Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow (2011)

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Melting in my hand

Kate Bush is evolving, slowly but still evolving. Her most recent album is breaking new ground. She has previously done concept albums, “The Hounds of Love” and “Aerial”, and now she has somewhat surprising given us a concept album about snow. Seven songs "set against a background of falling snow". The album title is inspired by the Eskimo people who have 50 words for snow.

This feels like such a mature album. Gone are the 4-minute pop songs from her earliest phase. Albeit high class, they are still “only” pop songs, you know. An evolution of the format was maybe not needed, but welcomed.

“50 Words for Snow” includes influences from experimental jazz and classical music like renaissance choir music. It has long complex songs that make me think about the seventies progressive rock bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis. How exciting!

The songs have haunting lyrics about snow and cold things. Those of us that are engaged and listen with full awareness are rewarded with a wonderful experience. The album is a marvel on the turntable. I listened to it with my head phones. It was like walking into a snowy meadow together with Kate. The mood of the album putted me into something like a trance.

The album has only seven songs, but with a total run time of 65 minutes there are songs running longer than ten minutes and the remaining are all at least six minutes each. Many songs are stripped bare, with voices only accompanied by a piano. We also get some jazz settings with voice, piano, bass and the jazz drum.

After some soul searching I am struck by the realisation that this album reminds me of Bowie’s “Blackstar”. Both give me a strange and eerie feeling, but in a slightly different way. David’s album is full of dread and death, Kate’s is more of longing.

Kate’s voice is mature, and I love the evolution. It is similar to the journey of David’s, from brisk and high singing voices to deeper and mellower matured. Their older voices are both more comforting to my ears.

The duet with Elton John on “Snowed In at Wheeler Street” is stellar. What a discovery! It has a great story about two souls that belong together on a journey through history. The song makes me sad and happy. A jumble of emotions as if from the movie “Brief Encounter”. Damn it, it may be her best song yet. Easily in the top five at least!

The song “50 Words for Snow” is so funny and a testament to Kate’s humour. Kate and the best Stephen Fry give us 50 words for snow for the Eskimo, some real and many made up and silly. Hilarious.

The last song “Among Angels” gives us Kate and a piano. Very nice indeed, it’s almost as if you were among them.

My rating: 8/10

Side A:
1. Snowflake
2. Lake Tahoe

Side B:
1. Misty

Side C:
1. Wild Man
2. Snowed In at Wheeler Street

Side D:
1. 50 Words for Snow
2. Among Angels

Best songs: “Snowed In at Wheeler Street” and “Misty”

Produced by: Kate Bush

Released: Released 21, 2011

Media: Remastered 180 gram 2 X Vinyl, gatefold, reissued in 2018 (part of Remastered In Vinyl III)

Kate Bush - Director's Cut (2011)

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I can’t stop thinking

A whole album with remixed or re-recorded songs from two previous albums? Well, I guess it could have been great, but this album is somewhat disappointing to me in the end anyway. As it is a re-mix album with no new material, it doesn’t feel like a “full” album to me.

The songs aren’t any of the strongest to begin with, with some notable exceptions. All the vocals are re-recorded as well as the drums as I understand it. Some songs are even completely re-recorded and in fresh versions. The new production or “sound” is sometimes an improvement, but not always.

I do however love the more mature voice of Kate, especially when she is going all in with her singing. It’s like she is acting the songs out in her performance, with added colour.

We do find one new title in “Flower of the Mountain”. But this is actually “The Sensual World” with updated lyrics. Kate wanted to use lines from James Joyce’s “Ulysses” and now in 2011 she finally got the necessary permissions. It is a slight improvement, mostly due to Kate’s voice.

“Song of Solomon” is quite good, I just like the singing. 

“Deeper Understanding” is updated with a horrible result. The use of vocoder and modulation of the singing make this version unlistenable. It’s a pity really. Mercifully enough it is placed as the first track on one side, so I can skip it easily when playing the album (on vinyl).

One of Kate’s very best songs “This Woman’s Work” is a completely new re-recording and the song is now very different. The song is sung in a lower tone and slower with a dreamy ambient feeling. I like it, but I don’t love it 3000. Perfection is hard to improve upon, you know. It’s like a truly great song is hidden beneath the surface and it’s trying to get out. That great song is found on “The Sensual World”.

“Moments of Pleasure” has been re-recorded as a beautiful ballad with Kate and a grand piano. To me this version is even better than the original version on “The Red Shoes”. I really like the chorus humming instead of singing.

“Never Be mMine” is offered in a heavily remixed version. It’s stripped down, has jazzy drums and is more dramatic. The singing is in a lower and deeper tone, as on most of the versions on “Director’s Cut”. Quite a nice update.

“And So Is Love” has not been changed a lot in the re-mix but some of the lyrics have been updated which is exciting. In the original version she sings that life is sad, in the new one the lyrics are changed to “life is sweet”. One hopes that Kate was in a better place. The guitar play from Eric Clapton is still there thankfully.

The last song “Rubberband Girl” is re-recorded in a new version. This version is whacky, and I like it as I found the original version to be too boring and sounding like generic radio-pop.

Compared to an original studio album this is not up to par, but it should maybe not be viewed as such. We get three re-recorded songs, all new vocals from Kate and some updated lyrics which all is great. But “Director’s cut” is still “minor Kate Bush” in my book. An album only for the connoisseur.

My rating: 5/10

Side A:

1. Flower of the Mountain

2. Song of Solomon

3. Lily

Side B:

1. Deeper Understanding

2. The Red Shoes

3. This Woman’s Work

Side C:

1. Moment of Pleasure

2. Never Be Mine

Side D:

1. Top of the City

2. And So Is Love

3. Rubberband Girl

Songs improved; “Flower of the Mountain”, “Moments of Pleasure”, “Never Be Mine” and “Rubberband Girl”

Produced by: Kate Bush

Released: May 16, 2011

Media: Remastered 180 gram 2 X vinyl, gatefold, reissued in 2018 (part of Remastered In Vinyl III)