We have reached the end of Iconic Women Week here in Album Month - August 2022, and, although there is no competition here at all (they are ALL incredible goddesses in their own right), I feel I have saved perhaps the most deeply influential one for last: The incomparable Kate Bush. We close out the week with her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside.
It's funny… Everyday this week, I have been able to tell you when I first heard each Iconic Woman and how I felt, but today… I can't recall the exact moment in time when I first heard the otherworldly Kate Bush. I seem to remember the first time I saw her on MTV, though, which was with "Rubberband Girl" in the era of The Red Shoes (my first Kate album), but I am sure I had heard her at some point before then. Once again, it was MTV's 120 Minutes that played the video and left me amazed. (I discovered A LOT of music via that show. Those were the days…) Thanks to Kate, I rented the 1940s film The Red Shoes (which inspired Kate) and fell in love, having a new film to add to the list of what would become lifelong favorites. After that album, I ended up with my brother's cassette copy of her compilation, The Whole Story, and a deeper love for the uniqueness that was, and is, Kate Bush began. I still feel like I had heard her voice before then, though, I just wasn't in the space for it to hit me. Maybe too young? Anyway…
I never got obsessive with her music like I did with Tori (no idea why, honestly, since Tori mirrors a lot of energy from Kate), I have always been incredibly amazed and inspired by her creativity and willingness to do what was needed to express her music and vision for it. Whatever vocal sound was needed, she did it, however odd it may seem to the average ear. The physical movement elements between dreamy and oddly fascinating. She was and really still is an iconoclast, her music shattering so many illusions of what music should or could be or do. She expanded and still expands what music is and the ways it can reach with every note she sings and produces. Thanks to Stranger Things, the new world, the new generations is/are finally discovering what many of us have known for so long: Kate Bush is fucking amazing.
Although I have known many songs and a couple albums for many years, there are still albums from Kate's repertoire that I still haven't dived into. Why? Hell if I know. Like I've said… the 'odd relationship with music' thing… So, to close out Iconic Women Week, I have decided to explore the album that started it all for her: The Kick Inside.
With the first song, the uniqueness of her voice hits you. Even with my familiarity, it still is a pleasant surprise, like hearing her for the first time once more. Her vocals are just incredible throughout this entire album, just blowing my mind from the powerful bursts to the soft gentleness of the piano ballads. The character and tone are just so…both angelic and earthly. I don't know how to describe it… Her voice is unlike anyone else, completely distinctive in its wonderfulness.
Musically, she may stay in the same village, but each house has its own thing going while keeping a sense of community, if that makes sense. (Why am I suddenly using terms like this to express myself about music now? First the big house/living room with Neko, the church/community center with PJ, the clouds and heaven with Björk, and now a village. What the living hell? I guess Tori was the ocean? Fitting. But I am quite digressing now and need to stop.) I'm not going to lie and say that every song hits me and it's difficult to pick favorites and stand outs, because some songs are quite good but not for me. For example "Them Heavy People" is kinda fun, but, if I were to rank the songs, it would be toward the bottom. There are others that, although I really appreciate, I just don't click as well with, but let's talk about the rest.
As I spoke of in the previous feature, I am a sucker for a saxophone, and "The Saxophone Song" not only has a fantastic sax but it has a lovely almost rolling feel that's perfect for playing while driving down a country highway. It has lovely layers, and a great bass underbelly… Fabulous. While listening to "Strange Phenomena", I could hear where so many artists have gained influence from it. Bits of this song come out in various recordings over the years, from Pat Benatar to Steven Wilson, with some more obvious than others. So much of this album found its way into so much music from various parts of the musical spectrum it's honestly a bit staggering.
From stand out tracks like the toe-tapping, bluesy rock of “James and the Cold Gun”, to the bop-along of “Them Heavy People”, to the gorgeous piano/vocals in various parts throughout including the iconic and unforgettable “Wuthering Heights” (also covered by the aforementioned Pat Benatar on her classic Crimes of Passion), I am hard pressed to understand how it took a current Netflix series to bring her to the forefront she belonged in before I was even born. Her magic has honestly been everywhere.
Although it took me to this year to finally get to listen and get to know this album as a whole, I knew, thanks to The Whole Story, “Wuthering Heights” and the absolutely gorgeous “The Man with the Child in His Eyes”, which is hands down my favorite track on the album. Perhaps I’m being biased, but I think it’s because the song is so meaningful and, for many, I’m sure, relatable. And it’s a masterpiece. The way her vocal flutters over the lovely soft orchestral arrangements and piano like angels wings… *smiling sigh* Seriously… I feel it’s one of the brightest gems on the whole album. She has many gorgeous piano/vocals on The Kick Inside, including the wonderful “Feel It”. Her vocal is so full of emotion, moving between the softer and more powerful sides to her abilities. It’s such a simple song, and I think my favorite thing about this album are these little moments with her and her piano, and the feeling like we’re getting an intimate view of her alone in her music room. Going back to my weird visual expressions: This village is one I will be visiting an awful lot for many years to come.
I feel like music lovers of all kinds owe a massive debt of gratitude to all of the folks that took a chance on Kate. Her talents are otherworldly, and her influence is so far reaching and intricate that, once people really sit and listen with an open mind, I have no doubt that their awe and appreciation will overflow. Even if the music itself isn’t where they are at in those moments, they would be hard pressed to not understand how important of an artist she really is.
The Kick Inside is a wonderful beginning to her career as a musician, and a fantastic introduction to Kate Bush’s world. The way she has grown and morphed through her creative trajectory is inspiring (to say the least), and I am so over the moon that the latter generations are now finally discovering how iconic she really is. She deserves it and then some. This truth has clearly been there all the long.
~*~
Discover The Kick Inside and all that Kate Bush
has to offer via the links below.
Official Site | Amazon | Spotify | Spotify (2008 Remaster)
Tidal | Apple Music | Apple Music (2008 Remaster)
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