sosgemini said:

then why is he still posting??!!! DEACTIVATE HIM!!!!! :beheaded:

From one extreme to the other.

Kate Bush
Aerial
EMI Records 2005
Rating: 9. by ATM
19 Nov 2005

Aerial is a work of immense power, passion and content. All of which are missing from so much of our contemporary music. The importance of Kate Bush's return can only be measured in this her first album for twelve years. It is a collection of carefully and thoughtfully created music but with a natural flow that exudes beauty, warmth and unpretentious brilliance.

At times we swim in Debussy-esque piano, at times repetitive Nyman, at times madrigal, with viol and tabor. To really experience the journey of this album and in part Bush's life is to listen to the double album in its entirety. And in one go. You'll be thankful, believe you me!

It's not schoolboy fantasy or memories of the beautiful and exotic Kate Bush in some contemporary dance pose on Top of The Pops but a need, a desire for good music. Her voice is and always will be one of the voices that are so distinct that even someone with a little more than a slight interest in music would recognize.

Aerial does not pretend to be anything more or indeed less than music itself. There is no pretension in trying to be in a certain style or to keep up with trends. This just happens to be what Kate Bush does.

Melody and harmony come naturally. You are never far away from swirling yet gentle strings, dulcimers and interesting percussion. The arrangements evoke so much and to top it all Kate Bush' voice is sublime. The range she possesses seems to have been pushed to newer and grander depths. We all know of her high notes and ability to play with intervals in an acrobatic way. There is less of that and more depth more tonal beauty. Lyrically the songs paint pictures and they are pictures that are being painted in a parallel world with the music. It is a perfect match that entwines seamlessly. Family life, numbers, cities, the country, adventure, sorrow... each songs paints a picture through both music and words.

We are treated to two CDs - "A Sea of Honey" and "A Sky of Honey". Yet it's never enough.

What you notice in particular is the superb vocal arrangements and performance. But it doesn't just stop with performance. It is the vocal positioning in the mix. The reverbs used. Where it sits in the track, the depth, the closeness. Bush has discovered the best of her voice and the best in her production techniques.

The piano playing is beautiful. Touch and feel is gentle but powerful when needed. It is a breath of fresh air.

The recent single " King of the Mountain" was a polite introduction to the new work. Not sure if the guitar is meant to be slightly out of tune. Perhaps it's art. Not that it really matters. It's a dreamy, repetitive and wholly memorable. "Pi" is beautiful in its obscurity. Vocals utilizing the numbers of P1! This is where you start to hear the great vocal positioning and simple harmonic structures that are scattered carefully throughout the album. "Bertie" is a madrigal with troubadours and jesters jostling for attention. A gem.

"Mrs. Bartolozzi" speaks of cleaning! It's the vision of Ms Bush as Mrs. Mop. Only she could get away with singing about a mundane experience and make it sound exotic. The lyrics "Washing machine, washing machine...". She sings of watching the washing go round and round and then talks of waves coming in, fish swimming between her legs, her blouse wrapping around his trousers. It's highly charged, suggestive and it's about washing! But as a bizarre juxtaposition there are parts with sublime vocals that sound as if they could have come from a Gilbert and Sullivan musical.

"How To Be Invisible" is a perfect slice of songwriting, performed with no electronica in sight - guitars, bass, drums, bit of Rhodes piano and some great controlled vocals. Lyrically strong and oh... there's a bit of whistling!

The first CD "A Sea of Honey" finishes with the magical "Coral Room". What I like about Bush's writing and her approach with this record is its accessibility and timelessness. Whether preconceived or not it doesn't really matter. A wide audience will flock to this should they get the chance to hear it. Simplicity, stillness and above all beauty.

The second CD starts with the piano laden 'Prelude', gentle, caressing and pure. A child's spoken voice, birds chirping. We are in the Garden of Eden. The birds sing with the piano in unison. 'Prologue' with its pulsating guitars creates a gentle menace as spacious chords allow Bush's voice to paint the picture. Impressionistic piano lilts - there is a feeling of apprehension, of controlled restrain. The root note drone holds the piece down. Never allowing it to get away. Vocal harmonies appear and vanish. Kate sings of a "Kind of Magic". This is it. Fretless bass builds below as seagulls come and go. Almost 5 minutes in and drums enter, more harmonies, swirling strings. It doesn't get much better than this.

'An Architect's Dream' starts with Rolf Harris talking. Yes I know strange but wonderful. Gentle percussion and dulcimer, fretless bass, strings and voice drift beautifully along. Bush's voice is at its best. "The Painters Link" takes us into "Sunset". She plays with clever timing of the melody and her voice sounds so damn good. There really is excellent control and dynamics at all times. Great bass playing, piano and kit give the track an almost jazz quartet feel. Toward the end it erupts into a flamenco meets “The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius”!

“Somewhere in Between” and “Nocturn” are in themselves epic works. In the latter of the two tracks Gary Brooker’s Hammond organ is superb. The harmonies are wide and deep. Great acoustic guitar, slowly building strings. Bush’s vocals build; the harmonies become bigger and more dynamic. You feel that although the journey has not finished. Where could it go after this?

As the final track prepares to bring the journey for Kate Bush and the long wait for her fans to a close the title track kicks in and continues unabated for another 7 odd minutes. The track builds in intensity. Floyd-esque guitar. Always strong thematically, lyrically and vocally.

At the end it leaves you breathless. I felt I needed either more of Kate Bush or a rest. Actually I opted for then listening to Kraftwerk live – at some volume level I must add! A bit of a roller coaster of a nights listening.

Even If you are not a great fan of Kate Bush this is an important album and one of the best for many years. There is a maturity and a sense of overwhelming beauty but at the same time an innocence and fragility.
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[Edited 5/7/13 4:36am]

sinisterpentatonic said:

one of the things that i love about this album are how musical riffs are repeatedly (slightly) through out different songs...

i also love how instruments mimmick vocals. this is how pop is created. there is the catchy melodies but there is soo much more there to discover upon repeat listening.

i really hope prince has picked this album up (as well as aimee mann and betty lavette) and re-discover the art of telling stories via songs...and how important depth is to sustaining "joy" after repeated listenings.