The Sensual World

Last updated

The Sensual World
The Sensual World.png
Studio album by
Kate Bush
Released16 October 1989 (1989-10-16)
RecordedSeptember 1987 – July 1989
Studio
Genre
Length42:10
Label EMI
Producer Kate Bush
Kate Bush chronology
The Whole Story
(1986)		The Sensual World
(1989)		 Aspects of the Sensual World
(1990)
Singles from The Sensual World
  1. "The Sensual World"
    Released: 18 September 1989
  2. "This Woman's Work"
    Released: 20 November 1989
  3. "Love and Anger"
    Released: 26 February 1990

The Sensual World is the sixth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 16 October 1989 by EMI Records. It entered and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments in excess of 300,000 in the United Kingdom, [2] and Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States. [3]

Contents

Overview

Bush drew inspiration for the title track from the modernist novel Ulysses by James Joyce. Bush realised that Molly Bloom's soliloquy, the closing passage of the novel, fitted the music she had created. When the Joyce estate refused to release the text, Bush wrote original lyrics that echo the original passage, as Molly steps from the pages of the book and revels in the real world. [4] She also alluded to "Jerusalem" by William Blake in a reference to the song's gestation ("And my arrows of desire rewrite the speech"). The song includes Irish instrumentation (uilleann pipes, fiddle, whistle) under a breathy rendering of the orgasmic 'Yes' of the original text.

The songs "Deeper Understanding", "Never Be Mine", and "Rocket's Tail" all feature backing vocals by the Bulgarian vocal ensemble Trio Bulgarka. "Heads We're Dancing" includes a characteristic Mick Karn fretless bassline. The song "This Woman's Work" from the romantic comedy film She's Having a Baby (1988) was re-edited for this album. On 27 November 2005 it was featured in the British TV drama Walk Away and I Stumble starring Tamzin Outhwaite. Due to that broadcast, the song reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart in late 2005. [5] This song has also been used in a long-running UK television advert for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, broadcast between 2005 and 2008, and in the Extras Christmas Special in 2007. A version of the song was recorded by R&B artist Maxwell in 1997 for his MTV Unplugged EP.

Released as CD players were becoming increasingly popular, the original LP ended with "This Woman's Work", while "Walk Straight Down the Middle" was included as a bonus track on the CD and cassette versions of the album. The gap between these two tracks is slightly longer to indicate the album was intended to finish with "This Woman's Work". "Walk Straight Down the Middle" later appeared on the compilation The Other Sides .

A video collection called The Sensual World: The Videos was also released. It contained videos for the title song, "Love and Anger", and "This Woman's Work" (all directed by Bush herself), as well as excerpts from an interview Bush gave to the music TV channel VH1.

In May 2011, Bush released the album Director's Cut , which featured new versions of four songs from The Sensual World, including the title song, now called "Flower of the Mountain". Finally having received permission from the Joyce estate, Bush recorded a new vocal using Molly Bloom's soliloquy as the lyric. Additionally, she re-recorded a sparse, piano-only version of "This Woman's Work". The new version of "Deeper Understanding" was released as a single, with an accompanying video.

The live version of "Never Be Mine" was included on her live album Before the Dawn , released in 2016. Although the song had not been performed before an audience, Bush included the live version in the recording.

In November 2018, Bush released box sets of remasters of her studio albums, including The Sensual World.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
NME 9/10 [10]
Pitchfork 9.4/10 [11]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10 [14]
The Village Voice B [15]

"While Bush's famously fey voice would probably be enough to hold the disparate strands of The Sensual World together, the album takes its cue and colouring too from the hypnotically sinuous sway of the pipes on the title track," wrote Robert Sandall in Q . "There are some strapping power chords to be despatched here and there, most notably on 'Love and Anger', but the dominant mood is of Oriental reverie, similar in feel to that achieved latterly by Japan. And in fact the last track on side one, 'Heads We're Dancing', reproduces that mysteriously sproingy bass sound favoured by Mick Karn." [12]

In 1990, Bush received two nominations at the 10th Brit Awards in the categories Best British Producer and Best British Female. [16] At the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards held the following year, The Sensual World was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album. [17]

Slant Magazine ranked The Sensual World at number 55 on its 2012 list of the best albums of the 1980s, writing, "Blessed with one of music's most wildly expressive voices, Bush takes each song further than she has to, resulting in an album that forms its own unique world." [18]

Comments from other musicians

In December 1989, Robert Smith of the Cure chose "The Sensual World" as his favourite single of the year, The Sensual World as his favourite album of the year, and included "all of Kate Bush" in his list of "the best things about the Eighties". [19] Charli XCX named The Sensual World as one of the records that define her. [20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kate Bush

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Sensual World"3:57
2."Love and Anger"4:42
3."The Fog"5:04
4."Reaching Out"3:11
5."Heads We're Dancing"5:17
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Deeper Understanding"4:46
7."Between a Man and a Woman"3:29
8."Never Be Mine"3:43
9."Rocket's Tail"4:06
10."This Woman's Work"3:32
Bonus track on CD and cassette editions
No.TitleLength
11."Walk Straight Down The Middle"3:50
Total length:45:57
Notes

