"why does a multi-millionaire,
fill up his home with priceless junk?"
She then points out the wind is whistling through the house implying that even though it's full of stuff, it's empty and lonely. She then wonders if Elvis were alive, would he be out there happy having shed all the crap he accumulated in life. 'Pi' is an interesting if not unusual track about a man who's primary obsession is the calculation of Pi. Once again, Bush takes an unusual subject and gives it breath in this musical portrait. 'Bertie' sounds like an old English piece and one can tell the instruments used are period pieces. This track is Bush's ode to her son. 'Mrs. Bartolozzi' is a song about a cleaning woman. I realize there's probably more to this song then I give it credit for. Bush uses people and situations as metaphors, but truthfully, I'm not drawn to the track. It's probably my least favorite on this disc. The next song, 'How To Be Invisible' is a song that would do better on the second disc. However, even though it has an interesting idea and starts to develop in the first verse, it never really pays off. The music is compelling enough to keep listening, but you get the sense she wasn't sure where to take the tune once she started writing it. As a songwriter myself I can tell you this happens quite often. You start writing something that sounds amazing and then you don't know how to finish it. 'Joanni' is a song about Joan of Arc. It's interesting but once again, it's not moving you in any certain direction. 'The Coral Room' seems to deal primarily with Bush's mother. This is a lovely number.
The overall impression I have of the first disc is not really negative, but not exactly positive either. The songs have little or nothing to do with each other and seem highly self indulgent. But when you consider the strength of the second disc... This disc is certainly a wonderful addition, but should have been the second disc rather than the first. Now let's talk about the second disc...
The cover is a golden sunset photograph showing a sky and the ocean below. There appears to be islands running along the horizon, reflecting in the water, but in actuality, the image is a waveform of birdsong. The word "Aerial" is defined as "of, relating to, or occurring in the atmosphere; existing or growing in the air rather than the ground or water; fanciful, ethereal". Whether you take this as a literal definition or a metaphorical one, Bush delivers. The songs on this disc feature birdsong. 'Prelude' begins with birdsong and Bush's son telling his parents, "the sky is full of birds and it sounds like they're saying words." From this moment on, the music is interwoven with sky themes. She draws us a beautiful picture of a 24 hour period where we experience the heavens and the splendor of nature. 'Prologue' sets the stage with Bush confiding the morning light has lost its way from Italy and has found her creating a feeling of magic. She senses the day will bring many wonderful things and as the lovely afternoon approaches, she invites us to visit the song of the oil and the brush. This "song" called 'The Architect's Dream' is a painter who is attempting to capture the changing light. He continues the theme of Aerial by drawing inspiration from the air around him. He captures a non-corporeal spirit lingering around him and creates a masterpiece. My favorite line from this song is where Bush says,
"that bit there
it was an accident
he's so pleased
it was the best mistake
he could make
and it's my favorite piece
it's just great"
She describes his style as full bodied. His brush strokes begin in his hand and flow down through his whole body. She likens his movements as making love. She describes his lines and strokes as an "Architect's dream". We finally learn he's painting on the pavement and a sudden afternoon rain storm begins to wash his painting away. 'The Painter's Link' describes this event by saying all the colors run. They become the sunset. 'Sunset' picks up there and describes the afternoon shower fading away to reveal a colorful sunset. Again, you get descriptions of birds and the colors of the evening sky. It starts as a gold and becomes red before finally becoming the deep blue of evening. The song takes an odd twist about halfway through and becomes a Flamenco tune. Throughout she describes the black bird singing his song of color as the sun sets. 'Aerial Tal' features this bird song with Kate vocalizing along with it. Interspersed throughout is the sound of her son laughing.
'Somewhere In Between' begins the triumphant culmination of this disc. She sets the stage in the half light of early evening. The sun is gone, but there's still enough light to see shadows play. She's walking along with her lover experiencing this majestic time. You get the feeling, she's deeply moved by nature and the incredible moment she's found herself in. The story continues as the night deepens with 'Nocturn'. She and her lover go to the ocean and swim in the water. She describes the stars as diamonds reflecting in the water. She experiences a physical escape from life in the act of swimming in the sea that looks like the night sky and compares it to the escapism of dreamers all around who are sleeping. Dreamers who touch the Aerial and find inspiration in their airy dreams. The build is magnificent. At first, the song is quiet and peaceful. But as the night moves into morning, there's a building crescendo. The light starts to change again climbing in the sky. Suddenly, the sun bursts over the horizon and the song explodes, like white light. 'Aerial' moves back into a peaceful sound. The delicate and soft explosion of morning. But there's an urgency to it as well. Kate is ready to get up and move into the day. Once again, the sound of birdsong fills the sky, along with laughter. Mother and child. You're left to wonder if maybe 'Nocturn' was just a dream. If you have the disc on repeat, it simply moves right back into the first track and you start the new day over.
She covers so many themes on this disc and they all deal with different aspects of the term "Aerial". She describes the basic movement of the heavens with the transition from night to day. She also covers the spiritual aspect of inspiration and dreams coming from thin air. She sings about those things associated with the sky, like stars, clouds, birds... She discusses the power of nature as it plays out in the sky. This is one of the most creative and singular pieces of conceptual music I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. I enjoy it thoroughly. It's almost impossible to believe these two discs were created by the same person. Much less that they have this album in common. They are as different as light and dark. As happy as I am to have the songs on the first disc, they don't begin to equal what Bush has created on the second. Each line seems to be meticulously planned to fit together in this complex tapestry. It is without a doubt, singularly brilliant. I can't praise it enough. My final words: CONFLICTED; STUNNINGLY BRILLIANT!
KATE BUSH - AERIAL
A SEA OF HONEY
01. King Of The Mountain
02. Pi
03. Bertie
04. Mrs. Bartolozzi
05. How To Be Invisible
06. Joanni
07. A Coral Room
A SKY OF HONEY
01. Prelude
02. Prologue
03. An Architect's Dream
04. The Painter's Link
05. Sunset
06. Aerial Tal
07. Somewhere In Between
08. Nocturn
09. Aerial
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