Though she’s recognized as one of the biggest solo artists ever in the UK, Kate Bush somehow didn’t break through in the US in quite the same way and remains somewhat of an oddity in the American pop echelon. That’s not to say that she’s unheard of or unpopular at all Stateside; rather, the American view of Bush is one of a witchy weirdo outsider who occasionally scratches at the pop charts, while in her native England she’s revered and celebrated as a visionary, trailblazing pop icon. Even just considering chart performances there is quite a disparity from one continent to the other, her early single “The Man With The Child In His Eyes,” from her debut album, The Kick Inside, charting at numbers 8 in the UK and 85 in the U.S. How is it that the same sounds—the unique chord progressions and leaping melodies, the inventive arrangements and subject matters, the wiley, high-pitched voice—can be received as genius and instant gospel in one place while being accepted but quickly filed away as quirky or niche in another? A passage from composer-theorist John Cage’s landmark book, Silence, comes to mind.
“Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating.”
Perhaps on this side of the Atlantic we have not truly listened to Kate Bush—we’ve nodded our heads along saying, “Yes we hear you, Kate, and that’s interesting and all...” but we haven’t actually listened, we haven’t taken the artist seriously. Bush’s music comes from and exudes a powerful femininity—a femininity that has always been defined by Bush herself, and not by the men and money around her. She sings in a distinct, high voice, which naysayers like to call “shrill.” Is her voice any more shrill than Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant’s, one of the most celebrated rock singers of all time? She sings about love and life from a woman’s perspective, the menstrual cycle and phases of the moon (see “Strange Phenomenon”), and all things witchy and magical, which naysayers also like to count against her somehow. Again, Led Zeppelin sings about explicit male sexuality and Hobbits, and it comes off as tough, powerful, rock n’ roll, and is unquestionably popular around the world. Perhaps it’s that we’re not as accustomed to that kind of female power here, having had fewer women in as high-up positions of political power as the UK for example, and maybe in turn we fear it? Or maybe her promotional efforts weren't as good here, which would raise many questions as to why that might be? Regardless of which road led us here, Kate Bush has ended up at the eccentric outsider’s table at the illustrious pop music party in America, heard by the many but taken seriously and actually listened to by far fewer. Those that do listen, though, are devoted fans to the core, and we’ll gladly talk your ear off about our Kate—About how she started writing songs at the age of 11, started producing her own albums in her early 20’s, incorporated all kinds of alternative and exploratory dance and movement into her live shows and music videos, was the first musician to use a wireless headset microphone on stage, wrote a song about π in which she melodically sang the number to its 78th decimal place, was the first woman to have a number 1 hit in the UK with a self-penned song, and just simply made awesome music.
The Kick Inside, Kate Bush’s 1978 debut album, was made up entirely of original songs written by Bush between the ages of 13 and 19, her age at the time of its release. An impressive feat for anyone so young, this album has proven to transcend the novelty of its creator’s youth and stands the test of time as a trailblazing, genre-defying piece of audible art. The songs are complex and cerebral, but not cold and soulless like some of the progressive rock of her contemporaries. The arrangements allude to something rock n’ roll, but the songs rarely fall prey to the trappings and limitations of the genre—chords and melodies journeying off in unexpected directions with lyrics touching on all things explicitly not rock n’ roll from modern dance to Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. She does sing about sex, but popular culture has decided that sex from a woman’s perspective is not very rock n’ roll, not like Led Zeppelin’s sex is (Nothing against Led Zeppelin, here! They're just a clearly masculine brand of rock n’ roll, easy for comparison purposes). As a young woman in a fiercely male industry, Kate Bush set out firmly on her own path with The Kick Inside and has followed it ever since, creating an incredible body of work along the way. Kate Bush’s music makes no apologies for being strong, defiant, individual, and feminine, as it shouldn’t, and maybe it’s time we start asking ourselves why we choose to file it as “other.” We can start by listening. We might find it fascinating.
The Kick Inside is available on Hoopla. Other Kate Bush albums are available on Hoopla and Freegal as well. The Kate Bush biography, Under The Ivy, by Graeme Thomas, and the book of Bush’s collected lyrics, How To Be Invisible, are available to check out as well.
