Hounds Of Love

Se siente pop más oscuro, íntimo. Más personal que comercial.

I feel a little conflicted I don’t know what I supposed to take from this album and the latter half of this album felt a bit all over the place but I did enjoy some of the songs Kept having this weird thing happen were the song would start and I would hate it but then as it went along I found myself like the track more

The Kate Bush revival was so deserved and very necessary. Great album!

zo goed!

heerlie !! ik herinner me met liefde de tumblr crashout toen running up that hill in stranger things zat omdat het al jaren een geliefd tumblr nummer was en toen gingen alle #normies het ineens luisteren... wa t een tijd. alsof het echt een geheim nummer was dat niemand kende. anyway heerlijk album, hounds of love en cloudbusting zijn m'n favoriet. ik raad haar optreden in de efteling erg aan om te kijken. doen jullie ooit iets met al mijn prachtige aanraders.

Such a fun album, baroque, loved it. Started kind of normal and then went totally crazy in the second part. Probably need to have a second listen.

Soulful and heartfelt, but definitely a product of its era. Running Up That Hill i had gained a ton of popularity due to Stranger Things, but there’s a lot to like here beyond just that song. Great vocals are the most notable, but excellent use of various instruments and mixing elements some as well. Though, a touch esoteric at times. Still, very solid and worth the acknowledgement.

Some of these songs are my all-time favourites; the rest of it, not so much.

It s sounds very romantic to me. I didnt enjoy this álbum, i dont feel that i found gold.

Kate experimented extensively with sound, using synthesizers, drum machines, and sampling, combining them with traditional instrumental recordings. She also embraced unusual ideas. The first half was reminiscent of popular music, with songs inspired by layers of horror films, autobiographical literature, and childhood memories. But the second, which she called the Ninth Wave Suite, was a concept album telling the story of a girl thrown overboard at sea. The main challenge for journalists was defining the genre. It's a fusion of numerous experiments and relatively harmonious ones. It's a fusion of rock, prog, synth-pop, and folk influences. Irish musicians using traditional musical instruments set a special mood.

10/10, no bad songs. I loved it fully and completely. Fav songs: Hounds of Love, Jig of Life, Waking the Witch

Kate made a perfect album. The more I listen, the more I love it. (And for the uninitiated who only know “Running up that hill,” you are in for a treat.)

i love kate's first few records, but she finds her pop goddess voice on this one. "running up that hill" is rightly praised as a brilliant pop song, but she also has "cloudbusting", "waking the witch", "and dream of sheep", "hello earth", and "under ice" on this record. it's brilliant top to bottom

Already know it OBV but never properly listened in full. It’s beautiful and strange obv hounds of love is one of the best songs ever written but also loved and dream of sheep it was like a poem!!!!

Poetry meets music, some duds and the wailing is sometimes quite odd but in the end this is a masterpiece. Cloudbusting, Mother Stands For Comfort, Hello Earth, absolute god tier stuff

Decent 4

„Running up that hill“ zieht das zum Teil schwerfällige Album noch auf den 4-Sterne-Berg.

Die erste Hälfte des Albums besteht ausschließlich aus Bangern inklusive für mich vorher ungehörter Momente wie Riffs aus Streichern in Cloudbursting. Dann wird es zugegebenermaßen sehr experimentell, aber irgendwie holt es mich dabei voll ab und gipfelt mit lustiger irischen Kobold Musik (Jig Of Life) - Um Ende kommt wieder ein spaciger Teil und sie spricht so grundlos deutsch zwischendrin Einfach ein großartiges Erlebnis! 5

sounds like from the 80s, and kind of every song like it's the same, at least the first few. "Waking the Witch" has a bit stronger vibe - not necessarily something I'd listen to, but it caught my attention. Is she Irish?

favorite: Running Up That Hill

I like just one song, they one used in stranger things.

1. "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" 2. "Hounds of Love" 3. "Cloudbusting"

I would think this was a modern pop record if I was blindly given this. It is incredibly modern sounding even though it is nearly 40 years old. Overall, I just don’t really love pop music. Although this is some odd, very weird, experimental pop. Parts sound like a movie soundtrack. Very unique and interesting, but probably won’t listen again. That’s enough for 3 stars, even though I personally didn’t totally enjoy.

Fascinatingly theatrical with stunning vocals

Nice

Fav song: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

okay

a lot of it was good. waking the witch pisses me the fuck off though

Very whimsical.

Obvs running up that hill is a monumental song but I've never actually listened to the full hounds of love album somehow?? Her voice and the way she builds a song up and up and up is wonderful! Every song so far feels like it could be used in a film. She packs so many emotions into these songs, I'd love to see a story woven around the album! I really like cloudbusting Woah the second half of the album is a switch up! I read up on the ninth wave and how this could have been a separate album, very cool narrative and I particularly loved the concept of watching you without me. It's funny bc on the one hand im intrigued by The Ninth Wave in the sense that its feels super experimental and bizarre (in a good way mostly) but at the same time it definitely isn't easy listening to me. Wouldn't reach for it casually but I respect the ideas and enjoy the narrative! I'm actually surprised the album reached no. 1 in the uk? Feels like one for the music nerds especially the ninth wave portion but the first few songs are super catchy so maybe that explains it? Or maybe the people just yearned for bush, who am I to object to that??? 6/10

Is a so interesting album with deeps letters but I should not hear the whole album with frecuency.

good stuff including the Strangers Thing classic. But not for me either.

This isn't so inventive. From the opening track to the last there's not much which sounds like anything else. This really stands the rest of time.

I’d heard this album before but never really got a good listen til today. It’s a really interesting and frankly a weird album. Even if I didn’t have the Stranger Things reference I’d think Kate Bush is from another dimension. Now I’m almost certain. Another striking thing was how many parallels to Tori Amos there were. Voice, pace, layering of instrumentation all very reminiscent of 90s Tori. As someone who loves Tori, I should love this but I think the lyrics and content was a little harder for me to connect with. I will return to this album though. It’s deserves multiple listens

The Ninth Wave (mini concept-album, the second side of Hounds of Love) is surreal and atmospheric, especially Under Ice and Jig of Life. It's about a woman drowning in the aftermath of a shipwreck. The rest of the album is either generic, or just not my style at all.

muy lindo

Me reee aburrió

80er durch und durch. Nicht schlecht

- I love her unique sound and how fresh it always feels. - I also love how she plays with the sounds in terms of production - it's definitely experimental with unexpected instrumentals popping in and out. - She has such great mastery over her voice, too. - Great lyrics, very evocative. - I do like the first half of the album better than the second half.

