The Dreaming

The Dreaming
Studio album by Kate Bush
Released	September 13, 1982
Recorded	1981-82
Genre	Alternative rock, Art rock, Gothic rock
Length	43:25
Label	EMI
Producer	Kate Bush
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Fluffhouse Reviews link Robert Christgau (B+) link
Kate Bush chronology
Never for Ever (1980) The Dreaming (1982) Hounds of Love (1985)

The Dreaming is the fourth album by the British singer Kate Bush. Following Bush's production assistance on Lionheart, and her co-production of Never for Ever with Jon Kelly , The Dreaming was the first album Bush produced on her own. The album peaked at no.3 on the UK album chart and has been certified Silver by the BPI^[1].

Overview

With her newfound freedom, Bush experimented with production techniques, creating an album that features a diverse blend of musical styles. The album was also one of the first to utilise the Fairlight CMI.

Upon its release, The Dreaming met with a mixed critical reception. Many were baffled by the dense soundscapes Bush had created. The first single, “Sat in Your Lap”, predated the album by a year and peaked at #11. The following singles, however, failed to make the UK top 40. "The Dreaming", the album's title track featuring the talents of Rolf Harris and Percy Edwards, stalled at no.48, while the next single, "There Goes a Tenner", failed to chart at all, despite promotion from Bush. Another single, "Suspended In Gaffa", was released in certain European territories but not in the UK (though a video was made for the release).

Bush was in her early twenties when making the album and tended to look outside herself for sources of inspiration. She drew on old crime films ("There Goes A Tenner"), a documentary about the war in Vietnam ("Pull Out The Pin"), the plight of Indigenous Australians ("The Dreaming"), the life of Houdini ("Houdini") and Stephen King's novel The Shining ("Get Out Of My House"). Other tracks explore more personal issues; "Sat In Your Lap" examines feelings of self-doubt versus burning self-confidence and the search for a balance between the two, while "Leave It Open" speaks of the need to acknowledge and express the darker sides of one's personality (within the greater context of maintaining an open mind).^[2] Bush herself has called The Dreaming her "I've gone mad album".^[3]

Despite the album's relatively lacklustre sales, it was Bush's first album to make the US Billboard Top 200, largely due to the growing influence of college radio.

The album cover depicts a scene described in the lyrics to the song "Houdini". In the picture shown, Bush is acting as Houdini's wife, holding a key in her mouth which she is about to pass on to Houdini.

Track listing

All songs written by Kate Bush

Side one

1. "Sat in Your Lap" – 3:29
2. "There Goes a Tenner" – 3:24
3. "Pull Out the Pin" – 5:26
4. "Suspended in Gaffa" – 3:54
5. "Leave It Open" – 3:20

Side two

1. "The Dreaming" – 4:41
2. "Night of the Swallow" – 5:22
3. "All the Love" – 4:29
4. "Houdini" – 3:48
5. "Get Out of My House" – 5:25

Personnel

• Stewart Arnold: vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Jimmy Bain: Bass
• Ian Bairnson: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• John Barrett: Assistant Engineer
• Brian Bath: Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
• Haydn Bendall: Engineer
• Kate Bush: Piano, strings, Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Fairlight
• Paddy Bush: Harmonica, Mandolin, Strings, Stick, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Bullroarer
• George Chambers: Assistant Engineer
• Nick Cook: Assistant Engineer
• Ian Cooper: Cutting Engineer
• Danny Dawson: Assistant Engineer
• Geoffrey Downes: Trumpet, Trumpet Arrangement
• Percy Edwards: Sound Effects, Vocals
• Stuart Elliott: Percussion, drums, Stick
• Gordon Farrell: Vocals
• David Gilmour: Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Howard Gray: Assistant Engineer
• Paul Hardiman: Vocals, Engineer, Mixing
• Rolf Harris: Didjeridu
• Preston Heyman: Drums, Stick
• Gary Hurst: Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Sean Keane: Violin
• Nick Launay: Engineer
• Dave Lawson: Synthesizer, Synclavier, String Arrangements
• Donal Lunny: Bouzouki, Bouz
• Alan Murphy: Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
• Liam O'Flynn: Pipe, Penny Whistle, Uilleann Pipes
• Hugh Padgham: Engineer
• Del Palmer: Bass, Vocals, Fretless Bass
• Teri Reed: Assistant Engineer
• Esmail Sheikh: Drums
• David Taylor: Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
• Danny Thompson: Bass
• Richard Thornton: Vocals, Choir, Chorus
• Eberhard Weber: Bass
• Bill Whelan: Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
• Pete Wooliscroft: Digital Editing

Chart Performance

See also

• Kate Bush discography
• Kate Bush's Awards and Nominations

References