Thursday 25 September 2008

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 ReviewsTM, Bobby Goes to the GymTM, Bobby Takes the Central LineTM and Bobby has to listen to straight boys burp in the showersTM 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.

7 comments:

Frontier Psychiatrist said...

Wait. Does this mean its not cool to like "Wuthering Heights?"

Edd said...

listed to the gosspi, coal to diamonds, love that song. And the mAGIN NUMERS, YOU SEE ME.

Robert Cox said...

Frontier: Wuthering Heights is v. cool - I think what I mean is that Kate Bush isn't just about Wuthering Heights and Babooska... like people listen to the Verve and think they're just Bitter Sweet Symphony.
Or that Bjork is just about "It's All So Quiet" or whatever the song is called.

Edd: Loving it and you more x x x

MadeInScotland said...

Ah hope you czechedOUT my blogPod, and you will see Kate's Bush features-with her heavy people.

I was a founder member of her fan club AND I have the pic disc of her in a green/blue (I think) leotard of the Kick Inside-flip the disk.

I am her Lord of the Reedy River

ahoj

MadeInScotland said...

ps erm, actually I think my blogPod has Don't Push Your Foot On..., but my mistake was an easy one. They were all on the same EP (Live From the Hammersmith) I think. SO confident I shan't even google it to czech.

ahoj

Paul Burston said...

Love la Bush. And I love your choice of songs. I would add 'Moments of Pleasure', 'Leave It Open', 'Running Up That Hill (12") 'Get Out Of Hosue' (where she turns into a mule) and the last twelve minutes of 'Aerial'. Pure crazy fucked up pop genius.

Robert Cox said...

Czech I saw it and I was going to include Them Heavy People in my list of essential of Kate Bush but Suspended in Gaffa beat it to the final edit.
I didn't realise you were such a huge fan! brilliant!
Kate Bush and red wine is the only way to get through these dark winter nights!

Paul: Yeah, I think the whole of Aerial is exceptional. Well, Disc 2 beats Disc 1 but it's all incredible. The hours I have spent lying on the floor with said glass of red listening to Disc 2.
Also - choosing songs is difficult because you don't want to scare the shit out of people but then again you don't want folks to think it's all The Sensual World (song not album)...Maybe Leave It Open wins the award for loopiest song.
Actually, I'm relistening to Moments of Pleasure - god, she's such a genius. It's so cinematic, beautiful and so sad.
Viva Kate Bush viva....