Kate Bush: "50 Words For Snow"

[Deleted]

Kate Bush is likely to release new material in 2011, her spokesperson has told NME.

The news comes after unsubstantiated reports about a new release from the fame-shunning musician recently surfaced on music blog Wotyougot.com.

Speaking in reaction to that report, Bush's spokesperson said a release from her is likely for 2011, although nothing is confirmed yet. They added that the new music from Bush would not necessarily mean a full-length follow-up to her last album 2005's 'Aerial', was on the way.

In 2007 Bush released a new song, 'Lyra'. It was used on the closing credits of the film 'The Golden Compass'.

After the birth of her son Albert in 1998 Bush decided to step away from singing in public. Prior to 'Aerial', her last album was 1993's 'The Red Shoes'.

www.nme.com/news/kate-bush/54595

:o :o :o :o

Hello, most anticipated album of 2011.

[themagic]

No idea who she was but i looked her up now and i recognize the song wuthering heights instantly and i love that song.

Thank you for letting me know who kate bush is lol.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that amazing voice holy crap.

[Verisimilitude]

Get ready for them other girls to be SLAYED critically by this goddess.

[Nick]

I respect her as a performer, but I like 2 of her songs better when they were recorded by other artists:

This Woman's Work - Maxwell

Wuthering Heights - Pat Benatar

I did like Kate's "Love and Anger".

[Deleted]

Hmmm. This is from Music Week:

Four Kate Bush albums are expected to be re-issued this year after the singer won back control of them from EMI, but there is no confirmation yet about any new material coming from her in 2011. The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, which EMI originally released between 1982 and 1993, are all lined up to be re-issued with former EMI and PolyGram executive David Munns now acting as a consultant to her.

The one-time EMI worldwide vice chairman and EMI Recorded Music North America chairman and CEO’s association with Bush goes back to when she was first signed to EMI and the release of her first album The Kick Inside in 1978.

"I’ve been involved for about a year now," said Munns. "People think I’m managing and I’m really consulting. I drift in and out of these projects."

There has been recent speculation of a new studio album from Bush, which would be her first since Aerial in 2005. That itself did not appear until a dozen years after her previous release The Red Shoes.

"There are other plans but I’m not able to talk about them right now," is all Munns would say, adding, "There’s nothing ready until Kate says it’s ready. That’s always been the way." Munns was also involved in the campaign for last years Greatest Hits album by Bon Jovi, an act he worked with extensively when he was at PolyGram International in the early Nineties and then worked with them in an independent capacity when he left the major in 1998. "I’m still doing stuff with Bon Jovi," said Munns who took charge of the marketing for the retrospective.

[lolhey]

I love her and her music so very much... I'd rather have new material though, ugh.

[Deleted]

I will be seriously disappointed if all we're getting this year is reissues. But I'd like to think they'd have shot down the rumours completely if there was no chance at all. I'm staying positive!

[banet2001]

I really was not expecting any new material from Kate any time soon. I fully expect that the only thing she will release in 2011 would be some reissues. Who knows, maybe she will release a few unreleased tracks the fans have not heard over the years.

[Deleted]

A few months ago an official Kate Bush YouTube page was set up. They're still adding videos to it. Some of them are in higher quality than I've ever seen before.

www.youtube.com/KateBushMusic


Plus, here's comedian Noel Fielding doing "Wuthering Heights" on Let's Dance For Comic Relief the other day. It got the song into the bottom of the iTunes chart for a while. It's almost a move for move recreation of the video. Impressive!

[Deleted]

KATE RELEASES “DIRECTOR’S CUT” A NEW ALBUM WHICH SEES HER RE-VISIT A SELECTION OF TRACKS FROM TWO OF HER CLASSIC ALBUMS!!!

NEW SINGLE “DEEPER UNDERSTANDING” RELEASED IN APRIL!!!

London, 11 March 2011

Kate Bush releases an unusual new album “Director’s Cut” on May 16 on her own label Fish People, in conjunction with EMI.

On “Directors Cut” Kate revisits a selection of tracks from her albums “The Sensual World” and “The Red Shoes”, a process that presents a fascinating portrait of an artist in a constant state of evolution. She has re-recorded some elements whilst keeping the best musical performances of each song – making it something of a director’s cut but in sound, not vision.

A new version of “Deeper Understanding” will be released as a single in April. Although written some twenty years ago, the song may be more relevant today than ever…

Kate is currently working on new material although no release date has been set for this.

