The Excitable Mars

Overall Album Score: 9.2 out of 10

Some Kate Bush fans consider this exceedingly pop-oriented album a disappointment after the release of her weird and delightful Hounds of Love. Others only know Kate Bush for this album and find her previous work too weird for their tastes. At any rate, this is another classic that Kate Bush can put on her this-far spotless record.

It’s true that it’s more pop-oriented, but that’s no crime. This is brilliant pop music. Those who complain that she took a bad turn with this release after Hounds of Love might not have been following her career too well. Ever since her piano pop beginnings with The Kick Inside to the lushly arranged Never For Ever and the vastly experimental The Dreaming, she’s always been shifting directions. So, this album shouldn’t be much of a shock to anyone. However, I do admit that I liked Bush better when she was singing about literature instead of this album’s topic, sensuality. But these lyrics are head-over-heels better than most pop artists’.

And this is another brilliant album! As always, this album is full of great musical ideas and melodies that are brimming to the core. People who only listen to pop music from mainstream divas like Mariah Carey should listen to this vastly superior album for comparison. I would like to point out, mainly, the song arrangements. Most pop albums have awful arrangements as if the producers didn’t care (and perhaps they didn’t). But The Sensual World (produced by Kate Bush) gives as much care to the arrangements as the melodies and vocal performances. Bush might not have the same vocal capabilities as Mariah Carey, but she is a vastly superior singer expression-wise. That’s something I’ve always been touting about Bush, and I continue to be flabbergasted why she hasn’t received a more wide following in the United States.

The best song of the album, in my opinion, happens to be the most popular one. “The Sensual World” is an otherworldly song that’ll hook you in right from the beginning. I admit this isn’t the most manly song to admit to liking, but I can’t get enough of it. This is also the perfect song to hear what I mean about Bush’s arrangement capabilities. Brilliant! A less famous highlight I would like to point out is “Heads We’re Dancing,” which Bush seems to be singing directly to heaven.

“This Woman’s Work” is the second-most heard song on the album. It’s one of Bush’s most passionate ballads that could conceivably mean a lot to woman-folks. I always thought it slightly boring, but I still think the melody is great and I love the passion in the voice.

There is little to complain about with this album. “Between a Man and Woman” is easily the weakest song even though it still has much merit. Likewise “Walk Straight Down the Middle” isn’t too inspired, but the melody is hooky. These two tracks are still excellent and two minor blemishes of what would have been another spotless album. Naturally, this album is recommended to everyone. The art-crowd will like Bush’s always interesting ideas and the pop-crowd ought to enjoy the album’s pop sensibilities.

Overall Album Score: 9.2 out of 10 (This is a considerable step down for Bush, but a gem in its own right.)

Average Song Score: 9.2 (Excellent songs overall. Compared to her previous works, there's little here that sweeps me off my feet.)

Album Tilt: 9.5 (A good album that's solid all the way through.)

Artist Rating: 9.0 (This remains an artistically valid album and the lyrics are excellent. But this is a step down for Bush and that's largely in this category.)

Track Reviews

The Sensual World 10/10

An atmospheric classic, this is another masterpiece. The appeal of the song is the otherworldly textures that are nearly indescribable. That’s accented by some brilliant violin lines that have a rich Celtic flavor. All of this, and Bush lets the lyrics creep sensually from her lips. An unforgettable song, I can listen to it everyday for the rest of my life.

Love and Anger 9/10

This is a more thunderous song although don’t expect it to have quite the same effect as “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).” Always one to have a knack for good instrumentation and catchy melodies, Bush seals this song with a spirited vocal performance. It’s duly noted that you can tell Kate is losing her edge here. This song isn’t particularly artistic nor unabashedly fabulous, but it’s still 100 percent enjoyable.

The Fog 9.5/10 This is slower and more atmospheric. Bush was always a good drum programmer, and these bongo drums lend the song a nice exotic flavor. Not that the world music flutes didn’t help with that, either. This song would have been boring if nearly any other artist handled it, but Bush ended up turning it into one of the most inspired songs of the album. It’s pretty and rather reminds one of looking over a majestic cliff. There’s not too many songs that can claim such a feeling.

Reaching Out 10/10

This is an oft-neglected song and one of my favorites of Bush’s entire discography. (Although, I have probably said that about half of her songs!) Bush gives a highly spirited song that she sings toward the heavens. I find myself wishing for a singing voice with more range so that I could sing along with her. I rarely mention the lyrics of a song, because I normally think they’re inconsequential to the music, but I must single these ones out. These philosophical words Bush crafted are particularly profound and really quite moving.

Heads Were Dancing 9/10

This track begins with a strange and disjointed groove, which is rather characteristic of Bush’s work. Then, the song grows more excited and thunderous. We know this isn’t her best work, but this sure does sound inspired and great nonetheless. The song’s arrangements are impeccable.

Deeper Understanding 9.5/10

I’ve heard complaints that "Deeper Understanding," which is about a person’s love for their home computer, was dated. It’s true that the operating functions Bush outlines in the lyrics are no longer applicable to home computers, but people are even more so addicted to their computers than they were back in 1989. You probably are one of them! (I know I am.)

Between a Man and Woman 8/10

This is probably the worst song of the album, and it does show that Bush is running out of steam unfortunately. The song arrangements are still good and the song is kept above water because of the weird atmosphere she pulls off. However, the melody doesn’t do much for me. This also doesn’t seem to project the same amount of weird brilliance that I gathered from her other works. This is still leaps ahead of her peers.

Never Be Mine 9/10

This marks a full recovery. The melody is better this time, and the world-music-inspired instrumentation helps make the song endearing. This is an excellent, atmospheric song, but only average in terms of this album.

Rocket's Tail 9.5/10

This song begins with a section in which the back up instruments comprise only of Bush’s vocals. This is a good example of her vocal capabilities! Plus, it’s a well-written section. And then hard rock instrumentals pick up at the perfect times. This is another fun, passionate song from Bush.

This Woman's Work 9.5/10

I love this great piano ballad! Many seem to praise it for being Bush’s finest song, although I always found it slightly too boring for such distinction. (Well, the music video is boring even though it features Percy from Blackadder.) Nonetheless, this song has an enormously well written melody, and one of Bush’s most desperate vocal performances. This song was played during that horrible movie “She’s Having a Baby.”

Walk Straight Down the Middle 8.5/10

This is such a low-key song to end the album with. It’s lushly orchestrated and the melody has plenty of hooks, but it’s not as exciting or atmospheric as I have come to expect. It’s a good song, but clearly not one of the best.

Can you think? Then send me your thoughts about this album here.