Imagine seeing this performed right in front of your eyes, not only as music piece but as a full on theatrical performance. I was there on the very first night of her short residency at Hammersmith Odeon and although I have the program and some official photos, the memory of the performance has faded with the years. All performances were filmed but sadly she is sitting on all of it and has no intention of releasing it. I do hope one day she may come around and approve it to be released. What I do remember is that the show started as a “regular” rock show with a few ‘normal’ songs and we all felt that it was quite a conventional start but then after a few songs came King Of The Mountain and at the end the percussionist came centre stage and swung a bull roar round and with a flash and a bang the whole stage changed, the band had been moved to the site and the stage was set for The Ninth Wave. One of the most surreal things I have ever seen. Second half of the show was her long song cycle Aerial (at that time her most recent work) which although completely different then The Ninth Wave was equally as captivating.
@@L33Reacts only audio recordings were officially released. I have a promotional poster of that release hanging framed in my living room next to an official Pink Floyd Endless River poster.
@@leslieturner8276 I was sweating bullets. I registered with the agency the night before, and copied my bank card details so I could simply paste them in, saving precious microseconds! I felt like I'd won the lottery when I got confirmation that two tickets were mine...
Growing up we all fancied Kate Bush and would never miss a TV appearance . The music , however , being superb only adds to the attraction . Very few artists can make a comeback after many years of silence and sell out shows in a matter of minutes but Kate did . Long may she continue being probably the greatest female singer/songwriter our wee island ever produced
I was fortunate to see Kate perform the Ninth Wave live back in 2014! After a live absence of 35 years Kate decided to stage 22 shows at London's Hammersmith Apollo in 2014 and it was quite the unique experience and one I shall never forget. To be honest the week I saw her was the strangest because two days before that I saw ELO's comeback in Hyde Park after not playing live in 28 years so it was an amazingly joyful three days and quite emotional too!
I can't imagine what my life would have been like without Kate's music. She's unbelievable creative. Born 2 miles from me in South-East London. Her Dad was a Doctor nearby. Artsy, for sure! I used to go to parties where we just listened to this album over and over, drinking, smoking and talking.
Wow...Lee...Dude! Going straight from "Wuthering Heights" to "The Ninth Wave"? Well done sir! I had thought that you might work your way through a few of Kate Bush's more famous songs before tackling this behemoth run of songs (or I should say piece - since it really is a single piece or cycle or suite of closely connected songs). But that you ran straight towards this is tremendous. "The Ninth Wave" is, for me, one of the greatest pieces of music in the entire Rock/Pop music genre and is part of one of the very few truly flawless albums "Hounds of Love", an album that for me can stand alongside any album made by anyone and hold its own against it. (I do think that when you do the second half of "The Ninth Wave" and come to "Hello Earth" the realization might well dawn on you that this is music from another dimension, or alternate universe, and might alter how you think of what popular music can sound like). "The Ninth Wave" really is one of those rites of passage experiences that is essential to truly getting to know Kate's music. To really test and challenge you another absolutely essential Kate Bush rite of passage is her entire album "The Dreaming" (1982) - but nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for that wild untamed beast of an album.
"The Dreaming" is my personal favourite Kate Bush album, with "Hounds Of Love" in 2nd place, as the perfect mix of the commercial and the conceptual. "Wild untamed beast" is a great description for "The Dreaming", the 1st studio album where she was the sole producer and she went for it, no compromises at all.
@@leslieturner8276 Hi Leslie and thanks for your comment. While I adore "The Dreaming," especially songs like "Suspended in Gaffa" "Pull Out The Pin" "Leave It Open" the title track, "Night of the Swallow" and the truly magnificent closing track "Get Out of my House," I personally always place "TSW" "NFE" "HoL" and "TKI" ahead of it. But I do think that we should always be honest and give the praise where it is owed and there is not a single doubt in my mind that "The Dreaming" is an extraordinary album. To me it is a singular, solitary, unique, statement signpost album, and a real work of feral genius where Kate basically threw off every constraint and worked in a way that was completely free from every pull and call of what the rules say music is supposed to be. And what she gave us in "The Dreaming" has never been even remotely matched. I think it is an album with some flaws in it - but then I would say the same about "Plastic Ono Band" or "Never Mind the Bollocks" or "Sgt Pepper" but to my mind they are all also essential listening. I think too that when it comes passing a verdict on an album it is only fair to take account of the circumstances, or the milieu, the context of it, and consider too its importance, impact, cultural significance, and influence on music, things like the new ground it broke, the people it influenced or gave encouragement to, the flag it planted in the ground. And while I prefer some other of her albums, I also think that "The Dreaming" stands shoulder to shoulder with the other great, ground breaking albums as the pure distillation of something "new." I also think that when it comes to that period 1980-1982 and the release by Kate Bush "Never For Ever" and "The Dreaming," the only comparator I can think of is the period between "Revolver" and "Sgt Pepper." I'm not saying that she is certainly better or her albums are certainly better, but as a comparator that is for me the only short timescale example of similar concentrated Big Bang of creativity. So, yes, "The Dreaming": absolutely, a wild untamed beast, a work of feral genius, the undomesticated wolf that stands behind an entire species.
