Review: Kate Bush and Aerial

Aerial saw the return of Kate Bush to the scene with her eighth studio album after a long 12 years. And what a good come back for those that are low and wish to reach slightly estatic heights after having their mood lifted. The album begins with "The King of Mountain" which had stormed the UK download charts at the time of Aerial and is pleasantly hypnotic. While the album is divided between A Sea of Honey and A Sky of Honey the latter takes some beating for energy. Certainly worth it to argue the whole album is uplifting. In 'Mrs. Bartolozzi’ Kate sings about washing machines or laundry and it is beautiful while 'How To Be Invisible in pop music terms has life and is cutting edge. In the track "Joanni" the multi-layered orchestration is apparent and echos of musical arrangements in The Sensual World. 'A Coral Room' is a reflective piano piece like 'This Woman's Work.' A Sky of Honey the other CD of the album begins with bird song while 'Prologue' has an almost haunting sound of cello and grand piano. The Sky of Honey could be Kate Bush's Dark Side Of The Moon with it's bassy echos and it really awakens and comes to life. Rolf Harris makes an appearance on the album with ‘An Architect’s Dream’ and ‘The Painter’s Link’ and while Kate thinks Rolf's painting is just great it falls victim to an unexpected downpour in which he wearily exclaims "it's raining what has become of my painting?" This is comic but blends in to the impressible 'Sunset' which depicts the descending light but breaks into life with flamenco guitars simply brilliant! Kate then imitates the bird song to bring us into 'Somewhere in Between' with it's harmonics and rhumda-esque rhythems is quite uplifting to put it midly almost trance inducing. The final track Aerial sees the dawn of a new day in which it is time to join the birds in song. An ambitious ending to quite simply a great album with hysterical laughter included. Aerial takes the listener to places you want to be, probably the best Kate Bush work yet.

Scottish Captain

Kate Bush - Aerial

Kate Bush review?

I hope to write a review on this blog soon about Kate Bush's excellent 2005 Aerial album. A fit of wisdom was to choose that CD and borrow out my local library. Was not aware three years ago she had been back in the recording studio with a wee gem. Here is a video from the CD below enjoy!

Kate Bush Prologue

Star bright better day light

I was going to post a version of William Shatner and rocket man but sound and picture quality was none too good. Instead I have a funny version of him doing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds which is posted below.

Well good to have some light in the morning instead of getting up and going to bed when it is dark. Never been really keen on artificial light and I can always read better in natural bright light, perhaps a sign the eyes are not immune to the effects of age. When the spring descends upon us I will be out and about with my camera in obviously better weather conditions and some brighter days to boot. I have to get some pictures of Arbroath Abbey where Scotland's Declaration of independence was originally signed.

Master Arrows

Imagine way back in the later 70s when punk was starting on the scene and The Stranglers were doing an excellent job at offending people. Darts had began to get some real TV coverage firstly with a programme called 'The Indoor League.' Many new names became well known after everyone had seen two Welshman the late Leighton Rees and Alan Evans on television as contemporary darts giants of their time.

TV indeed popularised darts from smoke filled bar rooms to our screens. Champions from John Lowe, Eric Bristow to Scotland's Jocky Wilson ensured we all had a dart board in our bedrooms. It is hard to believe that the health police once tolerated the smoking and boozing from famous darts players on TV but these were before the days of the politically correct times.

In 2005 John Lowe's autobiography was published and as a miner's son he made good fortune out of a darts career. The book deals with his personal life from childhood days, love of motorcycles and from relationships in life to marriage. John Lowe also explains his first experience of darts (by chance) to his rise to fame through much dedication and practise.

So coffee in hand, spectacles on, time for a good read and "Let's Play Darts."

The book is called 'Old Stoneface' and in hardback origanally priced £17.99.

John Lowe's Perfect 9darts Game

Decades for Old Punks!

The Scottish Captain brings you tonight a view from the slightly older generation of punks. In the 1970s life was so much simpler when you went into a corner grocer shop everything was laid out as it should be that is goods you would realise were on the shelf. Power cuts were fun and tripping was still celebrating spacehoppers and action men and sherbets and fun adverts on the television. many of the TV programmes had been good and this lasted into the 1980s. Comedies were well funny covering classics such as Bless This House and Man About The House to George and Mildred or Robin's Nest.

Further on saw Prisoner Cell Block H in the 1980s I presume for classic Aussie drama forget Neighbours or Home And Away it was better with real Australian drama.

Great Stuff!

Robin's Nest - with Thames TV ident (Theme tune better than programme)



Prisoner Cell Block H - End Credits

NEW Cadbury Advert

Time for a Commercial Break!

Space Travel

If the Scottish Captain had a tardis where in time should be reached? I fancy going forward in time and not backwards. Why because technological and scientific progress is accelerating at a rapid rate. Computers this year are going to advance as will computer programmes or software. Broadband connection speed will improve although in the UK the Internet connection spreed trails behind that of Europe and the US. So with technological improvements what was never imagined with the computer chip has come true. In my childhood days the robots envisaged to serve you tea and toast and do the household cleaning never came to pass.

Space - Magic Fly

Time to enter a New Dimension!

Time to enter a new dimension. Time 4 Bed!


2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone

Taste & Style

What music or bands would you admit to liking? I find it a difficult question to answer for instance I would admit to liking post-punk such as Public Image Ltd but hide the fact I also like Gilbert O' Sullivan. I also like The Cure which are cool but do not admit I like Sugababes also at least not in public. Or what about Mel C since she left the Spice Girls she became the coolest and best solo Spice of the group. Kate Bush commands a lot of respect since she proved herself a great artist beyond the crazy woman image on Wuthering Heights video for her first single. When it comes to live acts I am pleased I saw The Damned earlier this decade and Thin Lizzy during the 1980s but ashamed I also saw Status Quo live on stage. As a young teenager later 70s I dressed as an individual during the punk generation. However I find it a crime to admit on a blog I wore Bay City Roller trews at age 10 years old. The past is the past but the present is here and now to correct all our previous mistakes and live for the moment in perfect taste and style.
Below perhaps difficult to admit I liked the old 1970s adverts on the TV better than some of the programmes that had better theme tunes anyhow to boogie about the house and behind the armchair or couch.

808 State - Pacific State