stands For Comfort and Cloudbusting. The former is more spacey and ethereal. There's something unnerving about it that reminds me a bit of space rock, which I like. That slower, more ambient-leaning sound is something I've always been a fan of. The latter is the most unique song on this side of the album as it's more orchestral. Stringed instruments really do complement Kate Bush's voice, it's insane. The titular track, though, is pretty weak. Nothing stands out about it. The other half of this album, the Ninth Wave, is more conceptual and ambiguous. As far as I can tell, the story has to do with some woman who's in the sea and is drowning. A lot of the lyrics discuss life and death in a pretty interesting way. This half brings back everything from the first half but adds to it. It takes it to more of an extreme. Hell, there are even bits of heavy metal music (at least the satanic part of metal; also I'm being serious one of the tracks feels heavier and has this demon guy talking during it) and traditional Irish folk music. It really is more of a crazy time. It really works as one full experience instead of individual tracks and really makes you think a bit. That being said, the last track is terrible. It feels so out of place with the last track hinting that the protagonist is dead or is dying and to just go to some upbeat, poppy crap feels really weird. The lyrics seem disconnected as well; I wanna say that this was a last-minute addition that was just added but I actually don't know. It could be true and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the case. With the exception of the titular track and the closer, this was a phenomenal album. Truly great. I am really considering looking past the flaws and admiring it for the bulk of the work, which is great. While I still enjoyed the first Kate Bush album I listened to on here (the Sensual World), this completely blows it out of the water in my opinion. Maybe it's because I understand Kate Bush now and I like her style more, but this is just way better in my opinion. Honestly, though, I kind of want to relisten to the Sensual World. I feel like there is something I missed that I can get if I relistened to it now. That never happens unless a piece of work is good enough to make me want to give a second opinion on a record. This is one of those cases. An easy 10/10.
This would make the top 11 albums of all time. It is an extraordinary piece of work and art. The first side is a smack in the face with a set of perfectly crafted pop songs ending with the sublime Cloudbusting . The second side is an amazing immersive story of musical discovery. I don’t think I understood it properly before I saw it live but it didn’t matter in the hours and hours I spent listening to every mad twist of music before the sublime ‘Hello Earth’ emerges with John Williams on classical guitar. When my daughter was about 5 years old I gave her a turntable and this album. Kate Bush was the first woman singer songwriter to have a number one in the UK. This album is what happens when you give one of the greatest musical talents of my lifetime a studio of their own, a Fairlight and the space to achieve great things What an album.
Can see how some would like this. Think that I’m being swayed a little too much by stranger things.
So so good. Crystal clear vocals, dreamlike blend of lyrics and instruments. Timeless.
Woof woof
Quite an interesting album. Firstly, the vibes are immaculate all the way through. The music is ghostly and otherworldly, yet dazzling at the same time. However, though the album has many high points, it's lows are just as prominent. Some of the strangest songs I've ever heard, to be honest. Every other song feels like it was composed by an alien who's music theory is vastly different from ours. I don't want to say it was bad, but it was so different that it was jarring. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this album, there are some songs I'll come back to, but I'm not sure id recommend to anyone I know to listen to the full thing.
Album started really well but drops off massively
Eh
Weird
A bit too abstract and out there for me to love it, but I did enjoy most of it. It is incredibly powerful and haunting at some points which builds a grand atmosphere for the whole album. 7/10
Great album. Such a cool singer. Love the arrangements on here. Alittle more poppy than the other one. Big sky is amazing and so big sounding. Slows down in the concept album of the second half with dream of sheep, under ice and long intro for waking the witch. Morning fog is a great last song
Pretty cool, not sure I’d listen again but I enjoyed it and never would’ve checked it out otherwise. I liked a lot of the tones and production. The fretless bass is pretty trippy. She’s a weirdo and I like that.
I found her vocals to be monotonous. I liked Jig of Life
Running Up That Hill-🔥(10) Hounds of Love- Its aight(7) The Big Sky- Generic (6) Mother Stands For Comfort- MOTHER🎤(8.5) Cloudbusting- Pretty Fire, Beat Slaps)9) And Dreams Of Sheep- Its good (7.5) Under Ice- Underrated, best on album(10) Jig of Life- Fire ass Beat (9) Waking the Witch- wth (4.5) Watching You Without Me- A weird ring to it, almost not mid but still(6.5) Jig of Life- Fire ass Beat (9) Hello Earth- Alright(7.5) The Morning Fog- Groovy End(8) Summary: A New Genre For me, I liked the sound and idea. Most songs were good, some misses, but overall a good listen
This is the second Kate Bush album that I have gotten. I was really underwhelmed by the first one and had my doubts going into this one. But I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album.
Ajoittain jopa semi rasittava levy. Running Up That Hillinkään alkuperäinen versio ei ollut niin hyvä
Really great album
outside of "running up that hill(a deal with god)" which is a TikTok famous song, everything else was ok!