Personnel

Credits are adapted from The Sensual World liner notes. [22]

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for The Sensual World
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [43] Gold50,000^
France (SNEP) [44] Gold100,000*
Japan—20,010 [45]
United Kingdom (BPI) [2] Platinum330,000 [46]
United States (RIAA) [3] Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

The Sensual World: The Videos

The Sensual World: The Videos
Video by
Kate Bush
Released1990
Recorded1989–1990
Genre
Length16 minutes
Label CMV Enterprises
Director
Kate Bush chronology
The Whole Story
(1987)		The Sensual World: The Videos
(1990)		 The Line, the Cross and the Curve
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMovie Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [47]

Track listing

  1. "Interview" – 0:36
  2. "The Sensual World" – 5:15
  3. "Love and Anger" – 4:43
  4. "This Woman's Work" – 6:31

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Bush</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1958)

Catherine Bush, publicly known as Kate Bush, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK singles chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female artist to achieve a UK number one with a fully self-written song. Her debut album The Kick Inside was released that year, reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Hounds of Love</i> 1985 studio album by Kate Bush

Hounds of Love is the fifth studio album by English musician Kate Bush, released on 16 September 1985 by EMI Records. It was a commercial and artistic success and marked a return to the public eye for Bush after the relatively low sales of her previous album, 1982's The Dreaming. The album's lead single, "Running Up That Hill", became one of Bush's biggest hits, giving Bush her second UK number-one single in June 2022. The album's first side produced three further singles, "Cloudbusting", "Hounds of Love", and "The Big Sky". The second side, subtitled The Ninth Wave, forms a conceptual suite about a woman drifting alone in the sea at night.

<i>The Seeds of Love</i> 1989 studio album by Tears for Fears

The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989 by Fontana Records. It retained the band's epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque pop. Its lengthy production and scrapped recording sessions cost over £1 million. The album spawned the title hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love", as well as "Woman in Chains", and "Advice for the Young at Heart", both of which reached the top 40 in several countries.

<i>The Kick Inside</i> 1978 studio album by Kate Bush

The Kick Inside is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. Released on 17 February 1978 by EMI Records, it includes her UK No. 1 hit, "Wuthering Heights". The album peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Several progressive rock musicians were involved in the album including Duncan Mackay, Ian Bairnson, David Paton, Andrew Powell, and Stuart Elliott of the Alan Parsons Project and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

<i>Lionheart</i> (Kate Bush album) 1978 studio album by Kate Bush

Lionheart is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released on 10 November 1978, nine months after Bush's successful debut album The Kick Inside. Lionheart peaked at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, and has been certified Platinum by the BPI.

<i>Never for Ever</i> 1980 studio album by Kate Bush

Never for Ever is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 8 September 1980 by EMI Records, it was Bush's first No. 1 album and was also the first album by a British female solo artist to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as being the first album by any female solo artist to enter the chart at No. 1. It has since been certified Gold by the BPI. It features the UK Top 20 singles "Breathing", "Army Dreamers" and "Babooshka", the latter being one of Bush's biggest hits. Bush co-produced the album with Jon Kelly.

<i>The Whole Story</i> 1986 compilation album by Kate Bush

The Whole Story is the second compilation album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush and her first greatest hits album worldwide. Released on 10 November 1986, it earned Bush her third UK number-one album and went on to become her best-selling release to date, being certified four-times platinum in the United Kingdom.

<i>This Womans Work: Anthology 1978–1990</i> 1990 box set by Kate Bush

This Woman's Work: Anthology 1978–1990 is a compilation box set by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. Released in 1990 on CD, vinyl and cassette; it comprises her six studio albums to that point together with two additional albums of B-sides, rarities and remixes. The box set was re-released on CD only in 1998 in different packaging.

<i>The Red Shoes</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Kate Bush

The Red Shoes is the seventh studio album by English musician Kate Bush. Released on 1 November 1993, it was accompanied by Bush's short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, and was her last album before a 12-year hiatus. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments in excess of 300,000 copies. In the United States, the album reached number 28 on the Billboard 200, her highest-peaking album on the chart at the time.

<i>In Concert/MTV Plugged</i> 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen

In Concert/MTV Plugged is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen.

<i>Aerial</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Kate Bush

Aerial is the eighth album by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. It was released as a double album in 2005, twelve years after her 1993 album The Red Shoes. The album peaked at No. 3 in the UK.

