Hounds Of Love

This album was incredible. I was unaware that Cloudbursting was written by Kate Bush. The rendition done by Matthew Good and Holly McNarland is one of my favourite off of Matthew Good's album 'Chaotic Neutral' - I always thought it was his song. The writing is exceptional, so I naturally thought it was his song. Exceptional song. I'm not sure where to place Kate Bush. She is doing things her way. Each song has incredible emotion in their unique way. I want to say I hear some Joni Mitchell in here, but I think I'm reaching for a reference. I truly think Kate Bush is just Kate Bush. Quirky, weird, talented, progressive.

Awesomely weird and original...poetic without being abstruse.

I’m kicking myself for getting rid of my copy of this on vinyl that I probably got for less than $10 in 2009ish.

Loved it. Though running up that hill will be stuck in my head for at least a week.

unique storytelling half a concept album well made I liked it

Third album on the list and I'm just more in love. Running Up The Hill (A Deal With God) is just epic. Faves from today include The Big Sky and Waking The Witch.

Excellent - my fave of the Kate Bush albums included in the list. She's an amazing talent and I have max respect for the way she's carved out her own path in music and celebhood! Fave tracks - "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" is absolutely epic, and it makes sense it worked tremendously well in Stranger Things. "Cloudbusting" is gloriously positive, and I included a full re-listen of Utah Saint's first album as part of my experience! ✌️

Første halvdel er et vanvittigt mesterværk. Anden halvdel er et undervurderet mesterværk.

Weird, nothing like it, i dont think ive ever liked a pop record as this one as pop is something i rarely listen to. The instrumentals and atmosphere are incredible.

Best album ever. Made a big impact in the 80s and probably the album I listened to the most over the years. The b-sides of the singles are of equal high quality (especially Under the Ivy).

As expected, this is one of the best albums I've rated so far (after 670 ratings), if not the best.

Classic

Just a fantastic pop album

Avant-garde folk/rock, discovered by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Amazing.

A classic

wonderful, crazy, colorful, she's a icon, a legend, she is the moment, forever and always

Man I love stranger things

well damn. I already liked the song from Stranger Things, turns out the whole album slaps

First listen: WTF is this? Of course, I've heard the first track before. Classic. The rest though? Second listen: this isn't bad. Third: I love it. What a weird album!

Wake the Witch is the standout track for me on this highly novative album.

Kate Bush the woman you are

Beautiful avant-garde pop music. Timeless and unique. There’s something exciting and unexpected hiding around every corner.

One of my favorites of all time

I love this album. It’s beautiful, original, and creative, while also managing to be catchy and easy to listen to. This is my kind of pop. If this were the the first time I had listened, I probably would’ve given it a 4 (some parts come off a bit cheesy, I’ll admit), but it benefits from familiarity and sentimentality. 4.5 rounded up.

OH I'VE ALREADY LISTENED TO THIS !! LOVE IT I love how it's split with the singles on the first side and the concept album part on the second side. So amazing, powerful, thrilling AND captivating.

Kate Bush is a singular artist. A beacon of light in a sea of darkness, and this is her at her absolute peak. There has never and will never be anything else like this.

Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love and Cloudbusting have nothing to prove to me, but I’m still left with two questions... One, do the other tracks get sufficiently close to matching this quality to justify 'classic' status for the album as a whole? And two, is Cloudbusting the best of the three? The answer to both is: probably, just about. Some of the second half took a while to grow on me but now I think it’s all decent, and some of it’s great (Jig of Life!). Surprisingly I think The Dreaming remains my favourite Kate Bush album so far, but it’s hardly an injustice that this is the one that gets all the praise. 4.5

Haven't heard any Kate Bush beforehand, but her voice is so angelic and heavenly. "Hounds Of Love" sounds like an opera.

Experimental, ethereal, all while remaining an absolute delightful listen. Loved it.

Seriously one of the best albums. Production is amazing. Great performances. All that.

Wow this album was wild. Really enjoyed it as my first one!

Todas las estrellas y mi eterno amor, Kate.

The original Weird Girl™️ album, and maybe the best. And I say that as a Certified Weird Girl™️. It just sounds like feminine transcendence, feminine exploration, and the female psyche; it speaks to my soul in a way I could never put into words. Top 5 Dead or Alive, easy.

9/10 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Kate Bush...*catches breath* aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. You're arguments to the contrary are invalid. good day. 5-17-2024

“Running Up That Hill”, ja das ist die Aufgabe dieser abwechslungsreichen und spannenden Platte. Der leicht ansteigende Weg, des klangvollen “Mother Stands For Comfort“, die unfassbare Abstieg mit der klaren Stimme in „Cloudbasting“ und „And Dream Of Sheep“ sowie der Folk-Gipfel „Jig of Life“ machen das Album zum Sprint auf den Hügel 😊. Zum verdammten Wiederhören.

