SOUNDTRACK: KATE BUSH-Lionheart (1978).
Something about the late 70s seemed to make artists very prolific (perhaps it was studio pressure to capitalize on an artist’s success, hmmm?) Here’s Kate Bush’s 2nd record in about 10 months.
And, yea, the cover shows off her budding theatricality (the tour that accompanied these albums (which is available on DVD) is crazy for the performance art).
There are some great tracks on the disc, although for the most part it feels like it was kind of rushed. But despite that sense, there are some things that Bush introduced on this record that would remain with her throughout her career. Her voice is layered a lot more (although it is still unbelievably high–the opening words of “Symphony in Blue” are rather astonishing.)
She has also developed a wonderful ethereal sound. Unlike new age artists whose ethereal style is without substance, Kate is definitely grounded (somewhere). A song like “In Search of Peter Pan” with its twinkling pianos is absolutely suited to the fantasy she evokes (and when the chorus comes around, the real sense of foreboding in Peter Pan kicks in. (So, yes, she may be out there, but she certainly knows what she’s doing).
And there’s the rather clever underpinnings of the seemingly trivial song “Wow.” It’s another song where a sinister musical basis lurks underneath the seemingly silly chorus: “Wow wow wow wow wow, unbelievable” (which is actually pretty snarky in context). But really it’s the cool vocals tricks (the deep almost subliminal “uh-huh” for instance) that introduces something new, and intriguing, and something she would explore more on later releases.
This is followed by the rocking (in Kate terms) “Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake.” It has some pretty aggressive guitar in it which is matched with delay and echo. It’s another element that foreshadows the kinds of sounds she would use extensively on future discs (oh, and she really gets a good banshee wail later in the song).
And, of course, the final track “Hammer Horror” is fantastic, with a great sense of theatricality, befitting the song’s inspiration.
It’s Kate next album that blows me away every time, but I am still fond of these first two.
[November 5, 2009] North World
I really enjoyed the premise of this graphic novel. The main character Conrad is a sword wielder straight out of Dungeons & Dragons (there’s even a panel which shows the same characteristics that you roll for in the game: Str–7, Agl–5, Stm–8 etc.). He is a low level fighter (but he’s quite good and has defeated some huge animals) but he is seeking glory, fame and minstrels singing heroic songs about him.
And yet he dresses like a contemporary guy (button down shirt and jeans) and clearly lives in a twenty-first century world. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 