Very good
No notes
a very nice art pop record and although the first side has my favourite Kate Bush song (y'all know wich one it is) I liked the second side more mainly because it is very experimental and "artsy". Good record 3/5
Good
It must be my lucky week, back to back Kate Bush albums. I really liked "The Dreaming" and the weird, left-field experimentation. Overall fantastic album - even without the recent exposure from Stranger Things, this whole album is back to back bangers with two exceptions. The only real weak points were "Waking the Witch" and "Hello Earth", the latter being just a little weird and spacey while the former was just a bit abrasive to consider amongst the rest of the album.
Nothing special. The songs were okay.
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.
Stranger things song, but a whole album of similar sounds. Just didn’t hit for me.
This album and its predecessor 'The Dreaming' were such a wave of crazy creativity for Kate Bush. I will never forget the first time I heard 'Hello Earth' which incorporates the absolutely chilling folk song 'Zinzkaro'. This alone justifies a high rating for me.
Of toch 3,5?
Like this album very much
Front loaded with banger after banger after banger. And just when you think it's in the running for the greatest album you've ever listened to, it turns into a wan concept album. But I guess that's the point, and we're all supposed to bow down to the great Kate Bush and pretend that I didn't just take massive shit in the sink and realize it's caught on our Blink cameras. I could totally delete the footage seemingly forever, but I'm leaving it up there. Along with the massive dump in the sink. It'll make for a fun morning tomorrow. We'll likely be listening to Kate Bush. This is my deal with God. I'm running down that hill with no problems. Save the Blink Cameras.
An album that completely turn upside down my view towards pop music. This is a genuine classic jem especially those who keep thinking pop music in 80s are all dull synth beats
Some really good songs on here. A lot of it is a bit too wispy and whimsical for me to give it another full listen, but I enjoy quite a lot of this album.
4,5
The album starts with the Kate Bush classic: Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God). It's all downhill from there! LOL. Joking! Kate Bush does not go down easy for me. She has an odd sound and it takes some time to get used to and start to enjoy. Standouts: Running Up that Hill, Hounds of Love, Cloudbursting, The Big Sky. Songs like Mother Stands for Comfort are not as exciting as some of her other songs, but this is the kind of stuff that I like the most. Same goes for And Dream of Sheep. Hello Earth is another wonderful song and a great way to end a very good album. But, then it followed with The Morning Fog... That one should have been put somewhere else in the album. Overall 3.5/5
HEAT.
I can recognize that things are going on here, but it doesn't make much of an impression on me. I didn't really like the first half. Back half got weird, sometimes in a good way.
2/5 Best: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) Worst: Waking the Witch
Well, thanks for the reminder that I ought to catch up in Stranger Things. One of these days. Eventually. It'll happen. I was surprised to know that the song made popular by the show was on the strange side. Ethereal, magical, otherworldly, a literal deal with a god put to music. It isn't the strangest on the album by a wide margin, but it is proof that one can still be bold and individualistic while also committing to making a banger that would be adored by a generation. Running Up That Hill is merely the tip of this wonderful iceberg, with bold song following bold song in succession. Even the first half, with its "safer" choices, delights the ears with a world far more alien, things stranger than what I am used to. I am absolutely enamored from start to finish.
Beautiful pop album, the 2 halls could be great EPs alone but together it's a great 1 2 punch of hits and storytelling
Fantastic album, so unique, incredible storytelling and I will need to listen again to reconsider the rating
Bestes Album 5 Sterne
This bitch is crazy. It's an 80's fever dream nightmare. She self produced this album and it's an extreme achievement and a work of art. There is a lot here to listen to and enjoy. You won't catch everything on first listen. And no this album isn't a 1 just because you heard running up that hill a couple times because of stranger things. The donkey kong country sounds and 80's driving bass and drums are so good on here. You literally cannot ask for a better and more interesting 80's pop album. Score: 100 Art: 80
Such a unique voice in music - a strange alien sound accompanied with ethereal vocals and beautiful and sometimes scary melodies. One of a kind, truly. Fave Songs: Running Up That Hill, Mother Stands For Comfort, Waking The Witch, Hello Earth
great album, love the sound of kate bush. 4,5/5
Lush and unique, always a pleasure to listen to this album
I hadn't listened to this record and likely about two decades. I'd forgotten how much of a crush I had on kate back in the day period
Lmao weomg one syrange rthibgs
Would have give it 4.5 but a few duds, nearly a masterpiece
Take my 5 stars and throw them in the lake
I ended up liking this a lot more than I expected to. I listened to the first few songs and didn't love them the first time around, then didn't end up listening to the full album for awhile after, and really enjoyed it a lot. It's unique sounding and interesting throughout; she really is pretty experimental in a way that I wasn't really expecting. I got strong Weyes Blood vibes at various points in the album. There things that I don't love (Waking the Witch is a bit too out there for me, and then there's an odd Irish jig song near the end). She also oversings a bit at times in a really 80s sounding way. On the whole though, the highs are plenty good enough to overcome these downsides. Really strong across the board, and Cloudbusting is a new favorite for me. Favorite song: Cloudbusting Other: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Hounds of Love, Mother Stands for Comfort, And Dream Of Sheep, Watching You Without Me
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.
