Kate Bush: Hounds of Love

I love Kate Bush. Ever since a fateful day in 1987 when my brother put Hounds of Love on the ol' turntable, I've been one of the faithful in the church of Kate (I avoided a very bad joke, yes).

Like all of her work, Kate bounces between, experimental and alternative, with hints of pop and rock. She likes to play with sounds, be they electronic, orchestral, or her own voice.

I don't know if Hounds of Love is her best work, but it is, far and away, my favourite. That being said, it's hard to pull out a few tracks to listen to, however, I shall endeavour:

Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), where the singer talks about making a deal with, you guessed it, God. Big Sky has a certain pop-appeal and a killer beat. Under Ice makes use of a very deep stringed instrument, perhaps even a standup bass to create a certain sinister (dare I say Russian?) feel. And Jig of Life runs at a pace akin to a nice Irish jig, making use of many of the sounds you'd find in one.

In the End: Kate Bush's 1985 album Hounds of Love managed to be created in the middle of the 80s and maintain minimal connection to the decade of big hair. It's experimental, but in a way that would work even today. This is a truly great album. At one point or another, I'm certain everyone's heard music off of Hounds. Give the rest of the album a chance.

On the web: You'll find a bunch of Kate Bush music linked to from The Hype Machine.

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