You could consider Kate Bush's The Dreaming to be her finest moment, depending on whether you value the rejection of compromise and see that as a sign of authenticity. Or, you may see her Hounds of Love - equal parts artful and accessible - as the benchmark for artistic integrity meeting commercial success: a slippery and completely unpredictable schizoid beast at the best of times.
As much as The Dreaming seems to be viewed as Bush's most difficult record to consume, it's easy to forget that it was a top 20 album in multiple countries. In reality, it has a beautiful simplicity, if only for its intention to exist for its own sake - as they say, 'It is what it is', and the rest is up to the listener. What it is, is perhaps one of rock's purest examples of a musician doing their thing, simultaneously (and conveniently) operating at the top of their game without a care for what others thought.
Ultimately, The Dreaming is just art - music, yes, but it arguably crosses the line into sculpture. You can walk around it, try to decipher it, and still be stumped. Isn't that how art is supposed to be?
Peter Kearns is a New Zealand musician, independent recording artist and producer. Since the 1980s, he has performed live as keyboardist and/or recorded or co-written with a range of artists from in and outside of his home country. He is half of the duo Tabacco & Kearns and as a writer, he's contributed regularly to witchdoctor.co.nz - New Zealand's technology and music website for grown-ups. This is his fourth book for Sonicbond. He first heard Kate Bush in 1978 when he was 11, biking home from school, hearing 'Wuthering Heights' blasting from someone's house, and he stood there in the rain, transfixed, wondering if it was possible to equal something so unique.
