The Album Review Club - Week #145 - (page 1923) - Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

Hi guys, Im sorry but Kate Bush music isnt for me.
Ive listened to this and I think I now understand why, I think Rob hit the nail for me when he mentioned musicals, of course !
I hear this music as musical theatre, and I dont like musical theatre.
My wife is a big fan of musicals like Evita, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and such like. TBH I cant stand them, theyre as much about the visual as they are about the music. And the music therein for me follows a certain formula, designed to elicit deep emotion from within.
I like my music to be just music, no dressing up, puppetry, dancers etc etc.
I went right off Pink Floyd with that The Wall nonsense. I didnt like Peter Gabriel putting the stupid Fox head on in early Genesis.
Kates music is all about stage theatrics, dressing up, puppetry, morphing into a bird. At one point I imagined her singing "Dont Cry For Me Argentina" I really did !
I think KB is a very talented woman, no doubt, I think she appeals to a fan base that is besotted with her. She has written some lovely songs, but its not for me Im afraid.
I liken this kind of music to Opera, yes its lovely and touching, but its more a visual entity for me and you either buy into that or not. Im not knocking anyone who does. People go to see stage shows multiple times, they fall in love with the emotion of it all and the way it extolls other worldly sensations of body and mind.
Kate Bush has tapped into that, beautifully. And I must say I love it when people like our friend Saddleworth exhibit such love and passion, they are indeed deeply invested followers, as I am with my stuff.
Im sorry its only a 4 from me. Please forgive me Saddleworth :)
 
Bill Walker said:
Hi guys, Im sorry but Kate Bush music isnt for me.
Ive listened to this and I think I now understand why, I think Rob hit the nail for me when he mentioned musicals, of course !
I hear this music as musical theatre, and I dont like musical theatre.
My wife is a big fan of musicals like Evita, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and such like. TBH I cant stand them, theyre as much about the visual as they are about the music. And the music therein for me follows a certain formula, designed to elicit deep emotion from within.
I like my music to be just music, no dressing up, puppetry, dancers etc etc.
I went right off Pink Floyd with that The Wall nonsense. I didnt like Peter Gabriel putting the stupid Fox head on in early Genesis.
Kates music is all about stage theatrics, dressing up, puppetry, morphing into a bird. At one point I imagined her singing "Dont Cry For Me Argentina" I really did !
I think KB is a very talented woman, no doubt, I think she appeals to a fan base that is besotted with her. She has written some lovely songs, but its not for me Im afraid.
I liken this kind of music to Opera, yes its lovely and touching, but its more a visual entity for me and you either buy into that or not. Im not knocking anyone who does. People go to see stage shows multiple times, they fall in love with the emotion of it all and the way it extolls other worldly sensations of body and mind.
Kate Bush has tapped into that, beautifully. And I must say I love it when people like our friend Saddleworth exhibit such love and passion, they are indeed deeply invested followers, as I am with my stuff.
Im sorry its only a 4 from me. Please forgive me Saddleworth :)
Click to expand...
I admire honesty Bill so FWIW you get a tick from me but she might grow on you especially if you listen to the early stuff but this is what you are reviewing and you have done it well.
 
I'm not a big fan myself, but I enjoy the early stuff more than this.
She's a genuine and unique talent, and I respect her for always plowing her own furrows, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.
It's far too long (yes I realise why it is long) I ended up splitting it in two and "turning it over" like the old days, and taking a break from it. 2 hours is too long for me to listen to any artist, never mind one as complex as Kate.
It's a sad record, not always a bad thing, but a bit of joy or celebration wouldn't go amiss, and yes, I'm probably missing the point as usual, but her voice is that good it's a shame to limit it on one recording. Let's have a bit of passion to go along with the sometimes quite beautiful slow stuff.

As a show spectacle it probably works better, in fact I'd buy the DVD if it came out so I could approach it visually as well as musically.

It's still a great choice for this thread, some of the reviews have been excellent, I totally understand why some love her, and some shrug their shoulders.
I'm somewhere in between.
6/10
 
Bill Walker said:
Hi guys, Im sorry but Kate Bush music isnt for me.
Ive listened to this and I think I now understand why, I think Rob hit the nail for me when he mentioned musicals, of course !
I hear this music as musical theatre, and I dont like musical theatre.
My wife is a big fan of musicals like Evita, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and such like. TBH I cant stand them, theyre as much about the visual as they are about the music. And the music therein for me follows a certain formula, designed to elicit deep emotion from within.
I like my music to be just music, no dressing up, puppetry, dancers etc etc.
I went right off Pink Floyd with that The Wall nonsense. I didnt like Peter Gabriel putting the stupid Fox head on in early Genesis.
Kates music is all about stage theatrics, dressing up, puppetry, morphing into a bird. At one point I imagined her singing "Dont Cry For Me Argentina" I really did !
I think KB is a very talented woman, no doubt, I think she appeals to a fan base that is besotted with her. She has written some lovely songs, but its not for me Im afraid.
I liken this kind of music to Opera, yes its lovely and touching, but its more a visual entity for me and you either buy into that or not. Im not knocking anyone who does. People go to see stage shows multiple times, they fall in love with the emotion of it all and the way it extolls other worldly sensations of body and mind.
Kate Bush has tapped into that, beautifully. And I must say I love it when people like our friend Saddleworth exhibit such love and passion, they are indeed deeply invested followers, as I am with my stuff.
Im sorry its only a 4 from me. Please forgive me Saddleworth :)
Click to expand...
Mate, last time I mentioned this album on BM fully five years ago, you called her a mad hippy. This review is a significant upgrade on that. Sorry you didn't like it but it would be boring if we all liked the same.

