FEATURE:
Dogmatic or Not…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for the Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) single cover (1985)/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
Will the Hegemony of Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love Stunt Future Generations’ View of Her Legacy?
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I have written about this…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in Tokyo, Japan in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
quite a few times recently. I am referring to radio playlists and the dominance of particular songs from Kate Bush. I think the more she is know about and shared, the less adventurous and flexible radio playlists are with her music. The same is true of the media. She is still framed around 1985’s Hounds of Love. I can’t think of any other major artist like her that is defined by one album. She may not mind it herself – as she has reissued Hounds of Love and done some special editions for it -, though it is insulting that an artist of her talent and influence is narrowed down to one album. Nothing against Hounds of Love. It is a rightful and undeniable masterpiece that deserves kudos. There are eight other original studio albums – not counting Director’s Cut in the list – that are either occasionally played or not at all. You do get hits from other albums played though, more often than not, the same three or four songs from Hounds of Love are the lazy go-to. It is a vicious cycle of stations feeling this is the most accessible and commercial music from her. They then keep playing it because they do not get feedback or complaints. There is nobody and nothing pushing against the hegemony and over-reliance on one album. I have actually started listening more to other Kate Bush albums to rebel against this predictably unnuanced media view of Kate Bush! In new stories, she is still seen as the ‘singer’ of songs like Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and Wuthering Heights. In previous years, if stations played and the media discussed other hits and singles, I found last year was more directed towards Hounds of Love and its tracks. At best, you’d get occasional deep cuts selected by listeners or daring D.J.s going beyond the obvious.
I wonder how to break out of the cycle. I know that vinyl purchases will increase awareness. Magazine articles and books will alert fans to other albums and great tracks. There are a few tracks that have podcast episodes and get covered though, mostly, discovery is made via radio and streaming services. Hounds of Love is not the only go-to for people, though it seems to dominate more than it should. So many tracks that could be played and are being left aside. It gets boring hearing Cloudbusting for the millionth time, even if it is a classic. What about some of the deep cuts from 1978s Lionheart, 1980’s Never for Ever or even 1989’s The Sensual World?! I know that there are some songs that might not connect with listeners. Even so, I feel it might be an issue not just reserved to Kate Bush. Her music is especially ignored in terms of the songs played, though even massive artists like Madonna are still largely associated with their hits. Not to suggest we put Hounds of Love aside. I think that it is an album that gets played and focused on more as it is talked about and heralded as this classic. At the detriment of all her other albums, I have not heard anything from The Dreaming or most of the albums bar the singles – and, in the case of Aerial or Lionheart, it has been so long since I have heard anything at all from them.
I am not slighting Hounds of Love, as I love it a load. It is a majestic album. I feel, in years to come, unless more songs are played and the impression of Kate Bush goes beyond one album, we will still only see her as the artist who made Hounds of Love. Associate her with one or two songs. So many people have not heard a lot of Bush’s music. Not only does it means playlists featuring her music lack variety. Some of Bush’s most important moments and incredible music is getting overlooked. I have posted this before because there is still little movement and expansion in terms of Kate Bush’s catalogue and how she gets represented. Some say maybe it is EMI or someone connected to her that does not want deeper cuts featuring on radio. That there should be more from Hounds of Love from other albums. Maybe Kate Bush herself has had input. I don’t think that this is the case. Bush, as long as Hounds of Love got some airing, would be open to all her albums getting an outing. EMI don’t have much say on her current output and decisions. I think it is more likely that radio stations have got into a rut and are reluctant to get out of it. That is a real shame! It is a new year, so we should be a lot more appreciative of Kate Bush’s full body of work. Go to Spotify and listen to her albums in full. Check out videos on YouTube and also search out podcasts relating to her albums and songs. I am not hopeful there will be quick change, though we definitely need to get out of the mindset that Kate Bush’s most commercial and successful album is the only valid one. Even the best. Many might debate that. Definitely, when you think of all the treats that have either never been played or are relatively unknown, it is angering indeed! I am concerned that it will affect not only fans but artists. Different Kate Bush songs can resonate with different artists. A lack of cover versions of her songs too. There needs to be a dedicated push to highlight how varied Bush’s catalogue is. If we keep defining her so rigidly then that does a huge injustice to her. It may seem daring and new but, the more you dig deep, the more surprises you get. Once done, people will reveal…
A fascinating and bewitching sonic world!