Kate Bush Album: “Red Shoes”

I know that many Kate fans have been disappointed with this album. I was so overcome with anticipation back in 1993 waiting for her next album that I was beyond comparing it to any of her other work. It's true that she definitely took a different direction, as she did in "The Sensual World", "Hounds of Love" (who ever thought that the experience of a person drowning could be made so lyrical and beautiful?), and "The Dreaming" (Kate's response to 'the public wants to hear some more piano-based songs'). I know the reason we love Kate so is that she continually experiments and breaks new ground. There will never be another "Hounds of Love" or another "The Dreaming", and would we truly appreciate it if she went back, re-worked those albums, and gave us an album every 2 or 3 years? My answer would be no. Kate is the epitome of a true musical genius, thus we can never expect her to conform to her previous albums' soundscapes. As for "The Red Shoes", it reveals the most personal side of Kate we've seen, perhaps mainly due to the death of her mother. The title track, based upon Hans Christian Anderson's faery tale of a tormented ballerina, is typical of Kate is that she draws upon a story of myth and then twists and molds it to make it her own (such as she did with "Cloudbusting" and "Wuthering Heights") The revelation for me on this album was "Moments of Pleasure"; when "This Woman's Work was released I remember thinking 'Kate would not be able to top the emotional stirrings of that song'. How wrong could I have been. Now, I can only pine for her next album.

Note to Duayne below- not all Kate fans are Tori-haters. I happen to like some of Tori's work. Some of the antagonism may have to do with all of the comparisions to Kate and Tori being labelled as the "new Kate Bush". I do wish all of the comparisions with Kate would stop. Kate remains incomparable, and Tori has her own style. Suffice it to say that some Kate fans, myself included, can be a bit batty regarding her. Also, she did pave the way for Tori, as well as Sarah McLachlan, et al. It's sometimes easy to forget that "The Kick Inside" was released in 1978.

Unlike so many other reviewers, I love this album. Every song is wonderful. Kate Bush proves herself to be the exceptional songwriter and producer that we know her to be on "The Red Shoes"

I've tried to understand the issues people have had with the album, but every time I listen I can only hear solid craft.

This album isn't one that I can listen to very often, because it can be very sad, but the beauty in the songs and production are sublime.

Kate's new single "King of the Mountain" is amazing, and I'm looking foward to the new album!

Hello,

This is a dance album - I will explain in a while. This is taking the sensual world even further. I think that this is a most stunning album, full of intensely beautiful music that celebrates a huge range of emotions, textures and colors in the way that only Kate Bush can.

1. Rubberband Girl - I know what she means, an ability to bounce back from bad situations or events. This song carries a very bouncy rhythm right from the beginning and just builds and builds in both momentum and depth and intensity, from the simple drum and guitar introduction, in comes Kate's vocals, slower and deliberate and so clear, and then adds instruments and effects as it goes. Brilliant song, I especially liked the touches of humor that Kate included.

This effort found Kate delivering product in a "normal" deadline (for her....) of three years, oddly the same time-frame that had so frustrated her fans between the sublime Fairlight-opus of "The Dreaming" and her self-actualizing ultimate masterpeice "Hounds of Love". I suspect her then-new contract with Sony in the States was the impetus for such rapid delivery, and she herself faced personal troubles in that period, notably the breakup with longtime beau Del Palmer and the death of her beloved mother during the post-production period of the album and it's promotion.

Those of us displeased (at the time) with this effort should have born in mind that most human beings would never have offered up anything as good as this with such stress going on.

I don't want to berate individual tracks too much, but I cannot stand the Prince collaboration (abberation?) of "Why Should I Love You?", it sounds as if both artists were holding back and wanting the other to deliver the goods, which we never get....

What makes this album worth it's purchase price for me is down to three or four songs. The simplest (and incidentally the most sublime!) is "Moments of Pleasure" , a simple piano line and fleeting thoughts from Kate. What makes it soar ( and it does!) is the genius talent of late arranger Michael Kamen (reported to have scored a couple of songs on Kate's forthcoming effort before his death; we are very lucky!). He takes that simple piano theme of Kate's and constructs nothing short of a sonic universe from it. If you ever wondered the value of an arranger/conducter, this track is the ultimate proof! I wish Kate would release the track's backing by itself as a tribute, it's that damned good! The Beatles took that approach on their "Anthology" series when they offered the string quartet from "Eleanor Rigby" and the world got a major treat.

"Song of Solomon" is a thematic bookend to "Running Up That Hill" in it's honest and frustrated prodding of sexual politics and the supposed differences between males and females in love. It's also haunting and gorgeous and a little funereal (her late relationship with Del? None of our business really...). "Eat the Music" is incredibly self-indulgent but sometimes that makes for great records, and this case is the proof. It's only flaw is that it really does go on too long. "And So Is Love" is the companion peice to "Song of Solomon" and is quite lovely, featuring Eric Clapton on understated guitar.

Kate is reportedly ready to launch her new one at the time of this writing (01/05), and I, for one, am ready to set aside 11 years of waiting and a take positive look back at this last one. We should all be thankful she records at all, and give her our best and most patient ears and our many sincere thanks!

As stated in the other reviews - this album is different to Kate's other albums. It reflects a drift in her work.

I've been a fan since I was 14 years old and bought all of her albums within a few months.

I immediately connected with the earlier albums as they reflected ME. I mean, I thought Kate could see inside my head - those feelings and those stories that she told. The gorgeous Kick Inside, Lionheart, The Dreaming, Never for Ever - I loved those straight away.

And then, a few years later, I realised that the Ninth Wave part of Hounds of Love was probably the greated album ever written. Amazing!

I then started to really feel The Sensual World - falling in love with Never be Mine and The Woman's Work. This music had a soul.

And then, I "got" the Red Shoes. I finally understood what a masterpiece it was. Sure, it's not all kooky wailing, imaginative storytelling or crazy faerytale imagery - the things that Kate's fans were used to - and that's just because Kate, and her audience, grew up. I don't think saying this belittles her former albums in any way. It just means that a person can't reproduce the same feelings that produce teenage angsty stuff when they are no longer that young. I understand this more when I read my old teenaged journals.

And so The Red Shoes takes a bit of life experience before you can appreciate how sensitivly Kate delivers tracks like Moments of Pleasure,and And so is Love. It's heart wrenching - and I understand those feelings now.

Kate - we're still waiting on your latest album - I'd love to see what 40 something Kate feels about life...