Experimental, etéreo e único. É diferente dos álbuns dos anos 80 que ouvi por aqui até agora e da músicas popular dessa década no geral. Tem músicas que nem parecem exatamente música, mas de um jeito bom, contribuindo para narrativa sonora e fantástica do álbum.

I'll admit I've only heard of Kate Bush because of Stranger Things, and while Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) is a very good song, it did not prepare me for the rest of this album, which was also very good but in different ways.

One of the best albums ever. Her voval work is incredddible and I've never tired fo this album. It was way ahead of it's time

Experimental, conceptual, extremely catchy. 80s’ Pop at his finest. Amazing record.

If you can hear Cloudbusting without spontaneously tearing up with joy then congratulations for being less embarrassing on a train than I am I guess

Best Kate Bush album, by far. Always an enjoyable listen.

Kate Bush at the height of her career, a must listen.

My favorite Kate Bush album. A milestone!

I think Kate Bush is mostly an artist you either love or hate. I’m on the love side. Does every little choice completely work for me? No. But as a complete work this is challenging, trippy, and has more than enough pop hooks with ethereal vocals to make me adore it. 5/5

A classic and iconic album. If you like Kate you’ll love this. If you don’t like her theatrical style, well… interestingly this was a re-emergence album after her original tsunami (wuthering heights etc) yet she never really came back. Made a ton of money though, and deserved. She added to the oeuvre. Many of us fancied her, and now we’re old, we still do. The ultimate ex girlfriend.

I think that this album is perfect and really under appreciated and undervalued. Kate Bush is peerless.

The finest work from one of the best to ever do it. The first half is full of such iconic and amazing songs, and the second half is a beautiful and bizarre opus. Not much more to say, it’s just fantastic - even now, almost 40 years later, I don’t think there’s anything quite like it

I had never heard the whole album. Perfection!

I first heard of Kate Bush a couple years ago as ‘Running up the hill’ was surging in the charts (thanks to Stranger Things, I now learn), and Rick Beato breaking down the song. Listening through now, the whole album is a true experience. The 80s peek through the curtains but I also feel this could have been released any time since and it would fit in. Mix of pop with much more experimental stuff. Both lyrically and melodicly interesting, it was a pleasure to be (finally) introduced to this album. 5/5

love lovelove

I listened to this album at least three times today. It was amazing the first two times, but I was considering rating it as four stars because I zoned out and got distracted from it. The third time I listened to it with headphones, and there is no way I can give this album less than five stars. It deserves more. It's in the pantheon. This record is as full, textured, and layered as any Pink Floyd or Genesis record. I had to read about the production of this album because I couldn't wrap my mind around how a "singer-songwriter" could put together a project with this level of production. I love it. Five stars.

On this album, so dense as to be almost intimidating, Kate Bush is a force. Pop music doesn't seem a fitting enough descriptor for what she does -- she creates worlds. She had somehow escaped me prior to the resurgence of "Running Up That Hill", so I owe a debt to Stranger Things for bringing her music into my life. This album is timeless, beautiful, powerful but still full of joy and life. With the exception of a few less notable numbers on the back half, I don't have much bad to say, so I have little choice but to grant it a full five stars.

Perfection.

An 80s masterpiece with a current revival. The power and beauty still stand tall today.

Side one is, outside of "Running Up That Hill", pretty milquetoast and generic art pop that barely made me feel anything. Side two is an incredible experimental mishmash of genres. A genuine 10/10 experience and some of the best produced and most creative music I've ever heard. Said this a few days ago when I was given another Kate Bush album - she's at her best when she's doing literally anything but her main thing. The children crave more weird Celtic pirate music, Kate. Art pop is out. Goblin music is in. Five out of seven.

One of that either makes me feel like I've been over scoring some of my 5s or that the scale isn't big enough. Unique and incredible.

I'd never quite paid attention to Kate Bush's oeuvre and I'll admit that it was Stranger Things' return of "Running Up That Hill' (and, my daughter playing Babooshka, because TikTok, somehow...?) which brought her into my consciousness and then made me realize and grow my respect for her. Still, this was the first of her albums that I actually listened to and I'm stunned at how mesmerized I am by what, on paper, I should not be exactly be a fan of, "artsy 80ies weirdness"? Nope. This is amazing! An actual, wild masterpiece. Outstanding. Love.

lol I loved "The Dreaming," but it's not surprising that she had to be more normal for this one. Knocked it out of the park! Basically got her and Peter Gabriel holding down the fort of using 80s production soundfront toward artsy ends

Amazing!!

I haven't heard this album in about 30+ years. I forgot how good it was!

5/5. This is the vibe I'm looking for. Love me some progressive pop. It feels like a story being told and this has not aged at all. Correct electronic sounds makes this an 80's, 90's, 2000's album. You can definitely see some influence Bjork took from this. If you just it the songs wash over you, you get enraptured in her worldbuilding and wall of sound. There is definitely a mindset you need to be in to appreciate this, thankfully I was on my listen, but can definitely see a 4 rating especially with the second side. It's a classic for me though.

