ASPECTS OF THE SENSUAL WORLD

"Aspects of the Sensual World" is an EP that Kate Bush released in the US and Canada in March 1990. It contains the track "The Sensual World" which was a single from the album of the same name, released in September 1989, and also contains B-sides released between 1989 and 1990 in Europe and the UK. There are 5 tracks in all.

"The Sensual World" is the most known of these tracks, of course. It is a sensual, lush and romantic song which originally was supposed to have lyrics based on the ending of James Joyce's "Ulysses", but Kate was not given permission to use the text, so she rewrote the lyrics depicting the main heroine of the book as coming out of the book into the real world. The main instrument in the song is the Uillean pipes which contribute to the lushness and the sensuality of the piece. Such a beautiful song, and somewhat erotic, you can understand the inspiration taken by many other aritists like Bjork for example.

"Be Kind to My Mistakes" is taken from the soundtrack to the 1987 movie "Castaway". It was originally featured on a promo 7" as an A Side to Brian Eno's "Chemistry", also from the film. It was also available as a B-side to "This Woman's Work", but in the same remixed version as on this EP. This is a very upbeat song that could have fit on "The Sensual World" or even on "Hounds of Love". There is a nice airy bass line that stands out, and, of course, a tricky, unique melody that Kate is famous for. Good song.

"I'm Still Waiting" was also added as an extra track on the "This Woman's Work" single, and is also on the anthology box set "This Woman's Work Anthology". This track is led by the piano and a hard, persistent, mid-tempo beat. Again, this track is representative of her music during this time. This one features the versatility of her voice, from deep fullness, to her unique, fluttery sounds. This is yet another track that shouldn't have been a throw away, but it's great to discover these excellent tracks at a later time, hearing music that is not new, but it's new to you.

Originally, I thought the next track "Ken" was written as a sort of jingle for a candidate for an official office in England or something. It was actually written for the comic strip film GLC. It was released as the B-side to "Love and Anger". Now, this highlights Kate's dynamics in her voice, but it is driven by a synth that is quite dated, so, other than Kate's amazing voice, this could use a remix to update its sound. Needless to say, I'm not as impressed with this one.

The EP closes with an instrumental version of "The Sensual World" which is still a beautiful enough song to enjoy even without the vocals. At least you still get the "Mmmmmm Yes" and background vocals. The song remains sultry and sensual.

So, this is a great EP, but, most of the tracks are available elsewhere. The toughest one to find is "Be Kind to My Mistakes", so it could still be worth looking for, but unless you are a completionist, look for a cheap, used copy. The b-sides, except for "Ken", could have been easily used for any of her albums, they are not throw away material. We'll give this one 3 stars, because it is so short, but at least it keeps you wanting more.

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