Hounds Of Love

Pretty amazing. Hugely sampled/covered hits. Heavily front-loaded album though.

Great album. Love how experimental and random some of the songs are. Very cohesive and really no songs I'd skip. Only saved a few songs for my own playlists, but I will probably come back to this album.

Inventive, cool sounds

Beautiful conceptually, vocally, and musically. Pop music nearly at its finest

I already know her, not sure if I really want to give this a listen. Definitely not what I was expecting, very anthemic. Pretty good. reminds me a lot like, Florence and the machine.

The first 2 tracks are amongst the best starts to any album. Cloudbusting is the other standout for me. superb album

Weird and so often cool. Kudos for originality and killer vocals.

Bush is such a unique and enthralling artist. Enough has been said about Running Up That Hill in light of its Stranger Things inspired revival, but it's a fantastic song. Every track has something of interest though, this is definitely an album that sounds like an artist looking to push boundaries and her influence on more experimental rock/pop in the 90s is clear I didn't like all the signs on the second half so just a 4 instead of 5

\"(Hounds of Love is) almost like two separate albums. If they're linked, it's only by the theme of love.\" - Kate Bush Looking at the stream counts of the 12 individual songs on Spotify as of the time of this writing, it's clear that many people listen to the first half of HoL more than its second. This became clear as I gave Hounds a full listen for the first time. The first half of HoL (5 songs) is poppy, bombastic, prog-rock-y, and in-your-face. Running Up That Hill? Amazeballs (lots of covers of this one out there, but Kate's is still the best I've ever heard). Cloudbusting (one of Prince's favorite songs from Kate)? Phenomenal. The Big Sky? A rocking, synthy good time. Aside from some songs that didn't stand out as much, I loved Side One pretty much exclusively. 5/5 stars. No notes. As for the second half (sub-titled \"The Ninth Wave\"): It's a concept \"album\" so I'm adjusting my rating for this one and trying to not let it affect my full album rating too much. This gets weird, and Kate lets her freak flag fly on this half. \"Waking the Witch\" is a bit scary and sonically very alarming, which I guess is the point. I did enjoy \"And Dream of Sheep\" though, which is the first of the seven songs that comprise The Ninth Wave story. Jig of Life has a cool fiddle-driven melody I appreciated, and the closing \"The Morning Fog\" returns to a quieter, more poppy Kate that fits more with Side One. I would (and will!) re-visit side one of Hounds of Love in the future, but a one-and-done listen for Side B of the album was enough for me. I'm not entirely sure why these were released as one album...but it is what it is. 3/5 stars as far as The Ninth Wave portion of HoL goes. Lastly, the album cover is so damn cool and memorable. I'm a sucker for a pretty, confident, talented woman who also likes dogs, so call me biased. But, I LOVE this cover and how it was framed and shot (by Kate's brother, who also wrote the poem recited during the end of Jig of Life). Interesting factoids from Wikipedia: *The album's first side produced three further singles (besides \"Running...\"): \"Cloudbusting\", \"Hounds of Love\", and \"The Big Sky\". The second side, subtitled The Ninth Wave, forms a conceptual suite about a woman drifting alone in the sea at night. *The album was produced as two suites, with side one being subtitled Hounds of Love and side two a seven-track concept piece subtitled The Ninth Wave. The album has been described as post-progressive because Bush voices themes of love and womanly passion rather than the usual male viewpoints associated with progressive rock. *The album launch party was held at the London Planetarium on 5 September 1985. The invited guests were treated to a playback of the entire album while watching a laser show inside the Planetarium. *In the UK, most reviews of Hounds of Love at the time of its release were overwhelmingly positive. In a five-star review, Sounds called the album \"dramatic, moving and wildly, unashamedly, beautifully romantic\", before going on to state, \"If I were allowed to swear, I'd say that Hounds of Love is f***ing brilliant, but me mum won't let me\". *In a poll of the public conducted by NPR, Hounds of Love was voted in fourth place in its list of 150 greatest albums ever made by female artists. Standouts: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Hounds of Love, The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, And Dream of Sheep, Jig of Life, The Morning Fog

First time listening and was surprised at how good it is. Thought it would be dour and i was so wrong.

not 100% my kind of music (and sometimes kate gets a little Out There for me) but i overall enjoyed it, 3.5 rounded up.

i really enjoyed this! very cool to see an 80s album that was doing its own thing and can stand the test of time. as some other commenters pointed out, these are less like regular radio singles and more like small bits of prose and poetry that are set to music. very evocative tracks with the music and lyrics working well together. definitely coming back to this in the future! favorites: running up that hill, hounds of love, the big sky, cloudbusting, waking the witch, jig of life

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I am baffled why this was not popular in the US in the 80's. As a kid of the 80's who heard a lot of pop back then, I would have liked this a lot more than Madonna and Cindy Lopper. This album has a lot of cheesy instruments but is a legit banger.

Partly weird vocal melodies, but great chord progressions and songs. Did like it.

love me some kate

Love it, a nisam jos ni pogledao zadnju sezonu Stranger Things.

Never the biggest fan of A Deal With God, so I never really explored Kate's music. I love the epic and serious quality of her songwriting, clearly presaging Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and others. And Dream of Sheep almost brought tears to my eyes. This is almost a 5.

Meg

A digitally-sampled melancholic experimental pop record that leaves you feeling thoughtful. Every song seems long but the album is short. Very smooth, with bits of uprising and chaotic sounds. Feels like a deer in purple headlights.

Love it, some real crackers on here as well as some fucking wierd stuff.

was she a lesbian sounds like being swept off my feet by somebody taller than me and it makes me want to stand up and jump

Overall really good! The witch song was painful to listen through, but the rest of the songs had a welcomed 80s nostalgia without being overproduced. Great vocals all around.

👌🏽

I had never heard this album before. I really liked this album. It went from just another pop album made in the 80's into its own little world. I was surprised by the orchestration and production. Lots of versatility across all aspects. Great album, will listen again.

Liked - canciones que no sabia que eran de ella 8.5

Amazing album. The only blemish is Waking the Witch, which I found almost unlistenable. But then again its presence here also serves as a reminder that Kate Bush can do whatever the hell she wants.

so i don’t love this album, but Running Up That Hill is top 10, all-time best songs ever written. it’s perfect.