Trio Bulgarka were a Bulgarian vocal ensemble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Bush discography</span>

The discography of English singer-songwriter Kate Bush consists of 10 studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, six video albums, four box sets, five extended plays, 40 singles, seven promotional singles, and 39 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Woman's Work</span> 1989 single by Kate Bush

"This Woman's Work" is a song written and performed by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was initially featured on the soundtrack of the American film She's Having a Baby (1988). The song was released as the second single from her album The Sensual World in 1989 and peaked at 25 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sensual World (song)</span> 1989 single by Kate Bush

"The Sensual World" is a song by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was the title track and first single from her album of the same name, released in September 1989. The single entered and peaked at No. 12 on the UK Single Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love and Anger (song)</span> 1990 single by Kate Bush

"Love and Anger" is a song written and performed by British singer Kate Bush. It was the third and final single to be released from her sixth studio album, The Sensual World (1989), on 26 February 1990 and peaked at No. 38 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1989 and was Bush's only chart-topper on any US chart until 2022. The song features Pink Floyd member David Gilmour on guitar.

<i>Love Is</i> (Kim Wilde album) 1992 studio album by Kim Wilde

Love Is is the eighth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in spring 1992. The album was not released in North America.

<i>Directors Cut</i> (Kate Bush album) 2011 remix album by Kate Bush

Director's Cut is the ninth studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 16 May 2011. It consists of new versions of songs from her earlier albums The Sensual World (1989) and The Red Shoes (1993). All tracks have new lead vocals, drums, and instrumentation and are remixed and restructured. Some song were transposed to a lower key to accommodate Bush's lowering voice. Three of the songs, including "This Woman's Work", have been completely rerecorded, often with lyrics changed in places. Bush described the album as a new project rather than a collection of remixes.

<i>50 Words for Snow</i> 2011 studio album by Kate Bush

50 Words for Snow is the tenth studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 21 November 2011. It was the second album released on her own label, Fish People, and Bush's first all-new material since Aerial (2005). The album was promoted by the single "Wild Man"; a further single, "Snowflake", followed in October 2024, alongside a short film in support of War Child.

<i>Before the Dawn</i> (Kate Bush album) 2016 live album by Kate Bush

Before the Dawn is the second live album by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released on 25 November 2016 by Bush's label Fish People, and is distributed in the United States by Concord Records. It was recorded in 2014 during Bush's sell-out 22-date residency, Before the Dawn, at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, which saw her return to the stage following a 35-year absence. The album is certified gold in the UK.

References

  1. ↑ "Dusting 'Em Off: Kate Bush – The Sensual World – Consequence". 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016. The Sensual World amplifies Bush's penchant for writing delicately complex material while maintaining her progressive pop edge
  2. 1 2 "British album certifications – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". British Phonographic Industry. 20 October 1989. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 "American album certifications – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Recording Industry Association of America. 27 October 1993.
  4. ↑ Littlejohn, Maureen. "The Sensual Woman". Network magazine. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  5. ↑ "Official UK Download Chart Book" (PDF). DigitalStar.org.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  6. ↑ Wilson, MacKenzie. "The Sensual World – Kate Bush". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  7. ↑ Kot, Greg (26 October 1989). "Kate Bush: The Sensual World (Columbia)". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Hochman, Steve (5 November 1989). "A Grown-Up Kate Bush Veers Closer to Earth". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  9. ↑ Sutcliffe, Phil (June 2011). "A Magnificent Obsession". Mojo . No. 211. pp. 82–83.
  10. ↑ Quantick, David (21 October 1989). "Let Them Eat Kate". NME . p. 38.
  11. ↑ Hewitt, Ben (19 January 2019). "Kate Bush: The Sensual World". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  12. 1 2 Sandall, Robert (November 1989). "Wiggly". Q . No. 38.
  13. ↑ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Kate Bush". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  122–123. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  14. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Kate Bush". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 62–63. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (13 March 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Kate Bush". Brit Awards. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "Kate Bush". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Slant Magazine . 5 March 2012. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "Robert Smith [interview]". Melody Maker . 23 December 1989. p. 23.
  20. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (12 February 2013). "Gimme Five: Charli XCX on Her Musical Obsessions". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "Antice, Džanam, Dušice". 5 April 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  22. ↑ The Sensual World (CD booklet). Kate Bush. EMI Records. 1989.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  24. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6687". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  25. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kate Bush – The Sensual World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  26. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 44. 4 November 1989. p. VIII. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  27. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  28. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2022.Select "Kate BUSH" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
  29. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kate Bush – The Sensual World" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  30. ↑ センシュアル・ワールド/ケイト・ブッシュ [The Sensual World / Kate Bush] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  31. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2022.Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "The Sensual World" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  32. ↑ "Charts.nz – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  33. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  34. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  36. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  37. ↑ "Kate Bush Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  38. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of '89". RPM. Vol. 51, no. 8. 23 December 1989. p. 14. ISSN   0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  40. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  41. ↑ "Topp 40 Album Høst 1989" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  42. ↑ "Year End Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror . 20 January 1990. p. 42. ISSN   0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  43. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Kate Bush – The Sensual World". Music Canada. 7 November 1989.
  44. ↑ "French album certifications – Kate Bush – The Sensual World" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 8 August 2021.Select KATE BUSH and click OK. 
  45. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  46. ↑ "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Chartheaven. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  47. ↑ "Kate Bush: The Sensual World (The Videos) – Cast, Reviews, Summary, and Awards – AllRovi". allrovi.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.