FEATURE:
50 Words for…
Thinking About Kate Bush Album Listening Parties
___________
BECAUSE the success…
of Tim Burgess’ Tim’s Twitter Listening Party series continues unabated, I wanted to think about Kate Bush and her albums. None of hers have been featured in the listening events yet. Maybe it is because Bush would not tweet along and be involved with the listening parties. Because her latest studio album, 50 Words for Snow, turns ten on 21st November, it would be great to have her studio albums featured in listening parties. If it would not be possible in Burgess’ Twitter series, I feel there is a demand and possibility to do it separately. We could run up to 21st November and feature 50 Words for Snow on that date. In terms of the albums featured, it would be her ten studio albums; I would also include either the 1986 greatest hits collection, The Whole Story, or 2018’s Selections from the Other Sides (both feature the song, Experiment IV; I am keen to avoid repetition). It would not be exactly the same as Tim’s Twitter Listening Party. There, a musician or someone associated with an album would tweet about every song from an album played. People also tweet along and there is this community spirit. I think it would be great if there was a series of listening parties that runs up to the tenth anniversary of her latest album. With eleven albums in total, there could be one every day from 11th November.
It would run chronologically, except for, say, Selections from the Other Sides. The Kick Inside (11th), Lionheart (12th), Never for Ever (13th), The Dreaming (14th), Hounds of Love (15th), The Sensual World (16th), The Red Shoes (17th), Aerial (18th), Director’s Cut (19th), Selections from the Other Sides (20th), and 50 Words for Snow (21st) would be the order and plan. In terms of the listening parties, it would be nice if people involved with the albums took part. Whether it was Del Palmer (who played on many of Bush’s albums and has engineered her albums from the 1980s on), to musicians like Ian Bairnson, or contributors like Elton John (who was a guest vocalist on 50 Words for Snow, having some first-hand recollections would add a sense of authority and personal insight. It would be a celebration of an artist who, even ten years since she last released an album, has an adoring and massive fanbase. It would be a case of playing the studio albums in full. Whether it would be led by a musician/guest or there would be a moderator, listening and fans could join and share their experiences of the tracks. Perhaps it is too late to get things organised in time to end on the tenth anniversary of 50 Words for Snow. At the very least, having 50 Words for Snow or another one of her albums featured would be great. Having given so much to the world with her music through the years, getting the online community to share their memories and impressions would…
MAKE for quite a thing!