Each song has ~2-5 million plays but Running Up That Hill has 1.1 BILLION plays. The power of Stranger Things at work, hey? Pretty good album, I prefer vocals to be pretty clear and up-front in the mix, so the vocal styling choice here was good but wore out for me by the end.

Great album, hauntingly beautiful

No I'm not biased because of Stranger Things what do you mean

Very iconic 80's vibes, wonderful confident passionate singing. Interesting blend with some Celtic vibes as well later in the album. Some good tracks, very much evokes the 80's pop culture.

Un excellent album, j'ai été en aucun cas déçu. Son statut est mérité. Pas tellement de mauvais commentaire à faire, définitivement à réécouter. 9/10

Slick, creative, and really fun to listen to. Running Up That Hill is still definitely the standout track, but the rest of the album deserves some love as well.

Wát een opener, Running Up That hill is nu weer helemaal in door een Netflix serie, geen idee welke eerlijk gezegd. Maar sowieso is het een erg prettig nummer! Wat me nu opvalt aan het album en de muziek an sich is dat het poppy is, beetje experimenteel. Het doet me denken aan Björk, waar ik al 2 albums van gehad heb, 1 vond ik daarvan erg goed en eentje helemaal niets. Waking the Witch is een TRIP holy shit wat een insane nummer, ik weet niet helemaal of dat positief of negatief is, maar het houdt wel echt je aandacht vast zeg. Het album gaat alle kanten op en is super experimenteel. Sommige experimenten slagen beter dan anderen maar verdomme ik kan niet anders zeggen dan dat ik me wel echt vermaak! FAVO: Running up that hill, Cloudbusting, Jig of Life

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love This is her 5th studio album. I, like most of you, was familiar with the first song on the album. Running Up That Hill (a deal with God). If you weren't familiar with it when it came out in 1985, you found it in 2022 when it was everywhere after featuring in "Stranger Things ." And as we all know, it's a real banger! As for the rest of the album, once again I had never really listened to it. I think that this would have been something I listened to a lot in the 90's as I hear her influence on Tori Amos who I listened to constantly back then. I'm so happy that this was my album for today as it's a real joy to listen to it for the first time and it brought back wonderful memories of Tori Amos which I may need to listen to today as well. 4/5

A very well crafted pop album. My favorite tracks were the title track, Jig Of Life, and The Big Sky.

Ran up that hill.... but the last 4 tracks are just so out there, couldn't enjoy.

Had to go through this twice, I thought it was interesting but couldn't quite pin if I liked it or not. I could tell the voice was familiar and I could certainly see what people meant when they compared it to Bjork, FKA Twigs and the like. Anyway, on the second listen, it dawned on me that there's a certain quality in her voice that's a bit Cilla Black.... so does all this start with Cilla Black? I need a lie down. Overall pretty cool, if I was born in the 80s or even earlier in the 90s I'd probably be gushing all over this, but as it is today, I admire it from afar.

Some brilliant tunes on here

Some 10/10 bangers, some felt very musical theatre and overdid the sound effects. Fantastic album overall though.

This was a great album. I'm still not completely sold on all the tracks, but I feel like Kate Bush is such an amazing and interesting musician Fave Track: Running up that hill (deal with God) (and I love love love, the Placebo cover too!)

great singles, the rest is alright

Quite fun with a lot of variety

Wow, at first I thought this was a Greatest Hits, what solid openers! A really eclectic delve into 80s synth, Waking the Witch is such a weird trip of a song but I loved it. I was only listening through my phone but the amazing use of stereo panning, the weird pitch shifted voice etc would sound incredible through a hifi late at night with a glass of wine! Really eerie, atmospheric and beautiful. Loved it.

Classic album. Kate bush's voice is completely unique, something you'd recognise anywhere. Not necessarily a choice listen but not something i'd turn off

I was super excited for this, first impressions were great and it continued strong. Very dramatic. Waking the witch is bit too trippy for me to give it a 5.

Really solid album, good deep cuts and running up that hill is always great.

I definitely prefer kate bushes earlier work but I love this album and the way the songs flow together but are so different

Kate Bush and this album was definitely underrated in the 80’s. I think her renewed popularity has finally gotten her the recognition she deserves. She has a beautiful voice and the songs in this album are timeless, considering they were written in the 80’s. I think it appeals to anyone regardless of the genre of music they favor.

Love this throwback. Of course I’m biased connecting it to stranger things

Beautiful album. Interesting lyrics and sounds

duplicate

Loved this. Theatrical, intangible, ethereal, beautiful, made me cry on the bus listening to the eponymous track. So much I thought I knew but didn't really know. (Super super quick notes before midnight lmao)

No commute today, so listening at home. On Google speaker for first listen. Have listened previously, maybe once.

Running up the hill is classic. Waking the Witch is kind of one of a kind.

Original song on this album was better than the remake. Rest was fun to listen to.

Actually liked this better than I thought I would.

Need another listen

So 80s, so fine. The album is a bit all over the place but I enjoyed it. Running up that hill is a banger. I really enjoyed cloud busting too. Under ice to me is a precursor to a lot of stuff you hear today. Under ice was a sleeper that I really enjoyed. The jig was out of no where but appreciated. Honestly the waking the witch one was pretty experimental but I didn’t mind it. Enjoyed this album and see how it shaped modern music but also distills the vibe of the 80s quite well

Probably would have changed my brain chemistry if I had listened to this album at 16

Good

unning Up That Hill , The Morning Fog, Hounds Of Love. A medida que lo escucho más le subo la nota.

Although I like a lot the early work of Kate Bush, this album is very engaging.

Un album que quería escuchar hace mucho tiempo. Te sumerge por completo en la escucha. Con muchas dinámicas, una estética tan propia y hasta ¡UN JIG!, que queda perfecto en el disco y no deja de sonar a los 80.

Queen

By sheer synchronicity, this album came up just as I had roughly an hour's worth left of 'The Talisman', and so it became a bespoke (and incredibly fitting) soundtrack for the finale of that epic story - a story soon to be adapted into a tv series by the Duffer Brothers, famous for 'Stranger Things', which itself climaxed in season 3 to "Running Up That Hill". Occasionally the universe aligns in strange ways. It seems to do that more often when I'm reading Stephen King, and I'm not sure what to make of that.

