THE DREAMING

As Kate Bush has always been one of my favourite artists, the wait for her inclusion in the Archives has been quite long. Now she's here at last, and I can review all her back catalogue to my heart's delight while I wait to get hold of "Aerial".

"The Dreaming" is considered inferior to its follow-up, "Hounds of Love", by those people who find it way too adventurous for its own good. Multilayered vocals, all kinds of exotic instruments, eerie sound effects, lyrics dealing with intense, somewhat disturbing subject matters, .... It's probably Kate's most 'progressive' album in the true sense of the word, and as such not too everyone's taste. It can be be compared to Peter Gabriel's production of the same period, especially as concerns the liberal use of ethnic beats and the presence of topics such as the plight of indigenous populations. In both artists' '80s output the influence of 'new wave' is quite evident, but at the same time it is only one of the flavours added to an intensely personal mixture. There's very little filler on "The Dreaming", although the lighter-hearted "There Goes a Tenner" and "Suspended in Gaffa" are not on a par with the other tracks. Among the highlights I would mention the heavily percussive title-track, echoing with the voices and sounds of the Australian outback, and the hauntingly beautiful "Houdini", with plaintive violins in the background. However, the real gem here is the wonderful "Pull Out the Pin", with David Gilmour providing backing vocals to a tale from the Vietnam war told from the point of view of a Vietcong: "Just one thing in it, me or him/And I love life..." The lyrics are pure poetry, starkly reflecting the absurdity of war and bearing once again witness to Kate's deep insight into human nature.

"The Dreaming" is arguably not as easy to get into as either its predecessor, "Never For Ever", or the highly praised "Hounds of Love", as it is admittedly less melodic and its lyrics can be downright impenetrable at times. However, neither of these factors stop it from being an excellent album. Four and a half stars, perhaps?