DREAMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Overall Album Score: 10plus out of 10

This is, in my "humble opinion," one of the most fascinating rock albums ever made. The music is hugely ambitious and, unlike the vast majority of experimental music ever made, it's also hugely listenable. If I didn't try playing this album in the office where I work recently, I would have also said that The Dreaming is an album that everyone can enjoy even if it might take some work.

Don't consider purchasing The Dreaming if you don't like music that's intelligent, deep, inspired, unique, thought-provoking, literate, and (most importantly) freaking excellent. It might not work well in an office setting (and certainly not a social party), but if you want music that you can listen to intensely on your very own, then this is your ticket. The rest of you can waste your time with Madonna.

Speaking of Madonna, this is also one of the craziest albums ever made. Holy moly, Kate Bush sounds positively paranoid through most of this! Probably, this was inspired by Peter Gabriel's mad-genius album Peter Gabriel 3: Melt, but this has Kate Bush's own twisted personality throughout it (and her voice ... oh, she's got to be one of the greatest vocal performers, female or male, of all time).

I could rant about this album forever, but I'm extremely fascinated with every single one of the songs. The feeling throughout the album is so successfully mad and twisted (while still being totally listenable) that it's really no surprise that Kate Bush is basically on top of the whole art-rock thing.

Kate Bush is such a versitile singer that if you were daring enough to count all her singing voices (which I haven't), you'll probably find more than two dozen. (Examples of her different voices are relatively normal, squealing, pixie-like, screaming bloody murder, screaming like a bloody murderer, snake-like, smarmy cockney British, etc., etc.) There is so much to get out of these voices that you'll gladly spend years sorting it out.

Musically, the album has much to offer! The first two songs are mad and very British sounding ("There Goes a Tenner," she clearly sports her British accent). "Pull Out the Pin" is a brilliant composition and is likely one of Kate Bush's most emotionally resonant songs (as she screams "I LOVE LIFE" throughout it). "Suspended in Gaffa" is a brilliant waltz that'll not only entrance you in its atmosphere but also a freaking great melody.

"Leave it Open" is a very scary song (that she'll even top with the final track of the album "Get Out of My House"). "The Dreaming" is, yet, another brilliant song that is also a great musical rendition of a dream! (My dreams end with bagpipe noises all the time!) "Night of the Swallow" is almost a return to original-"The Kick Inside" Kate Bush except it's much more twisted. "All the Love" isn't one of the primary songs that you'll probably remember from this album, but it's enchanting! "Houdini" features one of Bush's most lovely singing voices and one of her scariest in the same song. And, I already mentioned "Get Out of My House," which is basically a horror movie in song.

I had an extremely difficult time figuring out which songs I should give 10pluses to. I know it was probably a bad idea to have created such a scoring system that allows me to score songs above the scale, but ... I'm not going to change it now! Honestly, any of these songs could have received such a rating. Gosh, that's a real rarity! All of these songs are equally brilliant!!!!!!

I did exactly what so many other critics consciously tried to stay away from when describing this album: I ranted. BUT BLOODY HECK, THIS ALBUM IS GREATNESS!!!!!!!! Seriously. This easily earns a place in my Top 5. It deserves much more ranting!

I didn't even mention the lyrics! FREAKING HELL--

I hate using the term "peak album," especially when it comes to describing an artist like Kate Bush, whose work is basically ALL "peak." Nevertheless, if you want to give one Kate Bush album the honor of being her best, this is probably it. However, many fans will contest that and say that her follow-up Hounds of Love is better! (Hounds of Love is much more accessible and mainstreamey, which automatically suggests that is the best place to start your Kate Bush listening journey.) I say, let us enjoy analyzing both of those albums to make that distinction! (And her other ones, too.)

Overall Album Score: 10plus/10 (Does this Kate Bush album really deserve the highest possible rating I can give an album? You freaking bet. I'm willing to fistfight.)

Average Song Score: 10plus (EVERY FREAKING ONE OF THESE SONGS IS FREAKING BRILLIANT ... FREAKING FREAKING FREAKING FREAKING.)

Album Tilt: 10 (And it never lets up. Even the slow songs are bloody marvellous.)

Artist Rating: 10 (Not only is this is album ambitious and unique, but it's also extremely listenable. Does it get any better than this? I wish.)

Track Reviews

Sat in Your Lap 10plus/10

The album begins with this totally mad track which features an insane vocal performance from Kate Bush (which ranges from half-screaming-half singing to half-talking-half-screaming). Kate's voice is the main attraction with this song. She's definitely performing instead of singing, and it's very appealing. The music is played more for its rhythm (with a tribal-like drum beat and crazed accented chords) than its melody, but she's managed to find room to insert plenty of hooks in the album. Instrumentally, the song consists of a piano, drums, and a lot of synthesizers. It's one of the most unique, fresh and delightful songs of not only Kate Bush's career, but within the whole music biz in general.