Beautiful and enveloping with moments of transcendence; draws you into her world completely if you let it. A genuine accomplishment and worthy entry on this list. All of that said, I've never been able to love Kate Bush quite as much as I want to.

Most of it is strong, some fillers and some probably not so great songs

This may be Kate Bush's best album; it was critically and commercially. This is a collection of beautiful songs, highlighting Bush's lovely voice. Bush's art pop has been remarkably influential on generations of musicians in a surprising range of genres.

Det her album (altså Stranger Things s4 soundtracket) opnår nogen vanvittige ting med synthesizer

Lange nichts mehr von Kate Bush gehört. Ist ein schönes Album, das mich in meine Jugendzeit zurückgebracht hat. Wunderschöne Lieder, auch die weniger bekannten.

Enjoyed this.

Kate Bush was way ahead of her time and it's pretty sad that it took a feature in Stranger Things to even be heard of in the US. This is her best album but everyone should give her others a listen. She's magic.

Need to listen to more KB. The album covers some good range. Really dug the strings and some of the off base songs like "Waking the Witch" and "Jig of Life". Got a Peter Gabriel vibe, particularly on "Under the Ice". Solid 80s record that I will play again and look for a good priced copy when bin rummaging.

Absolutely love running up that hill. Something about it from the first chord just speaks to me. A few other really great song, but also a few weird ones. My wife came in while listening and was visibly confused, I tried to defend it but I could not.

Powerful and unique! Musically it is just the right amount of "out there"

Enjoyable. Couple of really good songs.

Its a great record but the production sounds too damp for me pretty often 7.5/10

4.5

Thanks to Running Up That Hill having a resurgence in popularity, I actually knew a song of this album! 7/10. Really appreciated Jig of Life 🇮🇪 and some of the tracks that had an ethereal, slightly creepy feel to them.

Would love to give it 5 stars but is just not that comfy as her previous records

Now Running Up That Hill is going to be stuck in my head all weekend! Running Up That Hill is a great song. The rest is very... 80's. But pretty good! I didn't dislike any songs. Waking the Witch is a weird one.

It's great for the most part with some filler. There's a strange atmosphere to it in a good way. Favorite song: Cloudbusting

The most iconic Kate Bush album, and certainly one amazing 80s album that does not receive half the love it deserves.

1. Runnin up that hill - a very tight 5 2. Hounds of love - 3 3. The big sky - 3 4. Mother stands for comfort - 4 5. Cloudbusting - 3 6. And dream of sheep - 4 7. Under ice - 4 8. Waking the witch - 4 9. Watching you without me - 3 10. Jig of life - 4 11. Hello earth - 4 12. The morning fog - 4 3.75 Amazing

Monday 11/13/2023, 2:30, office S Tier————————— Running Up That Hill Under Ice Jig Of Life Hello Earth A Tier————————— The Morning Fog Cloudbusting The Big Sky Hounds of Love Waking The Witch B Tier————————— Watching You Without Me And Dream Of Sheep C Tier————————— Mother Stand For Comfort

Very weird but I enjoyed it even if it is not my usual style. I'm glad this stuff exists.

4, maybe 4.5. I love how weird this album gets.

Intesesting and kind wired but like it.

Klassieke eighties synthpop, lekker om naar te luisteren. Eind van het album wat meer folk/experimenteel, wat minder is.

Great album.

Vibes

Fun

Would rate this 3.5 if I could, but sure let's round up. I like it in general, first few tracks are very enjoyable, but after that I feel it loses traction. The spotify playcounts seem to agree with me.

2nd listen. Favorite song: “Jig of Life”. I don’t really love any of the songs on this album, but I still like it overall. I don’t know what else to say about this album, it’s just good.

Iconic

Obvs amazing but hard to listen to entire album at once.

I really like what I heard from this album. Enough to give it a couple of spins. Some of the songs make me think of Lorde, especially Green Light, and some Cindy Lauper. I'm happy I gave this one a chance.

Go Kate go!

Otherworldly, intense, groovy, cool vocal melodies

Dramatic.

I was initially excited for the second side as it was more conceptual and proggy, but while listening to it, it didn't quite captivate me as I thought it would, but that said I do still like the second side more than the first. I really liked the instrumentation, especially on the second side with the Irish folk instruments.

As a proghead, I know I should have heard more of Kate Bush until now. But for some unknown reason, I had not. Probably because the second thing I heard was her cover of "Rocket Man," which I found dreadful. Anyway, this was good. It reminded me a lot of Peter Gabriel's early work. The bass work (at first) made me think of Tony Levin, but I knew it was different than that. "Running Up That Hill" found a new life thanks to Stranger Things, but most of the other tracks are just as good. I didn't like the conceptual side as much as the front side, but it still was decent. This gives me the idea to listen to more of her stuff, I should just not listen to that "Rocket Man"cover. Sheesh.

Songs: Cloudbusting, Jig of Life, Waking the Witch

deal with god in no way gives you any information about what the rest of the record sounds like. and that winds up being completely okay.

Erinomainen a-puoli, tyypillinen b-puoli siinä mielessä, että menee kokeelliseksi. Mutta! Konsepti (eli kivilinnat, kylmät nummet ja suuret tunteet) pysyy loppuun asti ja hyvin vahvasti. Suosikkeja.

weird but cool

Some tunes are great. Some are meh

Made a deal with god mmhmmm lots of fun sounds varied takes you on a journey

Deal with God immaculate vibes, relatively nice album with Bush's own airy style. Had one track with a much darker tone, likely providing wonderful contrast to other tracks when replayed.

Obviously a visionary musician and producer. There are some really great, unique textures, it’s just not quite catchy enough for it to get a five from me.

some legendary songs, but there are moments where it gets a bit old. still pretty amazing though

Running up that hill

Big sky!!! Great song. Really solid themes, spooky and ethereal, fun and sad

Enjoyed this.

Man, this album was basically ear candy. So many great synth sounds and recording gimmicks; pretty sure one track had backing vocals dubbed to a mellotron to give it an uncanny valley sounding vibrato. I liked all the occasional creepy voices or synth sounds that got snuck in, gave the album a haunted kind of feel. Will definitely be listening again to hear more.

