MOOPY ALBUM SYNC LISTENS #8 - KATE BUSH - HOUNDS OF LOVE - 8pm Tuesday 26/05 (1 Viewer)

octophone

octophone

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Surely this needs no introduction. Whether or not "Hounds Of Love" is her best album is a matter for the individual but it is unquestionable her most celebrated and her most successful; arguably, this is the record where art and songcraft were in perfect balance.

If someone can rustle up a Spotify link, that would be BRAW. Blocked at work, fuck Spotify etc etc.
 
I was worried it would be The Red Shoes as I had that on a few nights ago when trying to draw the front cover in a somewhat 8-bit pixel style. Ahem, anyway I'm really in the mood for some Aerial, but let the thunder, fairlight and drums begin.
 
It's funny how those 80's synths sound absolutely fine here but sound so horribly dated on so many other records.

Running Up The Hill is just divine.
 
This really has to be one of the best opening tracks ever - and such a statement for what ended up being a bit of a comeback album for her.
 
Are there any other top 10 hits with the word "asunder" in them?
 
COB said:
This really has to be one of the best opening tracks ever - and such a statement for what ended up being a bit of a comeback album for her.
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She'd been away for nearly 3 years - a lifetime in "pop" music at that time.

This was an immediate radio hit - it was everywhere.
 
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Iguana fact (there may be a few): Kate wanted to name the song A Deal With God but was discouraged from doing so as it wouldn't get played in Catholic countries. I think RUTH is a much better title personally...
 
Iguana said:
Iguana fact (there may be a few): Kate wanted to name the song A Deal With God but was discouraged from doing so as it wouldn't get played in Catholic countries. I think RUTH is a much better title personally...
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Completely true. I think it;s even been suggested that she continued to refer to the song as "A Deal With God" regardless.
 
There's that famous bit of trivia about the NME running a 'lol who remembers Kate Bush' article, then her being on Wogan THAT VERY NIGHT with the first ever performance of this song :disco:
 
I think that the synths don't sound dated because she wasn't really using them to sound modern in the first place. I'm sure she'd use at least very similar instrumentation if she was recording this now.
 
COB said:
There's that famous bit of trivia about the NME running a 'lol who remembers Kate Bush' article, then her being on Wogan THAT VERY NIGHT with the first ever performance of this song :disco:
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Really? :D I never knew that. The NME loved this too, of course.
 
octophone said:
Completely true. I think it;s even been suggested that she continued to refer to the song as "A Deal With God" regardless.
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Yes I think it's one of the times she says she wished she didn't compromise herself artistically. But she has also said after working so hard on the album she didn't want to shoot herself in the foot
 
Iguana said:
Iguana fact (there may be a few): Kate wanted to name the song A Deal With God but was discouraged from doing so as it wouldn't get played in Catholic countries. I think RUTH is a much better title personally...
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In particular wasn't the the US they thought might be a problem? A market she was on the verge of breaking at the time
 
dmlaw said:
I think that the synths don't sound dated because she wasn't really using them to sound modern in the first place. I'm sure she'd use at least very similar instrumentation if she was recording this now.
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I think there's a lot in that, actually. Technology was a means to an end.

The sound picture on the title track is so strange - drums, strings and a drone keyboard of some sort - no bass, no guitars...
 
There's a really interesting alternate version of this on one of the collections, with a different chorus (run run run run honey, run from the hounds of love...). I prefer the version we got though, I have to say.
 
There was a little controversy when KB swapped the album version of The Big Sky for the single mix in the 2018 reissue....it's a great powerhouse of a tune in any guise.
 
COB said:
There's a really interesting alternate version of this on one of the collections, with a different chorus (run run run run honey, run from the hounds of love...). I prefer the version we got though, I have to say.
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The first time I heard it was on the remasters in 2018! It sounds quite improvised to me!
 
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I wasn't a fan of The Big Sky for quite a long time, but in retrospect I really think it was more just that it's a slight comedown from THAT one-two punch. It's very joyous really!
 
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