“Director’s Cut” will be released in the following formats:

Digital Album, Standard CD in a case-bound book, Deluxe CD (three disc package, including Director’s Cut, The Sensual Word and re-mastered The Red Shoes) in a case-bound book and two-disc vinyl.

Other digital and vinyl formats will be made available on katebush.com. Details will be published shortly.

www.katebush.com

www.youtube.com/KateBushMusic

www.facebook.com/katebush

twitter.com/katebushmusic

Slightly unsure how I feel about this. It has the potential to be largely useless and I'd rather she'd spent the time working on actual new material, plus they seem like random albums to focus on. But it's exciting nonetheless.

[Deleted]

[HEADOFTHEPACK]

...erm.

[Deleted]

You can hear a clip of the new version of "Deeper Understanding" here. Erm... wtf?

[Deleted]

[Deleted]

Radio 2 will premier "Deeper Understanding" Monday at 11:10 GMT:

Radio 2 will be the first radio station in the world to play the new Kate Bush single, "Deeper Understanding" on Monday 4 April 2011. The song will be played within the Ken Bruce show at approximately 11.10am.

Radio 2 will premier Deeper Understanding

Ken Bruce told us 'The listeners to my show are very vocal when it comes to their musical loves, so I know that having the world exclusive of Kate's new single will surpass their extremely high standards. I can't wait to hear it myself.'

The song will be the Record of the Week on Radio2 and will be played each day on the Ken Bruce's Show and Alex Lester's programme.

Jeff Smith, Head of Music, Radio 2 and 6 Music - ''Kate’s music is as influential today as it was when it was first released, so I’m delighted to have this world exclusive.

New clip of "Deeper Understanding":



Rumoured tracklisting:

1. Flower Of The Mountain
2. Song Of Solomon
3. Lily
4. Deeper Understanding
5. The Red Shoes
6. This Woman's Work
7. Moments Of Pleasure
8. Never Be Mine
9. Top Of The City
10. And So Is Love
11. Rubberband Girl

"Flower Of The Mountain" will be a remix of "The Sensual World".

[Deleted]

I don't like it at all. It's basically the original with recorded vocals and stupid computerised vocals on the chorus. "Deeper Understanding" was twenty years ahead of it's time in terms of subject matter in 1989, but conversely the new computerised vocals make it sound dated as hell. I do like the way her vocals have matured, but they definitely suit the kind of material she was recording on Aerial more than her 80s music. She's always either been ahead of the curve or so far removed from what everyone else was doing that the curve didn't matter, and this is the first time I've ever felt she's stuck in the past. The project could have been a great idea, but if this is all it's going to be I'm not interested.

Kate Bush is #9 trending worldwide.

KATE BUSH RELEASES HER BRAND NEW SINGLE "DEEPER UNDERSTANDING" ON TUESDAY APRIL 5; THE SINGLE WAS PLAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON RADIO 2 THIS MORNING, MONDAY APRIL 4.

KATE’S NEW ALBUM "DIRECTOR’S CUT" IS RELEASED ON MAY 16 AND FEATURES RE-INTERPRETATIONS AND MANY NEWLY RECORDED ELEMENTS OF CLASSIC KATE BUSH SONGS FROM TWO PREVIOUS ALBUMS.

Kate Bush releases her new single, a brand new version of "Deeper Understanding", on Tuesday April 5. The single is released digitally and had its first play this morning, Monday April 4 on Radio 2. A new short film to accompany the track will be premiered in a few weeks. It's directed by Kate and stars Robbie Coltrane, Frances Barber and Noel Fielding – and Kate's son Albert plays the role of the computer programme. He is also featured in the song, singing as the computer programme.

Kate’s new album "Director’s Cut" is released on May 16, the first album to be released on her own label, Fish People, which will be distributed by EMI.

Kate says: "Originally when I wrote the song 'The Sensual World' I had used text from the end of 'Ulysses' by James Joyce, put to a piece of music I had written. When I asked for permission to use the text I was refused, which was disappointing. I then wrote my own lyrics for the song although I felt that the original idea had been more interesting. Well, I'm not James Joyce am I? When I came to work on this project I thought I would ask for permission again and this time they said yes. It is now re-titled 'Flower Of the Mountain' and I am delighted that I have had the chance to fulfill the original concept".

All the lead vocals and drums on "Director's Cut" are new performances, some of the tracks featuring guests including Steve Gadd, Danny Thompson and, on backing vocals, Mica Paris. Three songs have been completely re-recorded, one of which is "This Woman’s Work".

