THE DREAMING

This was probably Kate's most daring album as well as her most experimental. Released in 1982 it did of course get quite a mixed reception. There's a blend of styles and her voice often sounds different too. Kate Bush herself also describes "The Dreaming" as the "I've gone mad album".

Not all of the songs here are as accessible as before but on repeated listens you're sure to pick out a few real gems. The arrangements are often unusual and the songwriting is also very interesting. I particularly like "There Goes A Tenner" which was inspired by an old crime film. "Pull Out The Pin" is also a strong piece which was wriiten about the Vietnam war. It has some nice percussion, bass and piano touches.

The biggest diamond for me is "Suspended In Gaffa". It's a very chirpy, uplifing song and I bet there's no other song with such a name. "The Dreaming" (with Rolf Harris on digeridu!) is a strange number indeed about the plight of the indigenous Australians. I've also come to quite love "Night Of The Swallow" and "Houdini" a lot.

"Get Out Of My House", apparently an inspiration from the horror movie "The Shining", provides a most eccentric ending to the album. There's some screaming backing vocals here which brings the haunting mood from the last couple of tracks into something quite warped and scary.

Overall, it's a very good album, for sure one of Bush's most progressive (and not a lot of albums were prog in the early 80's). It took me a while to get into it over the years but it is an enjoyable part of my collection. For now I'll give it 3.5 stars. Worth checking out if you want to hear something different.