Kate Bush – The Dreaming

Kate Bush's The Dreaming arrived in 1982 as her fourth studio album and the first she produced entirely on her own, a decisive step that changed the shape of her catalogue. It reached No. 3 on the UK album chart and later earned Silver certification, but its real story is how far Bush pushed beyond conventional pop at a moment when she was determined to follow her own ideas rather than the prevailing sound around her.

Taking roughly eighteen months to complete, The Dreaming is a dense, theatrical set of art pop and progressive rock built from layered vocals, unusual structures and adventurous studio technique. Bush made striking use of the Fairlight CMI and other early digital tools, while bringing in distinctive players including Eberhard Weber and members of Planxty. Songs such as Sat in Your Lap, There Goes a Tenner and the title track show how restlessly she was expanding her writing and production language.

At the time, the album could seem difficult or simply ahead of its audience, but its reputation has only grown. What once sounded wilfully strange is now easy to hear as a turning point: the record where Bush moved from gifted pop auteur to fully self-directed studio artist, laying important groundwork for the even broader acclaim that followed with Hounds of Love.

Features

• 180g, Black Vinyl
• 2023 pressing on Fish People using lacquers cut from the 2018 remasters by Bernie Grundman, overseen by James Guthrie
• Pressed at Record Industry
• Fish People label design, resealable poly-sleeve and reissue sticker

Reviews

• The Dreaming is the artist statement that cleared the way. - Pitchfork
• The Dreaming is one of Kate Bush's underrated achievements. - AllMusic.com