This album rules. I kept being surprised about what I was hearing and recognizing sounds that I love from The Knife, but I guess Kate Bush was making the same sounds (with a different aesthetic) like 20-30 years earlier. I think it's a bit of a grower, but even on first listen, I know I'd enjoy it more on subsequent listens. 4.25/5

Good - been feeling burnt out so I can't really connect with the music, but beyond Running up that hill, it felt fine. Like its a nice album and reminds me like a precursor to Florence and the Machine, but I didn't really engage with it like I did a lot of other albums. Some other ideas: This album felt very 1980s - I could sense the massive shoulder pads in the music, and the composition in Watching You Without Me feels like a product of its time. Maybe its a sign that I don't resonate with either of the other big female pop artist that have came up (Sinead O'Conner or Joni Mitchell), but I definitely liked this album more than their work.

3.75

It's very enjoyable when listened to in full, but I wouldn't listen to most of these songs separately.

Great mix of phenomenal tunes and weirdness. Love it.

Not my usual jam but v good. Lots of range, great breaks, unexpected instrumentation

I've heard the first track before and love it. There is a placebo cover which is great. It's intresting to see how these songs are familiar, because of Kate Bush's influence of future music. It's almost like I've heard parts of them before and they feel like old friends, but this is the first time through. There would be no Tori Amos without this.

Nice, I liked it 4 stars

YOU JUST KNOW First half is hella mid (except for Mother Stands For Comfort), and I feel bad saying that because the rest is so charming. Great variety, beautiful sound

tokfu music it was nice and pretty decent but I didn't particularly likenit 4 but probably won't relisten for at least a few years at the earliest

Super interesting. I really enjoyed it. It made me curious about the inspirations behind the songs. I love the strangeness of it. I can't

I love Kate Bush and I love this album. I was recommending songs from this album to someone just a few weeks ago. Four timeless songs are on this album: Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love, Big Sky and Cloudbusting. They seem to be a deep psychological study of love and other relationships, with lines like, “Tell me we both matter, don’t we?” And “you and me… won’t be unhappy”. Do yourself a favor and watch the video for Cloudbusting with Donald Sutherland. It’s really a short movie about a young woman’s relationship with her father. I shared it with my daughter and the end is so moving it always makes me cry. She has a song about her relationship with her mother too. Still, as a album, it trails off toward the end. The second half seems to me to be almost like a concept album or a rock opera. Interesting but not great to listen to more than once. So deduct one star for that.

Mix of a few outstanding songs, and few nondistonctive ones. Overall album experience quite positive, but not very rememberable.

Good stuff. Interesting and nice drums

Très théâtral, comme si un drame se tramait. Influences folk et religieuses, mêlées aux synthétiseurs trépidants, surprennent. Et la voix s’élève, triomphale.

Raw powerful and experimental at times. find it not as strong as other albums but still just in aa style and world of her own 4.3

I think this is a bit of a complex album. I don't like the hollow/thin sound of this record - too synthetic and 80's sounding. I do like the lyrical content and musical complexity. This one surprised me a bit in this way. It starts off a bit more accessible and the first 3 tracks are prob the best set. But as it progresses it descends into more chaos and darkness and as I mentioned already a surprising amount of complexity. Overall this is quite an accomplished record, if not always to my personal tastes.

Creative brilliance. Fitters out towards the end, but a really strong start

Kate Bush was a part of my youth😁

This was good, as I expected it to be. The atmosphere of the music and the story and themes are great and really made the album for me. I'm not sure if I like it more than The Dreaming? I probably do. I think I've gotten all of Kate Bush's albums now, so that's cool. I'm glad I listened to them. My favourite song was Running Up That Hill.

So so good. Crystal clear vocals, dreamlike blend of lyrics and instruments. Timeless.

Woof woof

A bit too abstract and out there for me to love it, but I did enjoy most of it. It is incredibly powerful and haunting at some points which builds a grand atmosphere for the whole album. 7/10

Pretty cool, not sure I’d listen again but I enjoyed it and never would’ve checked it out otherwise. I liked a lot of the tones and production. The fretless bass is pretty trippy. She’s a weirdo and I like that.

This is the second Kate Bush album that I have gotten. I was really underwhelmed by the first one and had my doubts going into this one. But I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album.

It must be my lucky week, back to back Kate Bush albums. I really liked "The Dreaming" and the weird, left-field experimentation. Overall fantastic album - even without the recent exposure from Stranger Things, this whole album is back to back bangers with two exceptions. The only real weak points were "Waking the Witch" and "Hello Earth", the latter being just a little weird and spacey while the former was just a bit abrasive to consider amongst the rest of the album.

Of toch 3,5?

Like this album very much

Front loaded with banger after banger after banger. And just when you think it's in the running for the greatest album you've ever listened to, it turns into a wan concept album. But I guess that's the point, and we're all supposed to bow down to the great Kate Bush and pretend that I didn't just take massive shit in the sink and realize it's caught on our Blink cameras. I could totally delete the footage seemingly forever, but I'm leaving it up there. Along with the massive dump in the sink. It'll make for a fun morning tomorrow. We'll likely be listening to Kate Bush. This is my deal with God. I'm running down that hill with no problems. Save the Blink Cameras.

4,5

Fantastic album, so unique, incredible storytelling and I will need to listen again to reconsider the rating

great album, love the sound of kate bush. 4,5/5

Lush and unique, always a pleasure to listen to this album

Would have give it 4.5 but a few duds, nearly a masterpiece

I ended up liking this a lot more than I expected to. I listened to the first few songs and didn't love them the first time around, then didn't end up listening to the full album for awhile after, and really enjoyed it a lot. It's unique sounding and interesting throughout; she really is pretty experimental in a way that I wasn't really expecting. I got strong Weyes Blood vibes at various points in the album. There things that I don't love (Waking the Witch is a bit too out there for me, and then there's an odd Irish jig song near the end). She also oversings a bit at times in a really 80s sounding way. On the whole though, the highs are plenty good enough to overcome these downsides. Really strong across the board, and Cloudbusting is a new favorite for me. Favorite song: Cloudbusting Other: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Hounds of Love, Mother Stands for Comfort, And Dream Of Sheep, Watching You Without Me

Tried getting into this album years back after discovering running up that hill (several years pre-stranger things, I'll hasten to add) but it didn't do it for me. A fresh listen now was much better. I think it helped having heard a lot of the shite that this list has produced from a similar era. It's actually great time for it's time, and her voice sounds great if you allow it to not annoy you. Second half a bit weaker but a decent finisher. Will definitely give it a listen from time to time

minne om stranger things

Very strong, this feels like the record where it all came together for Kate Bush. The first five cuts set a very high bar and while the second side is a notch below, there are still plenty of grace notes, and "The Morning Fog" is a wonderful and lovely closer. One wonders if KB might have been better served working as a painter or filmmaker rather than a singer, especially in the restrictive and commercially-driven pop slum. Still, this is about as good as it gets for marrying art with melody, song structure, pop conventions.

