1) I confess Kate Bush means nothing to me. 2) In a way this makes me more qualified to comment on Hirsh's piece. 3) Hirsh seems not to consider the cumulative effect of the different theories he posits. That is, sure, each "excuse" for the lack of Kate Bush love in the USA may be independently insufficient (and I'm not even sure about that), but how about when you put them together: Is there room in the USA for a weird, artsy/literate, uber-British, reclusive, Tori-Amos-ish musician? That doesn't really sound like a recipe for mass adoration. 4) He seems not to address a key question for mass popularity in the USA, particularly for female artists: Is she hot ? As I am totally unfamilar with Kate Bush, I don't know, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say she doesn't tart it up much; I am basing this hypothesis on the following: a) Hirsh says she is reclusive; b) Hirsh says she is literate; c) Hirsh says she is not popular in the USA. (How's that for circular logic.) See also the lyrics to Tom Petty's "Joe."
Also, aren't there other artists who are "big in the UK" who don't make it here? I hear A-Ha had a big career in Europe . . . .
Yeah, I agree with this. Another way of putting it in words that cannot be refuted is that "Kate Bush never made it big in the US because not that many people in the US liked her." Me included.
As to Marc Hirsch, I don't necessarily disagree with anything he actually wrote. I do disagree with one underlying premise of his article and one implicit conclusion. The faulty premise is that there is any single reason why Kate Bush never made it big in the US, as opposed to a number of related and unrelated reasons and some randomness. The faulty implicit conclusion is that Kate Bush would have made it big in the US if she had wanted to. I realize that "Running Up That Hill" has its adherents, but the argument that the artist who made that song could, under any circumstances, have been as big in America as, I don't know, Bryan Adams or Loverboy or even Peter Gabriel seems DOA to me.
Often times being an original isn't the same as being the best. Bush was the original late 70s art school, yet relatively accessible, rock chick, but those that followed did it better.
In the case of the music business, better isn't solely an artistic concern, but also a matter of presentation, luck, and willingness to connect with new audiences. Groundbreaking originality quickly morphs into insular cult status.
But then, the entire industry is a series of niches when even the broadest of hits sells to less than 1% of the population in the USA. The UK is different, smaller market, more influential music press, and a far smaller geographic area to book gigs to reach fans.
She was apparently big enough to get Donald Sutherland to appear in the "Cloudbusting" video! I know when I lived in San Diego in the mid-80's, 91X used to play the shit out of her music.
Weird timing...I was just listening to Kate Bush yesterday.
I don't think there's one reason why Kate Bush never gained mass popularity in the US. Part of it may be her style of music/cerebrealness puts some distance between her and her potential US audience - I find her music beautiful and moving, but it often takes more than a few listens for the emotion of a piece to really grab me. (Plus, some songs, like Cloudbusting, and its awesome video, are enhanced by seeking out the story behind the song, which adds another layer of work for listeners)
But, for me, if I had to pick one thing, I wonder if it isn't the lack of touring The acts I remember breaking out at the time she launched her career, who were "successful" in the US, were driven by 2 things: MTV play - which she had covered with her videos, and repeated touring driving sales by word of mouth(my friends and I would hear about shows people had seen with U2 or Springsteen and we'd seek out their music, or made sure we were in line to get tickets the next time they came to town.) Bush didn't have the touring part of the equation in the US. I remember hearing somewhere that she doesn't do planes, though that may not be true.
I have no idea why Kate Bush didn't catch on here, but I wanted to note that, for whatever reason (presumably something to do with the WLIR/WDRE playlists), my first association with her is not Running Up That Hill or Don't Give Up, but "Love And Anger." Great song.
Wuthering Heights was 1978? Yikes.
ReplyDelete1) I confess Kate Bush means nothing to me.
ReplyDelete2) In a way this makes me more qualified to comment on Hirsh's piece.
