Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

S.M.B.

New album out in the next 2 months. Very very excited.

I really hope she follows through and does a a few live dates on the back of it too. I'd be there with bells on.

SilverScreen

Can't wait for this, if it's anything as good as Aerial I will be very happy indeed.

She did hint in an interview with MOJO a few months ago that she would like to tour again if the time was right. I really hope she will go back to touring.

S.M.B.

Well she said she probably wouldn't tour but would love to do a few shows.

If so, she'd surely be doing a London date which would suit me perfectly.

Would pay serious £ to see her perform.

losthorizon

Cant see her doing any live dates tbh. Seems to release an album every six or seven years now and give an interview and thats it. Dont think she sang any live dates for Aerial?

S.M.B.

Nah, she's only done a handful of guest appearances in the past 25 years. Here's what she said recently though.

I do hope that some time I get a chance to do some shows. Maybe not a tour, but something

bullpost

It amazes me that she can still get the level of interest she does and the volume of sales despite close to zero promotion on her part.

She really is a testament to the fact that it is not necessary to tour relentlessly and promote yourself relentlessly to have a career, once you have the talent.

I reckon she is one of only a handful of artists who could manage this.

Having said that I can understand why she would not want to tour , but can't understand why she won't do the occasional Jools show or similar.

mike65

She got a case of stage fright when she was 18 (which she denies it has to be said but it looks like that to me) and I guess it stays with you. As for her ongoing success I think that's down to her aloof mystery because she doesn't tour, do chat shows and releases an album once in a blue moon. Funnily enough

Wattle

She creates in splendid isolation and she has spent a lot of her time since the 80's dodging the spotlight. She takes a long time between records. I imagine it would be very difficult to recreate albums like Aerial in a live context and I think she would be uneasy with the exposure. She can get away with a low visibility because she has built her legend over the years. I would love to see her live but I doubt it will happen.

Having said that I will be all over the new record.

mike65

I was watching Vintage TV the other night and Babooshka came on, I'd quite forgotten what a little minx she was in those early vids!

adox

I`ll buy anything she puts out(which granted is very little over the last few years).

Up there with my favourite female artists of all time.

InTheTrees

I remember when wuthering heights came out. Nice song. I was never a big fan though.

Didnt she have some association with Pink Floyd?

SilverScreen

InTheTrees wrote: »

Didnt she have some association with Pink Floyd?

Yep, Dave Gilmour discovered her after hearing one of her demos and got her signed to EMI. He helped produce some of her early material as well.

mosstin

S.M.B. wrote: »

New album out in the next 2 months. Very very excited.

I really hope she follows through and does a a few live dates on the back of it too. I'd be there with bells on.

Clearly hoping for December dates then.

S.M.B.

If only.......

Her new song "Wild Man" debuted on BBC Radio last night. I've yet to have a chance to listen to it. Has anyone else had the pleasure?

SilverScreen

Yep, here she be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3BzjfAjug4

Very nice, still as seductive, creative and otherworldly as ever.

mosstin

Zero1986 wrote: »

Yep, here she be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3BzjfAjug4

Very nice, still as seductive, creative and otherworldly as ever.

Sounded quite underwhelming actually. Aerial was one of the best records of the 2000s though. Beautiful stuff.

bullpost

She can sing the telephone directory as far as I'm concerned and I'd still enjoy it.

Mind you she almost did on Pi

mosstin wrote: »

Sounded quite underwhelming actually. Aerial was one of the best records of the 2000s though. Beautiful stuff.

mike65

Hope the real audio track sounds better cos that's very flat.

losthorizon

Zero1986 wrote: »

Yep, here she be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3BzjfAjug4

Very nice, still as seductive, creative and otherworldly as ever.

Very impressed

bullpost

Album reviewed in this months Uncut.

They give it 4 stars so hopefully will live up to that when released.

Maximum 40 Characters

NPR have the full album streamed

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=142133269&m=142188918

Wattle

Read a pretty negative review in one of the sunday papers. It said the album was way too long and some of the songs were 'ponderous'. Still I will of course be buying it Monday.