To return to the point I made to Rob though, It is strange though that a woman who has toured twice in 50 years is writing music that can only be appreciated through visuals. Ok, she has released videos to go with her singles but then everyone does that. Part of her genius is the ability to tell vivid stories through her music, to get inside your head like a good novel does, that is a huge part of why she has the fan base she has.

True, when she has toured light show, dance and some theatrics have been a part of the concert, but she wrote the Hounds of Love in 1985 and then created the format for the tour in 2014 nearly 30 years later. So quite different from Evita, Cats, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Peters vixen helmet (oo er) :-). She didnt even release a DVD following her 2014 residency.
I fully expected her to split opinion but more on the vocals, style of music, lyrics, the englishness of her (I see not a trace of american music influence). But not that she was writing musical theatre - I find that a bit bizarre. But of course if thats how her music made you feel, then fair do's.
 
crublue1 said:
I'm not a big fan myself, but I enjoy the early stuff more than this.
She's a genuine and unique talent, and I respect her for always plowing her own furrows, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.
It's far too long (yes I realise why it is long) I ended up splitting it in two and "turning it over" like the old days, and taking a break from it. 2 hours is too long for me to listen to any artist, never mind one as complex as Kate.
It's a sad record, not always a bad thing, but a bit of joy or celebration wouldn't go amiss, and yes, I'm probably missing the point as usual, but her voice is that good it's a shame to limit it on one recording. Let's have a bit of passion to go along with the sometimes quite beautiful slow stuff.

As a show spectacle it probably works better, in fact I'd buy the DVD if it came out so I could approach it visually as well as musically.

It's still a great choice for this thread, some of the reviews have been excellent, I totally understand why some love her, and some shrug their shoulders.
I'm somewhere in between.
6/10
Click to expand...
Thanks mate. The second act is about as sad a set of songs as you can get so I quite understand your comments. I would have put act 3. in the happy category though (except for amongst angels, one of the encore). Thanks for your review though. Much appreciated.
Btw, 'somewhere in between' is one of the finest tracks on act 3. See how her music works on a subliminal level :-)
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Mate, last time I mentioned this album on BM fully five years ago, you called her a mad hippy. This review is a significant upgrade on that. Sorry you didn't like it but it would be boring if we all liked the same.

To return to the point I made to Rob though, It is strange though that a woman who has toured twice in 50 years is writing music that can only be appreciated through visuals. Ok, she has released videos to go with her singles but then everyone does that. Part of her genius is the ability to tell vivid stories through her music, to get inside your head like a good novel does, that is a huge part of why she has the fan base she has.

True, when she has toured light show, dance and some theatrics have been a part of the concert, but she wrote the Hounds of Love in 1985 and then created the format for the tour in 2014 nearly 30 years later. So quite different from Evita, Cats, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Peters vixen helmet (oo er) :-). She didnt even release a DVD following her 2014 residency.
I fully expected her to split opinion but more on the vocals, style of music, lyrics, the englishness of her (I see not a trace of american music influence). But not that she was writing musical theatre - I find that a bit bizarre. But of course if thats how her music made you feel, then fair do's.
Click to expand...
Mad hippy?

In that case it's a minimum 6/10 from me........... ;-)
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Mate, last time I mentioned this album on BM fully five years ago, you called her a mad hippy. This review is a significant upgrade on that. Sorry you didn't like it but it would be boring if we all liked the same.

To return to the point I made to Rob though, It is strange though that a woman who has toured twice in 50 years is writing music that can only be appreciated through visuals. Ok, she has released videos to go with her singles but then everyone does that. Part of her genius is the ability to tell vivid stories through her music, to get inside your head like a good novel does, that is a huge part of why she has the fan base she has.

True, when she has toured light show, dance and some theatrics have been a part of the concert, but she wrote the Hounds of Love in 1985 and then created the format for the tour in 2014 nearly 30 years later. So quite different from Evita, Cats, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Peters vixen helmet (oo er) :-). She didnt even release a DVD following her 2014 residency.
I fully expected her to split opinion but more on the vocals, style of music, lyrics, the englishness of her (I see not a trace of american music influence). But not that she was writing musical theatre - I find that a bit bizarre. But of course if thats how her music made you feel, then fair do's.
Click to expand...
Hahaha did I really call her a mad hippie ?
 
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