Dr P
I would have loved to listen to this album when it came out in 1985. It would have been released as a vinyl. I would have come home taken it out of the sleeve and put it on the turntable, dropped the needle and sitting back I would have been transported far away on the crackle of the turning record.
Released with side one entitled “Hounds of Love” and side two named “the Ninth Wave”, the album takes you on an auditory trip, finely crafted.
The first side of 5 tracks is beautifully arranged with memorable ear worms and fantastic arrangements. A stand out for me is “Hounds of Love” where the backing vocals imitate a yelping dog.
Side two continues on the back of “Cloud busting’s” marching optimism, opening with “And Dream of Sheep”. A sweet lullaby which takes you deeper into darker and more experimental and at times scary compositions, such as “Walking the Witch”.
Called by some post-progressive rock or art rock, I feel there should be no other label attached to this piece of work other than a a majestic Kate Bush recording. This is music art at its best. Accessible to the ear, yet highly creative and avant-garde.
Produced by Kate Bush as well, “Hounds of Love” displays her ability of what I like to call a “song-smith”. An expert musician and songwriter with an uncanny intuition into the musical process.
“Hounds of Love” is beautifully memorable. It’s uplifting, melancholic and haunting all at once at times.
I’m so happy I’ve listened to it now! The entire album is a stand out and is definitely in my top 10 albums of all time.
10/10
Greg
Catherine wanted the album to be called “A deal with God” and it stayed that way in her mind. It’s a poppy proggy oddball album, and even as that it knocked Madonna’s “like a virgin” off the number 1 position. Nice. A list of reasons to publish music: Gain status; Maintain musical progress; Rock out; Comment on social things; and what it seems like Kate among others wants to do, make important healing music for people and herself.
An artistic vision, a complete belief in the vision, a robust ability to write and produce, getting a studio built at home to cook everything up in at your own pace without distraction - this all together is the sort of thing you need to get this album out. Oh and knowing all the gear in the studio back to front, to the point of selecting favourite components and effect units before installation:
“We have a Soundcraft mixing deck, a Studer A-80 tape machine, lots of outboard gear, and Q-lock. We normally use 48 tracks now, even if it’s for a vocal idea or something. 24 tracks doesn’t seem to go anywhere with me. And the Fairlight, of course. We have a room simulator called a Quantec, which is my favorite. It would be lovely to be able to draw the sort of room you wanted your voice to be in. I think that’s the next step.” - Kate Bush
Strong and idiosyncratic pop songs are the best kind. The album has two halves, a pop oriented first half and a proggy conceptual second half. But the first half isn’t an emulation of pop tastes, they’re still authentic artistic expressions that flow into the second half.
Have to have respect for the whole vision, and I have some of the songs in my head. Will revisit.
8/10
Combined:9/10