h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Kate Bush - Singer-songwriter - A2473508
Author: Ormondroyd (Settle your gambling debts, Master B!) - U95721

Here's my Christmas to the Guide!

It began life in the spring as a collaborative topic of the week on the Front Page. I chipped in a number of postings, but some months later no finished Collaborative Guide Entry had appeared. At some point this summer I posted and asked why, and was asked by an Italic to take over the editing.

I've since been so busy, and the topic has proved so complex and fascinating, that it's taken me until now to finish the Entry. But if the subject can take 12 years over an album, I think I can take a few months over a Guide Entry about her! In fact, though, the delay may have been fortuitous, as there has been some news about KB's long-awaited new album in the past couple of weeks, which I have included at the end of the entry.

I'm not sure that I've yet tracked down the source of every Researcher's quote used in the Entry, so if I've quoted you or used your input and missed you out of the credits, please let me know. And of course, there's still time for more Researchers' thoughts on the best Kate Bush track or KB in general to be added.

Finally, it has occured to me that there's easily enough material here for two Guide Entries. Would it work better with the section on 'The Albums' turned into a separate Entry?
What do you think?

Over to you. And in the words of a lesser-known Kate song: be kind to my mistakes!

Blimey

This is going to take some serious reading time! Which I don't have time for now - I can only do two impossible things before breakfast these days

One thing from the first section that's entirely Kate-unrelated but which might spark some controversy is the suggestion that Pink Floyd were prog. I've sat and watched that argument go back and forth so many times and never been quite convinced of either side. It's good to work their name in at the beginning though considering Dave Gilmour's pivotal role in Kate's career.

I've never understood that whole controversy. I thought they were just a stoned and slower version of Hawkwind.

Anyway, I distinctly remember the day and the place where I heard my first Kate Bush song. That was in the summer of 1984, in a little cottage just off the Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California.
The radio was tuned to the USC student station and my then girlfriend was cooking something with lentils in it.
I don't remember which song it was, but THAT VOICE!
Eventually I purchased most of her work.

Now to read the entry.

"Despite its accessible melodies and glosspy production, there is a dark undercurrent running through The Red Shoes. The record is dedicated to the memory of Kate's mother Hannah Bush..."

Glosspy?
As good a word as any, I guess.

Oddly, the entry seems to have nothing about the Diva's personal life, including the fact that she seems to have put forth a springoff at some time in the last decade.

Otherwise, I have no quibbles. I was very gratified to see my favorite Floyd album mentioned and in connection with Ms. Bush.

Personally, I always thought Genesis was more prog than Fink Ployd and more worthy to be linked with Yes, against whom I have nothing.

A worthy entry.

Well spotted, Sigmund. I meant 'glossy', of course, and have now fixed it.

There is actually a passing mention of Kate's young son near the end of the Entry, because she's named a song after him; but otherwise, I think her personal life is none of the Guide's business. I may have inadvertently got glosspy, but I don't want to get gossipy.

Gosho: if anyone takes major umbrage at the Floyd being called 'prog', perhaps I'll change it - though that person would also have to register a complaint about the Progressive Rock Entry I linked to. Your comment about the size of this Entry tends to support my idea about maybe making the 'Albums' section into a separate Entry.

"I think her personal life is none of the Guide's business"

Agreed, up to a point.
See my Yoko entry and guess how long it would have been if I'd left her personal life out of it.
I think the fact that she has chosen to have a life and a family that has contributed to the lateness of her most recent album. It would not be gossip to suggest that she has put home life above fame, would it?

Anyway, you do what you please. I have no complaints. I don't mind the length, either.

Hmm... I don't doubt that the arrival of young Bertie was a factor in Kate's long gap between albums, and she has unsurprisingly said that the young 'un 'keeps her busy', but it would be misleading to suggest that she left the music business to look after her kid. She had already gone around seven years without an album by the time Bertie arrived, and actually she seems to have got on with her music a little more (relatively speaking) since having him.

Anyway, I think I've got more than enough material without going down that particular road. If she really does do the big comeback next year, doubtless we'll find out as much as she wants to tell us about what she's been up to all this time.

I'm glad you like the Entry!

"taking her her mock A-Level..."

Too many "her"

I don't think there's such a word as "uncommercial"...don't know what the alternative is though. In fact I may be really wrong.

"untypically" Again I don't think there's such a word. Perhaps "atypically"?

"the works of the the great ..." Too many "the"


And if I'm being REALLY picky "poppiest" isn't a word either.


However all that pedantic stff aside, I really enjoyed reading this article! I'm a fan myself, but found out things that I had never considered. Thank you for broadening my knowledge.

Kat

My pleasure, Kat.

I think I've successfully fixed all the imperfections you pointed out, too. While I'd argue that 'uncommercial', 'untypically' and 'poppiest' are all in common enough currency to count as valid words, I've rephrased the relevant sentences to make them a bit clearer and more elegant!

I must confess, I haven't heard much of Kate's work, but you appear to have done a fine job of summing it up

This has a nice structure and flows well; while I agree that it's rather long and there's enough info on the albums to merit its own entry, I think I would leave it as it is. For people unfamiliar with her work (all three of us) it provides a point of reference for the favourites and collaborations that follow. Besides, for someone searching the Guide for information on Kate Bush, it would be nice to have it all in one place.

I found a few more typos, if any of these aren't actually typos, please forgive

--I was really pleased, because it was the first song I had written for a while, as I'd been busy rehearing with the KT Band. >> would that be 'rehearsing'?
--'Delius' (Song Of Summer)' >> should that quotemark be in there between Delius and the parenthesis?
--'Night Of The Swallow >> needs and endquote.
--Footnote 6 appears to be alone between full stops.
--Footnote 10: 'The Sensuual World' >> too many u's
--/"Ah Hell, we're young/ >> missing endquote?
--(Header) The best of Bush >> capitalise 'best'?
--In the last 'favourites' quote, should The Red Shoes be in bold italic like the other song titles? There's mention of a video which makes me think it's referring to the song and not the whole album; or have I got it wrong?

, Miloso. You were right about all of those typos, and I've just spent a few of the last minutes of 2004 fixing 'em. I'm glad you like the Entry, and I think perhaps I will keep it in one piece after all!

I agree with keeping it all together.

And a fine bit of combining I must say!

Now to find one of those pesky Scouts...



- Jimi X

Hark do I hear the polite and caring call of someone in need!?

*to phone-box to change into Super Scout*

That leotard, tights and cape outfit really suits you, Kat!

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Oh really? *spins a bit* I thought I looked like something out of Flash Dance

Ahh my super work is done here...

Well done, a really good article and well deserving of my superness

Of course, if I had remembered to turn on email notifications from the Scouts after the holidays I would have known that I have picks for tomorrow that I could have used!

Still, contgratulations on a wonderful job!

- X

, Kat and Jimi. This Entry took a lot of work, and I'm delighted that it's now all finished and accepted. That said, I hope to be writing an update later this year when Kate's new album is - hopefully - delivered at last!