One of my favorite albums, the two sides work almost as separate pieces. The second half is definitely more challenging but so worth it. Kate Bush is a genius and this is her masterpiece.

mi primer vinilo comprado. el mejor disco de la historia

Not going to lie. I loved this album! Kate Bush has such a creative and interesting style to her music. Will be listening to this one again. 9/10

First album that I’ve listened to previously. This album slaps. My fav on this list so far

The second half is actually what pushes this over the edge for me. An innovative narrative, an Irish jig, and Gregorian chants lmao? I’m so predictable

I'm blown away by the b sides on the album. Absolutely chilling strings and interesting song structure. The synth pop songs are so fascinating. I thought I new what this album woud be based on the hits, which I LOVE, but the b sides are more interesting and maybe better? Hard to say because cloudbursting is one of my favorite songs

Love it

Excellent. Best female artist of all time. Absolutely brilliant 👏

Great.

Fell in love with Kate Bush after listening to this the first time. I’m not a lyrical person but you can’t help but listen to her stories. What a voice.

Not as experimental as the last album, but pristine, big sounding pop with plenty of artfulness. A+

Fantastique

Okay like, the first song is an obvious banger and that's why it was on Stranger Things, but honestly the instrumentals on this are a perfect match for Kate Bush's haunting vocals. I'm very much enjoying this album and adding it to my personal collection.

Innovative

Love Kate Bush, I'm more of a "The Kick Inside" girl. Loved the album much more the second listen. Favorite song: Watching You Without Me, The Big Sky Least Favorite: Running Up that Hill

this my shit yeah girl

classic 80s sound font, golden and light seasoned with a bit gritty darkness. delightfully plays with spoken words and voice effects, culminating in the album’s peak, in my personal opinion, waking the witch.

Only knew of this album because of Stranger Things but actually loved it, such a good voice and sense of drama in each song even the weird ones

I recently read a quote somewhere that said "There are those who love Kate Bush and there are those who are wrong." If I had to leave the earth and could only take three albums, this would be one of them.

My first review on this website and i have to say i'm not disapointed at all ! Never been a pop fan in my life but this record is different. Amazing work ! Love how simple the drums are and how efficient they are. Powerful beggining but maybe the end is even better, it goes crazy to crazier. Running up that hill should be the ending song in my opinion. This was fun and serious at the same time ... strange felling Fav track : Jig Of Life

I would like to be one of those hounds on the cover. ♥️

Rating: 9.5/10 Amazing album, one of the best pop albums of all time and one of the best albums of the 80s. Kate Bush sounds fantastic, she sings with so much emotion and passion which perfectly matches the production and instrumentantation. Instrumentally this album is stellar and gorgeous, mixing a variety of genres and styles. Orchestral elements and piano are prominent throughout the album but there are also elements of traditional pop, rock, folk, and experimental music. The production is incredible, all of the instruments sound so rich and beautiful. This is an album that is creative, experimental, and pushes the boundaries of what pop music can sound like; I love this album and will definitely be returning to it frequently. Favorite songs: Running Up That Hill, Hounds Of Love, The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Waking The Witch, Watching You Without Me, Jig Of Life, Hello Earth, The Morning Fog. Least favorite songs: Mother Stands For Comfort, And Dream Of Sheep.

hell yes.

Incredible album, one of the greatest ever. One of the first albums I ever bought on vinyl. You a real hater if you can't get down with this

Genius

Classic Kate

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Needed to add an extra star.

I've listened to a couple later Kate bush albums and they are a bit too experimental for me to love. This one on the other hand I found really easy to fall in love with. The production is unique, the songs are catchy, and in the back half of the album she goes for some out-there stuff but it feels like she always anchors you with something you can catch on to. Great album!

This is a monumental work, an album that's the apotheosis of everything that can be done in popular music. There's really nothing else like it in music. Gorgeously crafted arrangements, powerful vocals, lyrics that are equally grandiose and intimate. It's ethereal, intensely unsettling, and strangely, achingly beautiful. The first time I heard this album it was exhilarating, moving me in a way few albums have before or since. I never stopped listening to it, carrying this album through my life with me for nigh 40 years and it still gives me chills. To those of you who are hearing it for the first time, I've got to say, I'm a little jealous. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), Cloudbusting, Hounds of Love, Jig of Life, Hello Earth, The Big Sky, And Dream of Sheep, Watching You Without Me, Under Ice, The Morning Fog, Mother Stands for Comfort, Waking the Witch

The best artpop album of the 80s

Very unique artist and album.

I don't love everything on here, but it's so great, way ahead of its time, brilliant and experimental.

9/10. I just feel more bad giving it 4 stars cause its a higher 9

Absolutely incredible array of weird, experimental 80s pop(?). Listening to these songs while on a rainy nighttime drive is a vibe. I love this album.

