The Prog Rock Album Club

Trollheart · 05-08-2014, 05:13 AM

Album Title: Aerial
Artist: Kate Bush
Nationality: British
Year: 2005
Subgenre: Prog related?
Player(s): Way too many to list but the main ones: Kate Bush (Vocals, Piano, Keyboards), Dan McIntosh (Guitars), Gary Brooker (Hammond), Peter Erskine/Steve Elliot/Pete Sanger (Drums), Eberhard Weber/John Giblin/Del Palmer (Bass), Rolf Harris (Didgeridoo and male vocal on “The painters link”), Chris Hall (Accordion)
Familiarity: Everyone knows Kate. Though I admit I don't know enough of her material as I should.
Favourite track(s): Here you have me. This album is just unbelievable and picking out a favourite track is like trying to choose between your children. Luckily I don't have children, so I can choose, but it is hard. “King of the mountain”, “Pi”, “A coral room”, “Nocturn”, “How to be invisible”, “The painter's link”, “Sunset” ... they're all great tracks. If I was pushed, maybe “A coral room”.
Why? Everything here, almost, is great but I love the gentle ambience and relaxing atmosphere of “A coral room ”, and there's nobody like Kate to sing it. Could do without “Little brown jug” though!
Least favourite track(s): Again, none really but if I have to choose I'd say the title and closer, “Aerial”.
Why? Because so much of it is just Kate laughing, and while that's a lovely sound I want more on a song than that. Though then again it is just over a minute of that and I love the rest of the song.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I expected it to be good, but not quite this good.
Factoids you'd like to share?
End impression: I need to listen to much more Kate Bush!
Comments: To be honest, when this came up I sort of thought “Oh dear” (again!) because I certainly don't consider Kate to be prog. From the off though I was impressed and really that never lessened as the album went on. It's so good that I never even realised it was a double until I went to check the Wiki page. I could have listened to twice as much music and still been unsatisfied. I find it amazing --- if expected --- that the album is almost entirely driven on Kate's piano. Of course there are other musicians, but the piano holds court over everything and is the main instrument in all songs.

Kate's voice of course is soothing and sexy at once, and if there's an icon for women in music she has to be up there with them. I do in fact hear the prog elements as the album goes on, but still think it's pushing it a little to call this prog. But it's a brilliant album, incredibly well constructed and played, and if this were to be anyone's introduction to Kate's music you could probably not pick a better one, though I admit I don't know much of her other work, a situation I must rectify soonest.

If I have any small niggles (don't be so personal!) it's that she repeats the line “Washing machine” so often on “Mrs. Bertollozi” that it gets boring, and the birds on “Aerial tal” are annoying and the laughter on the closer. Other than that it's bloody perfect.

Rating This is an amazing album and I am totally blown away by it. It's close to perfection and has certainly made me eager to explore more of Kate's music. I have no hesitation in awarding it the highest possible rating of
5.0

Unknown Soldier · 05-09-2014, 05:09 PM

Album Title: Aerial
Artist: Kate Bush
Nationality: British
Year: 2005
Subgenre: Prog related
Player(s): Way too many to list but the main ones: Kate Bush (Vocals, Piano, Keyboards), Dan McIntosh (Guitars), Gary Brooker (Hammond), Peter Erskine/Steve Elliot/Pete Sanger (Drums), Eberhard Weber/John Giblin/Del Palmer (Bass), Rolf Harris (Didgeridoo and male vocal on “The painters link”), Chris Hall (Accordion)
Familiarity: Back in the 80s and 90s she was one of my favourite artists.
Favourite track(s): Difficult as the album seems to run as two continual very long tracks but the first album does seem to identify itself as individual songs, whereas the second seems to be more of one long suite.
Why? N/A
Least favourite track(s): As I'm treating it as two long tracks it's not a overly valid.
Why? N/A
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Had heard it many years ago but to be fair have problems getting into Kate Bush as a mature artist.
Factoids you'd like to share? Hardly used to tour as she found it too stressful.
End impression: If this is prog then much of her other material could be as well.
Comments: Aerial is a pretty lush sounding album driven by Kate Bush and her piano. As per usual she's used a host of various musicians and her customary sound effects and it is a good album.

Overall Aerial is a lush and accomplished album that DOES need numerous listens to dig out it's richness. The issue for me though is that this is mature Kate Bush meaning that her earlier energy and idiosyncracies are void imo on this and her more recent work, but that's not to say that the album doesn't have an exciting vibe to it. I still find her first five albums pretty amazing stuff and they're so unique in feel and style and few artists have such a run to match these five albums.

I went off her musically with The Sensual World as the album largely seemed to cater for the masses by presenting Kate Bush as an artist that the average music listener could appreciate and at that time she was constantly being promoted as the women's ambassador for British music, meaning that she lost some of her aura and the following The Red Shoes was a real disappointment as an album. Kate Bush has always been about aura and mystique and on Aerial she does capture it again to a degree, even though it doesn't have the more manical style of old.

