Whilst Hounds of Love is not without its defects, it’s held high on the pedestal of art-pop for good reason. In general, the second side shares an astonishing amount of resemblance to video game music, which is just further testament to the innovation on show. Furthermore, the steady stride of “Watching You Without Me” shares an identical ambience to that of temple music from The Legend of Zelda. Vincent have cited Bush as a major influence, and you can hear so much of Hounds of Love in the music of Florence and The Machine, Bat for Lashes, and countless more. Multiple musical innovators such as Björk and St. The stunning ornamentation is a huge part of the record’s success, and its influence and legacy truly cannot be overstated. Timbre is a key part of why it remains a captivating listen 30 years later: the tribal percussion that leads the way on “Running Up That Hill” the delicate picking of the bouzouki that decorates “And Dream of Sheep” the deep tones of the double bass that beautifully embellishes “Watching You Without Me the theremin-like whistle that plays on “Mother Stands for Comfort”. All the sounds on Hounds of Love exude extraordinary amounts of character. Bush doesn’t have a conventionally strong pop voice, but it is remarkably expressive, and she uses it in weird and wonderful ways. The enthusiasm and motivation to experiment is not just impressive, it’s thoroughly engaging. The mystical quality that runs throughout Hounds of Love not only arouses mystery and wonder, it covers a few minor blemishes on the way too. These imperfections are perhaps merely part of the charm, such is the aura of abnormality. The pirate frolic of “Jig of Life” is as jarring as it is aggravating, though undoubtedly still a lot of fun. Indeed, whilst it’s clear to see what Bush was envisaging on “Waking the Witch”, the implementation is certainly clumsy, somewhat lumbering and heavy-handed, and it ends up feeling overblown as a result. There’s a direct purpose behind every move, even if the execution isn’t always flawless. There’s a lofty concept behind the albums structure - the weight and meaning of its two sides - but Bush rarely lets the music slip away from pop arrangements. Despite its quirks, the record retains a level of accessibility that keeps it well within the territory of pop.
The music is beautifully dramatic, like a howling wind moving ferociously through a magical landscape. Recommended.Very few albums evoke the sense of mystery and wonder like Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love.
Hounds Of Love is one of the great albums to come out of the 1980s. Somehow it all comes together alluringly, leaving you with a sense of sadness and calm. Bush's production is altogether more broad and experimental.
Once you make to the second side of the album you're in an entirely different world. And then the music just works so perfectly. The subject matter is compelling enough that you want to find out the more about Reich's life. What really blows me away though, is "Cloudbusting," which takes on the close relationship between psychologist and philosopher Wilhelm Reich and his young son, Peter. That's followed by the title tracks equation of falling in love with being chased by dogs. She piles on the layers of sounds until the song reaches its pinnacle. As it builds Bush tackles the idea that men and women will never be able to understand each other unless they can find some way to switch roles. The song itself is beautifully composed, starting with the opening synth pad and tom tom pattern. If you just take "Running Up That Hill" on its own you've got more than enough to consume. The first side produced four singles, starting with the timeless "Running Up That Hill," and the B side a concept album about a person drifting alone in the sea at night. From everything that is going on musically to the density of the lyrics, Kate Bush gives you a ton to digest on just two sides of a record. There is so much going on beneath the surface that it will draw you in before you're even aware of it. Cartridge Headshells / Alignment / Cleaners