kate Bush - Aerial

[BarryL]

I've just completed listening to disk one of this two CD set. Kate's first release in about 12 years.

I wish I could say the wait was worth it. It's certainly nice to hear the Kate Bush sound again, and a few of the early songs are somewhat comforting, like an old pair of jeans. But overall, the songs on disk one are extremely weak. Certainly a cut below The Red Shoes.

But on first listen it's not all bad. I really enjoy Kate singing numbers on the song pi, and she captures some of her old lyrical style and mystery on How To Be Invisible and especially A Coral Room.

So, disk one, called A Sea of Honey, is basically a throw-way. It certainly would never stand up as an album on its own. Hopefully there is at least half a good album on the second disk, which would then justify this double CD at the price of a single.

[BarryL]

Hopefully there is at least half a good album on the second disk, which would then justify this double CD at the price of a single.

One first listen of Disk 2, A Sky of Honey, I have a much better feeling about this album. A Sky of Honey is really a suite of songs dealing with a number of themes about art, colour, the hours of the day, and the cycle of life. It is a generally conherent piece of artistic work, and would have been suitable as a single release on its own. Fans of Kate Bush will likely be able to appreciate this. It's not the greatest thing she's ever done, but it is satisfying, and it's good to have KB back.

I would have marketed this album differently. It would have been a single release (Disk 2) packaged with a bonus disk (Disk 1). This way, people don't expect as much from Disk 1, which is substantially weaker. Alternatively, I would have used four of the weaker tracks from Disk 1 as bonus tracks and kept a few of the stronger songs for the next album. Perhaps they already have done this, and there's a bunch of great KB songs already in the can for her next album?

Anyway, if you like Kate Bush, the album is worthwhile, but it's a more sedate and softer Kate Bush, more akin to Lionheart than The Dreaming, and nothing close to the driving melodies of her best know songs like Runniing Up The Hill and Babooshka.

The 2 CDs for the price of one adds to the value equation.