Stranger things introduced me (and many others) to Kate Bush, but the whole album was so good! Nothing else really sounds like this! It's so otherworldly!

Months ago, I told someone that I didn’t really get Kate Bush. Maybe it was something about her songwriting, or voice, or… something? It was never clear to me. I liked her contributions to Peter Gabriel’s albums, but never really got into any of her singles. But I am changed. I am a new man. Because this album is brilliant. I think she’s an artist who can’t be considered off of her singles—she’s an album artist. The pop songs on the first half are the perfect counterbalance to the challenging, curious back half. And to learn that she not only sang and wrote these songs, but also produced the whole album? Very impressive. Anyway, if you need me, I’ll be over here wiping the egg off my face.

Side A of this is one of my favourites of all time. Side B could never get to those heights but still a fantastic album.

Phenomenal, a bop of biblical proportions.

Brilliant album. Kate bush is up there with the best of them. This album manages to be enjoyable to a wide audience without compromising on creativity or overall quality.

Beautiful, yet interesting voice. Great hooks Brilliant opening track. Eerily hypnotic instruments. So far my favourite

Really good. Really enjoyed it. Wasn't too keen on the last couple of songs though. Great album

Girl nerd beats pretentious British prog rockers at their own game.

So innovative

Absolutely fenomenal

Damn. This was absolutely incredible. I've been meaning to check out more of Kate Busy for a long while now. She's collaborated with so many of my favourite artists. And this did not disappoint.

I’ve realised a dilemma with 1001, I need more time to contemplate this album, I think it’s already brilliant but some instances I can’t wrap my head around idk why I take a lot of time to process things, and I dream of sheep almost made me cry, and every song is so different, I’m going to listen to this more, I think I’ve found a new love.

Absolutely magical. Kates ethereal voice paired with the instruments along with the different sorts of sounds present took me on an emotional journey from start to finish. tldr: its peak

It's Hounds of Love, man

Great album, great songs. No more words to say.

This album has a beautiful combination of the ethereal and uplifting.

Always love Kate Bush…no one sounds like her.

If I had to describe this album with one word: dramatic

First 5 tracks are catchy pop tunes. Mother Stands For Comfort is a stand out. On the second half it becomes a bit more experimental and standout tracks are Watching You Without Me and Hello earth, the latter includes amazing vocals from Kate Bush and beautiful Gregorian Chants as background vocals.

Love it! I

a masterpiece that somehow gets better each listen. joy of life was bopping especially hard on this listen.

What can I say this is my favorite piece of recorded music ever made. I’m happy for the prompt to listen to it on any day but this one in particular. This music is woven into the fabric of my life.

Kate Bush didn’t have to go this hard but I’m glad she did. This album definitely has that 80s feel but it is so refreshingly different from most of the other new wave stuff from the decade. The first half of the album is full of the well known hits and the second half of the album is so unique and interesting. Best of both worlds!

A beautiful album that pulls you in at the beginning and keeps you there the whole time. Experiencing a unique album.

One of the all time greats. Listening again it's still as fresh and exciting as ever.

Kate Bush har lavet MINDST 3 5/5 albums. Elsker at første halvdel er ren singler (alle kæmpe bangers) og anden halvdel er en mega eklektisk og eksperimenterende suite der nærmest fungerer som 1 langt nummer

Großartig- running up That Hill war der Knaller

One of the best to ever do it operating at her peak. Opening tracks unassailable. Waking the witch is pretty wack.

A fabulous album which I already knew well. Every track is affecting. The Ninth Wave is a masterpiece of theatre and storytelling. Favourite track probably The Morning Fog.

Running up that Hill reaching a new audience recently shows how an album that’s nearly 40 years old is utterly current. Kate is a bit of a no words are enough artist for me, like David. Fave track: The Big Sky still makes me cry.

Love Kate. Somehow I didn't know about the connected songs, about the "Ninth Wave". I listened to some interview concerning that and found it pretty interesting. Love almost every song on this. Running Up That Hill was how I first found out about her, after hearing it on the radio and finding out that my parents used to listen to her too. Now, Waking The Witch is beautiful too with all those people dear to hear waking her up in the song. She's so creative and imaginative!

Dream-pop on steroids before dream-pop was even a thing. I adore “Running Up That Hill”, and while I knew some of the other hits on this disc, I was totally unfamiliar with the sonic allegory on the flip side. I liked - I shouldn’t have been surprised. This is an iconic 80s album.

Wow. Now this is a great album. It's pretty cool that Kate Bush and her music got a resurgence in popularity recently, and based on this album, which happens to include the song that got really popular, it's absolutely deserved. The sound is quite interesting at times. I really like the usage of different instruments, particular on side A. You've got a cello in the title track, some really good strings in "Cloudbursting" and even a didgeridoo in "The Big Sky". When your album has didgeridoo in it, that automatically earns my respect as an album willing to take interesting directions. The writing is probably the highlight of this album for me. It's very interesting and does a great job at telling the story. Speaking of story, this is somewhat of a concept album, at least for the second half, which tells the story of someone lost at sea. While I do think that the first half is stronger from a music perspective, I highly respect side B, also called "The Ninth Wave" for doing something neat. Overall, this album is excellent and really paved the way for other artists to do similar, yet very different, things with their music. 5/5.

