Kate Bush - Aerial
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CD Details
Artist: Kate BushEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-11-08
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- King of the Mountain
- Pi
- Bertie
- Mrs. Bartolozzi
- How to Be Invisible
- Joanni
- A Coral Room
- Prelude
- Prologue
- An Architect's Dream
- Painter's Link
- Sunset
- Aerial Tal
- Somewhere in Between
- Nocturn
- Aerial
Music reviews of Aerial
Music Review: A Supreme And Gorgeous Masterpiece Of Head-Scratching Originality
Rating: 5 Stars
More than a decade of silence, then BOOM! In late August 2005, EMI proudly announced the return of Kate Bush, for she had finally completed work on her long-awaited new album. The hype began to swirl and the British press went into overdrive as this country's finest singer/songwriter made her welcome return. It has been 12 years since Kate released her last album "The Red Shoes." Since then the world has changed drastically. Does Kate Bush still have her place amongst the new crop of musicians, some of which were still babies the last time we heard from Kate? Of course she does! Kate Bush is a legendary figure of popular British culture whether she likes it or not. She is, hands down, easily the single greatest female talent that the UK has ever produced. Her unique style was influenced by no one, yet in her place she influenced virtually everything that came after her. We love Bjork, Tori and Sarah, but just remember Kate was doing it all years before.
"Aerial" is the new album as I'm sure you're all sure by now, and it comprises of two discs and sixteen songs in total. The first seven songs are housed on the first disc, subtitled "A Sea Of Honey," while the remaining nine songs feature on the second disc, "A Sky Of Honey." The first disc is a more traditional Kate Bush sounding piece with simpler songs that have an arguably more commercial appeal to them. The second disc, however, is a grandiose and seismic conceptual piece that is complex as it is beautiful. Kate Bush spent the past decade making this album, a time longer than the entire recording career of The Beatles. The result is musically perplexing, lyrically profound, and sonically awesome listening from one of the most endearing talents in musical history.
The build up to the release of this album was incredible and I think I will remember it for a long time to come. I counted down the days from early September and when November 7th arrived I took that trip down to the record store and made sure I had a copy of this album in my hands. I remember peeling a sticker off the cover, only for the smallest piece of the cardboard cover to come off with it! I was horrified and took it back to the store to get an exchange! Maybe the craziness in Kate's music has rubbed off on me, who knows...who cares?!
"A SKY OF HONEY."
This disc opens with the amazing first single "King Of The Mountain." This song went straight into the UK chart at No.4 and has enjoyed much airplay, all of which is fully deserved. This five minute piece is musically sparse to begin with and builds to an epic, swooping climax as wind billows through the house! The song is very deep and has some very exotic beats sprinkled throughout. There are also distant chords being struck in the background during the first verse that seem miles away but draw closer. The chorus is epic and very percussive as Kate sings about the pathetic need to feel wanted and needed in our celebrity-obsessed culture. Elvis and Citizen Kane are expertly used as metaphors for something more ambiguous. "Pi" is one of the most talked-about songs on the album, as Kate recites the answer to the mathematical calculation of Pi to something like the 116th decimal place! At first it seems pretentious and overblown, but it works incredibly well. Just ask yourself this: who else could get away with it? No one, which tells us a lot about Kate Bush and just how high her pedestal is.
"Bertie" is probably my least favourite song on the album, but I do love the string arrangements, they are very European and sweet in their tone. This is the much talked-about love song that Kate wrote about her son Bertie born in 1999. The lyrics seem sweet to the point of almost being too sickly but once again she manages to avoid the pitfall. "Mrs. Bartolozzi" is an amazing song that deserves more credit than it has received. People who snigger and turn their noses up at thinking this song is about simply just a washing machine are missing the point completely. There's much more going on at work in the lyrics; it's a story about a woman who feels desperate and alone now that her husband has passed on, and washing clothes is all she has to keep her mind occupied. Yet, every now and then, she gets caught, almost in a trance by the sight of clothes swirling around in the drum of the machine. Does she still wash his clothes even though he's passed on? The sensual imagery of her blouse 'dancing' in the machine with his trousers is just genius, and the idea that his clothes out on the line in the garden look so alive in the wind is very evocative. The chorus is absolutely stunning, and very sparsely arranged. It's simple, Kate and the piano, before ascending into an almost angelic solo where she sings "Swishy, swoshy, swishy, swoshy, get that dirty shirty clean! Sploshy, sploshy, sploshy, sploshy, make those cuffs and collars gleam!"
