Stan Deely on Never for Ever
The release of this album and its attendant singles covers the period from spring to autumn 1980. I can’t say I was following or even aware of Ms Bush’s career at the time.
It was quite a tumultuous period for me. I was 16 years old and like Billy Bragg, at the time of my O levels, I was heartbroken. That Easter my first girlfriend left me for my best friend. Torn loyalties or what? However I didn’t go so far as Philthy Phil of Motorhead who confronted with the same situation in flagrante threw his drums in his van and drove straight down to start a new life in London or a mate of mine who went to live in a tent on a Scottish island existing on a diet of dried vegan dog food.
My heartbreak was perfectly soundtracked by my fave band of the time, the Undertones, on their new album Hypnotised. With such insightful/universal lyrics such as “She’s a girl in a million who does what a million girls do” writer John O’Neill obviously had a direct window into my soul.
Post exams summer turned out to be a lot of fun, hanging out and drinking cider with mates in the park and took my mind off the heart break a bit and in September I started at the local college which was a mixed bag. After spending my compulsory education years in blue collar Catholic schools consisting of a cohort one third Irish, one third Italian, one third Polish with a handful of black, Asian and English kids, I was exposed to the English middle classes and their strange ways. Forty years on I’m still coming to terms with this strange breed and their world.
So I was only vaguely aware of the singles as they came out and don’t think I even knew that the album was out. Also the NME was on strike for a lot of this period and apart from the John Peel show this where I found out about new releases etc.
THE COVER
A drawing/painting of Kate wearing a cloud patterned dress with a menagerie of animals – cats, bats, whales, butterflies and some that look quite mythical emerging from her nether parts. Reminds me of the 70’s hippie designs in Oz magazine or the cartoon video to the Roger Glover ‘Butterfly Ball’ single that used to get shown on OGWT back in the day. Slightly unsettling in a Freudian way. The back cover, also quite sinister has Kate or some lookalikes dressed up as flies or bats at dusk in a dream/nightmare Wizard of Oz like scenario.
THE ALBUM
Writing this series I try to keep away from the internet and Wikipedia so as not to be too influenced by opinions etc but occasionally have a sneaky glance for recording and release dates, chart positions etc. Therefore I can tell you that this album was recorded over 10 months from September 1979 to May 1980 to May. Kate moves from assistant producer on Lionheart to co-producer with the engineer of the first two albums Jon Kelly.
On initial listens it sounds like the first two albums but more so. The sound is lusher and the hooks are hookier. Kate on steroids, turned up to 11. As co-producer there is a sense of her taking control.
THE SONGS
BABOOSHKA
Doomy piano chords, a bit of synth, the now TM’ed male backing vocals and here comes Kate with her re-write of the Rupert Holmes’s Pina Colada song. Once again in fairtytale territory. Coquettish verse. I can see her pouting and doing her thing in the video. Then it explodes into its super ear wormy catchy chorus.
The song builds and gets a bit Sgt Peppers orchestral in that English pastoral style. A very solid and accomplished track. Does its schtick in 3 minutes 20 seconds. Tune!. A proper pop hit, albeit a kooky one with slightly dark subject matter.
Sounds of breaking glass to finish. It sounds like the Fairlight, one of the very few in the country at the time, costing as much as a small house enabling minted musicians to sample glass smashing etc and play it up and down the keyboards, Not much used by Sham 69.
Straight into DELIUS (SONG OF SUMMER) which is a mood piece with minimal lyrics. Its a bit early in the album for one of these but it works. What sounds like a sitar glissando, male backing vocalists, Kate’s vocal buried quite low. More than throwaway. One gets the feel that she is doing just what she wants. Her vocals are more distinct on the second verse. More pastoral imagery conjuring up summertime nature. Might have worked better as the opener with the first two tracks reversed.
BLOW AWAY
Written for the young lighting engineer who fell to his death from a skylight at the warm up gig for the Tour of Life tour. The piano playing and melody are very much in the style of the first two albums. Kate sings in a high register. Lyrics about near death experiences and those who died young. Into a sublime orchestral chorus that evokes a yearning languid feeling. The lush complex musical arrangement, pace and backing vocals remind me of The Hissing of Summer Lawns. One of my all time favourite albums and Kate matches it here. That level of musical sophistication just skewed a bit more here towards pop than Joni Mitchell’s slightly jazz leanings. Three aces in a row so far. A strong start to the album.