Epic!

Pretty good even in an initial listen. I might need to listen to it more and give it the opportunity to grow on me.

Yeah, this is basically perfect.

For Music League, one of Marnie’s round ideas is songs by artists you have a crush on.” I think if we ever do it, I’ll have to submit a Kate Bush song.

It wasn't my style, i only liked one song because i had heard it on a serie

Beautiful, brilliant, and strange (in all the right ways). I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything quite like it. Then I check the credits, and she wrote and produced every track with no co-writers/producers. I went into this knowing only the “Stranger Things” song, and came away with an album I will absolutely be coming back to regularly.

Super

This album is a true masterpiece. Kate Bush shows another perspective of her universe of sound, forever unmatched.

Not bad

Okay I definitely understand the hype now.

Such a powerful voice, and good music as well.

Deserves to be on the best 100 albums let alone 1001. Kate Bush wrote, recorded, and produced this album in her private studio in her barn. Layering the vocals, synthesizer, and sound effects herself. Always innovative and ahead of her time, this album’s influence can be heard in artists to come a decade later like Bjork, Fiona Apple, and Tori Amos and less obvious artists like Placebo, Radiohead, and Big Boi.

3.5

Running up that Hill is already worth the album four stars. The whole album sounds otherworldly, like you're on some weird drug that's somehow good for your brain. Some songs have a more "ordinary" tone, but the overall experience makes you want to just lie down and listen for 45 minutes.

Everything comes together here - it's weird and cohesive, truly idiomatic Favourite tracks: Cloudbusting, Hounds Of Love, The Big Sky

Favorite: And Dream of Sheep

2 Kate Bushs in a week ahhhhh i'm going insane Massive single, rest of the album is meh Fave track: Running Up That Hill

We Stan Kate Bush in this household pt. 2. Running Up That Hill has (at least partially) been ruined by Stranger Things - but the good news is that this track actually includes an entire bonus album that goes off. 4/5

This was unexpected, I’ve never heard of the album or the artist and I was locked in as soon as I pressed play

It's Kate Bush. It's her best album. It opens with possibly the best song of all time. Its absolutely wonderful and it only scores 5/5 because "numbers", "ratings" and "basic logic" are all bullshit and won't allow me to give it about 12 out of 5.

es un discaso, me molesta que ella se haya echo conocida por stranger things, es re talentosa mí top 5: 1-cloudbusting 2-hounds of love 3-waking the witch 4-running yo that hill 5-the big sky

This album suffers from being a product of its time. It has a ton of 80s tropes throughout the album. Fortunately, for much of the album, the quality of the song-writing overshadows the heavy synths and over-reverberated drums. The opening track was everywhere when it was used in Stranger Things. Despite the exposure, the song is still a great listen. The next two albums made me wonder whether she was going to continue to sing in that same style for the whole album. Because of the lack of change in vocal style, those two songs (Hounds of Love and The Big Sky) were fairly boring to me. The rest of the album is a good listen. Standouts for me were Mother Stands for Comfort, Under Ice, and Jig of Life. Waking the Witch has some Pink Floyd vibes to it with some background dialogue and finishing with a helicopter sound, evoking memories of The Wall. Overall, I'd give this a 3.5 if half scores were allowed, but since they aren't, I'm rounding down just due to the number of 80s ballads on this album that are one of my least favorite types of songs.

I still find Kate Bush a revelation but I didn’t find this as daring as “The Dreaming”.

Good, i like it so much

Highlights: Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love, Cloudbusting

Stunning album that rewards repeat listening. Innovative music and affecting vocals. Maybe her best work?

4.5/5. Heard this about 2 years ago, and I haven't stopped loving it!!!

27 years old when this released. She was spared from Club 27. Kate’s greatest hit. The afterlife of Bush’s greatest hit has of course underlined its modernity (like much of current pop, it is mainly rooted in beats and voices) and, ultimately, its timelessness. Exhibit A when it comes to displaying Kate Bush’s virtually unparalleled talent for weird pop, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” remains a towering achievement.

Brilliant dark synth pop. Good use of drums throughout. Best tracks: Running up that hill, Cloud Busting, Worst tracks: Mother Stands for Comfort, Waking the Witch

Zo avant garde, fantastisch leuke productie, mooie en quipy text writing. Fantastisch hoe pop sounds en progressions worden gebracht met een theatrale en baroque instrumentatie en zangstijl. Zo veel persoonlijkheid in dit album

Never have gotten this - just not my thing I guess. Actually liked the unfamiliar stuff a good deal more than the relatively well known ones.

More interesting than I thought it would be

Will always love a witchy album ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Highlight: The Big Sky, Jig of Life

Best Song: Cloudbusting Worst Song: Mother Stands For Comfort (By Default)

as this is a list of the best of the best, this is not the best of the best of the best, its bottom rung best.

It's another five. Call me soft if you want.

Enjoyed it, was really surprised at how different the start and finish of the album are

Brilliant album, more like a greatest hits - apart from a couple of experimental tracks at the end.

Very strong, preferred the more experimental second half

It's creativity and theatrical style are undeniable, but at times it feels a bit too over-the-top for my taste. There are definitely standout tracks I can enjoy here and there, but as a full album experience, it’s not something I’d revisit often.

Started off strong but just kind of tapered off with filler

Per my will, I'm to be buried with a few select items. This album is one of them.

Kate is probably not everyone’s cup of tea. I can’t even say I loved all of this. She doesn’t sound like anyone else though, and she has an arsenal of tools she uses to deliver a magical, grand experience. I preferred the Dreaming over this. Probably due to Running Up That Hill being so overplayed at this point. But this was still well received by me.

Did not enjoy after the first song. Maybe it's not my type of music but way too experimental or "progressive" pop.