Great album, obviously with an amazing start, but it really amazed me towards the end. Some pretty unusual sounds, almost a "cinematic" feel. I really enjoyed it!
Tried getting into this album years back after discovering running up that hill (several years pre-stranger things, I'll hasten to add) but it didn't do it for me. A fresh listen now was much better. I think it helped having heard a lot of the shite that this list has produced from a similar era. It's actually great time for it's time, and her voice sounds great if you allow it to not annoy you. Second half a bit weaker but a decent finisher. Will definitely give it a listen from time to time
I’m expecting this album to be good! I don’t think I’ve heard a lot by Kate Bush, but I have enjoyed everything I’ve heard. Want it strange when Stranger Things suddenly made her super popular again? Anyway, let’s listen and find out how this album is! Songs I already knew: Running Up That Hill, Hounds Of Love Favourites: Running Up That Hill, Under Ice, Jig Of Life This seems to be a great week for great albums! Either that, or my antidepressants are working a little too well and now I love everything. There is nothing at all to fault here. Her voice is pristine and very unique. The music is catchy and quite artsy in bits (Under Ice and Hello Earth are great examples). Overall, this is an album that everybody should listen to if you haven’t already. It is fantastic.
This is a forever favorite of mine. So innovative and interesting and feminine.
minne om stranger things
Kan muligens høyna til terningkast 4 hvis eg hørre da nåken ganga til
Uno de los mejores discos femeninos de la historia. Ademas desde mi punto de vista uno de los mejores discos de la historia. No solo por las vocales de Kate, si no tambien por las liricas maravillosas y sutiles y tambien por ¨The Ninth Wave¨ que me parece uno de los mejores recursos conceptuales que vi en la historia de la musica. El trabajo de la produccion y de EMI en la produccion, por mas sorprendente que sea, se ve opacado por la calidad de Kate y su contraste artistico, como cantante y como escritora. mini review x tema: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God): 10 Una de las mejores intros de la historia de la musica. Kate Bush nos muestra la situacion de una pareja que tiene problemas, valga la redundancia, de pareja. Kate Bush dice que esta haciendo un trato con Dios para poder cambiar los generos con su pareja y ahi ambos puedan entender todo lo que uno siente. Las vocales de Kate son hermosisimas. Hounds Of Love: 10 Aca Kate nos demostraria que tiene el don de la escritura. Como es capaz de relatar una historia usando doble sentidos todo el tiempo. Esta cancion habla del miedo al amor, pero es comparado con ser perseguido por una jauria de perros. Se refiere a que por mas miedo que le tengas y por mas de que hagas lo que hagas te va a terminar alcanzando. Mi unico problema con este tema es la voz de Kate, suena muy de estudio y no parece estar bien editada, pero le doy el 10 porque la escritura de la cancion es unica. The Big Sky: 10 Devuelta, la escritura de esta cancion simplemente me deja con la boca abierta. Pero de esta cancion destaco mas la impresionante produccion que tiene. La letra habla sobre los placeres de cuando eramos jovenes, pero que una vez que crecemos ya no tenemos tiempo para pasarlos, como por ejemplo, ver el cielo. Mother Stands For Comfort: 9 A ver, la letra es conmovedora, pero no hay sencillez en convencer al oyente de que lo que esta escuchando sea real. La letra esta muy bien implementada, funciona a primera vista, pero es lo que digo. Ademas en cuanto a la produccion del tema deja mucho que desear, tiene una monotonidad sonora que afecta mucho a lo que uno ya espera del tema. El problema que me surgio en Hounds Of Love se nota mas aca, la voz si parece que esta en frito del estudio. La letra habla sobre que una madre va a hacer lo que sea por defender a su hijo, por mas grave sea lo que haya hecho. Cloudbusting: 10 Esta canción trata sobre la muy estrecha relación entre el psicólogo y filósofo Wilhelm Reich y su hijo pequeño, Peter, contada desde el punto de vista del hijo. Describe los recuerdos del niño de su vida con Reich en su granja familiar, llamada Orgonon, donde los dos pasaron un tiempo "destruyendo nubes" (cloudbusting), un proceso de producción de lluvia que implicaba apuntar al cielo una máquina diseñada y construida por Reich, llamada “cloudbuster” (O “destructor de nubes” en español). La letra describe además el abrupto arresto y encarcelamiento de Wilhelm Reich, el dolor de la pérdida que sintió el joven Peter y su impotencia al no poder proteger a su padre. La canción se inspiró en las memorias de Peter Reich de 1973, A Book of Dreams, que Bush leyó y encontró profundamente conmovedoras. La hermosa produccion, ademas de la hermosa lirica, me hace obligatorio ponerle el 10/10 And Dream Of Sheep: 9 A partir de este tema arranca the Ninth Wave o la novena ola que es una suite de 7 canciones. Esta cancion habla sobre justamente unas personas atrapadas en el medio del agua. Estan cansandos y se esta haciendo de noche, lo unico que quieren es dormir pero piensan que si se duermen van a terminar muriendose ahogados. Para más detalles de The Ninth Wave, en una entrevista Kate Bush dijo lo siguiente: "The Ninth Wave fue una película, así es como lo pensé. Es