Kate Bush: Album by Album

In light of her return to the stage after 35(!!!) years, how about a forum album-by-album thread, kicking off with The Kick Inside?

 

how bout a petition to get her to release them in 5.1 surround to tie in with all the buzz. i have been having wet dreams thinking of THE DREAMING in 5.1 for a long long long long long

 

The Kick Inside contains my favorite Kate Bush recording, Wuthering Heights. This is the album that got me into her style of music as soon as I picked up the CD used at my local Goodwill.

 

"The Kick Inside" was a gorgeous, sensual sounding album. Like melted chocolate for the ears... Though that would be messy. For an artist so young to create such a work still stands up as an impressive achievement.

 

The Kick Inside (1978)

Moving
The Saxophone Song
Strange Phenomena
Kite
The Man With The Child In His Eyes
Wuthering Heights
James And The Cold Gun
Feel It
Oh To Be In Love
L'Amour Looks Something Like You
Them Heavy People
Room For The Life
The Kick Inside

 

I bought this as a promo "not for sale" copy when it was brand new. Scott Muni things from England show was playing it out the gate and I have been right there ever since. Quite a remarkable and unique debut. Certainly in the top five, maybe at five though. Love it but she climbed the hill oh so higher

I dislike all the album covers too

 

This or Never for Ever as her best. Lionheart has improved for me over the years. Don't care for Hounds as much as most Kate fans. 50WFS I find mesmerising and it's number three or four for me.

 

I think the kite cover is quite lovely. Can't say I care for the other cheesecake shots.

After Hounds this is probably my favorite Kate record, swooping vocals and fretless bass and all. Just brilliant songwriting and off-kilter, inspired performances - even more impressive when you consider she was a teen when she penned and recorded much if not most of it. Love its warm organic sound - it's easily the most pleasant listen of her catalog. Not sonically flawless, but always comfortable. Would love to see a proper remaster.

I don't think the UK music industry produced another young woman as inspiringly brilliant until Amy Winehouse came along a quarter century or so later.

 

I wasn't convinced about it initially. Wuthering Heights sounded like prog, something that punk spent the last year trying to get rid of, and the voice was hard to take. I also remember a scathing one star review in Sounds magazine, but I changed my mind when I heard The Man With The Child In His Eyes. I thought it was a masterpiece, and on the strength of it got the album. I don't think it's a classic by any means; she's still finding her way, and she shows a lot of potential, but it mostly works. The title track has always been a favourite of mine, and I wouldn't mind hearing it live in the upcoming concerts. The cover has always struck me as being misguided. It has a Japanese theme which is totally absent from the music. I never could understand the reason for it, especially since the rest of her album covers are a pretty good representation of the music within.

 

Regarding the album sleeve: "I look at eye-level, it isn't good enough" ~ Kite

 

I love this Promo film for Kick Inside;

 

In 1978, while a lot of the lyrical content was lost on my 13 year old self, the sensuality couldn't help but seep through. There are two vocal moments that to this day induce chills and take me back to those precious early days when music first started to mean something. As one of the first two LPs I owned (the other being Lionheart), it will always be held dear. Joined the fan club, caught the Tour of Life in London (not bad as first gigs go, thanks Dad!) and remain a fan to this day.



Besides the alternate album cover, Japan went with Moving as the first single with a slightly edited Wuthering Heights on the b-side.
The Man With The Child In His Eyes was similarly relegated to b-side status, the studio version of Them Heavy People taking the A.

 

Who were the obvious influences on The Kick Inside? Both early Joni Mitchell as well as Hejira-era Joni seem like influences - the chords, the singing, the bass - and per-Kate both Bowie and Elton were huge influences. Any others? I confess to being rusty on my Kate trivia, although I had a couple of books on her back in the day, long ago stolen =(

 

Nice idea...unfortunately the "Sonic Youth album by album"-thread occupies me but I might chime in

"Kick Inside"...not my favourite album of hers but I like it a lot, it has a charming naive sound. And she's REALLY creative with all these sexual metaphors...wow!

I must have been pulling out myriads of UK pressings in shops, record shows and fleamarkets until I found an excellent first pressing in a bargain bin last year. I've also got the first Japanese pressing because I like the artwork. Understandably KT wasn't amused when EMI used that very photo on London buses for promotion....

 

The latest bio - "Under The Ivy" by Graeme Thomson - is an excellent read. Also it did apparently infuriate Del Palmer

 

What was the reason for the different album covers? It's the only album, to my knowledge, which has alternates.

 

'The Dreaming' is the album that does it for me. The songs are not necessarily the best she has written, but it has a consistency and an edge about it; it's a really rounded piece of work.

 

IIRC, the Japanese "Never for ever" has a slightly different cover

 

Oh, back to "The kick inside", I fully endorse this post and it could have been written by me

for me, a 5/5 album: not a bad song on it and flawless from beginning to end; love its timeless, dreamy fairytale atmosphere. The leading single is one of my earliest memories as a radio listener and of course, when I was able to listen to the full album, I was blown away.

I'd like to point out that, in addition to his work with his band, the "much thanks and love to Dave Gilmour for rolling the ball in he beginning" quote written on the album should remind us why we should be grateful forever to Mr. Gilmour for what he did.

 

How did it infuriate Del Palmer?

 

I wonder if Dave Gilmour gets "points" on this or any of her other albums. Often the A&R person, who "signs" an artist to a label and he was basically influential in this would get a couple of "points" meaning they'd make a few cents with every purchase.

I wonder if he's been getting a tiny taste of her mighty album sales income on this 1st album, or catalog.

 

He didn't like the idea of a thoroughly researched book on Kate and started writing anonymous posts to the author where he was raging against the project. Google it

 

I bought the album after seeing the promo "Wuthering Heights" clip on TV. I loved it then and my wife and I still do. I think it has an unusual mix in that although I like the sound quality generally, it seems that the vocal tracks are slightly out of kilter with the rest of the music in terms of appearing slightly detached from the rest of the mix. Maybe its just Kate's unusual range?

Probably still my favourite Kate Bush record with "Never for Ever" next then "Lionheart" third.

 

The whole album is superb. Plus, it has James And The Cold Gun, one of my favourite Kate songs. I just never get bored with it. There is a great live version of this song on the "On Stage" EP.

 

Kick Inside was a remarkable debut and sounded like nothing else before it probably because of Kate's voice and how she layered the vocals. Withering Heights gave me chills when I first heard it. There was an eerie, almost spooky vibe to some of the songs, I wondered if Kate was a witch or a ?wican or whatever they call it - so many of the songs deal with nature and the female sexual and reproductive cycle.

I love the adolescent immature Kate voice - I think it was Rolling Stone that described it as Minnie Mouse on helium. It's so out there but totally unique and unearthly sounding - definitely adds to the effect of the songs.