Whimsical and mystical

No pude terminarlo

Es un disco al cual describiría con mucha mística. Tiene un trabajo de estudio increíble, en el cual se ve mucho trabajo. Hay muchos instrumentos, voces, y sonidos, que cambian de paneo de derecha a izquierda muy marcados. Las voces suenan muy claras, Kate tiene un tono de voz muy único, muy nítido, agudo, que le da mucha mística. El disco está hecho con una sutileza increíble. Se destaca por tener la canción que se hizo muy famosa por Stranger Things, pero tranquilamente se podría adaptar cualquier canción a una película, serie o corto de la época, que quedaría increíble.

starting songs were good

Beautiful record. Running up that hill is a classic but the proggy second half of the record is sooooo cool!!! Really enjoyed it

One of my favorite all time albums (I've been obsessed with Kate Bush for some time now). The "Downward Spiral" of 80's British synth pop. Huge couple of hits (Cloudbusting is my favorite single and song off the album - and the video is ridiculously fun and a bit on the nose, like the cover art of this album I suppose), yet The Ninth Wave is where this album truly shines. If you like this, please check out The Dreaming, Sensual World and especially Aerial, one of the greatest "comeback" albums of all time imho.

Dramatic sounds, big voices, soft words, whimsy and weird. “Running Up That Hill” is a pretty iconic track, it’s good she got her resurgence with the youths.

Her voice PMO so bad

Can’t believe this album was written for stranger things

The album is completely carried by Running Up That Hill. Vocals have a kinda mystical feel, reinforced by the lyrics.

Franchement bien avec quelques très bons sons mais quelques bouses

природа, весна, літо, fairy daisy vibe, осд

You know what Kate Bush you're alright with me!

Mcncj

Me encanto sobre todo la parte experimental del lado B

great album !

This was a much more fun listen than I thought it would be.

I've heard the first track a bunch and never knew who sang it. Now I do. I guess it's had a resurgence due to Stranger Things recently. Anyway, this album has definite industrial vibes, especially a track like Waking the Witch, which sounds like a cross between KMFDM and Moroder. It's more enjoyable for me than lots of new wavish stuff. Not sure I'd go back to it though. Maybe a 3.

Absolutely love this album. Kate Bush does some amazing stuff and she very heavily influenced one of my favorite singers (Tori Amos). It was really interesting to read reviews of this from before Running Up That Hill was on Stranger Things vs after and how she was virtually unknown in the US vs how many people knew her after. The whole album is worth a listen.

Great kind of album with some prog pop classics and a highly stylised almost fantasy-esque sound. Outside of the three singles the rest of the ‘album songs’ are very well written however by the end the production and lack of variety between instrumentation can lead to a little bit of listener fatigue and none of them really stand upto the lofty heights of the three singles on there. That’s said I really think it is a great showing of female musicianship and Overall 7.7/10. It shows what pop music can be when it really tries and a really nice, stylistic world building album with great vocals and some massive singles on there

A very good, very dreamy record. Its the type of album to be listened to in the dark. The reason for a star taken off is because I just can't get in to the chopped up vocals in some of the songs. Also, I enjoyed the first half, more than the second, but my personal favorite song on the album is Hello Earth.

Don't know why I haven't previously listened to this before. Decent

So much love has gone into this album. Total genius

I can see why this is so well liked. Running up that Hill is one of the greatest 80's songs and Cloudbusting isn't far behind. I found the rest of the album to be of less quality than those songs, but it was enjoyable enough nonetheless. It's a very weird album at times, but I guess that is to be expected with a Kate Bush album.

Some surprise joys and lot of Celtic bits that bring a lot of fun besides just running up that hill

Running up that hills has a cool sound to it (other than being played out from ST), but the lyrics make very little sense. There's a couple other cool sounding songs, but most of the album is boring and filled with cheesey 80s keyboard sound effects

Weird stuff and hard to pin down genre-wise, but I dig it. I like "The Big Sky" and "Cloudbusting". Her voice is unique and kind of warble-y but never grating. The roots of a lot of modern indie rock seem to be all over this album - you can hear the influence on everyone from Chappell Roan to Caroline Polachek. I like that every song is kinda different - 3.5 and I'll round up for originality, even if Idk when the mood to listen to it is

5/10 not my vibe at all but some very prominent songs cultury and fantastic voice

Weird weird album. There are some very good songs (songs I can say are good, however I don't personally like them) then the second half of the album is so random like what. Uh because of that pretty mid. Idk maybe it has meaning and that makes it good what do I know.

A quality album, some good pop hits but still mixed with some more conceptual listens and a range of moods. There are multiple styles mixed together in this album, and I think some of the 80s sound effects has aged well here. Kate’s voice is a perfect pairing to the instrumentals and provides that well needed harmony. Overall, a great listen, I personally think it could benefit from switching out one or two concept songs for more pop style songs, as I felt it needed some more lyrics. The general vibe is well crafted, and the album has good flow to it. I do already own this on vinyl and I think it’s a great addition in collection, for me this album is solid 4 star album.

When to listen: airy, wispy, manic pixie vibes. When I started the album I thought "damn why do people only talk about 'Running Up That Hill' this entire album is awesome" and then we got to the weird album end songs and I was like ok ya I know why. So yea, liked the start of the album. The end not so much.

This is a great album. Kate has a great voice, dare I say the prettiest to ever do it. The songwriting isn't always great but that's fine. Running Up That Hill is such a great song, but Hounds of Love, Big Sky, and Jig of Life are also really good. Her other works are also pretty darn good, especially he duet with Peter Gabriel. But this is by far her best solo album.

Dreadful

I liked the spacey, synthy sounds of the album. This was definitely a unique album that I enjoyed listening to, with a few standout songs such as Running Up That Hill and Walking the Witch.

As mysterious and beautiful as I had heard.

Kate Bush proves you can have both artistic integrity and pop sensibilities, Hounds of Love pushes boundaries for what was expected of women in the 80s and every era afterwards. Combining an operatic mastery of her voice and the cutting edge of technology, she weaves a tapestry of sound unmatched to this day. Every track takes you on a journey and as a guide and storyteller Kate Bush is one for the ages.

Maybe I need to listen to more pop, but to me it sounds like Vespertine by Bjork but without the gorgeous production. Or in other words, strange vocals with very 80’s like instrumentation and synths. Not my thing, but still respectable. Running Up That Hill brings me back to summer 2022 and I liked the bass tone on Big Sky. Favorite Songs: Running up that hill, The Morning Fog.

Some bangers, some weird shite

Fairy-tale esque. experimental and unique which is very often a good thing in my opinion. takes risks, reminds me of the feeling of watching a studio ghibli movie for the first time.