Kate is truly amazing. Her prowess as a songwriter and singer are so impressive that even her obvious physical beauty takes a back seat while she bowls us over.
Like I said in another comment, you don’t need to get naked when you can write and create like this. It’s abhorrent what the music industry dragged most women through to just try and create
"The Ninth Wave"... this side of "Hounds of Love" is Kate Bush's greatest artistic achievement. The first side is more traditional pop songs (though great)... but this? An amazing story perfectly captured with creativity and heart. While I prefer "THE DREAMING" as an entire album... this side is her greatest. What an absolute triumph.
I used to listen to this lying on my bed with the lights out & drifting to somewhere else. Side 1 is a more conventional five songs but absolutely top draw songs. This album is a masterpiece. Kate Bush has always been experimental & unique. I'm lucky to have seen her in concert in 1979.
The songs are about a woman shipwrecked and floating out at sea alone trying to keep herself awake to be rescued. Parts represent her having nightmares and hallucinations
The sleep paralysis demon, exactly! Kate is the only artist that I have heard that has captured what sleep paralysis is like. The theme of this epic piece is that a woman is stranded in tbe sea hoping for rescue desperately trying to stay awake, or she may drown. She drifts off to sleep and we are taken deep into tbe subconscious, where she experiences a past life trauma, then the present time as a disembodied spirit watching a loved one who is missing her. Then she meets herself as an old woman who is telling her that she must not drown, or she will not exist in tbe future. This whole journey is a musical expressiom of the near death experience, it is a masterpiece..
Great shirt. Great reaction. Kate Bush is all about the storytelling. The seven songs form a narrative about a woman lost at sea, struggling to survive and weaving in and out of consciousness. It's worth reading into it a bit, but honestly the surface meaning is often enough to captivate you with Kate.
Hah thank you! Had to bust out my artsy gear for this one. I’ve been reading through the comments and picking up on bits and pieces of what she is getting at What a creative Individual. I’m so glad I was introduced to her more then just the “popular” song she’s recently known for
Oh yes, a sensational album and one where she's really stretching out....while still managing to sound accessible. Much of it was recorded at her farm home in the English countryside, over a space of two years - it could never have been done under the constraints of two months' recording at a normal studio complex. And the first side (yes, I heard this as an LP at the time) is even more epic! That one will blow you away I think... :) Looking forward to this one. 👋
When I was in college, in the 90s, all the artsy girls did indeed listen to Kate Bush (and Tori Amos) 😄. So I started listening too of course, and I discovered that Kate Bush was way more than just that strange dancing girl in the Wuthering Heights clip. She is quite unique and artistic in the way she expresses herself.
No one has explained the Ninth Wave to you in the comments...so...here we go. This album side is about a person that has survived a plane (or possibly a helicopter) crash... and is stranded in the water with a lifejacket, and a beacon...but no land in sight. And the songs are the progression from being afraid and lonely and worried in the cold water...to, ultimately, accepting death, and letting go. Not exactly a light subject matter... but... it is what it is.
Glad you liked it. All of the songs are special in their own way -- and yes, Waking The Witch is intended to be a bit terrifying, as is Under Ice. Though my favorite song of the suite is yet to come. I agree with others who think this is her best single side of a record -- though as whole records, I really couldn't pick between The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, or The Sensual World. And Never For Ever and Aerial and The Kick Inside are not far behind. Kate has said this about The Ninth Wave: "The Ninth Wave was a film, that’s how I thought of it. It’s the idea of this person being in the water, how they’ve got there, we don’t know. But the idea is that they’ve been on a ship and they’ve been washed over the side so they’re alone in this water. And I find that horrific imagery, the thought of being completely alone in all this water. And they’ve got a life jacket with a little light so that if anyone should be traveling at night they’ll see the light and know they’re there. And they’re absolutely terrified, and they’re completely alone at the mercy of their imagination, which again I personally find such a terrifying thing, the power of ones own imagination being let loose on something like that. And the idea that they’ve got it in their head that they mustn’t fall asleep, because if you fall asleep when you’re in the water, I’ve heard that you roll over and so you drown, so they’re trying to keep themselves awake." With this in mind, "And Dream of Sheep" is setting the scene of them being overboard, the next few songs are all about the nightmares and hallucinations they have in the water, and the finale is . . . ambiguous. I'll leave it at that.
