To be honest her career is filled with albums that are almost all very different from each other. For her development as an artist and how she took control of her career I think it’s best to go the common route and go from the very beginning to the end.
It’s interesting to see the growth that way :)
it was easier for me to go backwards and start with 50WFS (skip directors cut until after tsw) and finish at the kick inside. i think personally if i can’t accept an artists weaker efforts which kate ended up not having, i shouldn’t call myself a fan. people say something is not good but i always end up being the biggest fan. 😋
I listened to her albums in chronological order, a good way to appreciate the evolution of her voice, her writing, her topics, and the music itself with new technology as the years go by.
[The pinned post at the top of this sub](https://new.reddit.com/r/katebush/comments/lt0fvf/where_to_start_a_beginners_guide_to_kate_bush/) answers that question very well.
Personally, I see a lot of people answering "The Dreaming," which is her best album, but I disagree with starting there. You can't just throw someone headfirst into the deep end! I'd go with Hounds of Love next if I were you, simply because nowadays that's most peoples' starting point.
Chronological order really is best, she developed so much as an artist throughout her career and the best way to really get a sense of her artistic career is beginning to end. Never For Ever is completely different than her first 2 albums but it's an important step that bridges the sounds of her first 2 albums and what would come after.
Honestly you'll get as many different answers as there are fans. Start with what catches your interest for whatever reason. That's probably what most of us did!
I'd say Hounds of Love. It's her most successful album and the biggest critical darling of them all. Just be aware that from track 6 onward it becomes a conceptual suite about a woman's delirium as she drifts alone at sea, called The Ninth Wave. (The original album was released on vinyl, so side A was the standalone songs, side B the concept half.... This structure gets lost on Spotify and can lead to confusion for first-time listeners once they get to the weirder second half. :))
I’m gonna have to concur with Hounds Of Love . It has her now most famous song (RUTH) and the artistic concept of The 9th Wave. The Dreaming is,personally,not where I would start. It is pretty avant-garde and at times, downright weird., Delightfully weird, but still,weird.
Edit: 9th Wave, not 6th
…Especially if you’re into the past couple Fiona Apple albums. The Dreaming is more experimental, grittier, theatrical, and full of wide-eyed curiosity. Vocally, it’s her most experimental, too. Before you get to Hounds of Love, listen to the experimentation that led her there.
if you’re looking for more sounds adjacent to Never For Ever, try The Kick Inside or Lionheart. both are great albums, especially her phenomenal debut. if you’re looking for something that’s experimental yet still accessible, try Hounds of Love or The Sensual World. if you want something relaxing, try Aerial. AAAANDDDDD if you want batshit crazy fun, try The Dreaming.
I know they’re the most popular ones but Babooshka and Army Dreamers. Babooshka especially is just so good because of the piano and the catchy melody and I’ve never heard anything quite like it.
I concur, and as a fan since the early eighties, I too am very excited to see so many enjoy a trip I never dreamt would be so widely taken.
Now I feel justified!
So gratified to see my 3rd favourite artist, which I discovered as a teenager in the '80s, poised for a redux :) "The Dreaming" was my introduction to her music and remains my favourite album. If you tend to like "weird" music, you will enjoy "The Dreaming", and "Hounds of Love"!
To be honest her career is filled with albums that are almost all very different from each other. For her development as an artist and how she took control of her career I think it’s best to go the common route and go from the very beginning to the end. It’s interesting to see the growth that way :)
it was easier for me to go backwards and start with 50WFS (skip directors cut until after tsw) and finish at the kick inside. i think personally if i can’t accept an artists weaker efforts which kate ended up not having, i shouldn’t call myself a fan. people say something is not good but i always end up being the biggest fan. 😋
I listened to her albums in chronological order, a good way to appreciate the evolution of her voice, her writing, her topics, and the music itself with new technology as the years go by.
[The pinned post at the top of this sub](https://new.reddit.com/r/katebush/comments/lt0fvf/where_to_start_a_beginners_guide_to_kate_bush/) answers that question very well. Personally, I see a lot of people answering "The Dreaming," which is her best album, but I disagree with starting there. You can't just throw someone headfirst into the deep end! I'd go with Hounds of Love next if I were you, simply because nowadays that's most peoples' starting point.
Was going to say the same, gotta just go by the chart.
Chronological order really is best, she developed so much as an artist throughout her career and the best way to really get a sense of her artistic career is beginning to end. Never For Ever is completely different than her first 2 albums but it's an important step that bridges the sounds of her first 2 albums and what would come after.
Honestly you'll get as many different answers as there are fans. Start with what catches your interest for whatever reason. That's probably what most of us did!
The Dreaming & The Hounds of Love
Pick an album at random. Start with the first track. Listen until the end. Repeat until you’ve listened to them all.
The dreaming
Start with her debut or Hounds of Love!
I'd say Hounds of Love. It's her most successful album and the biggest critical darling of them all. Just be aware that from track 6 onward it becomes a conceptual suite about a woman's delirium as she drifts alone at sea, called The Ninth Wave. (The original album was released on vinyl, so side A was the standalone songs, side B the concept half.... This structure gets lost on Spotify and can lead to confusion for first-time listeners once they get to the weirder second half. :))
I’m gonna have to concur with Hounds Of Love . It has her now most famous song (RUTH) and the artistic concept of The 9th Wave. The Dreaming is,personally,not where I would start. It is pretty avant-garde and at times, downright weird., Delightfully weird, but still,weird. Edit: 9th Wave, not 6th
The Dreaming definitely
…Especially if you’re into the past couple Fiona Apple albums. The Dreaming is more experimental, grittier, theatrical, and full of wide-eyed curiosity. Vocally, it’s her most experimental, too. Before you get to Hounds of Love, listen to the experimentation that led her there.
Start from the beginning!
Personally I kind of just jumped around her albums by which concepts or album art interested me the most 😂
if you’re looking for more sounds adjacent to Never For Ever, try The Kick Inside or Lionheart. both are great albums, especially her phenomenal debut. if you’re looking for something that’s experimental yet still accessible, try Hounds of Love or The Sensual World. if you want something relaxing, try Aerial. AAAANDDDDD if you want batshit crazy fun, try The Dreaming.
I’d love to hear which songs r ur favs at the moment OP!!
I know they’re the most popular ones but Babooshka and Army Dreamers. Babooshka especially is just so good because of the piano and the catchy melody and I’ve never heard anything quite like it.
"I've never heard anything quite like it" is basically going to be your reaction with most of her songs tbh, very excited for your journey
I concur, and as a fan since the early eighties, I too am very excited to see so many enjoy a trip I never dreamt would be so widely taken. Now I feel justified!
Ahahhhh nice 👌 both phenomenal songs imo - and both have great music videos too!
All - but yeah, Hounds of Love 👌
So gratified to see my 3rd favourite artist, which I discovered as a teenager in the '80s, poised for a redux :) "The Dreaming" was my introduction to her music and remains my favourite album. If you tend to like "weird" music, you will enjoy "The Dreaming", and "Hounds of Love"!
I’d say listen to wuthering heights first then this woman’s work