la idea de que esta persona estando en el agua, cómo llegaron allí, no lo sabemos. Pero la idea es que han estado en un barco y han sido arrastrados por la borda, por lo que están solos en esta agua. Y encuentro esas imágenes horribles, la idea de estar completamente solo en toda esta agua. Y tienen un chaleco salvavidas con una pequeña luz para que si alguien viaja de noche vean la luz y sepan que está ahí. Y están absolutamente aterrorizados, y están completamente solos a merced de su imaginación, que de nuevo, personalmente, encuentro algo tan aterrador, el poder de la propia imaginación se desata en algo así. Y la idea de que tienen en la cabeza que no deben quedarse dormidos, porque si te quedas dormido estando en el agua, he oído que te das la vuelta y te ahogas, entonces están tratando de mantenerse despiertos." Under Ice: 8 Under Ice habla sobre un sueño que la persona tiene, donde están ellos patinando sobre hielo, mientras patinan, ven hacia el hielo y logran ver algo moviéndose por debajo, siguen patinando junto a este hasta llegar a un grieta en el hielo, es ahí cuando se dan cuenta que lo que hay bajo el hielo son ellos mismos ahogándose. En terminos vocales, Kate Bush es perfecta (Basicamente como siempre) pero la lirica no esta muy pensada y despues la base de fondo no me parece la gran cosa, si no que puede llegar a desesperar. Waking The Witch: 9 Las letras de esta canción inician con el subconsciente de esta persona tratando de hacerla despertar, pero esta no tiene fuerzas suficientes para hacerlo, ella tiene una pesadilla donde es una bruja que está en un jucio, donde se dice que no se quemará ni sangrará, lo que quiere decir que no va a ser quemada ni asesinada, sino que, por lo que podemos intuir por algunas frases de la canción, será ahogada, esto para hacer una prueba que se realizaba en la antigüedad, donde si la bruja flota es porque el demonio no quería que muriera, algunas frases dichas, como "Hay una piedra al rededor de mi pierna" sugieren que esta chica no tenía un demonio que la ayudara a flotar. Las voces al final son voces reales de personas que llegan a rescatarla. Este tema es muy raro, parece mas un interlude que una cancion. La letra no la entendes si no investigas y despues de ahi es muy complicado sintetizar con la letra. Igual me sigue pareciendo un grandisimo tema Watching You Without Me: 7 Luego de estar por horas en el agua, esta persona se siente como en casa, viendo a su persona querida esperar a que llegue y mirando al reloj y preocupado de donde pueda estar. Pero ella no pueden comunicarse, porque los demás no pueden verla ni escucharla. En palabras más sencillas, en esta canción esta persona que está perdidas en medio del mar, tiene una experiencia en la que se sale de su cuerpo y va en un modo de fantasma a su casa, donde ve a su ser querido preocupado por ella, pero ella no puede comunicarse. Es muy complicado conectar con esta cancion. Durante todo el disco, lo que mas nos hace sintetizar con Kate es su elegante voz y manera de hablar, pero en este tema lo hace muy por adentro. Jig Of Life: 10 Según palabras de Kate Bush, en este punto de la historia, es el yo futuro de esta persona que viene a visitarlos para brindarles un poco de ayuda aquí. Es su yo futuro diciendo: "Mira, no te rindas, tienes que seguir con vida, porque si no sigues con vida, eso significa que yo no". Ya sabes, "y estoy vivo, he tenido hijos. He pasado años y años de vida, así que tienes que sobrevivir, no debes rendirte". Vuelve el disco a la forma que tenia antes. Este tema es impresionante, no solo por las vocales de Kate, si no que tambien el beat de fondo es espectacular y te hace sentir la letra de una manera diferente. Hello Earth: 9 Esta canción es el punto de la historia donde ella está tan débil que revive la experiencia de la tormenta que la llevó al agua, casi desde una vista desde la tierra hacia los cielos, observando la tormenta comenzar a formarse, la tormenta que eventualmente se la llevó y que la ha puesto en esta situación. Mucha melancolia al final del tema que termina siendo abrumadora The Morning Fog: 10 Según palabras de Kate Bush, The Morning Fog es el final de la historia, donde estas personas finalmente son rescatadas y de la oscuridad y peso surge la luz, el peso se ha ido y aquí está la mañana, y está destinado a sentirse muy positivo, brillante y edificante del resto de la oscuridad densa de la pista anterior. "Y es en gran medida una canción de ver la perspectiva, de realmente, ya sabes, de estar tan agradecido por todo lo que tienes, que nunca estás agradecido en la vida ordinaria porque simplemente abusas de ello por completo. Y también estaba destinada a ser una de esas canciones de ""gracias y buenas noches". Ya sabes, el pequeño final donde todos bailan un poco y luego hacen una reverencia y luego abandonan el escenario"
Very strong, this feels like the record where it all came together for Kate Bush. The first five cuts set a very high bar and while the second side is a notch below, there are still plenty of grace notes, and "The Morning Fog" is a wonderful and lovely closer. One wonders if KB might have been better served working as a painter or filmmaker rather than a singer, especially in the restrictive and commercially-driven pop slum. Still, this is about as good as it gets for marrying art with melody, song structure, pop conventions.