I've loved this album side/suite since it came out in 1985, and it still gives me shivers! It's basically the story of someone lost at sea, drowning, dreaming, almost dying, then being rescued, and embracing life afterwards. It's definitely Kate at her most avant-garde, and is definitely more experimental than the first side of the album. She is a bona-fide genius, and all her music is worth listening to. Enjoy!
Such an interesting narrative for an album side/album. She really does seem to be in a realm of her own in whatever genre you call this… I look forward to hearing the rest!!
Fantastic! She is a national treasure here in the UK. I hope to see more ❤ The albums after this are winner after winner, from The Sensual World through to Aerial via The Red Shoes, all outstanding. 50 Words for Snow less so, for me 😊 The albums before this also good, but her later work is better IMHO. And this is the pivot point ❤ There’s some brilliant live stuff, much with David Gilmour, out there 😊 M
Thanks Lee! I love her music. At the time it was like nothing I had ever heard, maybe it still is. The Ninth wave is right up there with "Awaken" and "Close To The Edge" for me. I hope you like the rest of it and I appreciate you, thanks!
It sounds like you were not aware that the Ninth Wave is a suite of seven interrelated songs detailing a woman’s experience of being adrift in the ocean with just a life jacket on (with its “little light shining”) waiting to be rescued, going through the stages of nightmare, hallucination, near death out of body experience etc. In my opinion this, as a collection of songs, was Kate’s crowning glory. Kate is most definitely artsy but also prog. You would put her in the same bracket as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. Take a look at her Wikipedia page to see how many artists cite her as a major influence.
And then the two Dropt to the cove, and watch'd the great sea fall, Wave after wave, each mightier than the last, Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Holy Grail"
I'm sure this reaction won't get as many views as other songs less deserving. That's too bad for artists like Kate. Thanks for not caring too much about the RUclips algorithm gods.
No problem my friend. I’m here for the music and company all that other stuff comes after all that to me lol I want to FEEL something not just stand idly by. Also btw your video should be out tomorrow or the next day :)
As a fan of Kate... your "proto-industrial" comment brought back a memory of attending the 1986 World Expo held in Vancouver, British Columbia to see Einstürzende Neubauten live.
Time and place: I was wandering around Tower Records on Sunset in Hollywood in September 1985. They were playing this album in the background. It was a new release. Had no idea who or what a Kate Bush was, but this album was bought on the spot.
Great first reaction. I won’t recap on the shipwreck theme as others have summarised it already. But yes, this “mini album” on side two of Hounds of Love is just Genius. This and the Dreaming tend to be the favourite works among die-hard fans. I’ll just add 2 snippets. 1) The witch finder “sleep demon” voice is actually Kate herself. 2) She rerecorded And Dream of Sheep whilst floating in a tank of cold water for a video played during the live show and almost ended up in hospital with hypothermia as a result. Kate always gives it her all - I was lucky enough to see the live show 5 times. Look forward to the rest....
You should do the other side too. It's all pop, Kate's pop that is. Every song is a little masterpiece. There's also a live version of "The Ninth Wave" performed in 2014, it maybe even beter than the studio version. Welcome to planet Kate.
Long before Madonna, Lady Gaga and all those many others (that needed to take off as much of their clothing to sell their music) there was Kate. Individual, creative, undeterred by music company pressures, going it alone (albeit with some help from David Gilmore of Pink Floyd fame)...setting the standards that other would have to follow!!! Amazing!
You don’t need to get naked when you can write and create like this! The music industry put women through the wringer. I’m glad Kate got to follow her dream without having to compromise
@@L33Reacts Very true. Kate had actually written 50 odd songs by the time she was 15 when she showed them to Pink Floyd's David Gilmore who backed her start. Just amazing, which is obviously why he backed her...You can hear the PF influence in much of her work. DID you know that Dream of sheep was written from the perspective of being "man overboard" from a yacht? Read the lr=yrics again as see. White horses are the sailors name for white caps on the waves...