"How To Be Invisible" is rumoured to be the next single from the album, and I think that it would be a fine choice. In this rather tongue-in-cheek song, Kate sings about how to make yourself invisible. She acts as a figure, playing a role of what we assume is a witch. She found a book on how to be invisible, she sings, before going on to recite the ingredients, "Eye of Braille, hem of anorak, stem of wallflower, hair of doormat!" I think this song is a brilliant response to the critics who claimed she has become a total recluse during her 12-year absence, which was almost a disappearing act in itself. The guitar work on this song is very dark and incredibly catchy. I love how it sparkles and twists during the chorus like an object revolving around its central boss, catching the light as it does so. The witchy "Oooooooo!" noises that come in at 3:15 also make this song incredibly entertaining and memorable. "Joanni" is another one of my favourites, because it's such a pastoral and bittersweet song. This song is about Joan Of Arc, but Kate sings it in such a way that it could be about anyone called Joanni. This is a frequent theme in much of Kate's work; this way, it appeals to a much broader audience, in which the listener can directly apply the themes and subjects to their own circumstances. This also renders much of her material less 'batty' as most people claim. The sonics of this song are warming and inviting, and the drums are very rhythmic.
The first disc closes with the stunning "A Coral Room." Just from reading the names of the songs I was most excited about this song, but was quite disappointed when I actually heard it. Everyone was raving about how amazing this song was, which built up my expectations. I visualised a room filled with beautiful sea shells which appealed to my art side. However, repeated listens revealed this song's true beauty. This song is very complex in the way it is arranged, but the piano is just beautiful. The tone of the piano and the silence in between each bar is what makes it so breathtaking to me, and the emotional content of the lyrics of course. Kate is singing about the death of her mother Hannah from back in 1993, and how the sight of a small brown jug triggers memories of the time when she was alive. I would have loved to have been sat watching Kate as she recorded this stunning song, just to experience her power at work, although that would probably be a selfish thing to wish for as Kate requires her own time and space to record.
"A SEA OF HONEY."
This disc is easily my favourite of the two, and it opens with the beautiful "Prelude." This piece may only be 86 seconds long, but it's so gorgeous it makes me want to cry. It opens with the sound of pigeons or doves gently cooing to a beat that Kate has arranged in such a way to sound muffled. They're definitely singing something, but I can't quite hear what exactly. Inbetween this Bertie says, "Mummy...daddy. The day is full of birds. Sounds like they're saying words." A piano cuts right through my heart every time I hear this. It's the sound of a mother so in love with her son, one of the most beautiful and maternal, natural things in the world. This soon gives way to the epic "Prologue." The deep noises that runs throughout this song reminded me of a similar sound on "Under Ice" from "Hounds Of Love" the first time I heard it, but it's slightly more cohesive here. The piano work is just superb, and the way it rises in the chorus in harmony with Kate's voice urges us to sing along with her. Stunning and beautiful, one of the best pieces she's ever recorded.
"An Architect's Dream" is a great song but probably one of my least favourites on the album. It opens with a spoken part by Rolf Harris, another national treasure who just happens to be a fine painter. After a while, however, this becomes quite annoying. Musically this is a rather rhythmic piece of music that is very percussive as Kate sings about watching the painter paint on the side of a street, much like in Disney's "Mary Poppins." It starts to rain, however, and his entire painting is washed away! This is carried through into "The Painter's Link," a short one and a half minute where Rolf sings about his painting being washed away, Kate following him by singing about how the colours running form a wonderful sunset. Yes, it's quite corny, but it's also expertly staged for this album's next masterpiece...
Which arrives in the form of "Sunset." This is one of the best songs on the album and probably one of my favourite Kate songs ever. It's six minutes long and epitomises the sight of a setting sun better than any other song I think I've ever heard. Kate has this unique ability to process her thoughts into musical genius for us all to relate to, yet it's all coming from her own little world. We're merely lucky enough to be able to observe her creation. The lyrics are stunning, as she sings, "Where sands of crimson, red and rust. Then climb into bed and turn to dust." The piano work is flawless as per usual, and the unusually bouncy section of "Keep us close to your hearts, so if the skies stay dark, we may live on in comets and stars!" is my absolute favourite. Cute, joyous and irresistibly Kate Bush. Just when you think the song is closing up it transforms into a Flamenco-style outro that lasts for two minutes as the song picks up pace and castanets are thrown into the mix for good measure! This is where the song peaks as Kate sings, "They go all the way up to the top of the night!" Just gorgeous! "Aerial Tal" lasts for a minute and breaks up the album a bit more. We hear a distorted piano playing before a bird starts chirping melodically. Kate then comes in and mimics the beautiful birdsong. People reckon it's crazy, but it's absolutely delightful to hear - or at least think about the idea - of human beings interacting with birds in such a way.
"Something In Between" was one of my favourite songs right from the offset, and I still adore it. The beat is extraordinary and the soundscapes that seep in are used so effectively. The guitar work is lush and expansive, and Kate's voice never sounded better. The sound of her singing, "It was just so beautiful!" before the chorus is amazing. Perhaps the most idyllic part of this song comes at the end where she sings, "Goodnight sun, goodnight sun," before Bertie/The Sun sings, "Goodnight mum!"