Already listened... life changing i <3 u kate

This is one of my favourite albums of all time, so very happy to give the 2018 remaster another listen. Damn, this album is good. It has artistic vision, it has emotional power, it has happy and sad, it has punchy pop moments and weird experimental ones. It all hangs together well. It's like entering into Kate Bush's immersive world for 47 mins. I could lose 50% of "Waking the Witch" and a couple of minutes from "Hello World" - but otherwise this is perfection. 5*

Simultaneously her most experimental and accessible which is a hell of a trick to pull off The big singles are amazing. The second half of the album deeply weird

Listened to this while playing Paperback Adventures. I lost. One of the great things about going through these albums is discovering artists I was only somewhat familiar with, and learning that I'm actually a HUGE fan of the artist's music. Kate Bush has been a constant surprise. I of course knew the title track and Hounds of Love (what an amazing opening 1-2 punch) but every song was like sonic ear candy. I've also learned the weirder she gets, the more it speaks to me. There were so many beautiful moments, her instrumentation is just fascinating...I loved the chorale moments and the use of instruments native to her region. I can't believe it, but another perfect 5 in my book!

I kind of missed the Kate Bush Era and was excited to listen. A truly great album. Lyrics+music A+

5 stars just for Running Up That Hill and Cloudbusting.... There are some other gems such as The Morning Fog, Watching You Without Me, and of course, the title track. There's a bit of the ridiculous on here too (Waking the Witch, Jig of Life) but no-one can deny that this album is something special overall.

Blind album, know the artist by name and I totally slept on this banger of an album. HOLY CRAP my mind is blown by the diverse production and quality. This is what I've been looking to find and longing to dig up with this project. It's kind of indescribable and unreasonable how I entirely dismissed her and this album and I regret it from the start. I have 0 shame in saying I'm an almost 30 year old male and this is an amazing album and I would listen to this many times over. My deceased acquaintance, who I knew had amazing taste and worked in a record store, had this album in his collection. I still disregarded it. I have regrets not listening to this sooner. I don't even know where to start to describe it. The instruments, the vocal ranges and backing tracks, the melodies and rhythms, astounding...

Eu ouvi esse album bem umas 3 vezes no dia e sinto que ainda faria novamente. A voz da Kate Bush me tira da realidade, eu entro num mundinho separado. A obra é completa pra mim, não tenho do que reclamar seja do vocal, dos instrumentos ou das letras. Perfeito. Fave: Jig of life

Journey from start to finish. Waking the Witch for ASMR and audio thrills. Highlights: Running up that Hill and Cloudbusting

personaly i wasnt wit a good first view because the image of stranger things fanbase it was in my head but before i listened it was changed all my perception of the album. the songs are great, good voice, the vibe made me feels like come back to the 80s (i dunno exactly the decade 💀). i didnt have a negative lifting so yea a good album and a good artist

Ich liebs.

5 - love Kate Bush and this is peak Kate Bush.

p538. 1985. 5 stars. Her best album. Flawless.

Loved it

From the A-Side exuberance to the B-Side chills, this album really hit it out of the park on all counts.

Kate, you've done it again.

Actual bangers

Love Kate, still love this album! 5/5 🌟

Actually Amazing!!!

It’s great. Big fan. Sounds like Bosnian rainbows.

Wish there were half stars because this sits between 4 and 5 for me.

I'm so glad I got to revisit this album today. Everything about Hounds of Love is so perfect and intentional: Kate's vibrant, dark, emotive vocals, the instrumentals, the flow of each track into the next. No skips! She is the blueprint! I'm so ever grateful to her for her art and for inspiring so many artists after her. Tracks that stood out to me upon this revisit: 1 - Running Up That Hill; 2 - Hounds of Love; 3 - The Big Sky; 5 - Cloudbusting; 9 - Watching You Without Me; 11 - Hello Earth; 12 - The Morning Fog Would I revisit this album: YES!

I liked this album. I heard Running Up That Hill when it was released as a single in 1985.

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

It was perfect, but it was dang good

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

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.

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.

Utterly brilliant. Not my usual flavour but the songwriting was superb. Loved the last few celtic inspired songs

Dark and twisted -- a total winner.

so good

*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

Firs time I hear Kate Bush, (only one listening). I liked her style, many things happening on her songs. Pop/soft rock (?)

So far ahead of its time.

So Good

Exceptional

Exceptional.

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.

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

magical. starting to get people writing essay long reviews now.

very enjoyable art pop, there's much more to this album than just 'that Starnger things song'. Everyone should listen to this album

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Really great album

Very good

No notes

Good

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.