For me Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon has never been beaten as my favourite piece of music, and The Who’s Quadrophenia is steadfast as No. 2. The Hounds of Love is no. 3 (Led Zeppelin IV is no. 4 & Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here No. 5) Side one is made up of the big singles that came from the album. Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting, The Hounds Of Love & The Big Sky. I adore this album so much, every time I hear either side it gets right into my psyche, Waking The Witch is my favourite song (Cloudbusting is No.2), I tend to listen to the Ninth Wave by default, rather than side one. It’s a quietly powerful work. She performed a similar effect with her superb album Aerial, where side one (“A Sea Of Honey”) is individual songs, while the magnificent side two (“A Sky Of Honey”) is a journey through a day, influenced by birds and their song.
Now we are talking. Kate is a genius. Waking the Witch evokes the oppression of women by men I'm pretty sure. The Witch is found guilty by male sounding voices, but of course she is not really a witch.
If and when you do The Dreaming (also by Kate) please put it here on RUclips! It’s like The Ninth Wave but too enigmatic for many people. Also Hyena by Siouxsie & the Banshees I recommend 👍
Funny that you say proto industrial. 1985 is almost post industrial already. Still impressive though that this sound leaked into a high profile record like this. In fact there's a lot of industrial sounds in the two records proceeding this.
While I think Kate Bush is a top-notch visionary... saying she's the ONLY female that "improved" music history is a ridiculous statement. Women have been contributing and advancing music history since they've been "allowed" to contribute. An easy example: Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"
Kate is probably my favourite female solo artist, but I can think of a few others who have improved music history and have a unique sound. Joni Mitchell, Björk and St Vincent for a start.
Indeed, she's great, but there are lots of other very talented woman musicians that left a huge mark on music history. I agree totally with the names already mentioned, and I would like to add Annie Lennox, Nina Simone, Carol Kaye, Suzanne Vega and Carole King to the list.
What I meant was the reference in music-science and music theory. I know there are some women with a lot of fans. But to see how she developed for instance with Peter Gabriel the Fairlight-sounds and the sophisticated harmonies, also compared to classical music. once again with PI when she came back in the early 2000s… That is another quality compared to many new computer-generated music…
@@michaeldr.thalwitzer5580and again you are marginalising other women’s achievements by elevating a single woman. Ever heard of Delia Derbyshire and her influence on electronic music for instance? About what Ann and Nancy Wilson brought to rock music in the 70s? About Carole Kaye being probably the most recorded bass player of the 60s? About Joni Mitchell who was a pioneer singer-songwriter who kept on evolving her craft into ever more complex forms?
Imagine seeing this performed right in front of your eyes, not only as music piece but as a full on theatrical performance. I was there on the very first night of her short residency at Hammersmith Odeon and although I have the program and some official photos, the memory of the performance has faded with the years. All performances were filmed but sadly she is sitting on all of it and has no intention of releasing it. I do hope one day she may come around and approve it to be released.
What I do remember is that the show started as a “regular” rock show with a few ‘normal’ songs and we all felt that it was quite a conventional start but then after a few songs came King Of The Mountain and at the end the percussionist came centre stage and swung a bull roar round and with a flash and a bang the whole stage changed, the band had been moved to the site and the stage was set for The Ninth Wave. One of the most surreal things I have ever seen. Second half of the show was her long song cycle Aerial (at that time her most recent work) which although completely different then The Ninth Wave was equally as captivating.
I was fortunate enough to snag a ticket for this *STUNNING* show, the greatest thing I've ever seen on stage.
That sounds absolutely captivating. You are lucky you were there if she’s sitting on the recordings. That is so damn cool
@@L33Reacts only audio recordings were officially released. I have a promotional poster of that release hanging framed in my living room next to an official Pink Floyd Endless River poster.
@@TheoZoffrokI totally agree since I also managed to get a ticket in that mad scramble before they were all sold out in under 15 minutes!
@@leslieturner8276 I was sweating bullets. I registered with the agency the night before, and copied my bank card details so I could simply paste them in, saving precious microseconds! I felt like I'd won the lottery when I got confirmation that two tickets were mine...
What can I say. She’s a genius.
Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, dancer, choreographer, producer, director - Kate did it all
Truly exceptional music. I bought this in 1985 and have loved it ever since.
Truly exceptional indeed! I will be doing part two tonight or tomorrow night
Can’t wait!
@@L33Reactslooking forward to seeing what you think of it.