While Kate Bush is a super talented vocalist, this really bored me at times. It wasn't terrible, it just felt like background music. I instantly recognized "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" Liked Songs: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" , "Hounds Of Love" , "Jig Of Life" , "The Morning Fog"

3.75

Honestly, this album was pretty good. The highlights were probably: running up that hill, the big sky, hello earth, and the morning fog. The only song I skipped was Waking the Witch (because it made me want to barf in my mouth!) Overall, I’d give it a 3.7/5! 🙂

Vers Groix

Of course I already love “Running Up That Hill.” The coolest thing Strangers Things ever did was make that the song of the summer 35 years after it was originally released. But what a delightful experience to learn every song on this album is as beautiful and fun and rich as that first track! So Baroque, so theatrical, so layered and esoteric and weird. Her beautiful voice can do so much, and the production is just oddball and experimental enough without losing the pop sensibilities and fun choruses. A truly lovely piece of art that I listened to thrice yesterday!

I wish it wasn't one of a kind

Ahh yes, the Stranger Things album. More specifically, the album whose most popular single was played ad nauseum in the show's fourth season. As for the actual album, it is a very offbeat 80s pop record. Unlike most British pop of the period, this has actual character and is unique without being off-putting. Well, some songs are off-putting, primarily "Waking the Witch". Unlike her earlier record, "The Dreaming", this is still plenty accessible to the average listener and isn't overly theatrical. Though Bush's lyrics don't approach the level of a Cohen or Dylan album, they are perhaps some of the best lyrics of this era's popular music. The songs are hooky and well-arranged, and Bush's voice is excellent both technically and for the music she makes. This record, perhaps more than anything, is an excellent example of how to balance accessibility and character to create a hit album. A hit album that found a second wind 35 years after its release from a single being used in a massively popular television show.

A very cool record with a real sense of drama and dynamics. I fully was primed for the shock of getting halfway through the album and then hearing “Waking the Witch.” It’s all the more impressive to make a successful pop songs using synths, drum machines, and bunch of folk instruments from Eastern Europe and Ireland.

Lots of variety here which I enjoy. Great vocals and synth work but ultimately not my cup of tea. Stars are for admiration of talent, not necessarily enjoyment of substance.

Not really listened to Kate Bush before (besides that one) but I like this quite a bit

This is the best Kate Bush album I’ve ever heard, but it’s a low bar.

It was great!

That first track lures you in with it's pop hooks and fantastical lyricism, then the album takes you on an experimental pop ride for a while. Strings playing dissonant chords, anxiety and doom inducing synth layered in the back, just for it to turn into a key driven soft spoken word dream sequence. This is a cool album!

so weird and kooky, I love it

Completely good, but quite 'samey' throughout the album.

Stranger Things really brought this back. Kate’s got a great voice. This is real 80s stuff. The pop is fine, but it’s never my favorite. There are some standouts, obviously track 1 is a banger, I really enjoyed 'Watching You Without Me' and 'Jig of Life' as well, the whole album has this ethereal fantastical quality to it which I think I can get behind. Almost sounds like it could have been the alternate soundtrack to something like Labyrinth.

stranger things?? per annie. if running up that hill wasn't in this album, it'd be a 1. frankly. 2.5

I love "Running Up that Hill," and Cloudbusting is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard. I started writing this too soon, because I hated the eponymous track and loved so much else. I definitely think this should be on here, there's nothing like it in a sea of Brit Pop.

Running Up That Hill is a great song. The rest of the album doesn’t quite reach that same level, but it’s a fun listen.

I know this got a huge push for Running Up That Hill because of Stranger Things that song never really did much for me. It is catchy and the chorus gets stuck in my head but I don't love it. There was another song (Hello Earth maybe?) that sounded very very similar to Running Up That Hill. Nothing else really stood out to me.

Great album from KB with some of her best tracks on side 1. Some of the more experimental ones are a bit hit and miss but you should go Running Up That Hill to hear this album.

There are a few really good ethereal synth pop style bangers on here near the beginning, but also some songs I don’t really enjoy so it prevents it from being a 5 but really good still

This album is so good. A shout out to the stranger things track "running up that Hill". And the wuthering heights song (and the best cover by metal band Angra)

First listened on 25th, 27th and 29th October 2024. Favourite song is Hounds Of Love. My least favourite Kate Bush, but still great.

Not gonna lie, this one tested my patience. I get Kate Bush is appealing and has talent, but I'll throw a respectable 3 at this album even if I fully don't see the vision.

As features on stranger things, this album's transition from 80s pop to less traditional approaches in the later tracks showed a variety of styles

OK I guess

(4/7) once we got to the top of the hill things started to get weird real fast

Great in places, but then also a bit too obtuse in others.

Wierd but fun to listen to, not sure if I could daily listen.

First track is as straightforward as perfection gets; everything else is also equally perfect if you aren't filtered by a 20-something genius at her creative peak

Not my taste.

To me, this really has a theatrical bend to it, it sounds like a cast recording of a Broadway musical. Not really my cup of tea.

Kate Bush is perfect

Zone out very little. Most songs are similar to the first which I liked already.

Had some good songs in there, but also some boring ones.

Gaf marga sénsa, en ég lyfti þessari ekki uppúr þristi, eins og opnunarlagið er mikill banger.

Hello Earth

7/10

The most free space album you could give me up to this point. I adore this one. I went way too long (years ago) only knowing Kate Bush because of Placebo’s cover of Running Up That Hill and there was a brief stupid time where I thought the cover was better than the original. Ha! No. Not even remotely true. I know up through Waking the Witch (which is in lovely argument with Cloudbusting, The Big Sky, the title track and Running Up That Hill for which is my favorite song off the album) much better than I do Watching You Without Me into The Morning Fog, but this is an great excuse to revisit a mild blind spot.

Love how experimental this is. Kate's voice is so lovely and remains the center of most of these songs.

