Sunday, July 24, 2011

Kate Bush - "A Life Of Surprises - The Story So Far" 2xDVD

Having been only peripherally aware of Kate Bush, this examination of the work of the visionary English artist and songwriter was a fine education for me. In fact, now I know where Tori Amos, Joanna Newsom, and Bjork nicked some of their signature moves! Hah!

This newly-packaged set is, in fact, two earlier unauthorized Kate Bush documentaries, simply re-titled. So take that as you will.

The first disc, previously released as "Kate Bush - Under Review", is a lengthy and detailed bio, complete with plenty of video clips and interviews with journalists and biographers. There are critical appraisals of all of Kate Bush's major albums, from "Wuthering Heights" in 1978 to her 2005 "Aerial" album. "Under Review" provides a wealth of info and history, and with the generous portion of visual and audio clips, a good illustration of the artists' music and styles. Quite enjoyable.

The second disc, previously known as "Hounds Of Love - Under Review", fares almost as well. It begins with a simplified bio and history up until Bush's definitive "Hounds Of Love" album, which is then exhaustively examined, track-by-track, by some of the same journalists and writers as the first disc. Again, plenty of sound snippets and clips from promotional videos are presented, making this one a wholly worthy addition to any Kate Bush fan's collection.

A solid set, and "A Life Of Surprises" has encouraged me to check out some of this extraordinary artist's marvelous music. (Pride DVD via MVD Visual)

Kate Bush official site

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