Table Top Joe

Why not buy it Friday when its released??;)


Ive listened to it three times now,love the first half,second half not so much,still though,some wonderful stuff on it,very atmospheric late night record


4/5 for me(at this early stage at least)

S.M.B.

Wattle wrote: »

Read a pretty negative review in one of the sunday papers. It said the album was way too long and some of the songs were 'ponderous'. Still I will of course be buying it Monday.

Any review I've come across seems to be very positive.

Liking it a lot on first listen, can see it being my soundtrack for the next 3 winter months.

Wattle

S.M.B. wrote: »

Any review I've come across seems to be very positive.

Liking it a lot on first listen, can see it being my soundtrack for the next 3 winter months.

They actually gave it three stars out of five the only complaint being that some of the songs were too long. Can't wait to hear it.

bullpost

Its available online from 7Digital for a fiver (320kbps MP3) :
http://ie.7digital.com/artists/kate-bush/50-words-for-snow/

Will stump for the CD or might even wait for vinyl , though that will take another week and would only buy it if it came with mp3s as well.

TroutMask

Wattle wrote: »

I imagine it would be very difficult to recreate albums like Aerial in a live context

Can't wait till the new album myself
I'd agree with you about the exposure, but Aerial would be easy to recreate live
for an artist with access to the kind of tour support one gets at that level. Clair Brothers are well accustomed to providing tour infrastructure for such acts.

Wattle

Well she's certainly not playing live in support of this album. Read an interview where she said 'never say never' but we've been hearing that for years. Maybe she'll just show up somewhere with a piano. Later With Jools would be perfect..........

Anyway I'm off home to listen to the new album.

SilverScreen

Picked up the album yesterday. The music for the most part is sparse and piano-led, it has an almost ambient feel to it which gives a nice feeling of winter landscapes. Her voice isn't quite what it was but it still suits the quiet nature of the music here so well. The music sounds timeless and the album sounds like it could have come out at any point in her career. The only real disappointment here is the title track which doesn't quite live up to it's interesting concept, other than that this will be a great album for dark winter evenings.

keanooo

Praise indeed... 5 stars...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/17/kate-bush-50-words-snow?INTCMP=SRCH

DominoDub

In 1978 a girl on TV (Kate Bush) made a young 7yr old boy stop in his tracks :eek:, now nearly 40yr:o that boy is stopped once again in his tracks playing her new album "50 Words for Snow".

mosstin

DominoDub wrote: »

In 1978 a girl on TV (Kate Bush) made a young 7yr old boy stop in his tracks :eek:, now nearly 40yr:o that boy is stopped once again in his tracks playing her new album "50 Words for Snow".

Yup, I think there are many folk out there getting old with Kate as soundtrack. Listening now to an older Bertie singing on 'Snowflake' compared to the child's voice on 'Prelude' from 'Aerial'.

bullpost

The review in the Sunday Times could have effectively been written with one word - peerless.

keanooo wrote: »

Praise indeed... 5 stars...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/17/kate-bush-50-words-snow?INTCMP=SRCH

lordgoat

Listening to Aerial now, so much thought in each song. Can't wait for this.

Wattle

I havent quite been able to listen to the album start to finish but 'Snowflake' wow. So atmospheric. Bertie's voice adds to the haunting nature of the song.

sham69

just having a listen now.
Loving Wild Man and Snowed in at Wheeler Street with Elton.
50 words for snow, bizarre but strangely hypnotic.
Among Angels, beautiful, voice is amazing on it.
I didnt like the first track to be honest, lake tahoe is quite pretty.

delbertgrady

I realise I'm going against the vast majority of media (and everyone here), but I think it's her weakest album. :eek: [ducks for cover]

Now, before you all start getting indignant and accusing me of being one of these people who expects her to remake The Kick Inside or Hounds of Love, I loved Aerial, and I thought Director's Cut improved on every track bar This Woman's Work (which should have been left alone), but this is a self-indulgent collection that outstays its welcome. She'd have been far better putting out an EP of the best songs. For me, they would be Misty (Sweet JESUS, her voice on that... not to mention the superb playing of Danny Thompson and Steve Gadd) and Among Angels, the two best tracks by a snow-covered country mile. Twenty minutes of great new music. Excellent! But after that, it's a struggle to nominate the best least bad of the remaining five songs. Bertie's sub-par Aled Jones and Stephen Fry's Vivian Stanshall impression are certainly not in the running.

