HOUNDS OF LOVE

You have to admire Kate Bush who carried the flag for more progressive music through prog's barren years across the 1980s. I will also say that she did this not only at a time when prog appeared to be spluttering to a complete halt but also at a time when it was incredibly difficult for any female artist to be taken seriously outside of teen pop. Of course she benefitted from encouragement from artists such as Gilmour and Gabriel which frankly must have been an awesome experience that leaves me incredibly jealous. Of course Kate Bush's work is rightly labelled as Crossover prog but what is a little disappointing for me is the high number of tracks that pander to pop/rock audiences just so she could get her more progressive work released.

When I bought Hounds of Love it was one of my post-millennial purchases as I started to become more interested in the mellower side of prog (its an age thing) with Steven Wilson's solo work and Big Big Train as well as going back through my collection of Mike Oldfield and the Moody Blues. I had hopes that the Kate Bush popular tracks would be in a minority and that the album would bring me something unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately I think I expected too much because my experience doesn't quite match expectations. Obviously the more popular tracks still stand out from your average 80s pop hit but not quite enough for me to feel really impressed. I do enjoy those songs but also recognize that they aren't my preference and much like most progressive fans I definitely prefer side 2 of the original vinyl album. Bush's vocals are distinctive and exceptional as she works her way through some very original material with some awesome lyrical content. The numerous musicians supporting this effort all do a fabulous job with highlights being some of the base work and the range of unusual instruments that give you an original sound to contend with.

Side 1 of the album is little eclectic with some polished pop songs mixed in with some darker themed efforts and so this part of the album doesn't flow extremely well. Side 2 flows a little better but I don't get the chance to lose myself in the narrative or the music because the connection is not strong enough and there is insufficient texture to satisfy my personal taste. That would be my biggest criticism of this album - it lacks depth and sounds stripped back to bare essentials leaving us with few layers and a lack of complexity to focus on. For me, depth and texture are one of the most important aspects of music. What is strong here is the clarity of sound and the musical balance which is even more important to get right when music is this stripped back.

I have already alluded to the lyrics being very original and they are almost exclusively an enhancement to the music. The vocal style is just so original, with awesome range executed without fear of individuality, that they almost make up for the missing depth. Of course some of these tracks have very progressive structures while others are a little more standard pop/rock formats which is quite normal for crossover but will lead to avid prog fans eventually wanting to skip some and repeat others. The placement of the hit single, Running Up That Hill at the start of the album ensures that most music fans will at least want to hear out side 1 but those who aren't buying into the whole progressive idea might start to flag before they get to side 2. If you are a fan of progressive music then don't skip side 2 which is less accessible but more rewarding.

Overall for those who need an electric guitar fix, best skip this one. For the rest of you open-minded music lovers please remember the context of this album being released in the barren 1980s when those of us who were there thought that true prog would never return. So glad we were wrong.

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