The World Turns
3 Out Of 5 Stars
Kate Bush's last album of new material was 2005's "Aerial." Six years later, she finally releases a new album, but instead of giving us anything new, she revisits two albums from the 90's. "Director's Cut" pulls 11 songs from "The Sensual World" and "The Red Shoes" and works them over from the original tapes up. Kate states that she felt some of the songs were like "a door with the wrong key, so I changed the key and the door began to open." There will be some purists who will howl (imho, "The Sensual World" is a near perfect album), but for the most part, "Director's Cut" works.
She has used the original recordings and kept the parts she liked, while adding new vocals and percussion to most. Only "A Woman's Work" is completely overhauled. Her voice has gained a deeper timbre over the years, and some of these songs are more forceful and sensual because of that. Some are overwhelmed (especially the vocodar additions in "Deeper Understanding"...ugh). "Woman's Work" also has new lyrics, while "Flower of The Mountain (originally "The Sensual World")" ends with a quote from Joyce's "Ulysses." "Rubberband Girl" gets a major stripping, losing it's light funkiness to sound like an indie-rock band's version of Keith Richards riffing.
Bush also sings like a more grown-up woman. Gone are the giggly hiccups and glides to a more even voice, smoother and richer. "Moments of Pleasure" probably gain the most from her new register, as well as "And So Is Love," which features a new guitar part from Eric Clapton. Hearing where Kate is now in reference to her old material makes me long for two things. First would be a new album of newly written songs, the second would be an upgrade to her catalog. For now, "Director's Cut" must be what we whet out appetites upon.
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