Rating Based on this listen I'd give the below rating, but that could probably go up half a point if I had the time to listen to it again, I guess I've recently been spoilt when it comes to five star double albums as I'd just been re-listening to Can's Tago Mago which really is a 5.0
4.0

Xurtio · 05-11-2014, 06:39 AM

Album Title: Aerial
Artist: Kate Bush
Nationality: British
Year: 2005
Subgenre: Prog related
Player(s): Kate Bush (Vocals, Piano, Keyboards), Dan McIntosh (Guitars), Gary Brooker (Hammond), Peter Erskine/Steve Elliot/Pete Sanger (Drums), Eberhard Weber/John Giblin/Del Palmer (Bass), Rolf Harris (Didgeridoo and male vocal on “The painters link”), Chris Hall (Accordion)
Familiarity: None, never heard of Kate Bush
Favourite track(s): Aerial
Why? Nothing really stood out, it was all very similar, but I remember the instrumental break in "Aerial" the most (probably because it started to touch on some guitar styles I like in the rhythm and lead near the end of the song
Least favourite track(s): most of them
Why? For the same reason that there was no favorite
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Nope!
Factoids you'd like to share? N/A
End impression: I didn't especially like it.
Comments: It seemed like I was hearing the same exact phrasing in her vocals over and over and the consistently with which she used rest notes was predictable. She rarely left the high register she was on. It really felt like was listening to the same long song and there was nothing that stood out about it. The vocals tended to drone on a bit sometimes. The keys were similar. They kind of always did the same little phrasings, wandering around the tonal centers with no poignant structure or emphasis. If it wasn't the keys, it was the low attack synths.

The whole album seemed to always be meandering around without a point or descriptive musical phrasing. The only time I remember it picking up is the title track at the end. She kind of reveals the potential for a bluesy/country voice... and then she goes a little avante guarde with the the birds and the laughing... but there's still a lot of the meandering, wandering droning vocals that I've grown tired of throughout the album.

The video are weird and interesting and distract from the banality of the music.
Rating 2.5

Unknown Soldier · 05-11-2014, 07:39 AM

You've never heard of Kate Bush, what country are you from?

Trollheart · 05-11-2014, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

You've never heard of Kate Bush, what country are you from?

X2! Jesus man! Everyone has heard of Kate Bush! There are as yet undiscovered tribes in the deepest jungles of South America who know "Wuthering heights" and "The hounds of love"! You shock me, you really do!

Your description of her music, while being your opinion and you're entitled to it, is based on one album and you haven't heard any of her other music so I don't really think you can criticise such a well-known and loved artiste. Kate's voice is unique and she's known for it. She's a real icon and even if you don't know her you need to acknowledge that. It's unfair to rate her as if, because you don't know her, nobody does. That would be like me saying I don't like and have never heard of Peter Gabriel, or Eminem, or Lady Gaga, but think they're crap. You have to allow that she is beloved of so many music fans across the board and is the role model for generations. I feel you're being very unfair to her here.

Also, I find your rating terribly low and surely unjustified. How can all the songs sound the same? One piece of music? That's been remarked on but there are huge differences in, for instance, "Sunset" and "Aerial", or "A coral room" and "King of the mountain". Just don't get it, I have to say. Very disappointed in your reaction.

Unknown Soldier · 05-11-2014, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

X2! Jesus man! Everyone has heard of Kate Bush! There are as yet undiscovered tribes in the deepest jungles of South America who know "Wuthering heights" and "The hounds of love"! You shock me, you really do!

Your description of her music, while being your opinion and you're entitled to it, is based on one album and you haven't heard any of her other music so I don't really think you can criticise such a well-known and loved artiste. Kate's voice is unique and she's known for it. She's a real icon and even if you don't know her you need to acknowledge that. It's unfair to rate her as if, because you don't know her, nobody does. That would be like me saying I don't like and have never heard of Peter Gabriel, or Eminem, or Lady Gaga, but think they're crap. You have to allow that she is beloved of so many music fans across the board and is the role model for generations. I feel you're being very unfair to her here.

Also, I find your rating terribly low and surely unjustified. How can all the songs sound the same? One piece of music? That's been remarked on but there are huge differences in, for instance, "Sunset" and "Aerial", or "A coral room" and "King of the mountain". Just don't get it, I have to say. Very disappointed in your reaction.

Thanks for using my quote and aiming the barrage at me

As for Alaska, I reckon that makes darkest South America seem civilized.

Trollheart · 05-11-2014, 10:47 AM

Okay, well before we annoy Xurtio so much that he gets hot enough to melt the ice around his igloo (just joshing mate!) here's the next selection. Hopefully we all know who this guy is!

The spin gives us this number
513

and that equates to

Crises --- Mike Oldfield

Oldfield's most successful album outside of "Tubular bells", this one gave him two hit singles and is perhaps his most commercial offering. Will be interesting to see how this is received...

Xurtio · 05-11-2014, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

As for Alaska, I reckon that makes darkest South America seem civilized.

Yet, apparently more civilized than the British with regards to Kate Bush.

