The Kick Inside opens with 'Moving', a sparse, piano-led track which introduces Kate Bush's unconventionally-phrased voice. The dramatic nature of her timbre is embellished by equally quirky backing vocals provided by Bush herself.
'Moving' glides, via a seagull's call, into 'Saxophone Song' (the titular instrument played by Alan Skidmore), on which the K T Bush Band steps in to provide some electric guitar and a slight strain of strings. The track demonstrates the literate nature of Bush's lyrics, and the use of a tuning saxophone complements the narrative and shows a willingness for musical exploration.
The Man With The Child In His Eyes
Bush tackles odd lyrical material with 'Strange Phenomena', seemingly about women synchronising their periods, but pulls through due to her enthusiasm and musical experimentation. 'Kite' sees Bush taking her muse on a more upbeat direction, jumping into a high register to bring unmitigated joy to the track.
'The Man With The Child In His Eyes' was a concept Bush had conceived as a thirteen-year-old, and the version released on The Kick Inside had been recorded as part of a demo session recorded by Andrew Powell when Bush was seventeen. A story tinged with hope yet never quite shaking a melancholic edge, 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes' exemplifies the depths of Bush's talents even at a young age.
Wuthering Heights
The success of The Kick Inside was fuelled by the popular achievements of the Emily Bronte-inspired 'Wuthering Heights'. The accompanying video, in which Bush danced alone to the track, has become the visual most associated with the singer, and helped the song to number one in the UK in March 1978. Released against the wishes of EMI, 'Wuthering Heights' was the perfect introduction to Kate Bush: piano-focused, literary, with expressive and unconventional vocals.
EMI had originally wanted the comparatively more conventional, guitar-led 'James And The Cold Gun' to be released instead of 'Wuthering Heights' as The Kick Inside's lead single. The track takes flight with the guitar work of Ian Barrison and the organ of Duncan Mackay, with Bush's own piano playing adding bounce.
'Feel It' showcases the explicit sexuality which runs through much of Bush's later work on albums such as Hounds Of Love and The Sensual World. Bush's fluctuating voice adds to the sense of mood within the track, the lyrics for which are erotically-charged and uncommon for a female artist of the time. This is further explored on 'L'Amour Looks Something Like You', which also features inventive electric piano work.
'Oh To Be In Love' is slightly dated by its synthesizer sound, but the use of Bush's brother Paddy on mandolin and male backing vocals to contrast with Bush's falsetto bring enough zest and interest to offset it. The musical invention is also to be found on 'Them Heavy People', Bush's experimental phrasing bringing intrigue and dynamism to a song which hints at, but never quite takes on, a reggae form.
The Kick Inside
The Kick Inside closes with 'Room For The Life', a lyrically mature track about pregnancy from an eighteen-year-old featuring percussion formed from boo bams and beer bottles, and 'The Kick Inside', a final piano-heavy, literate piece of songwriting, which hints at the Celtic sounds Bush would later explore more fully on The Sensual World.
The Kick Inside reached number 3 on the UK album chart, and propelled the nineteen-year-old Kate Bush in to the realm of pop superstardom. However, Bush, as with the release of 'Wuthering Heights', has stuck to her instincts throughout her career, ignoring the conventional route and looking to constantly improve and expand her sound, with great success.
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