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

HEAT.

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

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

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

Take my 5 stars and throw them in the lake

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!

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.

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"

Kate Bush the GOAT fr, such mesmerizing and beautiful music

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.

Stranger Things

Fucking amazing. Standout Track: Waking the Witch

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

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.

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

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.

What a magical experience. Love the Irish brouge, love the hard synth, love the angst. This is what emo wishes it could evoke

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.

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.

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.

Day 3 in Florence. Sunny day again. Going the to the duomo, park and reading. 13th March, Monday.

Yeeehaw, bangers <3

deeply inventive and moving

Pitchfork: 10/10 Rolling Stone: 4/5 Vecna: 0/10

Yes, it’s sublime 80s pop, but Kate Bush would never just stop at that. She weaves a landscape of dreams and nightmares, longing and love, sex and anger, that never fails to dizzy or entrance.

Great bass lines, modern sound pop even when it has more than 30 years. Excellent album.

I've never listened to Kate Bush before and it was far more experimental than I expected (an opinion which I suppose was based entirely on her common sounding name). Very interesting soundscape and much of it doesn't even sound dated -- the percussion samples are pretty bad, but the synths are quite nice and the mixing is great. The song structures are also inventive. I'll be revisting this for sure.

Is this the best album by a woman ever? Very possibly. Kate's vocal range is impeccable, always crystal clear and full of emotion. It's only strengthened by her songwriting. She knows how to write about feeling feelings. The backing tracks (which I read she also produced) are superb throughout and have aged remarkably well considering their ambition. We go from driving bass, guitar and synth lines in the first half to jigs, reels and space like organs later on. The whole thing is a god damn movie.

Starts off strong with one of the best pop/altpop/artpop songs ever and follows up strong with the whole first half of the album. The second half is also crackers. I don't know what's going on in Waking the Witch but it fires off the neurones in my brain for its eccentricity - YOU MUST WAKE UP. Second half is made even better when you realise that it's a conceptual half about a woman drifting alone at sea at night. FIVE ESTRELLAS

I love this album. Wonderfully weird

I like Kate Bush! I knew that, so my enjoyment of this album is no surprise. I had not listened to this whole album through before, though. Together the songs are vocally and musically interesting, with some strange, art surprises grown in ("Waking the Witch"). Favourites include "Running Up That Hill" (even as many times I have heard it over the past year, it's still great), "Hounds of Love," and "Mother Stands for Comfort," though all of them are neat-o.

Love it. It was great back in '85, and it stood the test of time. Cloudbusting is one of my favourite songs ever, and the entire album is one of my favourite albums of all time.

One of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I've ever listened to.

fajne

5 stars of course

Spellblinding songs. Kate has always been totally talented and unique and so very scary. These are some of my favourite songs by her. Yes they are Pop rather than anything else but distinctive and could only have been written by her.

10/10 incredible album, but I feel like a dipshit listening to “that one song from Stranger Things”

What's ironic is the song on stranger things is the least strange song on this album. Very forward thinking and adventurous album that takes some big swings and makes contact more than misses. I hope this opened up the eyes of some young bucks discovering this album into the wonderful world of art rock.

An absolute mystical album. An A-side where every song is of such high quality that all could be a single (and I think even were) And the B-side with a full concept album of her near-death experience with the woman adrift at sea metaphor. An absolute classic.

It's a masterpiece

Utterly brilliant in every way. Innovative, beautiful, haunting and stupidly good. Nothing is quite like it. An essential record.

Gevarieerd, uniek, goed!

Very easy 5. Obviously she has a great voice, but I couldn't really care less what voice someone is born with. Pairing it with her virtuosic production, however, and then you have one of the best pop albums ever.

I believe there are two types of Kate Bush albums - great and greater. This is one of, if not, the best. Her first self-produced release may not sound experimental now, but it certainly was at the time. It was sophisticated pop unlike anything else at the time. It married technology (largely the Fairlight digital synthesizer, which she mastered), to the sensuous pop she had developed over her earlier releases. The attention to detail is startling and helps create a soundscape that has been tremendously influential for decades to come. It was so far ahead of its time that the "rediscovery" of Running Up That Hill in 2022 isn't really surprising at all.

This permanently altered my brain chemistry

Art. Fantastic album top-to-bottom

The best album by Kate Bush and an outstanding pop masterpiece of the 80s.