Really like yes yes Kate bush very good

such an easy 5*!! a no-skip album for me, i absolutely adored it. the way the vocals are layered throughout to build such a fantastical soundscape is incredible. the grandiosity that builds is exciting every time, and make the softer, more dreamlike tracks shine. it's hard to pick just one as a favourite. the first three tracks provide this sense of invigoration, and feel almost feverish at times. the instrumentation pulses in a way that is borderline hypnotic. then there's tracks such as under ice, waking the witch, and jig of life that provide a more storied approach lyrically, with each track developing into separate chapters of a book. under ice feels ominous, almost haunting before transitioning into waking the witch, a more claustrophobic atmosphere, waking the witch specifically felt like i had been put into a musical sleep paralysis, in the best way. then there's jig of life, turbulent, emotional, and so fun. again, easy 5/5 for me. i completely understand that it's not for everyone but this is such a unique album and should be considered as influential as something like the velvet underground, in my opinion! average track rating: 4.2/5 album rating: 5/5 thank you to the person who did this format in the reviews, I hope you don't mind me taking and adjusting for my purposes :') number of albums left to review: 1,080 number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 3 albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 1 albums from the list I won't include on my list: 8

3.5/5. I love morning Fog

Un bon album mais pas mon style, j'ai préféré la 1re moitié notamment Running Up That Hill (entendu dans Stranger Things), je mettrais 3/5 ou 3,5/5

Cutting edge for the time

She has an incredibly recognizable voice. She totally paved the way for tons of artists. This album has this dreamy feeling that I really enjoyed.

I know this is heavily praised, but it’s too artsy fartsy and sophisticated for me.

I love when an album feels like I'm listening to a musical... Purple is my favourite colour... I stopped watching Stranger Things after the third season and I usually have social media on mute, so THE song didn't get ruined for me... All these things and more is why this album is perfect for me.

Quintessential 80s music

One of the most beautiful albums of all time. It has no skips and is so enthralling yet innovating for its time. In my opinion the greatest album of the 80s. 10/10 [KEEP]

I wasn't very familiar with this album beyond Running Up That Hill. And I kinda expected it to suck, cause Running Up That Hill has the vibe of a song that's the only good song the album. Boy, was I wrong! This is a delightfully complex collection of pop-ish tunes.

This was much, much better than I expected. I should probably blame Stranger Things, or maybe I've mellowed in my dotage. Regardless, this sounded more "modern" than I recalled, and definitely more musically interesting. Adding this to my list.

I'm really somewhere like a 3.5 but I'm rounding up for the album art and chance taking. There are a few songs on this that really irritate me, but more that stand up. I don't think it is just a fluke that Running Up That Hill saw a gen Z resurgence, besides being a great song, the production still sounds great on that song and this record. The title track is really good as well.

Every Kate Bush album I've ever heard has had 1 to 3 songs I love, and then mostly a bunch of pretentious bullshit. This is at the low end of the former and the high end of the latter.

4/5 - I like Kate's voice a lot, so that drives this rating, but I also think the production here is pretty great for the era. You can really hear the influence she had on other experimental women musicians in the coming decades. Not an album I'm going to listen to frequently, but I enjoy it, and it belongs on this list.

Running up the hill and jig of life were good, but other than that it was just kinda boring except for some parts of songs having interesting sound features.

2.5 - I wanted to like this more. Maybe I would if I gave it a few more listens.

The first half is deffo five stars has a lot of Kate's real classics. 2nd half is weaker but in balance still going to give it a 5.

Very calm and mystical vibes, only song I liked was running up the hill ofc. I give it a solid 6/10

Unbelievable album and artist. Still love this as much today as I did when I discovered it. Brilliant

весь альбом не стала слушать, так по немножечку, но мне очень понравилось. хотя я не слушаю что-то похожее, но под этот расслабиться можно. добавила к себе

So many great tracks. I really enjoyed this one.

I know she is a really good artist but I couldn't like this even if I tried. I think it has to do with her voice, and it's not that it's bad but it's not for me

One of my favorite albums of all time big sky and cloudbusting still give me chills every time I hear them

Her fifth album. New Wave / Art Rock. Running Up That Hill is a fantastic opening track and would sound better than most stuff if dropped today. The entire album is a fascinating journey through the mind of a woman who seems other worldly at times. Her vocals are great. The production spot on.

Good album. My husband and son love Kate Bush but she isn't my favorite. Might be because of her creepy music videos in the '80's

Liked it- Need to listen to some of the songs over

Jig of life

Third album i got from here! So cool! The euphoric joy of "The Big Sky" and then the darker, eerie atmosphere of "Mother Stands For Comfort" immediately after was certainly a unique experience and I'm glad I had it. Those are my first two favourites. "Cloudbusting" is also great! Further into the album I can say this whole thing is an experience, actually. Beautiful and full of whimsy and chaotic and a little scary sometimes (like whatever the hell is going on in "Waking The Witch" but i fw it!!) My other two favourites from this album are the last, "Hello Earth" & "The Morning Fog". Not the type of music I would jam out to in my own time, but definitely a work of art in the way that you'd appreciate a Renaissance painting in a museum. This whole album is a freaking masterpiece <3 Honestly the only thing stopping me from giving it 5 stars is the fact that I feel this album is better for an ambient, atmospheric background music, like a movie or game soundtrack for example, and not "headphone music", if that makes sense. I'm mainly started the 1001 Albums challenge to find new music for my playlists and broaden my horizons and I'm glad I did. Gives me the same vibes as Headlock by Imogen Heap, another artist whose albums I want to explore. Apparently she was inspired by Kate Bush so that's cool!! I wonder if any of her albums are on this list too :^]

One of the easiest 10/10s ever

it feels very theatre kid - but kind of eerie / ghostly vocals - feels very otherwordly ngl. very lorde 'shhhhh' moment. i cannot keep listening to this it's just a bunch of hooting and hollering oh my god

This one I waffled between a 2 and a 3. I liked the first half of the album more than the second, but the Jig of Life is pushing it to a 3. I do love a good jig.

Kate Bush should be thanking the Duffer brothers every day for the rest of her life for making her relevant. If they had not attached her opening track to the Stranger Things series, no one would know her name. I’m not totally bashing her. She can sing, but I went to high school with people who are more talented vocally and they don’t have a record deal. Just an average singer with below average songs in my opinion.

I should like this because I like most things Kate Bush adjacent - Tori Amos, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Patti Smyth, Christie Hynde, but I don’t like it. There is nothing about this that makes me want to come back to it. It’s not brilliant or beautiful… it’s weird and indulgent. It’s off and it’s off-putting. Incredibly overrated.

