I Wanna Be Kate: The Songs of Kate Bush

Various (Performer)

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2001)
• Original Release Date: March 6, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00000HYH0
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,449 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Kate Bush tribute album! The world's first tribute album to the amazing talent of Kate Bush. Gathering up Chicago's finest musicians (featuring many Hear Diagonally artists), the legendary Thomas Dunning produced this critically acclaimed compilation on Brown Star Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Shows fans are starving for Kate Bush recognition, July 17, 2001

By	William Pantin (Newnan, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a big fan of Kate Bush. I have collected all of her music, including her cameo appearances on other groups; yet I cannot agree with the other reviewers regarding this CD.

The only good thing about this album is that most of the artists did indeed attempt to render original, different versions of Kate Bush's wonderful songs. However, I find their talent a little limited.

Listening to this album made me a little sad, as it made me wish that a real tribute album to Kate Bush were released, with versions by artists such as Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Phil Collins, Tori Amos, etc...

The fact that this album was highly rated by other reviewers shows how desperate fans are for more recognition of the talent, uniqueness, and influential nature of Kate Bush's music (especially on some rather popular female artists that followed her).

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fine idea..., March 22, 2001

By A Customer

This is, to my knowledge, the only tribute record to the legendary Kate Bush and it showcases the talents of such luminaries as the Aluminum Group and Syd Straw. It also includes wonderful versions of Kate classics done by many of Chicago's up and comers circa 1998. Highlights include Justin Roberts' laid back melancholy on "You're the One" (a great reincarnation of one of my least favorite songs in the Kate Bush catalogue), The J Davis Trio's trip-hop take on "There Goes a Tenner" and Victoria Storm's arcing vocals against The Blue Turtle Tea Party's piano and string backdrop on "The Kick Inside". But, the prime performance in this stellar set belongs to The Moviegoers' Liam Davis (now of Chicago popsters Frisbie) whose gripping vocal on "Hounds of Love" truly rivals even Bush's own virtuosity on the original. This track will be in my headphones at the gym for years to come.

Tribute records often are either, at best, littered with boring redundancies, and at worst presented as some nihilistic, backhanded compliment that reduces a great artist's work into a publicity stunt. This was my fear when I heard "I Wanna Be Kate" for the first time (especially since many of these artists are more or less unknown outside of Chicago). However, producer Thomas Dunning does a deft job of not only keeping the performances high but, presenting his labor of love in an uncloying fashion. Buy this, you won't be disappointed. Henri Porter

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A long time coming, March 15, 2001

By	"gsupremo" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I got this album from the label a while back, and when it arrived I
unplugged the phone, went in my room and listened to it start to
finish.

Starting with the sweet, fairly straightforward rendition of
"L'Amour Looks Something Like You" by the Aluminum Group, I
was in heaven. After all, the only Kate cover I'd ever heard was Pat
Benatar's tinny and over-produced version of "Wuthering
Heights."

Susan Voelz (formerly?) of Poi Dog Pondering
performed lushly in the James Joyce-inspired "The Sensual
World," and the Moviegoer's take on "The Hounds of
Love" lifted my floodgates, caught my breath and made me want to
write a screenplay just to feature the song in the soundtrack.

I
love Syd Straw, and her simple rendition of "Then Man with the
Child in His Eyes" showcased her uniquely plaintive voice. J
Davis Trio's laid-back-coolio hip-hop "There Goes a Tenner"
was the first song on the album to really explore the
variation-on-a-theme possibilities inherent in the tribute
genre.

Without going song by song, here's a rundown on the rest:
"Coffee Homeground" is creepily interpreted by Mouse with
the Lionheart-era theatricality intact; The Baltimores do a sort of
nouveau-punk reduction of "Running Up That Hill" -- I was
initially put off by it, but grew to love its tweakiness; "Love
and Anger" builds on the elation of the original version by
adding raw touches; and Thomas Negovan uses a string
ensemble to make "And Dream of Sheep" into a heart-rending,
Neil Diamond-esque dreampiece. Finish with a B-side cover, "Not
This Time" (arguably better than the original), and you've got an
amazing collection of lovingly interpreted favorites.

I can only
hope that this will inspire others to look at other Kate Bush songs
with an eye to covering them. And please, Kate, if you're out there,
please give us something new soon, even just a snack.

--gaw