Brilliant album, experimental, homely, quirky, clever, powerful, puts you in a special mood. Intelligent, well-crafted pop for sensitive souls

All hail Kate Bush Often times we see the lists saying that this is her best album, her magnum opus and to be honest it truly is. She has released back to back perfection and The Hounds of Love is NOOOO different I'm quite ecstatic that this is my first album of the year Running Up That Hill - 9.5/10 Hounds Of Love - 10/10 The Big Sky - 9.5/10 Mother Stands For Comfort - 8/10 Cloudbusting - 1000/10 The first half of the album are hits exemplified, they truly are the epitome of excellence, I loved her vocals and I am a huge fan of the synths. People oftentimes shit on the 80s decade but I think some of the most important albums in history came from this period. (Remain In Light, Thriller, Like A Prayer etc.) And Dream Of Sheep - 8/10 Under The Ice - 8/10 Waking The Witch - 8.5/10 Watching You Without Me 8/10 Jig Of Life - 9/10 Hello Earth - 9.5/10 Morning Fog - 10/10 The story behind this shocks me and impresses me each time. I love the sea shanty, Irish jig vibe that is going on during the Jig Of Life. Morning Fog is so compelling and I can't believe the storyline that is going on here. I can't believe that she was doing this between the ages of 25-27. Very ahead of her time and ICONIC. The first time I listened to this album, I kind of checked out halfway but still appreciated what I had heard to and ugh, I don't know how she or anyone could top it! And she produced this!!! Triple threat and legend I must say. My fave album from her and I will probably recommend this to everyone hopefully they appreciate it as much as I do

lov ethi s album

Utterly glorious. The bar that everyone is trying to run up that hill to clear ever since.

Back in fashion

So ahead

Running up the Hill, Hounds of Love, and Cloudbusting are top top tunes. The album deserves 5 stars for them alone

Pretty good. Pop music I genuinely enjoyed. Artistic and creative. Loved it. Will listen again and again.

One of several masterpieces from Kate Bush, and occasionally my favorite.

fuck stranger things for popularizing a song i already knew was one of the best of all time

Kate Bush is absolutely a one-of-the-kind, other-worldly and extraordinary queen of art pop. It really takes a literal genius to make music quite magical like this. "Hound Of Love" are undeniably unmatched by any other album. There's nothing quite like this experience, which feels at least like an acid trip or out-of-the-body experience. What I appreciate in this album is definitely the spiritual meaning behind the lyrics and folk accents, which both are intensifying the feeling of fascination and attraction towards this music. Every single element has its own reason here and it plays a crucial role in the understanding of Kate Bush's music purpose. The album has its own dramatic yet very romantic and delicate atmosphere which I believe is impossible to replicate in any way. Favourite track: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), no least favourite tracks (obviously).

I listened to this record last month. It was AMAZING. Kate Bush is one of the best artists ever! My favourite on this album is definitely Hounds Of Love.

28-Oct-2022 One of my favourite albums of all time, I would give it 6 stars if I could. Glad to see that Kate is finally getting the recognition in the US she has always deserved, thanks to Stranger Things. Hoping to see a few more ladies in this list soon, it has been a bit of a sausage fest so far!

I love this album! It makes me feel like I'm a Celtic witch running across the forest along with wolves and birds. That's the only way I can explain how I feel about it...

Fantastic album, one of my favorites!

An incredible album I hadn't listened to in many years. Wonky pop music always appeals and this is done brilliantly. Lots of great songs, Cloudbusting might be my favourite

Glad I found this

stranger things!

Franchement mérité

la reine de tik tok

Even better than I remember 🤩

A masterpiece. If only it were longer…

Classic

80's classic

Lovely

Incredible album from start to finish. Definitely need to listen all the way through, especially the second half. Standouts for me were Jig of Life, Hello Earth, and And Dream of Sheep.

Already one of my top 5 albums of all time. Score - 10/10 classic. Best song - Jig of Life, Cloudbusting, Hounds of Love Worst song - N/A

Beautiful album. Absolute classic.

Timeless

- Bruh - Wow - Like nothing else - Mad - 5

Had heard some tracks but recently listened the first time the whole way through because of the Stranger Things hype and it's a masterpiece. Cloudbusting huge, Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love. That whole second side run. Love it.

Fantastic album and Kate Bush’s most accessible. This album has really grown on me. You could draw a lot of parallels to the music of Pink Floyd which makes sense seeing as David Gilmour was the one who discovered her. The instrumentation piano/synths/drums/ lyrics are all excellent

Really enjoyed this album. Cool synth rock type

this album was a whole experience and one i wasnt ready for but added to the thrill. found one more comforting track in 'and dream of sheep'. voila babooshka