I honestly don't know how it's getting such great reviews. If it's agreed that, say, The Kick Inside, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love are acknowledged as her bona fide "five star" albums, then any review that rates 50 Words for Snow likewise (The Guardian, for example) is effectively suggesting that (on a star-rating sliding scale of Kate's discography) 50 Words for Snow is as good as those albums. Hmmm. Perhaps you'd like to reconsider? I can't help but feel that the unanimous level of enthusiasm for it is conditioned by the fact that it's simply (deep breath) new music from Kate Bush. Such is her (undisputed) aura that all objective criticism goes out the window.

I'm not a fan of The Red Shoes (mainly due to the horrible nineties production), but equally, I can hardly criticise that album for the multitude of cameo appearances and not apply the same criticisms here. Of the seven songs, Bertie sings the bulk of Snowflake, Stefan Roberts and Michael Wood contribute to Lake Tahoe, Wild Man has the Andy Fairweather-Low synthesised vocal, Snowed in at Wheeler Street features Elton John and 50 Words for Snow has Stephen Fry - it's like a DUETS album! The best two songs are the ones where only Kate sings. Hardly a coincidence.

I suspect that - and obviously this is semi-conditioned by the fact that it is ultimately a "winter album" - it's not a record that will be played very much, even by the very people who seem to love it now, and surely that is the true test of a record's quality. It's not conventional enough to be classed as a Christmas record, but it's too specifically themed to be suitable for playing outside the winter months. But apart from Misty and Among Angels, if I feel like some wintery Kate Bush, I'll stick to December Will Be Magic Again or On Fire Inside a Snowball.

mosstin

delbertgrady wrote: »

I realise I'm going against the vast majority of media (and everyone here), but I think it's her weakest album. :eek: [ducks for cover]

Now, before you all start getting indignant and accusing me of being one of these people who expects her to remake The Kick Inside or Hounds of Love, I loved Aerial, and I thought Director's Cut improved on every track bar This Woman's Work (which should have been left alone), but this is a self-indulgent collection that outstays its welcome. She'd have been far better putting out an EP of the best songs. For me, they would be Misty (Sweet JESUS, her voice on that... not to mention the superb playing of Danny Thompson and Steve Gadd) and Among Angels, the two best tracks by a snow-covered country mile. Twenty minutes of great new music. Excellent! But after that, it's a struggle to nominate the best least bad of the remaining five songs. Bertie's sub-par Aled Jones and Stephen Fry's Vivian Stanshall impression are certainly not in the running.

I honestly don't know how it's getting such great reviews. If it's agreed that, say, The Kick Inside, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love are acknowledged as her bona fide "five star" albums, then any review that rates 50 Words for Snow likewise (The Guardian, for example) is effectively suggesting that (on a star-rating sliding scale of Kate's discography) 50 Words for Snow is as good as those albums. Hmmm. Perhaps you'd like to reconsider? I can't help but feel that the unanimous level of enthusiasm for it is conditioned by the fact that it's simply (deep breath) new music from Kate Bush. Such is her (undisputed) aura that all objective criticism goes out the window.

I'm not a fan of The Red Shoes (mainly due to the horrible nineties production), but equally, I can hardly criticise that album for the multitude of cameo appearances and not apply the same criticisms here. Of the seven songs, Bertie sings the bulk of Snowflake, Stefan Roberts and Michael Wood contribute to Lake Tahoe, Wild Man has the Andy Fairweather-Low synthesised vocal, Snowed in at Wheeler Street features Elton John and 50 Words for Snow has Stephen Fry - it's like a DUETS album! The best two songs are the ones where only Kate sings. Hardly a coincidence.