Now this brings us to my favourite song on the album, "Nocturn." If you think I've been gushing for the past 2,000 words then wait for this. At more than eight minutes long, this song is easily one of my all-time favourites. It has a quality to it that you'd only dream of creating yourself, but only once it's over, because when you hear this song you will be transfixed for the full length. The first time I heard Kate sing, "We go driving into...the moonlight!" I nearly had tears in my eyes. What a gorgeous intro! This should be listened to in the dead of night beneath a full moon, I swear you'll feel more alive than you ever have done. I love how words are drawn out, especially, "We long for...just that...something...MORE!" as a beat descends behind it. This is a rather water-themed song, and I love how Kate can draw out a word by making her voice rise and fall in pitch to flow like a wave in the sea, up and down, up and down, gently undulating onto the shore. The sonics of this song are pure and uncorrupted, twinkling in all their glory. The drums and the guitar work are perfectly contrasted by the beautiful and ethereal choir work some four minutes in. Just when you think the song is maybe running out a steam Kate brings it all back up for an explosive climax as she sings, "Well it came up, on the horizon! Rising and rising! In a sea of honey! A sky of honey!" Then a (presumably) male choir comes in to sing "Look at the light! All the time it's a changing. Look at the light! Climbing up the aerial! Bright, white, coming alive, jumping off of the aerial!" The song then explodes at the end, giving way to the break of a new dawn...
This is the introduction of the album's closing song and title track "Aerial." At almost eight minutes long it's another very ambitious song but very adventurous and exciting. It has a strange beat to it which you could almost imagine going down a storm at the clubs! The main beat dances beneath a belly that bounces back and forth for the whole song and will remain in your head for the rest of your life. If it were a colour it would be yellow. After two minutes a bird starts chirping again and Kate begins giggling in response. The beat still gently bouncing in the background, she toys with this bird, probably the single greatest reaction I've ever heard to humans in nature. Even Kate's laughing is beautiful and stunning, just awesome. The laugh soon increases as the beat drops back in, becoming more of a beat itself, more cacaphony-like and deeper, perhaps suggesting an evil undertone. Electric guitars come in as the fifth minute approaches, opening this song up to stratospheric heights of breathtaking awe. The beat still bounces back and forth, zigzagging up and down as drums come in and Kate's voice becomes almost lost in the mix. Then we hear an army of laughing used as a beat incredibly well, very Pink Floyd in style, as it signals the end of this stunning album.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
This album is an experience. To Bush fanatics such as myself, it's pretty much religious. Kate Bush is a religion unto herself and I will adore her music for the rest of my life. The album entered the UK album chart at No.3 last weekend behind fodder bands Westlife and Il Divo who, in twenty years' time, will be remembered more as the sad acts who prevented this classic from topping the charts where it belongs. Still, it sold almost 100,000 copies in its first week on sale which is an incredible achievement for someone in her fourth decade of music, and also for an album that has received little or no promotion on behalf of the artist herself. I only hope that the release of this album has urged more people to get into the crazy world of Kate Bush. Her music takes hold of your soul and will never let go, so be warned if you're not prepared! This album is essential listening for anyone interested in hearing beautiful music by a truly beautiful human being.
Description of Aerial
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.It's often said that a musician's debut represents the culmination of a lifetime's worth of experiences, but their sophomore effort is usually derived from just the intervening year. By waiting 12 years between The Red Shoes and her new double CD, Aerial, Kate Bush has tried to regain that lifetime. It's a remarkably coherent recording, reflecting the unique world of sound and spirit Bush has inhabited since her debut. The first disc, subtitled A Sea of Honey, is a suite of personal reveries. It ranges from "King of the Mountain," a contemplation of unbridled celebrity and its isolation that references Elvis and Citizen Kane, to the piano-and-voice study "Mrs. Bartolozzi," an ode to household chores whose chorus is "Sloshy sloshy sloshy sloshy, get that dirty shirty clean." With its Depeche Mode-influenced synth pads, electro pulses, and lyric cadences, "King of the Mountain" is vintage Bush pop. But many of the songs attain more epic proportions, like the dynamic "Joanni," a hymn to Joan of Arc. It's the second disc--a suite called A Sky of Honey--on which Bush really comes into her own. Using metaphors of the turning of the day and the flight of birds, she orchestrates a meditation on the cycles of life. Musically expansive, she weaves her compositions out of birdsong, subtle orchestrations, and jazz trios, showing herself at her experimental best. Embracing her relatively new motherhood, as well as the death of her mother, Aerial is a deeply personal album, and a welcome return from one of pop music's true icons and vocal wonders. --John Diliberto
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