Barring a few odd moments, this is an immense album, incredibly delivered

I enjoyed this a ton. Love her voice and style.

for some reason couldn’t stand it the first time i listened. second time around was honestly lovely. super ahead of its time sonically, and somehow loyal and futuristic to its time, at the same time, instrumentally. so glad i gave it a second listen after all this time.

I liked side B more than the more-popular side A.

A great album of standard Kate Bush, some of her classic weirdness, and probably three of the best tracks from her back catalogue.

You can hear where tori amos must have got her inspiration from. I live tori therefore I enjoyed Kate.

Some solid classics here, 6.5/10

I actually really liked this, even with the weirdness of some of the songs. It didn't feel like it was being weird just to be weird, and the rest of it was beautiful

Damn, the power of Stranger Things eh? Got such a huge second life that even RuPaul is using Running Up That Hill for lip-syncs on drag race now too. Good for you, Kate. Talented and under-appreciated artist finally getting her props and making some major coin. I actually love this album though. The music is bitching and offbeat in the coolest way. It's a wonderful thing to see an artist who is truly untethered and able to express themselves so freely in their music. Absolutely adore this album cover too, it's stunning. Kate is gorgeous, and I am feeling her lavender fantasy for real.

This banged. How we went from 80s pop to Irish jig I don’t know, but here for it

This album is definitely a precursor to the theatrical pop so far we would get in later years, especially in the latter half.

pretty cool album, opening track is timeless obviously but the rest of the album is pretty great too

Good

listened to again pop sensibility and artistic expression

although there aren’t many strong songs(running up that hill (a deal with god) is a tad bit overrated in my opinion) or moments that are the most memorable it is consistently great with the instrumentals and her vocals are always great overall a 7.5/10 record for me really good, consistent, just not overall higher. best song: and dream of sheep worst song walking the witch overrated song: running up that hill (a deal with god) underrated song: jig of life

Not exactly sure how to describe this, but ended up really liking this. Track one had a recent resurgence due to Stranger Things but it still carries its own. The rest of the album continued the dark dreamland piano and powerful vocals. Will definitely revisit.

Hey is dat die van Stranger Things? Algoed dat die dat programma heeft gehad voor haar populariteit he seg. Ik wist niet dat ze nog andere liedjes had.

I first listened to this album about ten years ago and was not a fan, so I was curious to see if I'd feel the same way. The first side is killer, then the second side gets a bit experimental, which I had forgotten about but I think is what had turned me off of the album on my first listen years ago since I hadn't been expecting it. Overall, Kate Bush is incredibly talent and I really enjoyed listening to it this time around and look forward to giving it another listen. 4/5.

This is gonna be a weird review. Kate Bush is awesome, dudes probably hate here, fuck those dudes, she’s great. Tonight we won our first playoff game, on the way home we found a dog, he was scared, almost got him by a car. We found the owner, he was drunk and sucked at at being a dog owner. Kate would raise a dog right, Fuck that guy though. Go Spartans! 4.5 stars

Very interesting production, almost no cymbals on the entire album. Some incredible engineering and sound design for the time. Definitely not a "party" album, best listened to as a body of artistic work geared towards personal introspection. Can be challenging at times. Bookended with two excellent pop songs.

Brilliant album. Each song better than I previously remember, probably helped listening from album from start to finish. Starts with upbeat melodies and gets more slow and eclectic with each track

Fun album

80luku... ja yllätti mukavasti heh.. niin monta yllätystä... lahjapakettia . ripoteltu ympäri ämpäri albumua että pumpataan neitokainen neloseen heh...äänenlurautus j amusiiki muutenkin omalaatuista...en sekoita,, ARTISTIA NIMITTÄIN... EN VAHINGOSSA...kehenkään MUUHUN. sekottaisi...tämän jälkeen... cloudbusting

This album makes me feel like I’m lost in the forbidden forest, but out of the darkness a pixie woman emerges and guides me to her pixie village.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Hounds of Love, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Ninth Wave

This got pretty weird by the end but the first 2 tracks are good enough to secure the cuatro. The whole thing kind of felt like a musical.

Ed - write something about Stranger Things but being there the first time around. Donald Sutherland video. Hounds of Love is ace - however I think I actually prefer the Futureheads' version! Probably blasphemous opinion. The refreshingly mental Waking the Witch, what on earth is going on there. Can't think of words. It's Kate Bush, it's very good.

nah bro i'm aiight

Grew on me and now I'm just listening to whatever songs Spotify suggests that are similar. Gotta give it a 4

echoey, theatrical, dreamlike, and creative progressive pop goodness. Glad that Running up that Hill is now a legendary song. 4.3/5

4.5

If not for Stranger Things S04, would not enjoy it as much as I do.

Love. Her.

Kind of timeless-sounding chamber pop. Really like it.

Gelukkig was niet alles ellende in de jaren tachtig. Het klinkt net zozeer als een product van dat decennium, maar hier zorgen de keyboards en electronische drums wél voor een aangenaam geluid. Dat zal in niet geringe mate aan het stemgeluid van Kate en aan haar composities liggen. Hier en daar is wat experimenteel, maar het klinkt eerder prettig gestoord dan irritant.

Vraiment bon, mais pas si t'es stressé parce qu'elles font plus stresser qu'autres choses jdirais.

La chanson de stranger things!!!!

