THE DREAMING

Perhaps the best find David Gilmour ever scored since that case of blotter left behind at a Pink Floyd gig, KATE BUSH spent years crafting a fair number of songs before she was discovered and signed to EMI Records where she was an instant sensation in her native UK at the tender age of 20 when she the very first female who both performed and wrote a song that hit #1. That honor goes to 'Wuthering Heights' and the debut album 'The Kick Inside' launched her into the spotlight right away, however having started writing her material at the age of 11, BUSH had accrued enough material to craft into three whole albums. Given that the tunes were written in her teenage years, 'The Kick Inside, 'Lionheart' and 'Never For Ever' all exhibited the same sort of romantic piano based progressive pop however but when it was time to start work on a fourth album, BUSH had to start from scratch.

After scoring seven top 40 hits with the formula, BUSH boldly embarked on a completely new journey and went all crazy with an album that has been deemed her most outrageous and least commercial of all. My goodness, KATE! What kind of tea were you sipping out there in the English countryside circa 1981? THE DREAMING was a madhouse of ideas thrown together in a blender and then crafted into a new style of progressive pop bliss. With KATE's piano melodies in firm command, she joined forces with an army of guest musicians and vocalists that offered the entire Nonesuch world music catalogue of ethnic instruments as well as a plethora of experiments all twisted into an avant-fantasy married with a touch of seriousness that tackled political issues and global injustice. Quirky and utterly unique, even in the KATE BUSH canon, THE DREAMING was one of those one-of-a-kind miracles of creation that swallowed up two years of recording time and understandably was ahead of its time and left the critics scratching their heads as to what in the world Ms BUSH had unleashed onto un unsuspecting public.

THE DREAMING comes across as if KATE BUSH was coming of age. Having played the good girl pop star with dreamy pop ballads and groovy upbeat rock, on this album she went for the gusto like a rebellious young woman finding her own way and literally exploded into a thousand different directions with no fucks to give. Quirky like early Sparks with progressive pop hooks to match, BUSH threw down the gauntlet of amalgamating as many ethnic folk styles as possible with her clear admiration for the art rock and prog scene of the 70s married with the zeitgeist of contemporary new wave sensibilities. Despite the album being too weird at the time for radio to latch onto and scoring no hit singles, the album still rocketed to #3 on the UK charts and found a slight dent in the US market due to the interest of college radio stations. Acting somewhat like the ringleader in the circus of BUSH's own making, THE DREAMING found a never-ending stylistic mishmash of cleverly crafted tunes that provided zany pop hooks, labyrinthine constructs and best of all a fiery KATE BUSH pushing the limits of musical expansiveness.

The opening track 'Sat In Your Lap' bursts onto the scene with a caffeinated percussive drive and an energetic drive which finds KATE alternating her more contemplative lyrical style with joyous squeals and at times falls into frantic remiss. The track displays a wealth of vocal tracks serving as playful counterpoints augmented with a touch of jazzy brass sounds. 'There Goes A Tenner' with its crime film theme shifts gears completely with a tango groove and a melody that clearly pinpoints exactly where Bj'rk copped a feel or two on her famous track 'The Hunter.' She has admitted that THE DREAMING was one of her favorite albums and it's interesting how certain aspects of THE DREAMING have clearly lived on in the Icelandic diva's own recordings. 'Pull Out The Pin' only takes things into weirder territories. Piano driven as usual, KATE's vocal range extends into extremities with cool and calm completive passages as well as unhinged screams of uncertainty.

'Suspended In Gaffa' demonstrates on oom-pa-pa sort of polka groove but takes on a Celtic jig sort of vibe sinspired by working with Irish bands like Planxty and The Chieftains. 'Leave It Open' which tackles the darker sides of one's personality finds a bipolar KATE BUSH whispering lyrics while her own call and response offers a creepy comeback. As if the album were her own Broadway play of sorts, there are additional vocalists who have conversations around the shifting time signature nuances of the polyrhythmic grooves and sampled effects. The title track really goes for the avant-garde jugular with a stellar mix of Irish folk instrumentation along with Aboriginal Australian sounds such as uileann pipes and didgeridoos. Some of KATE's vocals are downright frightening on this one. The song rightfully shines a light on the plight of the native Australians and the injustices perpetrated upon them throughout the colonization process. 'Night Of The Swallow' shifts into an almost winey piano ballad that could easily be inserted into any of KATE's earlier albums but after but completely morphs into a folkier Irish jig dominated sound.

'All The Love' is the closest thing to a 'normal' song on the album with the common for other albums piano melodies and a more tamed vocal style however the experiments shine though in vocal samples and loops towards the end. 'Houdini' was inspired by the famous escape artist and who is also depicted on the album cover. The track is on the tamer side for the most part but ultimately comes off as something out of 'Phantom Of The Opera' which dramatic emotional outburst as well as classical sounding string parts. After a rather subdued ending of the album, the frenetic energy picks up again as the closer 'Get Out Of My House' finds extreme variations of vocal outbursts ranging from quiet and subdued to screamed and frantic with many occurring simultaneously. The terror experienced on this track makes more sense once learned that the track is based on Stephen King's novel 'The Shining' which clearly shows that THE DREAMING also tackles the darker aspects of real nightmares. The track is actually funnier than it is scary as the KATE and guest vocalists end with crazed donkey sounds!

THE DREAMING proved not to be an ephemeral pop record that was made to sell a lot in a short time but rather was so far reaching that it was the exact opposite. While the critics and many fans didn't understand the sheer genius of this album upon its time of release, the album has nevertheless become one of those timeless classics. While KATE would return to her romantic pop sensibilities that would return her career to the top of the charts with 'Hounds Of Love,' THE DREAMING although an anomaly, is the album to gravitate towards first if like me you seek out the more extreme and adventurous expressions of music. Laced with instantly addictive melodic hooks that are sensual and seductive while intellectually teased and challenged with innovative time signature gymnastics and compositional unorthodoxies, in many ways THE DREAMING was like the more psychedelic and progressive version of 'Graceland' that Paul Simon enjoyed so much success with.

The album is a veritable trip around the world as well as one throughout KATE BUSH's wildest imagination. Having racked up quite a tab and yielding low returns, this was the point where KATE built her own studio so she could take as much time as she needed to craft her art pop albums without the finger-wagging scoffing of the record company. This in my opinion is KATE BUSH's finest moment and one of those albums that i can put on replay in perpetuity and never grow tired of hearing it. Yep, a masterpiece of the ages. I still trip out listening to this one every time i give it a spin.