Running up that hill forever belongs to Max, the baddest ass of our favorite D&D party. I dare you to tell me you didn't get misty eyed as she ran towards the portal and finally reunited with Lucas. Epic. Stranger Things made that song more meaningful than Kate Bush could ever have dreamed. Anyway, there is an entire album and we finally get the full picture of what Max was listening to on her Sony Walkman. Well we learned Max is badass, but she has questionable taste in music. Maybe she was drawn to Vecna's guest vocal on waking the witch? I will say I appreciate what Kate Bush was going for. She creates an immersive experience with her music. I felt it, and appreciate how well executed it was. Just because I didn't like it doesn't make it bad, and this is an example of quality that just doesn't appeal to me.

- I like her voice synthesis - I like how it sounds like an 80s adaptation of a 19th century classic novel already - marching bassline - sounds foggy - Instantly great - love the vocal sample at the beginning - people imitating animals always feels a little off but she is Kate Bush i suppose - don't care for the big sky too much - great song but a hard act to follow are the first two - Cloudbusting strings with the banjo accents - i still find this a perfect baroque monstrosity - most of the tracks on this album run and gallop, it captures a full scope of emotion and maintains a state of movement interjected by austentatious weather - the voices and the drums are emblematic of something that claws at the organic - ripping through circuit boards with dexterity to find the blood that pumps and gushes forth. Masterful. Bush feels like a shaman that controls all the forces of nature in harmony - Equal parts millitary drill and and self help mantra - album sounds a bit like a chamber piece - designed to be performed by a choir - love the rain and train at the end of that song too - the sparing guitar is appreciated - UNDER ICE HELLO - this is crazy - strings are amazing - 'the river has frozen over' -sounds like an ancient pagan witch being hunted - brilliantly staged vocal reverb at end of song - again sounds like an 80s R4 play - slightly cheesy - Sampling in this album is so tasteful - only used to advance the story - makes so much sense - the dialogue works excellently - sounds so rudimentary yet advanced - crazy - waking the witch - church bells amazing - such a distinctive picture she's trying to paint here - properly hellish sound here - she goes all the way. very chameleon-y start to this song - her vocals sound so modern here - like something qendresa would put out sounds bangladeshi here - very nice stuff - very good gated vocals - choir on 'Hello Earth' is mind blowing and poignant - The chord progression here echoes the progression on cloudbusting I'm still deciding whether i want to do ratings out of ten but i'll give this an 8/10

Love Kate bush. Brilliant.

Best Song: Running up that Hill The album Stranger Things made relevant again. It was ok, not as good as others in this genre and not Kate Bush's best album, in my opinion. 3/5.

Amazing first side, at least 3 classics! Less out there than her previous album, but she finds room for a concept side b. Odd but nice Irishness to it. It does lose me though. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 53/224 (23%) Will I get: Already have

Fav- running up that hill 4/5

i don’t get what this one review is on about, there’s no barking in this ♡: Waking The Witch, Running Up That Hill

not for me

01) Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) - 10,0 02) Hounds of Love - 10,0 03) The Big Sky - 8,5 04) Mother Stands for Comfort - 8,5 05) Cloudbusting - 10,0 06) And Dream of Sheep - 8,0 07) Under Ice - 9,0 08) Waking the Witch - 8,0 09) Watching You Without Me - 8,5 10) Jig of Life - 7,5 11) Hello Earth - 7,5 12) The Morning Fog - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,63 (86/100) Current ranking: 125/843

kate bush halt, 80er und whimsy, hatte einen ohrwurm von running up that hill

gut, mehr memorable als das andere

Still the absolute gold standard for weird, experimental pop

I think I prefer Kate Bush as a singles artist more than as an album artist. Hounds of Love is good, I just don't know that I'd ever opt to sit down and put on a Kate Bush album as opposed to just listening to her best tracks on any given day.

No

о боже це ж вюзерінг вюзерінг хайтс омага

OMG it has the Stranger Things song!

Not my jam at all. Never cared for the stranger things song and the waking the witch song or whatever it’s called was god awful.

Good album, quintessential Kate bush. Personally I'm not super into Kate Bush, but I can still appreciate what this album has to offer. The first half of the album is much stronger for what it's worth.

Whimsical music for fairies and women - an interesting blend of progressive orchestral and 80's pop that somehow found wide appeal. However, the highlights of this album are Running Up That Hill and the several other songs that feature strikingly similar marching-style rhythms and building arrangements. The remaining tracks are mostly not memorable for their music; however, the bass receives an honorable mention for being deep and slapping.

What a wonderful excuse to pull out the album, sit down and listen to it in one go.... It's just a piece of musical genius. There are so many levels it works on. The songs are all gems in their own unique way. The production is timeless....it could have been released last week - most albums from the 80s show it, but not this. It is practically it's own Genre for me. The second side (The Ninth Wave) is simply sublime - I love that it is an album of two parts. And Dream of Sleep is simply one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever recorded. It's been a favourite of mine for 40+ years and it's wonderful to me that more modern ears have now discovered it thanks to Stranger Things. It might just be THE best album of the 80s. 5

This was an odd album overall. For starters, it is a shame that Stranger Things ground the best song on this album into the dirt. It is actually a great song, and it is hard to listen to now. As the album went along, I was surprised how incredibly dated sounding it is (not in a good way), and some of the earlier songs for my ears were just terrible. Corny, dated music and maudlin lyrics and singing. Towards the end, I found myself appreciating some of the more experimental stuff. So it wasn't the lost journey it started out as. I have a lot of respect for Kate Bush, but the music doesnt stand the test of time for me.

2.92

Very interesting and experimental! I enjoyed discovering Kate Bush. It was a bit too weird for my taste, though. Some songs, like Waking the Witch, didn't feel like songs and were hard to get through. Jig of Life was such a fun surprise! It was also cool to hear Running Up That Hill in full (I only knew the chorus).

Amazing stuff and yeah I hear the strong Tori Amos roots there too. Gets a little unpalatable towards the end but otherwise brilliant, 1/2 is 5 stars.

Enjoying this a lot more than the last few. It's a bit out there, but it's distinctive at least. Waking the Witch is just a really weird song. Not sure where it would feel in place.

Insomma

One of the best albums of all time!

