A little short on time these days, so I’ll leave you with a no-brainer this time around.
The thing about Kate Bush is that she never really stopped being weird. She made it big as a teenager in the late 70s with her melodramatic, gothic, Bronte-inspired hit Wuthering Heights, but did she then fall into the banal pit of superstardom, letting managers and music execs craft her into a predictable and semi-clothed pop star? Oh hells no (though they did try). Dress up like a lion or a bat on your album cover? Sure. Make dog-barking noises in a song? No doubt. Reference Stanley Kubrick, James Joyce, or Wilhelm Reich in your lyrics? Bush has done it.
Here is the video for her 1980 track Army Dreamers, a song which, sadly, will probably never stop being relevant.
Fun fact: It was Bush, not Madonna, who pioneered the headset microphone for live performances, which she did in order to be able to execute full-on interpretive dances during her sets. An innovator after my own heart.
And oh heck, here’s the video for Wuthering Heights, after the cut. This video alone has inspired probably as many fan-imitations as The Numa Numa Dance, and you can see why. When I’m bored I like to watch the dozens of women (and some men) who don red dresses, head out to a field somewhere, and, you know, let their souls fly free.
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three comments
I freakin' love Kate Bush, though usually when I listen to her some roommate asks me why I'm listening to a choral arrangement sung by cats.
Funnily enough I was introduced to her by a friend who was obsessed with Tori Amos, and described Bush as the next best thing to Amos. Next best thing??? I think not. It only took me a few years to get tired of Amos, but me and Kate Bush? That's 4 life.
Have you heard the accusation's that Robyn is ripping off Bush on Every Heartbeat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vfLvZ... Hmph, I just like to think of it as a homage.
Posted by Thea
May 30, 2008, 5:14 PM
Hey there Anna,
I didn't know you were writing for Shameless! That's neat. I am going to do some writing too, on tech and prolly on being a bit obsessed with aerobic exercise and one-pan meals.
This is actually my first time watching Wuthering Heights, and the song is great. Kate's dancing is freaking me out the way visiting drama teachers used to freak me out.
Posted by Mir
June 2, 2008, 2:51 PM
You think that dancing is freaky, wait til you see me do this one karaoke-styles. Nightmares for weeks.
(hi, Miriam! I'll probably see you here more than I do in MTL)
Posted by Anna
June 3, 2008, 11 AM
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