Looks like I've been listening to Kate Bush on the radio for years, but never actually knew those are her songs. Especially recently, with the success of Stranger Things, Hound of Love has been featured pretty often in popculture. I haven't seen the series, and I'm actually not a big fan of the song "Running Up The Hill", but the rest of the album is very intriguing! I have to admit, every song here is a hit or miss - Kate likes to experiment a lot with her music and it really shows. What's interesting, even though many of the beats or melodies sound so much like any generic 80s song, every track still feels original and different to what we can listen to nowadays. Songs like "Hounds of Love", "Hello Earth" or "Jig of Life" sound like nothing else before. Even though some of the tracks are rather mediocre, the overall reception of the album is really good. Call me a fan of Kate from now on.

Great voice and album

This sounds really different than a lot of what I’ve heard from the 80s. I found it a lot more interesting than the other 80s stuff on this list, the Irish influences are especially cool.

A well put together album, though some of it was a little too out there for me. However, this must have been very Influential to many artists who came afterwards in synth pop, indie rock and maybe even electronic dance music?

Cloud Busting (+ clip) heb ik altijd geweldig gevonden, maar de rest van Kate was bij mij altijd aan dovemansoren gericht. Lang leve deze generator, prachtig!

Geweldig! Topplaat!

Naast de paar bekende tracks die al geweldig zijn, vond ik de rest van dit album ook behoorlijk tof!

Mooi! Ik kende alleen de hitjes. Wel een beetje teleurgesteld door de grommende man halverwege.

Incredible first song. Glad she made it the first track so it was easier for Dustin and Lucas to save Max. What foresight.

Side one is nearly perfect. Gorgeous melodies. Sympathetic production and tastefully arranged. Side 2 is only slightly less compelling but still wonderful listen. More dramatically arranged with classical strings it has the feel of an opera but it works without a hint of irony or pretense that would make the material seem trite. But it always sounds appropriate in its dramatic presentation. By the time Jig of Life comes up it introduces a nice stylistic change to English Folk which a bring a nice change in tempo and mood. It ends off with a more traditionally structured pop song that is really quite gorgeous. A beautiful album. 4.5 stars

Running Up That Hill , The Morning Fog, Hounds Of Love. A medida que lo escucho más le subo la nota.

An eeeeever so slightly overrated Kate Bush, in terms of critical acclaim, but what does that mean in particular? Still better than ninety percent of what's out there. I prefer the warmer production of Bush's earlier work; and I think I respect the artsier, more avant garde Sensual World. Some fans may consider this the best of all possible worlds. I think it's pretty dam fine.

Kate Bush va crear la seva pròpia definició de pop. En el que segurament sigui el seu disc més accessible continua en el seu món de sons i influències variades, que dóna fruit a un disc infinit. Cada escolta és un nou camí de descobriment. Més enllà del hit incontestable que és 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)', tots els temes són petites obres creades amb cura, molt de gust i plenes de petits detalls. És la definició d'Art Pop en tot el seu esplendor

Love her voice. Grooves are smooth and make transitions within the structure feel completely natural.

Good

I've never been a fan of Kate Bush even though I should...I'm big into weird female vocals & arrangements. After giving her another listen, I now realize how incredibly talented she is. I still stand by not liking her style of piano. It's a bit too melodramatic for me. Still, I'm glad she came up on this challenge.

The second half goes wayward. 5 stars for the first half, 3 for the second.

Hounds of Love - more like Sounds of Love, am I right? Big heart for this album.

very good album, enjoyed it quite a bit. A surprise!

Didn’t finish all of it yet.

Obviously one of the greatest pop albums of all time, and an essential listen. The best song on this album has to be Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), and perhaps it is the greatest pop song ever. I find that the rest of the album doesn't live up to the astounding high point of the first track, but the rest does still feel like a great pop album. Favorite songs: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Under Ice, Cloudbusting, Hello Earth 8/10

Had some friends tell me I should go back and give Kate Bush a listen a couple years ago. Then Cloudbursting was used in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale and I finally listened to this album and was really digging it. Then the whole Stranger Things thing happened and it blew the fuck up. Glad she got a bunch of new fans. She deserves them.

I will be ever thankful to my Grade 12 teacher for introducing me to the music of Kate Bush.

Familiarity bias. I hope Aerial is on the list, 'washing macheeeen...'

4.5/5

8/10

She's so talented. And as poppy as the album starts out it gets pretty weird. Love it.

I've only listened about 3 songs in this album so I don't really have much to say. I really liked Cloudbusting tho

I love Kate Bush and this album, despite Stranger Things. Hounds of Love continues to demonstrate Bush's talents, but: 1. I don't think it let her show off her unique vocal talents as much as some of her other albums (The Kick Inside is the example that always pops into my head). 2. The album oozes with originality and innovation (take the first few seconds of Cloudbusting as an example), but at the same time it also carries that eighties dating stamp all over. P.S. Can't wait for the album I consider Bush's best, by far, The Kick Inside. I don't know exactly why, but each of the songs there seems to speak directly to me, in a manner that Hounds of Love doesn't achieve.

I love 80s style synthy music so this is right up my alley. Some of the world music style stuff didn't really hit with me, for example jig of life felt like a really strange mashup of genres that didn't completely come together. Cloudbusting is my favorite on this album, it has so much feeling behind it and it's hopeful and hopeless all at the same time. Overall great album

And if I only cooouuullldd, make a deal with Goooooddd

+Nice Experience +Decent Experimentation +Nice Thematic feeling throughout +Beautiful singing voice -Some songs sound kind of Same-y

Not my favourite genre personally, but I can certainly appreciate the artistry and impact of the music. Her voice is beautiful and the music is powerful.

Apart from Running up that Hill from Stranger things - i've never listened to Kate Bush before. What a treat - she's got such a disticnt voice and style. A pleasure to hear 'Cloudbusting' - which I recognised from the Utah Saints cover from the 90s. She's pretty ecletic, this felt more like some form of modern opera-piece that anything else. Very descriptive song writing.

Ah this is so much more than 1 song. That song. Sit back and listen to how sharp Kate Bush is, how well produced the musicianship is. What a cracking album.

Covers loss, grief, family, and growth. Good album.

Reminds me of a Peter Gabriel type. Nice soulful album with no real misses

As an album its only OK, but running up that hill stands on its own hard enough to rate the album at nearly perfect. 4/5

After “The Dreaming,” this is a welcomed change. I dreaded this album, but I am happy to say it was enjoyable. We should all just focus on this, and forget “The Dreaming” ever happened.