80s art pop classic. Production is very dense/reverb-heavy but works in favor of the songs here. I love all the various synth string arrangements scattered throughout almost every song. Not as overly experimental as "The Dreaming", but Bush can still write some eccentric but catchy songs on this album as well (Waking The Witch, most notably). 9/10.

The variety here is really something special. Really love the stories she's telling in Cloudbusting and Jig of Life, and Waking the Witch is the absolute deep end of her experimentation. Safe to say I'm a fan now

9/10 Feels experimental without being overwhelming. I love how this album has several different sounds while staying thematically consistent.

Running Up That Hill is fantastic and a couple of other songs were enjoyable but there were a couple of avant garde numbers that didn’t do much for me

I don't think you can call it a come back.. but the ability to have a song go so viral years after it's release cannot be understated. I enjoyed the listen to this album, but it remains not really my thing........

I really want to like Kate Bush, but after getting all her albums on this list, I just can't get into her. This one is clearly the best, and "Running Up That Hill" and "Hounds Of Love" are great songs, but the rest is just alright. I appreciate her talent and how different she is from other artists, but overall I think it's just not for me. This would get a 3.5 if I could, but it's just not strong enough for me to give it 4 stars.

A very strong half, but the more experimental second half didn't work for me. 'Jig Of Life' felt particularly jarring.

Starts strong and tapers from great to very good

Damn good album

Good, artistically interesting album, never heard it before. Not exactly my cup of tea though.

Good songs, not sure how they all come together but felt like an exploratory album with lots of different sounds

Well goddamn. Kate Bush has been having a resurgence lately because of the use of “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Even before the show, that song was iconic with its synths, programmed drums, and of course Kate Bush’s ethereal vocals and lyrics, but there’s so much more going on here. To name a few highlights for me: the drum programming on “Mother Stands For Comfort” is exceptional. “Waking the Witch” wouldn’t sound entirely out of place on a Skinny Puppy album of the era. Two songs later there’s a full-on jig. Somehow this all works and it sounds coherent. There is a bunch of stuff that’s kind of proto-glitchy, and this album came out in 1985! There’s so much ambition here, and she flawlessly pulls it off and in the context of a pop album. This is one of those albums that feels absolutely massive. I hear her influence in so many places, and yet it’s still so much larger than that influence. I’ve listened to a little bit of Kate Bush over the years and I’ve never totally connected with it but today this album is hitting me hard. Unquestionably a five star album.

Excellent album, glad this was rediscovered by a new generation.

Obvs heaven. Quite Florence & the Machine

What started as a classic Lady Pop album quickly turned into an experimental progressiv Indi/Electronic/Folk album - was not what I was expecting but also not something that I enjoyed listening to.

Was looking forward to this as it opens with a 5 star track, but the rest of it is 3 stars unfortunately!

The second half of this album specifically is super cool!

demasiado aburrido y aparte todas las canciones son re parecidas, no me esta gustando, por ahí a la mitad hubo un cambio de flow q lastimosamente fue para mal, pero me gusta q esta como contando una historia

💪👏🤙

Sonido muy experimental, pop viejo estilo cindy lauper, me gustaron mucho algunas canciones, destacó cloudbusting y running up that hill, otras tanto no me gustaron, pero en general buen álbum, me encanta la estética que tiene también

Hounds Of Love has a nostalgic and distinct 80s pop sound, and (Aside from Running Up That Hill) I find this album to be a good listening experience. 3.6/5

A very 80s album with some good tracks that has been revived thanks to Stranger Things. Highlights: “Hounds of Love” and “Cloudbusting”

Well good. Had running up that hill stuck in my head all day!

I want to dance the jig of life 🧬 This album art is beautiful. Something I haven't really talked about yet but definitely an important factor. Iconic. I do love whimsical experimental pop.

I think why Kate Bush has some of the best pop albums of the 80s is I would feel wrong just calling her music "pop music". You never really know where her records are gonna go. Hounds of Love is the perfect example of that. Side one filled with some of the best pop songs of the 80s, and a more out there conceptual side two (that doesn't completely land for me) High 3

holy fire fav: waking the witch

Stranger things has done wonders for this album first couple of songs are good. Thennnnn the fall off happens. I feel like I should've been one of those red and black rooms where they do film when listening to the album.

Absolutely stunning album!!! Charming, magical, and whimsical. I was OBSESSED with Jig Of Life, the transition to that song made me go ooohhh out loud. Nobody does it like Kate Bush!!

We just got to love Hounds of Love. The purple vibe is everything. I've always heard of Running Up That Hill from young and it's one of those songs where it's just timeless🙏🏾🛐 Everything else feels like the type of music where the artist truly puts themself out there. I admire her vision and her vocals are excellent. Some songs struck me more than others such as Running Up That Hill and Gig of Life but I do appreciate Kate Bush :)

Great

Ymmm, peak nothibg mkre to say

Meh

Får mycket whimsical vibes av den, men åter igen inte riktigt mig smak

Есть хит Есть песня про маму и песня про папу Есть про любовь Душевный вайб исходит Но для меня эти инструменты и вокал просто не складываются

Tengo que decir que amo a Kate y todo del disco es fantastico, las letras, su voz y su historia.

love the storytelling feeling

Pretty cool actually

This album is pretty great. I think the hits all sound great, super inventive and stylish. I do want to comment. I think it's cool that it's featured so prominently in stranger things, it was a good choice because of the cinematic qualities of the album and they have aged well. I do think the show is a little pretentious about its music. No Michael Jackson or Prince references at all! Borderline racism

This is a weird album that I actually listened to twice to really understand it, not that I think I fully get it still. Someone in another review called this "prog pop" and I think that's a great label. This is a pop music concept album about...something. The first half of the album has what I would consider the singles but the second half, starting with "Under Ice" is where it gets more interesting and pushes the boundaries of pop music. I can imagine a lot of people got turned off by the second half because it's a weird listen. None of the songs, not even the revived "Running Up That Hill", are particularly catchy I feel, but the instrumental stuff and Bush's unique vocals make it stand out. I'm still not sure if I really like it, though I respect it as a work of art. I think I'd actually take the second half over the first just because it's so strange. I'm glad I listened to it but there are other concept albums and art-rock artists that I prefer.

