THE MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES

'The Man With the Child in His Eyes' and 'Moving' are both outtakes from KATE BUSH's debut album The Kick Inside. I don't know in which order the album and its two singles - the other one being naturally the smash hit 'Wuthering Heights' inspired by Emily Bronte's classic novel - were released, but I think I've read somewhere Kate telling how the recording of 'The Man...' was the very first one. She was pretty nervous, and understandably so, with an orchestration backing her ethereal vocal performance. But unlike on some early live broadcast of 'Wuthering Heights' that I've seen on TV, nervousness doesn't show here. This song is among the softest she has ever done. The lyrics are perhaps rather naive, romantic daydreaming of a young introvert girl, but the composition is mature, as well as the arrangement. She was really lucky to work with exactly the right people. And WE the listeners are lucky!

'Moving' has always been among my favourite songs from that debut. She truly sounds like no one else; the dreamy song has a magical, otherworldly atmosphere. Wonderful songs, but five stars are in my principles reserved for singles that contain also a non-album track.