Kate adds: "For some time I have felt that I wanted to revisit tracks from these two albums and that they could benefit from having new life breathed into them. Lots of work had gone into the two original albums and now these songs have another layer of work woven into their fabric. I think of this as a new album".

Kate Bush is currently working on her new album of brand new material.

Record company logo:

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You can stream the album here: www.npr.org/2011/05/12/136220377/first-listen-kate-bush-directors-cut

I don't like any of the songs more than the originals. It's a thoroughly pleasant listening experience, but a lot of the melody and edge has been sucked out of the songs. More than anything, it makes me wonder how much better Aerial might have sounded if she'd recorded it twenty years earlier because that album had a similar feel to it and you didn't have older versions to try and decipher the melody from.

[Deleted]

According to Mark Poston, the company chair of EMI Australia, they are preparing for a November release for Kate's next studio album!

[Glove Slap]

Eh, I won't believe it until I see it for myself.

[Deleted]

Kate to release brand new album: "50 Words For Snow" on 21 November



We are extremely pleased to announce that Kate will be releasing a brand new album: "50 Words For Snow" on 21 November 2011

The album will be the second release from Kate's own label Fish People and comprises all new material that was recorded during the same period that Kate worked on her album “Director’s Cut”.

...

“50 Words For Snow” will feature seven brand new tracks set against a background of falling snow. The total running time is 65 minutes and the track listing is:

SNOWFLAKES
LAKE TAHOE
MISTY
WILDMAN
SNOWED IN AT WHEELER STREET
50 WORDS FOR SNOW
AMONG ANGELS

www.katebush.com/news/kate-release-brand-new-album-50-words-snow-november

[Deleted]

I guess I will have to stand in for BILLY SHEARS. :'( Here's the first single "Wild Man".

[Deleted]

I don't like that there will be only 7 songs. I had heard a leaked version of the single, and was beyond worried that her stupid obsession with analogue would bring us more shitty sound quality songs like Director's Cut. But this video you linked has pretty good audio. I am a little more pleased. The song is cool, but I wish it was weirder

[Deleted]

I love "Wild Man". It's probably my least favourite lead single from her to date (not including "Deeper Understanding"), but that's not saying much. I love that it's a bit harder than anything from Aerial. Sonically it's like something from that album fused with the sound of The Sensual World and The Red Shoes. And while I loved the domesticated, subdued sound of most of Aerial, it's nice to see her return to storytelling and more typically Kate themes (if anything can be typically Kate).

[Deleted]

[Deleted]

The album leaked. You can stream it here: www.npr.org/2011/11/13/142133269/first-listen-kate-bush-50-words-for-snow#playlist

It's incredible. It's pretty much what I expected in that it sounds like a winter-themed Aerial. "50 Words For Snow" is basically the same concept as "Pi" from that album, for example. Just like Aerial, it's hardly a collection of catchy ditties, but it really takes you to another world and Kate's lost none of her ability to paint a vivid picture with her music.

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

I know someone who would like this...*snicker*

[banet2001]

Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow



So yeah: maybe when Kate Bush said the 12 year gap between The Red Shoes and Aerial was down to her wanting to work on being a mum for a while – and not because she’d had a mental breakdown/become morbidly obese/was a dope fiend/sundy other conspiracy theories that flew around – she was, y’know, telling the truth. Here, six years after Aerial and just six months after Director’s Cut comes 50 Words for Snow. It’s Bush’s third album since 2005, which technically puts her up on The Strokes, The Shins or Modest Mouse.

And jolly spectacular it is too, which is never a guarantee: Aerial was a masterpiece; The Red Shoes, The Sensual World and the diversionary Director’s Cut weren’t. Bush has always been best at her most focussed, and here she delves monomaniacally into snow and the winter – its mythology, its romance, its darkness, its rhythmic frenzy and glacial creep. 50 Words for Snow is artic and hoare frost and robin red breast, sleepy snowscapes and death on the mountain, drifts in the Home Counties and gales through Alaska.

But it is mostly, I think, a record about how the fleeting elusiveness of snow mirrors that of love; and if I’m off the mark there, then certainly as a work of music one can view it as a sort of frozen negative to Aerial’s A Sky of Honey, the transcendent 42 minute suite about a summer’s day that took up the album’s second half. Whatever the case, 50 Words...demands to be listened to as a whole: the days of Bush as a singles-orientated artist are long gone on a long, sometimes difficult record on which the shortest track clocks in at a shade under seven minutes.