05-08-2014, 05:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album Title: Aerial Artist: Kate Bush Nationality: British Year: 2005 Subgenre: Prog related? Player(s): Way too many to list but the main ones: Kate Bush (Vocals, Piano, Keyboards), Dan McIntosh (Guitars), Gary Brooker (Hammond), Peter Erskine/Steve Elliot/Pete Sanger (Drums), Eberhard Weber/John Giblin/Del Palmer (Bass), Rolf Harris (Didgeridoo and male vocal on “The painters link”), Chris Hall (Accordion) Familiarity: Everyone knows Kate. Though I admit I don't know enough of her material as I should. Favourite track(s): Here you have me. This album is just unbelievable and picking out a favourite track is like trying to choose between your children. Luckily I don't have children, so I can choose, but it is hard. “King of the mountain”, “Pi”, “A coral room”, “Nocturn”, “How to be invisible”, “The painter's link”, “Sunset” ... they're all great tracks. If I was pushed, maybe “A coral room”. Why? Everything here, almost, is great but I love the gentle ambience and relaxing atmosphere of “A coral room ”, and there's nobody like Kate to sing it. Could do without “Little brown jug” though! Least favourite track(s): Again, none really but if I have to choose I'd say the title and closer, “Aerial”. Why? Because so much of it is just Kate laughing, and while that's a lovely sound I want more on a song than that. Though then again it is just over a minute of that and I love the rest of the song. Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I expected it to be good, but not quite this good. Factoids you'd like to share? End impression: I need to listen to much more Kate Bush! Comments: To be honest, when this came up I sort of thought “Oh dear” (again!) because I certainly don't consider Kate to be prog. From the off though I was impressed and really that never lessened as the album went on. It's so good that I never even realised it was a double until I went to check the Wiki page. I could have listened to twice as much music and still been unsatisfied. I find it amazing --- if expected --- that the album is almost entirely driven on Kate's piano. Of course there are other musicians, but the piano holds court over everything and is the main instrument in all songs. Kate's voice of course is soothing and sexy at once, and if there's an icon for women in music she has to be up there with them. I do in fact hear the prog elements as the album goes on, but still think it's pushing it a little to call this prog. But it's a brilliant album, incredibly well constructed and played, and if this were to be anyone's introduction to Kate's music you could probably not pick a better one, though I admit I don't know much of her other work, a situation I must rectify soonest. If I have any small niggles (don't be so personal!) it's that she repeats the line “Washing machine” so often on “Mrs. Bertollozi” that it gets boring, and the birds on “Aerial tal” are annoying and the laughter on the closer. Other than that it's bloody perfect. Rating This is an amazing album and I am totally blown away by it. It's close to perfection and has certainly made me eager to explore more of Kate's music. I have no hesitation in awarding it the highest possible rating of 5.0 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-11-2014, 06:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
Xurtio Brain Licker Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 1,083	Album Title: Aerial Artist: Kate Bush Nationality: British Year: 2005 Subgenre: Prog related Player(s): Kate Bush (Vocals, Piano, Keyboards), Dan McIntosh (Guitars), Gary Brooker (Hammond), Peter Erskine/Steve Elliot/Pete Sanger (Drums), Eberhard Weber/John Giblin/Del Palmer (Bass), Rolf Harris (Didgeridoo and male vocal on “The painters link”), Chris Hall (Accordion) Familiarity: None, never heard of Kate Bush Favourite track(s): Aerial Why? Nothing really stood out, it was all very similar, but I remember the instrumental break in "Aerial" the most (probably because it started to touch on some guitar styles I like in the rhythm and lead near the end of the song Least favourite track(s): most of them Why? For the same reason that there was no favorite Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Nope! Factoids you'd like to share? N/A End impression: I didn't especially like it. Comments: It seemed like I was hearing the same exact phrasing in her vocals over and over and the consistently with which she used rest notes was predictable. She rarely left the high register she was on. It really felt like was listening to the same long song and there was nothing that stood out about it. The vocals tended to drone on a bit sometimes. The keys were similar. They kind of always did the same little phrasings, wandering around the tonal centers with no poignant structure or emphasis. If it wasn't the keys, it was the low attack synths. The whole album seemed to always be meandering around without a point or descriptive musical phrasing. The only time I remember it picking up is the title track at the end. She kind of reveals the potential for a bluesy/country voice... and then she goes a little avante guarde with the the birds and the laughing... but there's still a lot of the meandering, wandering droning vocals that I've grown tired of throughout the album. The video are weird and interesting and distract from the banality of the music. Rating 2.5 __________________ H̓̇̅̉yͤ͏mͬ͂ͧn͑̽̽̌ͪ̑͐͟o̴͊̈́͑̇m͛͌̓ͦ̑aͫ̽ͤ̇n̅̎͐̒ͫ͐c̆ͯͫ̋ ̔̃́eͯ͒rͬͬ̄҉

05-11-2014, 10:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Okay, well before we annoy Xurtio so much that he gets hot enough to melt the ice around his igloo (just joshing mate!) here's the next selection. Hopefully we all know who this guy is! The spin gives us this number 513 and that equates to Crises --- Mike Oldfield Oldfield's most successful album outside of "Tubular bells", this one gave him two hit singles and is perhaps his most commercial offering. Will be interesting to see how this is received... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018