Growing up we all fancied Kate Bush and would never miss a TV appearance . The music , however , being superb only adds to the attraction . Very few artists can make a comeback after many years of silence and sell out shows in a matter of minutes but Kate did . Long may she continue being probably the greatest female singer/songwriter our wee island ever produced
A rare one of a kind 😊
I was fortunate to see Kate perform the Ninth Wave live back in 2014! After a live absence of 35 years Kate decided to stage 22 shows at London's Hammersmith Apollo in 2014 and it was quite the unique experience and one I shall never forget. To be honest the week I saw her was the strangest because two days before that I saw ELO's comeback in Hyde Park after not playing live in 28 years so it was an amazingly joyful three days and quite emotional too!
I can't imagine what my life would have been like without Kate's music. She's unbelievable creative. Born 2 miles from me in South-East London. Her Dad was a Doctor nearby. Artsy, for sure! I used to go to parties where we just listened to this album over and over, drinking, smoking and talking.
Sounds like a good time to me. I would have listened to her in my younger days too if I knew about her! I’m glad I found her now at the very least 😌
Wow...Lee...Dude! Going straight from "Wuthering Heights" to "The Ninth Wave"? Well done sir! I had thought that you might work your way through a few of Kate Bush's more famous songs before tackling this behemoth run of songs (or I should say piece - since it really is a single piece or cycle or suite of closely connected songs). But that you ran straight towards this is tremendous. "The Ninth Wave" is, for me, one of the greatest pieces of music in the entire Rock/Pop music genre and is part of one of the very few truly flawless albums "Hounds of Love", an album that for me can stand alongside any album made by anyone and hold its own against it. (I do think that when you do the second half of "The Ninth Wave" and come to "Hello Earth" the realization might well dawn on you that this is music from another dimension, or alternate universe, and might alter how you think of what popular music can sound like).
"The Ninth Wave" really is one of those rites of passage experiences that is essential to truly getting to know Kate's music. To really test and challenge you another absolutely essential Kate Bush rite of passage is her entire album "The Dreaming" (1982) - but nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for that wild untamed beast of an album.
"The Dreaming" is my personal favourite Kate Bush album, with "Hounds Of Love" in 2nd place, as the perfect mix of the commercial and the conceptual. "Wild untamed beast" is a great description for "The Dreaming", the 1st studio album where she was the sole producer and she went for it, no compromises at all.
@@leslieturner8276 Hi Leslie and thanks for your comment. While I adore "The Dreaming," especially songs like "Suspended in Gaffa" "Pull Out The Pin" "Leave It Open" the title track, "Night of the Swallow" and the truly magnificent closing track "Get Out of my House," I personally always place "TSW" "NFE" "HoL" and "TKI" ahead of it. But I do think that we should always be honest and give the praise where it is owed and there is not a single doubt in my mind that "The Dreaming" is an extraordinary album. To me it is a singular, solitary, unique, statement signpost album, and a real work of feral genius where Kate basically threw off every constraint and worked in a way that was completely free from every pull and call of what the rules say music is supposed to be. And what she gave us in "The Dreaming" has never been even remotely matched.
I think it is an album with some flaws in it - but then I would say the same about "Plastic Ono Band" or "Never Mind the Bollocks" or "Sgt Pepper" but to my mind they are all also essential listening.
I think too that when it comes passing a verdict on an album it is only fair to take account of the circumstances, or the milieu, the context of it, and consider too its importance, impact, cultural significance, and influence on music, things like the new ground it broke, the people it influenced or gave encouragement to, the flag it planted in the ground. And while I prefer some other of her albums, I also think that "The Dreaming" stands shoulder to shoulder with the other great, ground breaking albums as the pure distillation of something "new." I also think that when it comes to that period 1980-1982 and the release by Kate Bush "Never For Ever" and "The Dreaming," the only comparator I can think of is the period between "Revolver" and "Sgt Pepper." I'm not saying that she is certainly better or her albums are certainly better, but as a comparator that is for me the only short timescale example of similar concentrated Big Bang of creativity.
So, yes, "The Dreaming": absolutely, a wild untamed beast, a work of feral genius, the undomesticated wolf that stands behind an entire species.
An aural movie of the highest order. She is extraordinary.
The most ethereal movement of music, saw this live and it blew me away
Waking the Witch is one of my all time faves
That shit was NUTS. I was not ready lol
Kate is truly amazing. Her prowess as a songwriter and singer are so impressive that even her obvious physical beauty takes a back seat while she bowls us over.
