Cloudbusting With Kate
Posted on March 15, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 31 Comments
I just know that something good is going to happen.
I am taking the day off; see you on Monday.
Whatever
FURIOUSLY REASONABLE
WHATEVER
Taunting the tauntable since 1998
John Scalzi, proprietor – JS
Athena Scalzi, contributor – AMS
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Wait, who /is/ that guy? He looks like Doc Brown. The song and video are fantastic…
Ah, the memories. I remember watching this on MTV. I think they only showed it a few times. I was a big Kate Bush fan at the time and collected all of the albums I could find. No small feat for someone from a tiny town in Indiana. K-Mart didn’t stock a good selection from her discography. :)
@Locke
That’s Donald Sutherland
This makes my steam-powered heart *pump* *whir* *PSSSHHHHHHH* with joy.
What made it special, made it dangerous.
( Of course, I think we are talking about a radioactive yoyo )
Hounds of Love is one of those albums that you can put on at *any* time and feel infinitely better for having done it.
Awesome, awesome video. Kate was steampunk-savvy before it became hip ;)
A pleasing sound, but unfortunately the lyrics are hard to discern. Not that this matters much, since I listen to the CDs I buy until the words turn to custard and the tracks turn into unfiltered sound piping directly into my brain.
That video triggered an AVG virus warning, MDAC ActiveX Code Execution Exploit (type 290).
No idea what that’s about, but it’s now scrubby time for my system.
@Fletcher: it’s from the book _A Book of Dreams_ by Peter Reich. It’s about his father, William Reich, and his work. It’s a fascinating, but sad, story.
Ahh, Kate Bush + Donald Sutherland + Terry Gilliam (he directed the video)= total awesome
That reminds me — I had Hounds of Love on vinyl, but no longer in a playable format. Must download…
Fantastic song, fantastic video. The first gift I ever gave my husband – back when we were dating in 1991 – was a Kate Bush video compilation (on VHS, of course). The next was a rare 7″ of the Blue Nile’s first single (I Love This Life). He pretty much figured right then it was destiny :)
Anyhow, thanks for the link – it’s bringing back many happy memories.
“The Whole Story” was available on VHS very briefly in the ’80’s, then disappeared. I found copy on a trip to London, at a Tower Records, ( which was amusing, as I’m from Sacramento, the late Tower’s hometown ), and grabbed it eagerly. Alas, discovered the whole NTSC vs PAL issue when I got home.
Paid a transfer service to convert it.
First music video I ever bought, and worth buying twice.
Ah, Donald Sutherland. Looking at him in this clip I think that he would be a great choice for the title role if someone actually made an accurate movie of Dracula. He has the right body type, looks good in a droopy ‘stache, and you can’t beat that manic gleam in his eye.
“I remember watching this on MTV. I think they only showed it a few times.”
Yep, just like “The Big Sky” was up for video of the year, and I’m pretty sure I saw it them play it ONCE, if that. I think I saw more footage from this video on MTV in the Utah Saints “Something Good” video than I ever did as “Cloudbusting” until YouTube came along.
I hope, whatever you’re doing, it makes you smile as much as the video made me smile. Thanks!
I first looked at it and said “Ah, I remember when Donald Sutherland and Pee Wee Herman worked together”.
I thought I was joking.
Then I realized it was Donald Sutherland. And, of course, Kate with a Pee Wee thing going occasionally…
Fun video!
– yeff
Gah. This is why I love and hate the internets. Terrific song, wonderful songstress, excellent video. Instantly brings back a whole truck of memories as it was one of my favourite songs growing up.
Then I Google “Wilhelm Reich” and learn he was a contemporary of Freud who fell into the ways of woo and eventually got busted by the Feds for continuing to peddle his quack cancer ‘cure’ after the FDA and courts told him very firmly to stop.
Still a terrific song, still a wonderful songstress, still an excellent video, but I may enjoy less in future knowing it eulogises a delusional, life-endangering arse.
Darn. Thanks, Kate. Thanks, John. Thanks, internets. Apologies, everyone else.
Orbital’s Halcyon on and on made much better use of her vocals i think. Ofcourse the video clip isnt much but it still remain one of my favourite peices of music
Thanks for the video – the cloud buster is an awesome piece of imaginary equipment. There are days when I could use something like that (either in its generative or destructive capacity).
BruceC @ 20: I believe that the vocals in “Halcyon + on +on” are sampled from Kristy Hawkshaw of Opus III in the song ‘It’s a Fine Day’, not Kate Bush. A great tune.
Kate’s vocals for Cloudbusting were sampled by the Utah Saints for ‘Something Good’ though – also very nicely done.
:P oops! s/Bruce/Brian/
I have to admit this is the first time I’ve ever heard that song, seen the video or heard the name Kate Bush. I’m also a child of the 80’s which makes that comment especially sad.
Sadly, Kate’s videos have yet to be released on DVD. I do have the laserdisc releases which made good DVD dubs.
I think my favorite video is still Experiment IV, which got played maybe once or twice on MTVs 120 minutes. Although now it is noted for featuring Dr. House and the Vicar of Dibley in supporting roles (Hugh Laurie and Dawn French).
You mean Stuart Little’s dad, Bertie Wooster-Little. He hyphenated his name after he married.
@eric
Yeah you know what.
Your totaly right. I stuffed that one up mate.
And everytime it rains, you’re here in my head.
This song makes me weep like a child every. Single. Time.
Goin’ to get tissues…
For a second I thought this might be Gordon Lightfoot, based on the photo.
=^)
@Gabu-kun: on bad days I see a conspiracy to withhold interesting/challenging music from the American ear.
Exhibit A is Kate Bush. [youtube has videos -- also see "Don't Give Up" with Kate & Peter Gabriel].
Exhibit B is Mike Oldfield. But don’t get me going…
@wygit: yeah, me too. Almost exactly the same story. Hello, DVD, please?
@john: thanks for posting this, thereby reminding a few of us cranky geezers.
And (if I remember correctly) after they finished filming the video, Kate kept the Cloudbuster.
If you are a Kate Bush fan, you may enjoy this: http://fourfour.typepad.com/fourfour/2009/03/we-let-the-weirdness-in.html