I'm writing this right after the Netflix series Stranger Things made "Running Up That Hill" a hit in the charts again. But then again, I didn't really need a TV series to be at least aware of Kate Bush's magnum opus, from which this song is the opener. And on a closer listen, I can finally understand the myriad ways in which this record is a treasure trove, and why it is so loved by fans. Its first side ("Hounds Of Love" proper) is not only filled with hits but also with incredible arrangements transcending often off-kilter songwriting skills. In the realm of pop, I'm usually a sucker for verse-chorus-verse structures, but this is not really how Bush proceeds, is it? Her pop songs are more driven by very careful progressions starting from one single idea, and this is where her devilish arrangements--a lot of them handled by herself through synths and whatnot--are playing a key part. Whether they enter the scene as bass drums ("Running Up That Hill"), strings staccatos ("Hounds Of Love" and "Cloudbusting" ), or infectious, frantically slapped basslines ("The Big Sky"), such arrangements are always bringing a peculiar atmosphere that makes such pop songs one-of-a-kind, almost "goth" in their intent. *Some* of those flourishes sound admittedly a little dated today (I still dream of a version of "Cloudbusting" without that oversimplistic binary drum part, with just the strings, for instance), but even those have their quaint charms now. And Kate's vocal work is rich enough to make up for those somewhat dated flaws anyway. Such work is often mellifluous, expansive and mystical--with even Bulgarian chants overtones sometimes, not up to a Meredith Monk-level of craziness, but quirky enough to keep you on your toes. Yet this voice that muses and yodels and grunts and coaxes can also be restrained from time to time, as in the delicate "Mother Stands For Comfort", whose synths, basslines and ambiguous lyrics about the mother of a possible murderer haven't aged a day... In the second part of the record, The Ninth Wave suite, Bush then goes to a full experimental mode, and this where her genius shines the most. Even more than on the first, more "normal" side, she uses her kaleidoscopic voice the way a painter uses a color palette, adding spots and dots and streaks throughout the suite, dizzying the listener into a sonic whirlwind (I'm pretty sure Björk or Tori Amos took a lot of notes here). This second side places the listener in media res inside a loose tale about death and rebirth, something apparently disconnected from the first part of the record.... But more than this vague narrative conceit, it is the sounds and notes that are the true narrators of the tale here. Chilly synths evoke a frozen lake ("Under Ice"), voice collages of all sorts suggesting posession and curses and witchcraft bring a postmodern, Laurie Anderson-like flavor to the middle of the yarn ("Waking the Witch", "Watching You Without Me"), while uilleann pipes, fiddles and bouzouki trigger a celtic tornado that suddenly resets all expectations (thus creating a frantic "Jig Of Life" whose clever harmonies can send you to an exhilarated state, and this even if, just like me, you're not a fan of celtic music)... As for "Hello Earth" and its slow-motion clash between sinister Hollywood-style strings (arranged by film composer Michael Kamen) and eerie choirs interpolating a traditional Georgian lament, it just simply takes you to... space. There you can admire our fragile blue planet just the way that gigantic baby does ominously at the end of Kubrick's *2001* ("Hello, Earth... Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo..."). After such a cosmic trip, Kate seems to wake up, as if from a feverish dream, and offers us a very short coda in the shape of a miniature track, "The Morning Fog", a very lively pop song totally at odds with everything before, led by John Williams's licks on acoutic guitar. Here it sounds as if Bush is ready to start the day and join her loved ones, her long dream becoming just a distant memory in the space of seconds... Rarely have closers sounded so *both* out of place and yet so effective, in a way... But this should come as no surprise after so many twists and turns. Kate Bush is indeed an enigma, a true sorceress whose cauldron teems with sounds and colors and ideas. She's admittedly an acquired taste for many music fans. Yet legions of them will eventually come (back) to her, again and again. And "Hounds Of Love" being her most ambitious record, *both* in its experimental leanings and its pop instincts, it is obviously *the* one place where you must start if you want to know more about the damn witch. If said witch floats instead of sinking into you--namely, if this album goes over your head on the first listen--send her back to the river, and spin the record again. At some point, its spell will work on you, at least if you're open enough to sorcery. *This* is a wizard's promise... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 880 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 65 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 29 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 27

This album is firmly rooted in the sounds of its time, but is startlingly contemporary. It pulls indiscriminately from 80s pop, 70s piano ballads, and even progressive rock. Songs like ‘Waking the Witch’ sound as though bits of Pink Floyd’s The Wall were brought into a pop format. The album is a masterclass in pop production, arrangement, and experimentalism. It’s incredibly musically interesting and Kate Bush herself is woven throughout in a sort of now you see her, now you don’t fashion.

5.0 + Awesomely weird. I love the way Kate Bush combines acoustic elements, like beautiful string section, with strange synthesized woodwind sounds. I also love the steady percussions that create tension without ever fully resolving. And her voice sounds amazing, clear and youthful but able to emit some serious growls. All of these songs are fully realized compositions, executed with precision. Even the album’s most outlandish “Walking the Wish” is a great listen.

fucking banger album 10/10

This was different from how I expected it - lots of spoken word and interesting samples scattered throughout. It sounded more modern than I would have thought the whole album would - I mean, I know the big tunes off the album but it was still a pleasant surprise to hear something so fresh and intriguing.

Kate Bush is a phenomenon. I am in love with every second of this album, and it's near impossible to explain how I felt after listening. The atmosphere that was created is absolutely stunning and I have literally zero hesitation about giving this a 5.

I liked it. It was good. A proper album album. Hadn't listened to it properly with headphones before and I'm glad I have now. Highlights for me are "Running Up That Hill", "Hounds of Love", "Waking the Witch"