Like I said in another comment, you don’t need to get naked when you can write and create like this. It’s abhorrent what the music industry dragged most women through to just try and create
So excited for this! The first time I heard it I was blown away 🤯
Even Johnny Rotten bows down to Kate. Thanks. Great reaction.
"The Ninth Wave"... this side of "Hounds of Love" is Kate Bush's greatest artistic achievement. The first side is more traditional pop songs (though great)... but this? An amazing story perfectly captured with creativity and heart.
While I prefer "THE DREAMING" as an entire album... this side is her greatest. What an absolute triumph.
I’ve still got 3 songs to do but I agree, this is special. I wish YT wasn’t dumb with the copyright stuff or I would have done the whole thing
I used to listen to this lying on my bed with the lights out & drifting to somewhere else. Side 1 is a more conventional five songs but absolutely top draw songs. This album is a masterpiece. Kate Bush has always been experimental & unique. I'm lucky to have seen her in concert in 1979.
The songs are about a woman shipwrecked and floating out at sea alone trying to keep herself awake to be rescued. Parts represent her having nightmares and hallucinations
The sleep paralysis demon, exactly! Kate is the only artist that I have heard that has captured what sleep paralysis is like.
The theme of this epic piece is that a woman is stranded in tbe sea hoping for rescue desperately trying to stay awake, or she may drown. She drifts off to sleep and we are taken deep into tbe subconscious, where she experiences a past life trauma, then the present time as a disembodied spirit watching a loved one who is missing her. Then she meets herself as an old woman who is telling her that she must not drown, or she will not exist in tbe future. This whole journey is a musical expressiom of the near death experience, it is a masterpiece..
So creative .. fascinating. I enjoyed this. Your will power is admirable. Thanks for getting this up for us.
So of…and ahead of… her time. Pure brilliance.
Great shirt. Great reaction. Kate Bush is all about the storytelling. The seven songs form a narrative about a woman lost at sea, struggling to survive and weaving in and out of consciousness. It's worth reading into it a bit, but honestly the surface meaning is often enough to captivate you with Kate.
Hah thank you! Had to bust out my artsy gear for this one. I’ve been reading through the comments and picking up on bits and pieces of what she is getting at
What a creative Individual. I’m so glad I was introduced to her more then just the “popular” song she’s recently known for
Oh yes, a sensational album and one where she's really stretching out....while still managing to sound accessible. Much of it was recorded at her farm home in the English countryside, over a space of two years - it could never have been done under the constraints of two months' recording at a normal studio complex.
And the first side (yes, I heard this as an LP at the time) is even more epic! That one will blow you away I think... :) Looking forward to this one. 👋
When I was in college, in the 90s, all the artsy girls did indeed listen to Kate Bush (and Tori Amos) 😄. So I started listening too of course, and I discovered that Kate Bush was way more than just that strange dancing girl in the Wuthering Heights clip. She is quite unique and artistic in the way she expresses herself.
What a great album, your next one should be Aeriel - especially disc two A Sky Of Honey. Her absolute best!
No one has explained the Ninth Wave to you in the comments...so...here we go.
This album side is about a person that has survived a plane (or possibly a helicopter) crash... and is stranded in the water with a lifejacket, and a beacon...but no land in sight. And the songs are the progression from being afraid and lonely and worried in the cold water...to, ultimately, accepting death, and letting go.
Not exactly a light subject matter... but... it is what it is.
Glad you liked it. All of the songs are special in their own way -- and yes, Waking The Witch is intended to be a bit terrifying, as is Under Ice. Though my favorite song of the suite is yet to come. I agree with others who think this is her best single side of a record -- though as whole records, I really couldn't pick between The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, or The Sensual World. And Never For Ever and Aerial and The Kick Inside are not far behind.
Kate has said this about The Ninth Wave:
"The Ninth Wave was a film, that’s how I thought of it. It’s the idea of this person being in the water, how they’ve got there, we don’t know. But the idea is that they’ve been on a ship and they’ve been washed over the side so they’re alone in this water. And I find that horrific imagery, the thought of being completely alone in all this water. And they’ve got a life jacket with a little light so that if anyone should be traveling at night they’ll see the light and know they’re there. And they’re absolutely terrified, and they’re completely alone at the mercy of their imagination, which again I personally find such a terrifying thing, the power of ones own imagination being let loose on something like that. And the idea that they’ve got it in their head that they mustn’t fall asleep, because if you fall asleep when you’re in the water, I’ve heard that you roll over and so you drown, so they’re trying to keep themselves awake."