Barring a few odd moments, this is an immense album, incredibly delivered
Never warmed to her squeaky voice, sorry.
Track 1 ================================================ Aight, we're in the 80s Track 2 ================================================ Classic 80s snare Track 4 ================================================ This one's funky. Dig the weird bass Track 6 ================================================ I like this one Track 7 ================================================ This one too Track 8 ================================================ Alright this album's growing on me. This shit's weird Track 9 ================================================ Some of these songs sound like they could be background music in a video game Track 10 ================================================ Almost thought some of these songs gave me Enya-ish/Irish Folky vibes, this one just goes all in on the idea Track 11 ================================================ I was pretty skeptical about this album at first, and almost abandoned the whole project after being disappointed with yesterday's album, but I'm glad I gave Kate Bush a chance
I enjoyed this a ton. Love her voice and style.
Kate Bush the GOAT fr, such mesmerizing and beautiful music
for some reason couldn’t stand it the first time i listened. second time around was honestly lovely. super ahead of its time sonically, and somehow loyal and futuristic to its time, at the same time, instrumentally. so glad i gave it a second listen after all this time.
amazing album. one of my all time favourites
strange and beautiful
Crikey, when I was younger I'd always written off Kate Bush as "that weirdo from the 80s" but now I absolutely love that weirdo from the 80s. About 15 years ago I suddenly "got" Running up that Hill, then Cloudbusting... Big Sky... Hounds of Love... and they're all from the first half of the SAME ALBUM? Come on, outstanding. Every moment of every track on this album is like a warm hug.
Running Up that Hill is probably the most recognizable song on this album, but it's easy to see how Kat Bush walking allowed artists like Tori Amos, Sarah McLaughlan, and others to run.
Stranger Things
I liked side B more than the more-popular side A.
Loved it, didn’t realize so many hits wer
Ugh this album lol
Hot garbage. Seriously, how do you listen to this?
A great album of standard Kate Bush, some of her classic weirdness, and probably three of the best tracks from her back catalogue.
Is creative She absolutely influenced a new age of pop and electric blend. I love the Celtic tones. The music is a like spacey and sometimes loses the concept. Overall I enjoyed it but did not love. One more hit and I would give it a 4.
You can hear where tori amos must have got her inspiration from. I live tori therefore I enjoyed Kate.
Some solid classics here, 6.5/10
Fucking amazing. Standout Track: Waking the Witch
Tasteful eighties synth production. Great vocal performance and solid songs.
Such a refreshing listen amongst the self-felating guitar heavy albums that have been dominating this list. Love the range of tracks, from the more ethereal and dark to the poppier numbers. Fully transcended on a few of these tracks. The last two on the album didn't quite reach the heights of the rest for me, however that's quite the bar. 4.5 Fav track: Waking the witch
Another one that was on the list of shame. Was surprised by how big-pop sound it was after only experiencing it in the bedrooms of painting students who live in relative squalor and burn too much incense. Within that there's room for some pretty radical experimentation. At times I felt like I was listening to a Lynch film as an album, such was the sinister, distorted beauty on display in songs like Waking the Witch, complete with amorphous narratives and passages of whimsy. That theatre kid energy does at points threaten to overwhelm it, but in the end I think it toes the line well. I almost wish it settled into the darkness a little more at times, but as a pop experience it's pretty remarkable how far it goes at all. Pretty blown away and sheepish that I'd perhaps written it off slightly until now. Four and a half. Fave track: Waking the Witch
Wow - really got into this listen. There's a strong identity that's stamped onto the music here and it'd be difficult to find much other pop music that sounds like this. Really enjoy Bush's dynamism in style, evocative dreamy (and often scary) narratives, and flow - particularly on the second half of this record. Four and a half. Fave track: And Dream Of Sheep
This is a great album. Kate Bush has a fantastic voice and the songwriting on this is really strong. I've definitely listened to this one before and have heard the hits a lot but it was good to sit with this one all the way through again. Also love this album artwork and only just noticed the dogs in it somehow. I think I had always just looked at her and missed that detail. Standout Tracks: Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), Hounds of Love, The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Watching You Without Me, Hello Earth, The Morning Fog
I fucking hate running up that hill
Raaaari.