There Goes a Tenner 10/10

Kate's half-talking-half-singing here, and she reminds me that she's British! (This is almost a cockney accent.) This song is always amazing for me to listen to, because it fascinates me more than "Sat in Your Lap" does! Musically, however, this is rather simple. It's an upbeat little song based on rather simple hooks (but they're deathly hooks). It starts out simply and then other instruments start joining in the madness. There's an engaging synth-filled instrumental interlude that happens twice in this song. Again, this is more delightful Kate Bush awesomeness!!!

Pull Out the Pin 10plus/10

This one strikes me as being a more "normal sounding" Bush song, which I'm never opposed to! She sings in her normal (i.e. not really that normal) voice, but with the occasional scream of "I love life!" (Wow, those screams of "I love life" makes this one of the most extremely resonant songs in all of Kate Bush's career). The hooks run rampant in this melody and the instrumentation is very engaging (and is notable by containing a wood-block-type synthesizer). This is a lower-key song in the album, but I can't help but be fascinated with her resonant screaming in here. It's another classic song, man.

Suspended in Gaffa 10/10

The best way to describe this song might be a wayward waltz. She sings in two voices. One, a low-register singing and, two, a crazed-high pitch singing! The instrumentation almost sounds classical with a few crazy modern touches. The real kicker about this song is that the melody is incredibly catchy! (Sweet!) I like that percussion rapping that goes throughout the song. That was nicely done in particular.

Leave it Open 9.5/10

This one finds Kate Bush being really spooky! Her voice almost sounds like a Demonic killer, sliding words off her tounge like a snake. This is a fascinating song but not quite as fascinating as any of the previous songs. The overall feeling of it is extremely dark (which works very very well). The chanting that comes up occasionally in this song increase that demonic feel of it as well as the occasional spooky "squeal-singing" from Bush. The song becomes more enjoyable when the loud drums pick up. (Hey this was the 80s!) Fantastic song.

The Dreaming 10/10

Featuring the Australian didjeridoo! Also featuring a tribal melody and rhythm section, and it still finds room to even have some hooks in it. (Am I just imaging these hooks? ... Eh, hooks in general are probably are imaginary when you think about it.) The fake whistles are really awesome, too. This is another entry in Kate's world music efforts (most of them were featured in Never For Ever). Like the other songs in this album, this song sounds mad and unorganized, but it rules. One of these days I'm going to sit down and really study this song to find out why she inserted sound-bytes of car tires screeching and something that sounds like a roaring crowd! Closing the song is a bit of bagpipe. I'll have to figure that one out, too.

Night of the Swallow 10/10

I guess I'm so weirded out now, I think is weird too, even though this is a relatively straight forward Kate Bush song. The melody and the feel of the song is similar to the theatricality present in The Kick Inside, except this song features lusher instrumentation. Bush gives a heart-wrenching (relatively normal) vocal performance. The song has hooks in it, but the song is supposed to be dramatic instead of hooky in the pop sense. There's bag pipes in this song, too (or at least a bagpipe-type synth), and it's well used. I especially like the occasional vocal hums that we hear in the background (resembling something like the coo of a whale).

All the Love 10/10

Clucking Bell! This is yet another song that totally fascinates me. The core of the song is relatively straight-forward. Kate gives a vocal performance played for the dramatics (but it's buried under rather thick instrumentation). I really dig the rhythm section that features a cool bass with a lot of distain and modest drums with the occasional but completely awesome "rapping" noise. The song on several occasions breaks into very quiet coral parts that sound absolutely magical. (I ask you, how many people can do something like this). This really isn't among the best songs of the album, but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't call this song basically perfect.

Houdini 9.5/10

Based on classical music this one is relatively straightforward and lovely! Her singing through most of this song has that pixie-quality that Bush's voice is so well apt for (that she hasn't been utilizing a whole lot in this album ... probably because she didn't need to). There are several moments in here where Kate seems to lose her mind and starts screaming like a testosterone-filled murderer (and she sounds believable)! Yeah, this is more of a piece of drama than a song, and in usual Kate-Bush-like fashion, she succeeds in both respects!

Get Out of My House 10/10

Kate Bush ends with this horrific song (in tone, not quality)! Perhaps Kate Bush's interpretation of a horror movie, it features incredibly eerie background instruments. However, what really makes this song spooky is Kate Bush's blood curdling screams of "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE" that constantly repeats throughout the song! And, naturally, it works perfectly well, and this is one of the utterly scariest songs I've ever listened to. (She turns into a donkey at one point, I think!) Again, the song doesn't have hooks in it, but it's played for the drama than the hooks. The singing in it is so bizarre and fascinating that I don't actually want any vocal hooks in here that would distract me. KATE BUSH IS AWESOME. The end. Of the track reviews.

If you don't like this album, then I will flush you down the toilet.

sean.umphlet@gmail.com (nosebleed) received March 24, 2006

Well, not saying you're wrong or anything, but ranking this album up with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones? that's quite a high opinion my friend.

Sjkapp@aol.com (Steve K) received April 10, 2007

1st off- Very nice site 2nd and most importantly- You are one exorbitantly bitchin' mofo because I have just recently listened to The Dreaming by Kate Bush and it is the single most astonishing thing I have ever heard in my life- and truly- anyone who loves this album this much is one exorbitantly bitchin' mofo. This concludes this important message.