With this in mind, "And Dream of Sheep" is setting the scene of them being overboard, the next few songs are all about the nightmares and hallucinations they have in the water, and the finale is . . . ambiguous. I'll leave it at that.
Wow thank you for all the info! And right from the horses mouth too. That’s fascinating. I’m very keen on hearing the rest very shortly :)
Progressive pop art rock on it's best, very interesting sound and over all great musisian 🙂
This was recorded and produced on a Fairlight CMI which Kate and Peter Gabriel pioneered in popular music.
I used this album to rock my 2 year old daughter to sleep in 1987.
Maybe skipping Waking The Witch, eh? 😳
Mother hides the murderer 😂
I've loved this album side/suite since it came out in 1985, and it still gives me shivers! It's basically the story of someone lost at sea, drowning, dreaming, almost dying, then being rescued, and embracing life afterwards. It's definitely Kate at her most avant-garde, and is definitely more experimental than the first side of the album. She is a bona-fide genius, and all her music is worth listening to. Enjoy!
Such an interesting narrative for an album side/album. She really does seem to be in a realm of her own in whatever genre you call this… I look forward to hearing the rest!!
@@L33Reacts I,ve always thought the Ninth Wave shoukd have benn a movie.
Thank you ☮️ ❤️ 🏴
This is imho the best she’s ever made.
Fantastic! She is a national treasure here in the UK. I hope to see more ❤ The albums after this are winner after winner, from The Sensual World through to Aerial via The Red Shoes, all outstanding. 50 Words for Snow less so, for me 😊 The albums before this also good, but her later work is better IMHO. And this is the pivot point ❤ There’s some brilliant live stuff, much with David Gilmour, out there 😊
M
Thanks Lee! I love her music. At the time it was like nothing I had ever heard, maybe it still is. The Ninth wave is right up there with "Awaken" and "Close To The Edge" for me. I hope you like the rest of it and I appreciate you, thanks!
Can’t wait to hear the rest! This was awesome 😎
a masterpiece
It sounds like you were not aware that the Ninth Wave is a suite of seven interrelated songs detailing a woman’s experience of being adrift in the ocean with just a life jacket on (with its “little light shining”) waiting to be rescued, going through the stages of nightmare, hallucination, near death out of body experience etc. In my opinion this, as a collection of songs, was Kate’s crowning glory. Kate is most definitely artsy but also prog. You would put her in the same bracket as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. Take a look at her Wikipedia page to see how many artists cite her as a major influence.
Thank you!
Hey L33... one of the greats...personally...I like The Dreaming a little bit more... but this side of this album is amazing.
Aerial has to be her most accomplished album
And then the two
Dropt to the cove, and watch'd the great sea fall,
Wave after wave, each mightier than the last,
Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep
And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged
Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Holy Grail"
She is running on every cylinder that ever was or will be.
I agree. Can’t wait to hear the rest!
I'm sure this reaction won't get as many views as other songs less deserving. That's too bad for artists like Kate. Thanks for not caring too much about the RUclips algorithm gods.
No problem my friend. I’m here for the music and company all that other stuff comes after all that to me lol I want to FEEL something not just stand idly by. Also btw your video should be out tomorrow or the next day :)
The genius of Kate Bush!!
I agree. Can’t wait to finish it up! I might have to do the dreaming next
As a fan of Kate... your "proto-industrial" comment brought back a memory of attending the 1986 World Expo held in Vancouver, British Columbia to see Einstürzende Neubauten live.
Time and place: I was wandering around Tower Records on Sunset in Hollywood in September 1985.
They were playing this album in the background. It was a new release.
Had no idea who or what a Kate Bush was, but this album was bought on the spot.
She was founded by the drummer or guitarist of Pink Floyd who was blown away and I get mesmerized by her music like PF also
The first side is slightly less experimental... but really...only slightly.
Great first reaction. I won’t recap on the shipwreck theme as others have summarised it already. But yes, this “mini album” on side two of Hounds of Love is just Genius. This and the Dreaming tend to be the favourite works among die-hard fans. I’ll just add 2 snippets. 1) The witch finder “sleep demon” voice is actually Kate herself. 2) She rerecorded And Dream of Sheep whilst floating in a tank of cold water for a video played during the live show and almost ended up in hospital with hypothermia as a result. Kate always gives it her all - I was lucky enough to see the live show 5 times. Look forward to the rest....
It’s on here! I did it a couple weeks ago. It was great. She is such a talented artist. I’m glad you enjoyed! Thank you for watching
I always think this is what hypothermia must feel like. So haunting... almost in the water with her...