I actually really liked this, even with the weirdness of some of the songs. It didn't feel like it was being weird just to be weird, and the rest of it was beautiful
Running up that hill a hounds of love jsou od ní, což jsem předtím nevěděl. Nicméně oba covery jsou lepší než originál.
Running up that hill a classic
Kate Bush makes me feel things. Which is weird, because one of the limitations I often find with art pop and art rock is that the technical execution, gimmicks, and deliberate divergence from more standard structures result in an alienation of the listener. But Kate Bush channels something primal in her voice, songwriting, and instrumentation, and the resulting combination is heavenly. The first side is a monster with masterpieces like 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' (one of the greatest songs ever recorded), 'Hounds of Love' and 'Cloudbusting', and the second side is a chilling story told in 7 parts with 'Under Ice' being a personal favorite.
Opening with “Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)”, easily one of the best songs ever written, immediately puts a record on course to a 5/5. On the rest of side A, Hounds of Love, Kate Bush once again delivers some of the most intricate and intelligent pop ever written while remaining fully accessible. The true masterpiece, though, is side B - The Ninth Wave. A story in seven parts where Bush demands full attention in order to fully grasp what she’s trying to accomplish. But when you sound as mesmerizing as her it’s an easy task.
No
Damn, the power of Stranger Things eh? Got such a huge second life that even RuPaul is using Running Up That Hill for lip-syncs on drag race now too. Good for you, Kate. Talented and under-appreciated artist finally getting her props and making some major coin. I actually love this album though. The music is bitching and offbeat in the coolest way. It's a wonderful thing to see an artist who is truly untethered and able to express themselves so freely in their music. Absolutely adore this album cover too, it's stunning. Kate is gorgeous, and I am feeling her lavender fantasy for real.
This banged. How we went from 80s pop to Irish jig I don’t know, but here for it
Melodramatic 3/5
This was a fantastic surprise. So dramatic and intense. Some songs are really experimental, but not jarring. I really loved it. Listened to it twice. Bonus for the puppies on the cover. 4.5/5
- Heard this many times before - Simply one of the greatest albums of all time - Could justify counting any of the songs as my favourite - Best album of the 80s maybe? Definitely top 3 - Fav songs: Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting, The Big Sky
AJ: Weird noises. Weird lyrics. Running Up That Hill is a monster of a song. Her vox are great. Was cool to learn that this album knocked Madonna out of #1 in the UK in 1985. She’s way cooler than Madonna. Kind of discovered and helped out by David Gilmour. That’s one way to get me to listen. Synth and weirdness cut with some clean piano playing. Fucking 80’s, man. SO WEIRD. Pete Gabriel’s sister..? Lol From wiki: The second side of the album, The Ninth Wave, takes its name from Tennyson's poem, "Idylls of the King", about the legendary King Arthur's reign, and is seven interconnecting songs joined in one continuous piece of music.[66] From AJ: Craaaaaaazy
This album is definitely a precursor to the theatrical pop so far we would get in later years, especially in the latter half.
I don’t get it
pretty cool album, opening track is timeless obviously but the rest of the album is pretty great too
A classic in every sense of the word. Moving, haunting, beautiful. Running Up That Hill is also one of the most coverable songs in my opinion. Her rendition is incredible but there's also so many other killer ones out there.
Y'avait quelques bonne music et bon moment, mais c'est pas tant mon style de musique. En générale meh
Bon depart, milieu meh, bonne fin
Ahhhhh, ça j’aime. Les sonorités son super intéressante, et la chanteuse a vraiment un style unique. Bon, j’aime bien mais l’album est très monotone, y’a des chansons qui ressort du lot, mais dans l’ensemble l’album s’écoutent un peu difficilement. J’ai envie d’aimer waking the witch, mais la chanson me fait du mal XD. Jig of life redonne de la vie a l’album au complet, on en aurait eu de besoin plus tôt. En résumé, y’a deux trois chanson qui sorte du lot mais globalement c’est très moyen.
This sounds like two different albums. I would recommend the first half of the album but the second half seems to steer into the parts of Kate Bush's discography that I don't enjoy as much. The first 4-5 albums are great, but the latter half is tougher. Almost great and I would put it on the list just to show what Kate Bush could sound like.