Excellent

Listened to it on vinyl. Great album, Stranger Things revival was very much deserved

Wonderful, so many different styles!

This album got really great in the second half, and it was really jarring. I'm not sure what to give this, probably more listens will reveal itself to me, but I will just rate this 8/10 for now, even if this might bump down in the future upon relistening I think I kind of loved it? Not sure, but damn, what an interesting listen for an 80's pop record

Really good album

Hype song

This is a somewhat strange album to be reviewing now after the resurgence of Running Up That Hill as a result of its use in Stranger Things. While I don't particularly get everyone's fascination with that song (it's good, but I don't think of it as a hidden gem from the past), this album is really cool. It's distinctively 80s in its musical composition and production, but the style of it is really cool. It doesn't feel as boxy and restricted as a lot of synth pop music is. The songs have a lot of life and organic elements to them. Bush's voice is a key component of the alchemy. It's hard to identify why this works so well with her voice in particular, but I don't think this album would sound as good with someone else in front of it 4/5

Interesting album....definitely makes me feel like I transported to the Stranger Things universe lol! Maybe at some point the 1001albumsgenerator will suggest a bitchin' Eddie album!

Altogether pretty good, even beyond the big hits. The production is spot on.

4.3⭐️

Very cool album that’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Whole album is ahead of it’s time.

I was into this album after it was released, but before Stranger Things made it popular. Doubling down on hipsterism. Is hipsterism still a thing? Anyway, album is good.

The only Kate Bush album I've heard front to back, it was nice to revisit this and be reminded how forward-thinking and freaky she can be outside the singles. The transitions from track to track are also magnificent. It's my favorite Kate Bush but I also need to listen to more of her stuff.

I liked the album alot except for the first song, I just think it's kind of overplayed and not her strongest song. The genre isn't really what I usually like but I enjoyed it. 8/10

Better than expected and a coincidence that it came up right after we finished Stranger Things.

Felt very 80s. Definitely had a cinematic quality to it. There were times it felt like I had left The Goonies, or something in that genre, on in the background.

Very fun how weird it gets

Good album, enjoyed most of the tracks. Very 80’s synth vibe

Best Song: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God). I'm writing this review in a post Stranger Things S4 world, which undeniably changed the impact of this song. Still, I'm glad this song was given a spotlight as it really is excellent. Everything works here: the strong vocals, future-synth sounds, and interesting lyrics. Worst Song: And Dream Of Sheep. There is only so much ballad I can take, and this song is too much ballad. Overall: Other than the effect of Stranger Things, this was my first exposure to Kate Bush's music. I was really impressed with the diversity and creativity of music on offer here. From elevated, 80s-style anthems to weird and interesting tracks like "Jig of Life". There are a few slower, forgettable tracks in the middle, but overall the breadth covered here impressive. Combined with Kate Bush's unique and powerful lyrics and vocal performances, I can understand why she has such a significant following.

A lot of weird and creative music. Kate Bush is very talented. 2 songs added to my playlist.

Amazing art pop album, truly a classic. Absolutely deserves a 5 if not for 1 small thing. I'm pretty sure that I suffered physical damage listening to that oscillating effect on my headphones. It's really hard to listen to it without getting a headache which is a shame...

Running up that Hill was as good as the buzz around it (Stranger Things). Pretty sure it's something I heard a couple of times in the wayback but couldn't put my finger on it. Some Bjork sound, haunting female vocals remind me of others in the best ways (F. Apple, J. Newsom). Like to think about the impression this album would have made on folks when it first came out.

Cloudbusting er en av tidenes beste låter

Aktuelt Såg akkurat siste episode av stranger things Liker bedre wuthering heights då

What a ride of a listen. I saw someone post that Kate Bush is a literary musician, and I really think that fits. She has a beautiful, haunting voice that carries the album far, but it's in her lyrics that you can really get lost. Some of the songs are weird, but they add to the overall aesthetic of the album. It's unique, and in a really, really good way!

Must be the first album I have had (and will probably be the only one) that has the current UK number one single on it! Very good, if a bit samey, but she is a great singer and songwriter. Some of the sound effects are pretty odd, but not in a bad way. Cloudbusting is my favourite, with the two big singles close behind. 3 1/2 🌟 for me, but rounds up to 4

A classic of quiet breathy englishness.

Claaaaassic

The quintessential Kate Bush album: Art-pop bangers, conceptual journeys and an irish jig

Banger

Goddamn I love Kate Bush. Just like Bjork, there are some people who transcend humanity and create art that is truly breathtaking. I can't help but feel deeply moved when listening to some of the tracks on this record. The first half of the album is an absolute bombshell of art-pop anthems, opening with one of the greatest songs ever recorded and finishing with the driving snares and crescendo strings of Cloudbusters (which is actually a fascinating story, worth looking up. Patti Smith has also written a song about Peter Reich). The second half is a little weaker in my opinion, moves more into the experimental side of things, with a very ethereal, dream-like feel to these tracks. Waking the Witch is notable for it's vocal manipulation, but not exactly a pleasant listen. Had the back half been a little stronger, I would give this album a perfect score. However I still think it is still worthy of any best-ever album list just given the absolute influential force that Kate Bush is. She has inspired countless acts and continues to shape popular music to this day. Fav Tracks: Running Up That Hill, The Big Sky, Cloudbusters

7/10. Pretty good, with a touch of bizarreness

Sharon Osborne and Billy Corgan. I think about them a lot sometimes. I mean, how the hell did they think they could work with each other? Never mind. Great album. Still too long. But that’s the distinction between great and magnificent

4.25

It’s Kate Bush innit. Hounds of Love is kinda funny, Running Up That Hill is a classic. Some of the songs are super fucking weird.

Prob the greatest KB album. Side one 5 solid 5 minute tracks. 4 of them were hits. Side 2 is a long suite of epic emotion and textures. Its hard to be critical except to say some of it sounds a bit 80s. (especially the overproduction drum sound and that overused fretless bass sound) Something warns me off a 5. But it is a 4.5.

Love the ambiance

I don't really get it, but it doesn't sound like anything else.

It's a decent art pop album. Not my favorite Kate Bush album, but good in its own right.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Running up that hill, Under ice

Very pleasant

Muito bom.