You should do the other side too. It's all pop, Kate's pop that is. Every song is a little masterpiece. There's also a live version of "The Ninth Wave" performed in 2014, it maybe even beter than the studio version. Welcome to planet Kate.
Long before Madonna, Lady Gaga and all those many others (that needed to take off as much of their clothing to sell their music) there was Kate. Individual, creative, undeterred by music company pressures, going it alone (albeit with some help from David Gilmore of Pink Floyd fame)...setting the standards that other would have to follow!!! Amazing!
You don’t need to get naked when you can write and create like this! The music industry put women through the wringer. I’m glad Kate got to follow her dream without having to compromise
@@L33Reacts Very true. Kate had actually written 50 odd songs by the time she was 15 when she showed them to Pink Floyd's David Gilmore who backed her start. Just amazing, which is obviously why he backed her...You can hear the PF influence in much of her work. DID you know that Dream of sheep was written from the perspective of being "man overboard" from a yacht? Read the lr=yrics again as see. White horses are the sailors name for white caps on the waves...
Just wait until you here The Dreaming. Your head is going to explode
Can’t wait! I’ve heard great things
Before the computer, Before protools. all analog, all tape
For me Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon has never been beaten as my favourite piece of music, and The Who’s Quadrophenia is steadfast as No. 2. The Hounds of Love is no. 3 (Led Zeppelin IV is no. 4 & Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here No. 5)
Side one is made up of the big singles that came from the album. Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting, The Hounds Of Love & The Big Sky.
I adore this album so much, every time I hear either side it gets right into my psyche, Waking The Witch is my favourite song (Cloudbusting is No.2), I tend to listen to the Ninth Wave by default, rather than side one. It’s a quietly powerful work.
She performed a similar effect with her superb album Aerial, where side one (“A Sea Of Honey”) is individual songs, while the magnificent side two (“A Sky Of Honey”) is a journey through a day, influenced by birds and their song.
❤❤❤
Lee, if you enjoy this I think you will like Lori Anderson. She was very experimental and out there.
it would be fun to hear "The Dreaming"
Now we are talking. Kate is a genius. Waking the Witch evokes the oppression of women by men I'm pretty sure. The Witch is found guilty by male sounding voices, but of course she is not really a witch.
If and when you do The Dreaming (also by Kate) please put it here on RUclips! It’s like The Ninth Wave but too enigmatic for many people. Also Hyena by Siouxsie & the Banshees I recommend 👍
Put it together, is she in a coma? Dying under water? Told to come round?
Seems like drowning to me
Def do the first cd it’s not as experimental, but just as good maybe better
Funny that you say proto industrial. 1985 is almost post industrial already. Still impressive though that this sound leaked into a high profile record like this.
In fact there's a lot of industrial sounds in the two records proceeding this.
Probably the only female that improved music-history and gave us a unique sound and music. Especially knowing the music-scene of today.. Kate forever!
While I think Kate Bush is a top-notch visionary... saying she's the ONLY female that "improved" music history is a ridiculous statement. Women have been contributing and advancing music history since they've been "allowed" to contribute. An easy example: Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"
Kate is probably my favourite female solo artist, but I can think of a few others who have improved music history and have a unique sound. Joni Mitchell, Björk and St Vincent for a start.
Indeed, she's great, but there are lots of other very talented woman musicians that left a huge mark on music history. I agree totally with the names already mentioned, and I would like to add Annie Lennox, Nina Simone, Carol Kaye, Suzanne Vega and Carole King to the list.
What I meant was the reference in music-science and music theory. I know there are some women with a lot of fans. But to see how she developed for instance with Peter Gabriel the Fairlight-sounds and the sophisticated harmonies, also compared to classical music. once again with PI when she came back in the early 2000s… That is another quality compared to many new computer-generated music…
@@michaeldr.thalwitzer5580and again you are marginalising other women’s achievements by elevating a single woman. Ever heard of Delia Derbyshire and her influence on electronic music for instance? About what Ann and Nancy Wilson brought to rock music in the 70s? About Carole Kaye being probably the most recorded bass player of the 60s? About Joni Mitchell who was a pioneer singer-songwriter who kept on evolving her craft into ever more complex forms?
wake up!
I’m awake! I swear!
KATE ES UNICA Y ABRIO UNA PUERTA SUBREALISTA DENTRO DE LA MUSICA POP EN UN MOMENTO QUE ERA DISCO Y PUNK ......UNA CHICA VISIONARIA Y POETA........