Gaffaweb

Everyone's talking about music and if there's a bandwagon passing through town, I am the first to jump on it.

Because a blog is not democracy it's therefore incumbent on me to foist my opinions onto you so I have I've decided to start a little series called "Music I think you should listen to..."

This will be an occasional element just like other series; Bobby's Film Reviews^TM, Bobby Goes to the Gym^TM, Bobby Takes the Central Line^TM and Bobby has to listen to straight boys burp in the showers^TM etc.

This is the first instalment in our series which will run the gamut from Kate Bush to Pink Floyd, Genesis, Eurythmics and others in between.

Today we start with:

Why I think you should listen to KATE BUSH

Let's be clear bitches.

Before Bjork, before Tori Amos, before Antony and the Johnsons and KT Tunstall and Lily Allen and that annoying cow who sings American Boy, there was Kate Bush.

Marc Almond, Rufus Wainwright, Steven Morrissey, Brett Anderson bla bla. They've all said, at some point, that the reason they got into singing and making music was because they used to listen to Kate Bush.

I love her for so many reasons.

I love that she doesn't give a shit. She never does interviews. She refuses to do concerts. She will not appear at public events.

This means you can take whatever you want from what he sings about. Nothing she does is clouded by the fact that she may have been flogging posh luggage or mobile phones.

I love Kate Bush because I wish she was my girlfriend.

I love Kate Bush because her songs are musical and awkward. And she's happy to be odd and silly and she has a sense of her own ridiculousness.

I love Kate Bush because listening to her makes me feel happy. Kate Bush makes me feel inspired. I listen to her and wish I could do as good as she's done.

I love Kate Bush because she's gentle. Her songs are comforting and pretty and quirky and harmless but most of all I love Kate Bush because she's a true original.

I've chosen a few songs to help you out, five songs which I think are quintessentially Kate Bush. If you listen to any one of them and still can't bear her, then I think you should stick to listening to the Pussycat Dolls.

ONE
Rubberband Girl
This song is all about elasticity and resilience. Yes okay, it's all about elastic bands.
The lines "a rubberband bouncing back to life - a rubberband bend the beat" is assonance at its best.
You can watch a video of the song here

TWO
The Big Sky
A song about someone lying down and looking up into the sky. This song, like a lot of Kate Bush's others, degenerates into a lot of noise which I reckon is the point at which she gets bored with the whole idea, only to see it to the end.
The best line in the song comes at "pause for the jet.."

THREE
Them Heavy People
A slightly quirky song about some religious teachings but it's fun and silly I like it. It's early Kate Bush.

FOUR
And Dream of Sheep
Vintage Kate Bush. This songs shows exactly where Tori Amos stole her ideas from.

FIVE
Suspended in Gaffa
If the list starts in normality with "Rubberband", this is where Kate Bush goes slightly loopy. This is where she earns the 'Alice in Wonderland' nickname. Loving it.

Of course if none of these work, get yourself a bottle good Boschendal red wine, sink into the couch and listen to Aerial from start to finish.

Do not assume Kate is just about "Wuthering Heights" and "Babooshka".

Kate Bush is ma homegirl. I love her.