First song killed it for me. Overplayed like nails on chalkboard
Started off decent slowed down and some song got weird 3.25
Has the same sound as "The Dreaming", but with much less silly charm.
This album probably saw a huge global ratings bump after stranger things came out—and that definitely is the best song on the album—but overall I was slightly underwhelmed. I don’t know how to describe it because the songs both sound ahead of their time and really 80s in a weird bad way. I think I generally liked it but feel victim to high expectations because of how huge running up that hill is. Definitely a high 3
I like Kate Bush. I'd like to love Kate Bush. Her music is bold and adventurous and experimental but it always remains in that 'respect and admire' zone for me. I really enjoyed the first five songs on this album. The second half, which is apparently a mini concept album, not so much. I couldn't get into it. Maybe I should seek out a greatest hits compilation because even her singles are nothing like what I would consider mainstream pop. "Running Up That Hill" is stunning and the songs that follow it here are almost equally bold.
Being a human being in 2022 I was of course inundated with "Running Up That Hill" because it was on the TV show Stranger Things that year. That being said I thought that the song was just OK and I'm a bit jaded or burned out with it because it was played a little too much. It's a nice song, it's catchy, it's cool. I don't know if it's really groundbreaking or anything but I have heard a lot of people say that they like Kate Bush and maybe this is one of her better records? The rest of the album was alright and consistently did it's thing. Her sound isn't my favorite but I think it wouldn't take much to get me to like her, I just haven't taken that step yet.
Good
This really wasn't my favourite, but it was weirdly cool, and I'm glad she made it.
What a magical experience. Love the Irish brouge, love the hard synth, love the angst. This is what emo wishes it could evoke
listened to again pop sensibility and artistic expression
I liked Running Up That Hill and Cloudbusting. Some of the others were fairly insufferable though.
Decent stuff. Funny that Runnin up that Hill became such a cultural phenomena. 3/5
although there aren’t many strong songs(running up that hill (a deal with god) is a tad bit overrated in my opinion) or moments that are the most memorable it is consistently great with the instrumentals and her vocals are always great overall a 7.5/10 record for me really good, consistent, just not overall higher. best song: and dream of sheep worst song walking the witch overrated song: running up that hill (a deal with god) underrated song: jig of life
Solid 3, like the experimental touch
I listened to this album over the summer expecting to love it because 'Running Up That Hill' is one of my favorite songs of all time. But oh goodness. Her voice is kind of cringy, the songs almost have too much character, and it's just so...80s. It's all over the place and weird. "Jig of Life" was so uncalled for. I relistened to it and I'm at the same conclusion. Settling in the middle because it's not that bad and 'Running Up That Hill' is a 6 star track, but this would be a two otherwise. Also now I have to prepare for a slew of shit albums since we got like 3 hits in a row. What a sh*t show.
This album was like that drunken night out. You know the one I’m talking about. It starts off so strong, you’re pregaming with all the girlies and getting sloshed off tequila shots and seltzers. You head out to the club and dance to some fantastic EDM hits for a bit. A creepy guy finds his way over to you and tries to dance with you for a while (represented in the album by Mother Stands for Comfort). The night starts to get back on track, your friends are all starting to find cute men that seem cute through the flashing lights and blurred vision. You yourself find a cute boy who asks to dance. You’re moving your hips in all the ways you should but the alcohol is really starting to kick in now. Everything’s alright though, the night goes on, it’s just not quite at the same level as the start of the night. Slowly your friends start to disappear into Ubers with their newfound men. You can choose to either go home alone, again, or make the same questionable choices that they are - go home with a stranger. You decide to say fuck it, let’s have a night to remember. This could be the Jig of [your] Life. You get back to his apartment. It gets hot and steamy, he throws you down on the bed. Oh my, it’s happening! And just as it’s all about to go down… oh, oh no. Whiskey dick. *sigh* You grab your shoes and slink home in The Morning Fog just as your mystery man passes out facedown on the bed. Another night of hope ending in disappointment.
Not bad not great, I haven’t taken the time to listen to too much 80s music just yet, and I don’t think Kate Bush is a great start. I’ve heard running up that hill too much, but I liked cloudbusting, watching you without me, and the big sky. Im writing this review weeks after listening so Im curious how they’d hold up rn
When I listened to the album the first few times, I didn't even play the opening track. I figured that one's great, I already know that. However, on my fourth listen I went through Running Up That Hill... and it isn't even that good. Respect to Kate for being unique and not making it 12 pop songs, but I was bored. Need I remind the authors that this is 1001 ALBUMS I need to listen to, not 1001 songs and the crap that accompanies them on their record.