The tightly-constructed numbers like "The Big Sky" on this record are decent (if overlong), but the further Bush strays from conventional song structures (as she does on the entire second side), the less compelling the tracks are. In addition, the mix of acoustic and electronic instrumention on this album consistently feels...off. These missteps in the arrangements chip away at the effectiveness of the songs: for example, the nagging synth hook of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" sounds out of sync with the drum track, which itself sounds muffled and flat at the same time. The use of sampling on this album is equally unsophisticated, like the clumsy faux-industrial percussion that contributes little to "Mother Stands For Comfort".

Music for theater kids

1: Hounds of Love 2: Running Up That Hill 3: Watching You Without Me

YES YES YES

Her voice is beautiful, the performances compelling, the songwriting on point…but I just don’t like this album.

My first real listen to Kate Bush. I’ve always been aware her, and her reputation for being a little “weird” has always made me curious about her music, but I never got around to exploring it. Hounds of Love was an impressive introduction. It has just the right amount a quirkiness and experimentation to suit my tastes. All the songs are pretty solid and interesting, I even liked some of the longer outros. I’ll definitely be listening to this record again, and I look forward to hearing more of her work.

I enjoyed this!

Thanks to this project for getting me to dive into these Kate Bush albums. This one's got a lot of great songs on it, but I found parts a little too theatrical, especially compared to The Sensual World, which is pretty much perfect.

Eh

Running up that hill : the beat sounds like dogs barking and getting more and more intense. The percussions at the 3 minute mark sound amazing. I’ve always heard the minute snippet from the Stranger Things series, but the song sounds much better than I remembered. The voice of Kate Bush, the intensity, you feel like you’re part of her crazy run she’s taking you in. Hounds of love : Back vocals still sounding like dogs barking in the beginning. The big sky : Guitar goes wild on the big sky, with the claps and percussions, making a great mix overall. Mother stands for comfort : Sounds like she’s flying in the sky with her keyboard, levitating. Under Ice : Feels stressful, like I’m standing on a thin line of ice. Jig of life : Making me feel like a pirate, chanting a sea shanty. Solid 6/10 for this album ; it has so much emotion, energy

Good

cantos gregorianos, pop, líneas de bajo buenas, musica celta. tremenda quilombo. no lo volvería a escuchar pero me gusto

Had to give this two listens to get it. I really like the vibe and some of the songs on here are great, but I just don't think I love it as much as I want to Favorite Songs: Running Up That Hill, Waking the Witch

Easy five stars

Running Up That Hill is already a favourite of mine. Can any other track come close? Ah Cloudbusting hits hard too, nice vocals and a folksy pop sound. Crescendo is a bit more lacklustre than RUTH, but still good Waking the Witch is very avant-garde, cinematic. The layering and chromaticism on Jig Of Life are very cool, bringing to mind female solo acts from much later. Plus the celtic folk, makes it very unique. Best track - The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Under Ice, Waking The Witch, Jig Of Life 4 stars - some great tracks and even the 'filler' is good enough to keep up interest

A groundbreaking and iconic album that masterfully blends art pop with emotional depth. Its timeless sound shows a direct influence on artists like Tori Amos.

Very 80s -- impressively composed + produced, but not my style.

No thanks

The first half of this album is nonstop, top-tier, polished but creative pop songs, and from there it transitions into something that feels like a surrealist dream. The second half may be a bit too weird for some listeners, but it’s a journey, and one worth revisiting. One of my favorite albums of the 80s.

sounds like an adventure at some times, other times it sounds like you've been transported to another moment in sound. the album cover is pretty majestic. Kate Bush gives off this confident and passionate vibe; she has a super strong yet soft voice. it's pretty cool. of course, you can't forget about that one Stranger Things song.

LOVELY, truly amazing. The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Jig of Life, Running Up That Hill are terrific.

Wonderful to listen to all the way through.

MY QUEEN!!!!! This is such a classic holy I forgot how much I loved this aged 15. Bit miffed that my first suggestion from this damn website was one I’m already familiar with but I had fun with this in the end so I can’t be too mad :3

It's funny that track is called Waking The Witch because if you were falling asleep to this album, that shit'll wake you up quick. I wasn't expecting more experimental choices, but I found myself enjoying them more than not. Hello Earth is kinda amazing.

timeless masterpiece…. i’ll be listening to this album till my last breath

SUCH AN AMAZING ALBUM CLASSIC ALRWADY. This album was so unique when it came out in the 80s. This album is so good, it’s one of those albums that’s underrated with a big hit. (for example hot fuss by the killers with mr brightside). first of all the intro song is actually amazing besides it being the stranger things song. listening to this album is a whole outeorld experience. i don’t kno why but it’s like running through clouds. i love her voice too, it’s so perfect with the production. th use of the instruments use of everything. everything is so sparkly in this album, this album is th world beautiful. she needs to be talked about more, her discography is amazing. an obvious classic

oooo uhhh uhh

Just superb

omg its the stranger things song (i havent seen it)

Hounds of Love — это тот редкий случай, когда артист делает не просто альбом, а строит целый мир. Буш разделила его на две части: первая — поп-хиты с хлёсткими синтезаторами, вторая («The Ninth Wave») — 25-минутная концептуальная поэма о женщине, тонущей в море и балансирующей между жизнью и смертью. 1985 год, а звучит так, будто записано вчера в каком-то параллельном измерении, где у людей лучше вкус. «Running Up That Hill» знают все — особенно после Stranger Things. Но настоящее золото спрятано глубже: «The Hounds of Love», «And Dream of Sheep», «Waking the Witch» — это не песни, это кинофильмы без картинки. Кейт здесь продюсировала, писала, аранжировала всё сама, в собственной студии. В 80-х женщина с полным творческим контролем — это было примерно так же редко, как единорог на велосипеде. Один из тех альбомов, которые меняют то, что ты считаешь возможным в музыке.

Highlights: Running Up That Hill, Hounds Of Love and Cloudbusting. 3.2

Not really for me, kind of slow

very 80s but a decade i grew up in and love. I know the main songs off this album but not the rest so yes was an interesting listen.

better than expected. unique sound

She’s ever so good but this one isn’t my fave, despite having a high quantity of 10/10 songs

3 all timers on here. Rest was…okay. Idk how to rate an album where you love 3 but not the rest.

Maybe it's because I'm aware that she guest starred on his album So, but Kate Bush feels a little bit like a female Peter Gabriel on this album. Music with both a pop feel but also a little oddness sprinkled throughout to keep things interesting.