Kate Bush is an OG

Queen shit

Really enjoying this album. Now on the 3rd listen through. Kate's voice and the production of it has echoes of Madonna from time to time. I enjoy the various components of each song, with numerous effects. In a way it's dreamy, very calming and has a way of keeping my attention. It's a catchy album, and in the back of my head I'm a bit sad because I'll never remember to come back to it and listen again.

A great album from our Kate, love the Hounds Of Love side more than the Ninth Wave Side which is a little too ethereal for my taste. But what classics are here to savour? Well the first track "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" is, in my opinion, one of her best songs, the way it weaves and rolls and the narrative is superb. Kates poetry hits a high on this Album I think. I also love "The Hounds Of Love", "The Big Sky" and the wonderfully inspirational "Cloudbusting". Her best album apart from the revolutionary debut The Kick Inside. Just love Kate for her Poetry, composition and her great choice of musical collaborators. Definite positive for the list this one. In my top 100 TBH

4/5 this was actually good!

It’s easy to see where Kate Bush set standards in pop music for the ‘80s. On her fifth album no less. The single is an absolute pop classic.

4.25

Very interesting and unorthodox, pop sound with a very interesting edge, sounds a bit like Madonna but also not at all because way less polished and more interesting

Kate Bush’s songs are love/hate for me. I really love some of them, but many I just can’t take. That doesn’t mean they’re bad if I don’t like them, just not for me. I think this is an excellent record so even though it’s not all stuff I like I appreciate what’s gone into it.

Something about a bunch of these songs sounds very modern. Really interesting and varied album, some absolute bangers on here (and some that were harder to get through). Will be listening again for sure.

Gostei.

4 at the least.

Great album, will definitely be listening to this one again.

Zum ersten Mal richtig gehört, hat mir extrem gut gefallen ich checke den Hype. Hat mich nicht ganz genug für die 5 gefesselt aber könnte sich absolut noch ändern und im Nachhinein ärgere ich mich nur 4 gegeben zu haben

excellent pop

I'd only previously heard "Running Up That Hill" but I can see where the rest of the album fits in. It's a cool sound, a blend of synth and folk, along with her delicate but curious vocals. It also feels like an accumulation of having a few years in the game already, building on musical and life experience to create this work. And somehow that opening track just hits harder.

Ótimo pra relaxar.

I like this much better than the last Kate Bush selection, The Dreaming. This was was upbeat and has some great tunes. Her voice is always great but the over overall songs (lyrics, music, voice) were also great.

Liked this a lot, and think it definitely deserves to be on this list. I like how it is front-loaded with the obvious singles, and then gets more progressive in the second half. Really interesting songs, arrangements, melodies. Lots of cool production choices, plenty of dynamic range, and her use of samples works extremely well. Hard to define (synth/pop/prog/rock?...) and all the better for it.

This is obviously not meant for me, but Hounds of Love and Running up that Hill are great songs. The rest of the album is good if a little too theatrical.

Solid album, second side is nice but might want to treat as two separate EPs combined into a single LP

Liked the composition of the first three tracks and a few other uptempo songs mixed in but some others felt stiff. Very involved production which outshined vocals with interesting selections of classical meets pop meets synth and Irish jig. vocals were somewhat limited in range but were similarly experimental. Improved a bit on second listen. Running up that hill, Blue Sky, cloud busting. 3.5

This was an incredible album. Much like her last album, many of these songs left me confused. But Kate's beguiling lyrics and attitude just further the mystique around her. Under Ice was probably my favorite of the album but this is one I'd love to listen to again.

I like this album. It's really dreamy, and has a sense of urgency in some parts. The last track is so optimistic. Pretty inspirational.

Love this album when it came out and still do. It gets called progressive or post-progressive, but it's much better than that.

Is there a better opening than Running Up That Hill and Hounds of Love back to back? Discuss. The rest of the album never hits those celestial heights, but still, Mother Stands For Comfort is creepy in all the right ways, Cloudbusting is light and lovely, and Hiding the Witch is bonkers horror disco with Exorcist vibes. There's some less thrilling stuff and failed experiments between this, but you really can't fault it for insane levels of ambition. For a lesser artist, this album would be career suicide, rather than career defining.

Hounds of Love by Kate Bush (1985) American listeners like me may have missed this album when it came out because the people who defined our tastes were directing us elsewhere. (We have less of that nonsense today, but these same people have given us other problems that are worse.) It is no small comfort that we can catch up to culture by going back thirty five years and giving a serious listen to really good albums like this one. In a word, this album is rich. We hear nicely arranged drum machine layers, with synthesized strings spread over the top, and brilliantly selected samples and effects, peppered with intriguing instrumental flourishes. And that’s before we even get to the excellent vocals. Kate Bush’s voice is of high quality and very seductive—expressive in many modes, which are frequently delivered with jarringly swift (even Lauper-esque) shifts. It keeps the listener on his or her toes. But the lead vocal doesn’t hog the spotlight. It is rather blended into the overall sonic experience. Makes me wonder what Kate Bush would sound like doing an album of jazz standards. The second side (tracks 6-12) is a fascinatingly reflective keyboards-dominated suite exploring the emotions of a victim lost at sea. It is extraordinarily visual, with clear and engaging dramatic development, and I won’t spoil the controversial ending. My favorite track on side two is “Waking the Witch”. It comes very close to capturing the mental experience of returning to consciousness after being deprived of oxygen. (If you’ve never experienced that, well, forget it. Pick your own favorite. There are plenty from which to choose.) The closing bridge and spoken outro (at 3:02) on “Jig of Life” is poetically potent. Listen to it over and over. Please. What she does with “Hello Earth” is enthralling, especially in retrospect, after the disasters of the space shuttles Challenger (four months after this album’s release) and Columbia (in 2003, but samples of audio from its 1981 maiden mission are included at the beginning of this track). Spooky. And it’s joltingly followed by the musically counterintuitive “Morning Fog” to close out the suite and the album. Bravo. The most notable flaw on this record is that the lead vocal is sometimes too subdued in the mix, especially in passages sung in the airy lower part of Bush’s range. But the artistic wealth remains. This is really good. 4/5

Yeah good stuff. Opening track is brilliant. Weirdos and creatives represent!