I suspect that - and obviously this is semi-conditioned by the fact that it is ultimately a "winter album" - it's not a record that will be played very much, even by the very people who seem to love it now, and surely that is the true test of a record's quality. It's not conventional enough to be classed as a Christmas record, but it's too specifically themed to be suitable for playing outside the winter months. But apart from Misty and Among Angels, if I feel like some wintery Kate Bush, I'll stick to December Will Be Magic Again or On Fire Inside a Snowball.

50 Words has received almost widespread critical acclaim in the same way those albums did. Perhaps you need to reconsider. Or listen some more. Each to their own and all that but it's becoming a very beautiful record for me. Agreed on the Bertie vocal on Snowflake - I did picture a cherubic Aled Jones myself.

k.p.h

It's a very good album, but I'm not sure how good. Maybe not as good as appears at first, or maybe better. I suppose the questions are the answer.

Boom_Bap

I must get my hands on this, I've heard nothing but outstanding reviews so far.

Wattle

delbertgrady wrote: »

I realise I'm going against the vast majority of media (and everyone here), but I think it's her weakest album. :eek: [ducks for cover]

Now, before you all start getting indignant and accusing me of being one of these people who expects her to remake The Kick Inside or Hounds of Love, I loved Aerial, and I thought Director's Cut improved on every track bar This Woman's Work (which should have been left alone), but this is a self-indulgent collection that outstays its welcome. She'd have been far better putting out an EP of the best songs. For me, they would be Misty (Sweet JESUS, her voice on that... not to mention the superb playing of Danny Thompson and Steve Gadd) and Among Angels, the two best tracks by a snow-covered country mile. Twenty minutes of great new music. Excellent! But after that, it's a struggle to nominate the best least bad of the remaining five songs. Bertie's sub-par Aled Jones and Stephen Fry's Vivian Stanshall impression are certainly not in the running.

I honestly don't know how it's getting such great reviews. If it's agreed that, say, The Kick Inside, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love are acknowledged as her bona fide "five star" albums, then any review that rates 50 Words for Snow likewise (The Guardian, for example) is effectively suggesting that (on a star-rating sliding scale of Kate's discography) 50 Words for Snow is as good as those albums. Hmmm. Perhaps you'd like to reconsider? I can't help but feel that the unanimous level of enthusiasm for it is conditioned by the fact that it's simply (deep breath) new music from Kate Bush. Such is her (undisputed) aura that all objective criticism goes out the window.

I'm not a fan of The Red Shoes (mainly due to the horrible nineties production), but equally, I can hardly criticise that album for the multitude of cameo appearances and not apply the same criticisms here. Of the seven songs, Bertie sings the bulk of Snowflake, Stefan Roberts and Michael Wood contribute to Lake Tahoe, Wild Man has the Andy Fairweather-Low synthesised vocal, Snowed in at Wheeler Street features Elton John and 50 Words for Snow has Stephen Fry - it's like a DUETS album! The best two songs are the ones where only Kate sings. Hardly a coincidence.

I suspect that - and obviously this is semi-conditioned by the fact that it is ultimately a "winter album" - it's not a record that will be played very much, even by the very people who seem to love it now, and surely that is the true test of a record's quality. It's not conventional enough to be classed as a Christmas record, but it's too specifically themed to be suitable for playing outside the winter months. But apart from Misty and Among Angels, if I feel like some wintery Kate Bush, I'll stick to December Will Be Magic Again or On Fire Inside a Snowball.

Well I guess that not everybody can like absolutely everything she does. It strikes me that this album may need a bit of time. It could be a grower. I usually wouldn't pass judgement on new albums until I give them a few listens.

mosstin

Wattle wrote: »

Well I guess that not everybody can like absolutely everything she does. It strikes me that this album may need a bit of time. It could be a grower. I usually wouldn't pass judgement on new albums until I give them a few listens.

Which is true of almost everything she's done.

Irish Aris

I've been listening to the album again the last few days. And, as most people said, I keep on "discovering" little details that add to the whole picture.
I haven't been very enthousiastic about Aerial, and I thought that Director's Cut was good but not totally "necessary".
This album is a return to great form!!
Definitely in the list of my favourite albums of 2011!!
If only she would make us the favour and decide on some live shows!!!!