I have been repeatedly listening to this album since it came up here last week. I keep delaying reviewing because I don't feel I have the headspace to write a review which does this album justice at the moment! But I'm just going for it now so I can move on with my life hahaha. The whole point is this album is so wonderfully influential and I can really hear that across the landscape of music since! It's also made a big big come-back lately which is also great to see a different generation also discovering and loving this amazing music. So many mixtures of vocalisations and experimental noises in with more classical instrumentation and one of the most unique and stunning voices I've come across. I can't remember what introduced me to Kate Bush and her brilliance but I think it was my school friends and this album containing a lot of her big hits is certainly reminding me of fun times with school friends and younger years. I think even without these memories just the beauty in the curation of sounds in these songs would be enough to conjure up a lot of different feelings and emotions. Lovely stuff. Watching You Without Me is a super clever song which stands out in this album for me.
Excellent album, Kate Bush is an absolute musical legend, some interesting songs I haven't heard before like the jig one.
Well this was a weird occurrence, as just the night before I had taught a piano lesson with my 11 yr old Bethan and we'd started on Running Up That Hill. She's a new Stranger Things fan so naturally she's now obsessed with that song!! Which I think is great. I know people are snobby about the kids only now discovering Kate Bush - but that's what we want right? We want generations to remember and love the legends? Kate Bush is happy about his (heard her on Womans Hour being delighted that she is being discovered by a whole new generation). I discovered Kate Bush as a teen, so Bethan's ahead of me - lucky her - she has more of her life to enjoy it!! As for the album, I listened multiple times just to make sure I knew what to review it. And it is indeed a 5 star. What a masterpiece - as well as the KB obvious bangers, I delighted in paying more attention to the other ones. So epic and strange and wonderful. You get a real sense about what Kate Bush is like from her music - creative, floaty, ethereal, in touch with who she is and the world. What a cracking album
Well it's just a top total banger ennit.
Not bad. I wasn't very focused listening to it.
give me the futureheads over this any day.
I once had the opportunity to thumb a Weetabix into Kate Bush's minge, but I had to decline due to work commitments. A rueful day.
Can't believe she covered The Futureheads. Thats so cool
Not exactly sure how to describe this, but ended up really liking this. Track one had a recent resurgence due to Stranger Things but it still carries its own. The rest of the album continued the dark dreamland piano and powerful vocals. Will definitely revisit.
Don’t get me wrong, Running Up That Hill is great and catchy, but I think the existence of Jig of Life is what justifies the whole album for me. Good 80’s pop with some weird tangents that I think are so neat to see.
Hey is dat die van Stranger Things? Algoed dat die dat programma heeft gehad voor haar populariteit he seg. Ik wist niet dat ze nog andere liedjes had.
Ja, moet ik eigenlijk al niet meer beluisteren maar ik doe het lekker toch! Eén van men favoriete albums off all time. Zoals Big Boi (Outkast) zegt, klinkt Kate Bush als een prinses die vanuit een verlaten kasteel zingt...prachtig. Dit album is zo mooi dromerig en betoverend. favoriete liedjes: Running up that hill, hounds of love en Jig of life maar eigenlijk zijn alle liedjes close to perfection. Kate Bush, I love you!
A perfect album.
i still dream / of Algernon
Ann amazing album! The ninth wave alone makes this album legendary with its cohesive story, high soaring ballads, dark creepy rages, and lowkey introspections. The first half is amazing though too (even if a little lacking) with Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting, and Hounds of Love. Overall it’s a master class in how to tell and story and it’s timeless production puts this album so highly for me.
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
Good one.
Day 3 in Florence. Sunny day again. Going the to the duomo, park and reading. 13th March, Monday.
Dange stranger things. Finds net überragend aber OK, sehr spezieller Gesang
I first listened to this album about ten years ago and was not a fan, so I was curious to see if I'd feel the same way. The first side is killer, then the second side gets a bit experimental, which I had forgotten about but I think is what had turned me off of the album on my first listen years ago since I hadn't been expecting it. Overall, Kate Bush is incredibly talent and I really enjoyed listening to it this time around and look forward to giving it another listen. 4/5.
This is gonna be a weird review. Kate Bush is awesome, dudes probably hate here, fuck those dudes, she’s great. Tonight we won our first playoff game, on the way home we found a dog, he was scared, almost got him by a car. We found the owner, he was drunk and sucked at at being a dog owner. Kate would raise a dog right, Fuck that guy though. Go Spartans! 4.5 stars
Not bad, but it got a bit boring for me after the first few songs. I thought it was going to be like it with maybe a couple more highlights if I'm lucky. But then "The Ninth Wave" part was really interesting. I enjoyed that half of the album a lot, even if not all the songs ended up on my playlist and it also got a little boring towards the end. I think the songs were all twice as long as they should have been because really none of them were bad. Songs I Already Knew: Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) Songs I Really Liked: Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), Hounds of Love, The Big Sky, And Dream of Sheep, Under Ice, Watching You Without Me, The Morning Fog
Yeeehaw, bangers <3
deeply inventive and moving
Hon är duktig men tråkig.