3) Hirsh seems not to consider the cumulative effect of the different theories he posits. That is, sure, each "excuse" for the lack of Kate Bush love in the USA may be independently insufficient (and I'm not even sure about that), but how about when you put them together: Is there room in the USA for a weird, artsy/literate, uber-British, reclusive, Tori-Amos-ish musician? That doesn't really sound like a recipe for mass adoration.
4) He seems not to address a key question for mass popularity in the USA, particularly for female artists: Is she hot ? As I am totally unfamilar with Kate Bush, I don't know, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say she doesn't tart it up much; I am basing this hypothesis on the following: a) Hirsh says she is reclusive; b) Hirsh says she is literate; c) Hirsh says she is not popular in the USA. (How's that for circular logic.) See also the lyrics to Tom Petty's "Joe."
Also, aren't there other artists who are "big in the UK" who don't make it here? I hear A-Ha had a big career in Europe . . . .
Isn't a musical artist or group making it big pretty much a matter of chance? Does there even have to be a reason?
ReplyDeleteWe're still waiting for Robbie Williams to cross over.
ReplyDeleteMUSE is gonna be huge. Any day now. Really!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what trips your trigger, Chuck - but this was hot in the 70s, right?
ReplyDeleteI've always thought she was pretty, more than hot.
Hey, soccer seems to have finally made it, more or less.
ReplyDeleteHow come this never made it in America? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF0VaBxb27w
I like Kate Bush, soccer and Pimm's Cup.
ReplyDeleteYou know what else hasn't really made it in America? The HBO series How To Make It In America.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with this. Another way of putting it in words that cannot be refuted is that "Kate Bush never made it big in the US because not that many people in the US liked her." Me included.
ReplyDeleteAs to Marc Hirsch, I don't necessarily disagree with anything he actually wrote. I do disagree with one underlying premise of his article and one implicit conclusion. The faulty premise is that there is any single reason why Kate Bush never made it big in the US, as opposed to a number of related and unrelated reasons and some randomness. The faulty implicit conclusion is that Kate Bush would have made it big in the US if she had wanted to. I realize that "Running Up That Hill" has its adherents, but the argument that the artist who made that song could, under any circumstances, have been as big in America as, I don't know, Bryan Adams or Loverboy or even Peter Gabriel seems DOA to me.
Often times being an original isn't the same as being the best. Bush was the original late 70s art school, yet relatively accessible, rock chick, but those that followed did it better.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of the music business, better isn't solely an artistic concern, but also a matter of presentation, luck, and willingness to connect with new audiences. Groundbreaking originality quickly morphs into insular cult status.
But then, the entire industry is a series of niches when even the broadest of hits sells to less than 1% of the population in the USA. The UK is different, smaller market, more influential music press, and a far smaller geographic area to book gigs to reach fans.
She was apparently big enough to get Donald Sutherland to appear in the "Cloudbusting" video! I know when I lived in San Diego in the mid-80's, 91X used to play the shit out of her music.
ReplyDeleteWeird timing...I was just listening to Kate Bush yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's one reason why Kate Bush never gained mass popularity in the US. Part of it may be her style of music/cerebrealness puts some distance between her and her potential US audience - I find her music beautiful and moving, but it often takes more than a few listens for the emotion of a piece to really grab me. (Plus, some songs, like Cloudbusting, and its awesome video, are enhanced by seeking out the story behind the song, which adds another layer of work for listeners)
But, for me, if I had to pick one thing, I wonder if it isn't the lack of touring The acts I remember breaking out at the time she launched her career, who were "successful" in the US, were driven by 2 things: MTV play - which she had covered with her videos, and repeated touring driving sales by word of mouth(my friends and I would hear about shows people had seen with U2 or Springsteen and we'd seek out their music, or made sure we were in line to get tickets the next time they came to town.) Bush didn't have the touring part of the equation in the US. I remember hearing somewhere that she doesn't do planes, though that may not be true.
I have no idea why Kate Bush didn't catch on here, but I wanted to note that, for whatever reason (presumably something to do with the WLIR/WDRE playlists), my first association with her is not Running Up That Hill or Don't Give Up, but "Love And Anger." Great song.
ReplyDelete