The Red Shoes (album)

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The Red Shoes
The Red Shoes cover
Studio album by Kate Bush
Released 2 November 1993
Genre Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Pop Rock
Length 45:58
Label EMI
Producer Kate Bush
Professional reviews
Kate Bush chronology
This Woman's Work
(1990)		 The Red Shoes
(1993)		 Live at the Hammersmith Odeon
(1994)

The Red Shoes is the seventh studio album by Kate Bush. First released in November 1993, it was accompanied by Bush's short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, and was the singer's last release before a 12-year hiatus. Bush's follow-up, Aerial, was released in November 2005.

Contents

[edit] Overview

The Red Shoes takes its title from the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger; the story of the film, and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, which in turn inspired it, concerns a dancer possessed by her art, who cannot shake off the eponymous shoes and find peace.[1] The album sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.

The musical style was far more simple and direct than on any album since Never For Ever. The initial plan had been to take the songs out on the road, so Kate deliberately aimed for a live band feel, with less of the studio trickery that had typified her last three albums, and which would be difficult to recreate on stage. The result alienated some of her fan base, who enjoyed the intricacy of her earlier compositions, but others found a new complexity in the lyrics and the emotions they expressed. Gone were the stories and character pieces of her earlier work, replaced by a set of songs that are almost like a diary. This was a troubled time for Kate. She had suffered a series of bereavements, including the loss of her favoured guitarist, Alan Murphy, and, most painfully, her mother, Hannah. [2] Many of the people she lost are honoured on the ballad, "Moments Of Pleasure," as well as Michael Powell, whom she had discussed working with shortly before his death. Her long-term relationship with Del Palmer had also broken down, although the pair continued to work together. Composer and conductor Michael Kamen contributed a score for the song, which considerably heightened the impact of Kate's vocal and piano rendition.

Most notably, The Red Shoes featured many more high-profile cameo appearances than her previous efforts. Comedian Lenny Henry provided guest vocals on "Why Should I Love You?," a track that featured significant contributions from Prince. "And So Is Love" features guitar work by Eric Clapton. Gary Brooker, from the band Procol Harum, Trevor Whittaker, and Jeff Beck also donated their talents to the recording.[1]

A film, The Line, the Cross & the Curve, written and directed by Kate, and starring herself and English actress Miranda Richardson,[1] was released the same year, featuring six of the songs on the album: "Rubberband Girl," "And So Is Love," "The Red Shoes," "Moments of Pleasure," "Eat The Music," and "Lily." The first five were used as promos for the singles.

For the first time since "Wuthering Heights," in 1978, Kate released two different videos to accompany a single. The European video for "Rubberband Girl" was lifted from The Line, the Cross and the Curve; Bush recorded a separate one for the single's American release. It features her aping the rock-chick look with big hair, big sunglasses, leather jacket and wind machines, as she lobs her microphone stand around. The video is intercut with clips from The Line, the Cross and the Curve. The album reached her highest position to date in the US -- number 28 in the album charts. It reached number two in the UK.[1]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Kate Bush

  1. "Rubberband Girl" – 4:42
  2. "And So Is Love" – 4:16
  3. "Eat the Music" – 5:08
  4. "Moments of Pleasure" – 5:16
  5. "The Song of Solomon" – 4:27
  6. "Lily" – 3:51
  7. "The Red Shoes" – 4:00
  8. "Top of the City" – 4:14
  9. "Constellation of the Heart" – 4:46
  10. "Big Stripey Lie" – 3:32
  11. "Why Should I Love You?" – 5:00
  12. "You're the One" – 5:52

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Music videos

  • A performance of "Rubberband Girl" was filmed as part of The Line, The Cross and The Curve. This segment of the film was also released on its own as a music video.

[edit] Chart Performance

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Netherlands 35
USA Billboard 200 28
Germany 18
Australia 17
France 14
Canada 13
Europe 6
Finland 2
UK Albums Chart 2

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Kate Bush. NNDB. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  2. ^ Williamson, Nigel. The Mighty Bush. Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
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