Aerial Palatine IL

Aerial

Kate Bush

Columbia Records, 2005

REVIEW BY: Duke Egbert

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/21/2005

Let's take a moment for historical perspective before we beginthis review.

The last time Kate Bush released a CD, 1993's The Red Shoes, the number one song for the year was "A WholeNew World" from the Disney movie Aladdin. The Internet was an infant. Bill Clinton was oneyear into his eight-year presidency; Conservative John Major wasthree years into his seven year tenure as Prime Minister of GreatBritain. We had not heard of 9/11, home convection ovens, thePlaystation 2 or the XBox, Paris Hilton, the Arizona Diamondbacks,Emeril Lagasse, or ANY of the damned Simpson sisters.

The last time Kate Bush released what in this reviewer's opinionwas a GOOD CD (1989's The Sensual World) was even further back.

So despite the fact I'm a fan, it was really hard for me toenvision (or is that ensound?) what a new Kate Bush CD would soundlike. I mean, it's been twelve years; Kate's gotten married, had akid, and (one assumes) grown up. Having always appeared somewhatethereal, a creature of Faerie and fancy, what would that kind ofgrounding do to her sound?