FEATURE:
Ten Stories High…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in September 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Building The Kate Bush Album Club
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PERHAPS I have…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the 1987 BRIT Awards
mentioned or covered this in some form before but, in this feature and a couple of others, I shall conclude my dissection of the Classic Pop special that was dedicated to Kate Bush. A whole magazine covering her career and best moments, they also selected a few of her albums for special praise and highlighting. Ten very different and magnificent studio albums, I do tend to find that they are written about when there is a big anniversary, or in relation to one of the songs from the album achieving something (how Hounds of Love has been back in focus after Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) got to number one). I have said it many times: there is not enough awareness, deep diving and acknowledgement of Kate Bush’s albums as a complete work. Singles are still largely played on the radio in place of deeper cuts. Music is not physically shared as much as it used to, so I wonder what people are listening to when it comes to Kate Bush. From streaming suites, you can see how streams each track has, but that does not mean that people have listened to the whole album. In fact, as there is such a gap in terms of streams-per-track, it leads me to believe most are picking tracks they like and not spinning an entire album. It seems a shame that these complete works are being picked apart.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1982
I know I have talked generally about Kate Bush’s albums as complete pieces, but it would be great if something more concrete was established. Tim Burgess runs a Listening Party for albums regularly. A Kate Bush album has not been featured yet. Of course, Bush herself would not take part, but there are musicians and people associated with the albums who could lend their memories and commentary. There is also a 33 1/3 book series that dedicates a book to a classic album. I think, at one point, Ann Powers wrote one about The Dreaming. I cannot see that in print anymore. Even Hounds of Love has not had a book like that written about it. Artists such as The Beatles and Madonna have had books about them that goes through the albums and, when it comes to documentaries and podcasts, there is a scarcity. General fan podcasts do relate to the albums, yet there are not specific podcasts about the albums or something regular. Laura Shenton has written a book about The Kick Inside, and one about The Dreaming. There are song-by-song books like this one and this. There are biographies and photobooks, but there are albums left untouched. In terms of podcasts, you can search on Spotify, yet there is nothing really that explores albums specifically. I have been trying to get my own podcast going, but I need to find a suitable space to record it. It does seem like there is a gap and real need to let people know about Bush’s albums.
She herself has said how she records with the intention people listen to albums in full. She favours physical music, so that you can listen to albums all the way through. Her albums do have singles, but she never really consciously wrote with that in mind. She approaches albums as single works, and there are naturally songs that are more commercial or radio-friendly. It would be great if there was a podcast, documentary or books that gave proper credit to the albums. Ten studio albums, the live album of Before the Dawn (her 2014 residency), the greatest hits collection, The Whole Story, and maybe some compilations and rarities (such as 2018’s Remastered IV box-set which included B-sides and rarities). In terms of books, there are a few Kate Bush one out there. I feel there is gap in the market for an albums book that goes one by one, talks about dates, the stories and stats. Giving diehards and casual fans a real glimpse into these albums and how they came together would find a ready audience. I do like the idea of a multi-part podcast series that covers all the studio albums and beyond. Even in 2022, so many people know Kate Bush and her biggest songs, but they have very little awareness of anything else. That is something that she herself would not be overly happy with.
There is a passionate and burgeoning fanbase of all ages. A podcast series or maybe something visual that goes inside the album or an actual club – online I guess – is something I’d like to see. In the same way people discuss books in a club, diving into the albums could open people’s eyes to the truth depth and brilliance of Kate Bush’s work. That might have to be something that is on YouTube. I know there are fifteen-minute videos from fans that do look at the albums, but nothing deep enough or has that sort of explorative and complete/professional sense about them. In any case, one can scour YouTube, Spotify and book sellers’ website and, collectively, there is a lot out there pertaining to Kate Bush. When it comes to the albums, books by Laura Shenton and a biography by Graeme Thomson, Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, do actually give you good detail. Audio and visuals bring these albums to life (although there is going to be an audiobook version of Thomson’s biography soon!). It seems like a market that could garner a lot of devotion and interest. How many fans know about the stories, songs and events around 1980’s Never for Ever? How many consider Aerial and 50 Words for Snow in detail? Do fans understand why The Red Shoes (1993) is such an important album in terms of Bush’s career and the decisions she would make? I am not too sure. To counteract this, an album club or something online where famous and non-famous fans could also interact and contribute is the least that Bush’s…
PHENOMENAL albums deserve.