The first three songs clock in at over half an hour and comprise the starkest, most difficult and in some ways most beautiful passage of music in Bush’s career. Based on minimal, faltering piano and great yawning chasms of silence, these tracks mirror the eerie calm of soft, implacable snowfall and winter's dark. On the opening ‘Snowflake’ she shares vocal duties with her young son Albert, whose pure falsetto blends into her lower register. Vaguely suggestive of carol singing, his tones are also clear and elemental, without the shackles of adult emotion as he keens “I am ice and dust and light. I am sky and here.” over his mother’s spare, hard keys. ‘Lake Tahoe’ is the real challenge here: a crawling ghost story about a drowned woman, gilded with cold choral washes, its diamond keys crystallize into being a note at a time. Its 11 minutes are roughly as far away from ‘Babooshka’ as it’s possible to get. Yet as Steve Gadd’s soft, jazzy drums gather in pace and intricacy, life and movement enters this crepsular musical tundra, the album’s low key opening sequence swelling to a soft crescendo with final part ‘Misty’. A bleakly sensual love story that, er, appears to be about a doomed affair with a snowman, it’s somewhat reminiscent of Spirit of Eden-era Talk Talk as its 13-minute expanse periodically blooms into gorgeously tangled blossoms of bucolic guitar.

Single ‘Wild Man’ sees a shift in gear – springy, exotic electronics, a sprightlier pace and a sense of playfulness as a husky-voiced Bush trades the last song’s impossible man for another as she dreams about the possibility of a yeti. Describing a Kate Bush track without making it sound silly can be rather trying – this is a woman whose past triumphs include several songs featuring Rolf Harris – but I guess ‘Wild Man’ works as lush, sensual dream of the possibility of the things that might existing outside humdrum human experience. It’s not just about the yeti, but the impossibly exotic place names she mutters in her verbal quest for the creature – “Kangchenjunga… Metoh-Kangmi… Lhakpa-La… Dipu Marak… Darjeeling… Tengboche… Qinghai… Himachal Pradesh” – and the vertiginously thrilling change of gear as heavily distorted guest Andy Fairweather Low roars a near indecipherable chorus. It’s also about Bush’s formidable production skills, her precise, nagging synths and total mastery of studio as instrument.

Those synths imbue ‘Snowed in at Wheeler Street’ with a sense of frazzled foreboding that negates the potential cheesiness of Elton John’s throaty turn on a duet that casts him and Bush as a pair of lovers spread across time, doomed to separate at key points in history, wishing that could return to one mundane, snow bound day spent together. And a bed of electronics whip up a quietly hypnotic tumult on the astonishing title song. Here – and again Kate Bush songs can be a job to not make sound ridiculous – Bush counts to 50 in a hushed monotone as Stephen Fry (oh yes) recites a list of names for snow, real and imagined: “blackbird braille… stella tundra… vanilla swarm… avalanche”, occasionally punctured by an eerily muted chorus in which Bush frenzied urges him to continue the list. On the one hand, it continues ‘Wild Man’s revelry in the intoxicating power of human language. On the other, it’s the album’s least human track, its churning, chiming electronics and alien words mirroring the quiet chaos and leaden intensity of a snowstorm, its final minutes a headlong descent into oblivion and whiteout. It is astonishing, immense, bizarre and perfectly realized: only Kate Bush could conceive of this song, and nobody else will make anything like it again.

As the cooing over Director’s Cut demonstrated, even Bush on diversionary form is enough to tease gushy spurts of adjectives from the soberest of souls; hitting a true peak again, there is the temptation to drone on about how important she is, how she dwarfs most of her peers artistically, let alone the braying yahs and rahs of today who cite her as an influence. But let’s keep it in perspective: in the 26 years since Hounds of Love, Aerial and 50 Words for Snow have been her only truly fully realised albums. Kate Bush is more than fallible; but at peak she is incomparable.

Kate Bush - 9 / 10

drownedinsound.com/releases/16652/reviews/4144030

[Deleted]

This album is absolutely gorgeous. The review above hit the nail on the head.

[Houster]

I'm more of a rock fan than anything else, but I heard Kate Bush's song "Lake Tahoe" today and literally ran out and bought the album. Magnificent.

[microcuts]

I'm bitten by the Kate Bush bug and can't get enough. Just placed an order for the vinyl at Amazon. Can't wait!