Never for Ever by Kate Bush

This is an interesting little slice of musical heaven; it is essentially like a part-time job down at the local corner grocery market, get what I mean? It is like waking up at 10:00 P.M. in your sister’s clothes, reading the bible in slow-mo. Seriously, this record is quite the turning point for young Miss Bush. Now, this is her third album and was released after a two year lapse, as Kate released her first two records in 1978. Here we find her sounding more mature and lyrically confident, it is obvious that the album was more so labored over and this would be later evidenced in such seminal works as “The Dreaming” and “Hounds of Love”. The record begins appropriately with the obvious single, and of which a rather visually delicious music video clip was produced. I am talking about “Babooshka”. I don’t know how to describe this song, other than the fact that it has an obvious big chorus with Kate’s booming and highly impressive vocal range. The lyrics pertain to a marriage on the outs, and a woman coping with the onset of old age. The next track is like a bizarre little tropical paradise entitled “Delius”.

It should be entirely noted and clearly clarified that this was the last record that Kate did not purely produce herself in her own highly evolved home-recording studio, and at which point she sort of became the Stanley Kubrick of Pop beginning with the already mentioned album “The Dreaming” beginning in 1982. I genuinely like this record, and feel it to be possibly overlooked among the casual Kate Bush fan. She loses that sort of child prodigy vibe that appeared on “The Kick Inside” and “Lionheart”, and don’t get me wrong, they are both fine and good-hearted amazing albums; but on “Never for Ever” we got a real woman on our hands, friends! An impressively talented woman deserving of our respect and most deep of sincere affection…

We are even treated to a few clever and inventive Rock numbers such as “The Wedding List”. This track is quite fascinating, as Kate is vowing to go after the man who killed her husband-to-be on their wedding day, no less. High drama and pleasing to ye olde ear canals as well. The record ends with “Army Dreamers” and “Breathing”. “Army Dreamers” is a rather sweet and sad song about a young man duped into going off to war…and dying; the cut talks about regret and what possibly could have been had the young man lived, an example of the lyrical content…

What could he do?
Should have been a rock star.
But he didnt have the money for a guitar.
What could he do?
Should have been a politician.
But he never had a proper education.
What could he do?
Should have been a father.
But he never even made it to his twenties.
What a waste –
Army dreamers.

Finally, touching upon the already mentioned song “Breathing” the album closer; it is basically about coping with any intense situation or event, I suppose. There seems to be a fear of nuclear war, perhaps, and this idea of returning to the simplicity of the womb. There’s a beautiful multi-layered vocal chorus section to the song and the intensity builds as the track finally reaches its end-point. In short, Kate Bush is totally awesome, yo…and this here album kicks a fair amount of poodle skirt, no question. Arf! Arf! Arf!

Never for Ever, Kate Bush

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