ALL WE EVER LOOK FOR
Piano led, Sounds a bit like a flute but not listed so its probably synthesizer. Fits in with the overall feeling of being more assured and sophisticated and produced than the first two albums. A Beatlesy, Camberwick Green English pastoral almost whistling tune. The verse is a bit formulaic for la Bush but the chorus rescues it. Lots of mad Fairlight nonsense at 2.44 and the strong chorus comes back. My feeling is that the song isn’t quite as good as the production.
EGYPT
Bit ordinary at first. Not as immediate as the previous tunes but it is growing on me as I realise just how many melodic twists and turns it contains. Turns into a bit of a mini rock opera especially with the subject matter – the old punk me may have sniggered at the lyrics straying into Spinal Tap Stonehenge style literal and prosaic lyrics but not this recent convert. Kate Bush – gateway drug to prog rock? Wikipedia tells me its progressive pop we’re dealing with here. The middle eight and outro get into stoner rock territory – the sort of repetitive vibes that bands that I rated in the late 80’s Loop, Spacemen Three were doing. (I was unaware at the time that Black Sabbath and Hawkwind had got their first) Ends on a bit of a Pink Floyd wig out
THE WEDDING LIST
Would this have been the opener on side two. Here Kate revisits the skipping herky jerky rhythm that she has used a few times on the first two albums. A breakdown before the chorus and then a theatrical chorus with a mid 70’s AOR rock guitar.
Theatrical Kate – which is under-represented on this album. Catchy light entertainment chorus. Curiously happy to have this here. Not my favourite Kate but glad to have her around. What strange magic the elfin estuary weirdo witchy pop princess is playing on me. Good coda with the band and Kate letting loose. Ends with a scream.
I recemtly watched Kate Bush at the BBC and there was an acted out performance of this performed on her Christmas 1979 BBC special. Charmingly amateur hokey, Kate posing with a machine gun. I can’t quite unsee it. The whole thing, not just the machine gun bit – what do you take me for?.
VIOLIN
Straight into this new wave rocker. Kate does Lene Lovich or even Toyah. All high pitch squeals. Very of the moment. Like Saxaphone on the first album its featured instrument is a violin. It rocks and is strangely comforting. Rock geetar solo. Theatrical slow down to end. Packs a lot into its 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Quite a breathtaking breathless journey.
Certainly the last three have gone a bit off piste after the ‘Same but more so’ of the first four tracks.
THE INFANT KISS
A change of pace and mood. Piano and strings, no percussion. Quite sparse and a bit haunting. Lyrically it seems a tale of transgressive love. Once again Kate in sinister fairytale territory. A mother’s love for her child or something else. Like the Kick Inside on the first album an ambiguous song.
On the one hand Kate’s persona seems wholesome and well adjusted but already barely in her twenties there’s acknowledgement of the darker side of human nature. It seems to me a lot of her themes are inspired by films, etc and this could be the case here as well. Still coming into focus as a song for me.
NIGHT SCENTED STOCK
A one minute interlude, just Kate on vocals – Fairlighted it sounds like. Coda to the last song or prelude to the next. What does the title mean? Could have been titled ‘I’ve got a fairlight and I’m gonna use it.’
ARMY DREAMERS
A waltz. More minimal than most of her songs. Stripped down and understated. I find it very affecting. If you read the lyrics it’s definitely an anti war song but I never really picked that up at the time. There’s a hint of Irish music – Paddy Bush on the mandolin. A brave choice for a single. The video gives her another chance to dance about with a machine gun. Take it away, Mr Freud.
BREATHING
Doomy first verse. Sung foetus in a womb during a nuclear attack. Continues the minimalist theme. Moves into a kind of breathing heartbeat beat and chorus. Dreamy yearning rock. Goes into a breakdown in the middle. Very Pink Floyd/Space Oddity. The bomb goes off etc. Bit of fretless bass. Bit stadium rock. Lighters ahoy. Last note fretless bass. Almost the same note as the first note of Joni’s In France They Kiss on Main Street – the opener on Hissing of Summer Lawns. .
A great finish to the album however a curious choice as the lead off single from the album. Got to about number 15 I believe. Could start a debate on should the first single be the best track off an album or should one save ones fire crackers for singles two or three when the album has been out and gained some traction. I think the 1980’s with its blockbuster albums was the start of this bash out 4 or 5 singles from the album which I think she got into on Hounds of Love.
It seems with this, her third album, she has consolidated what she has done in the past and a hint or nod towards new directions – more British pastoral, an Irish influence, some more rocky arrangements and playing and lastly Fairlight studio doodling and effects.
A very satisfying album and after a month of intense listening I am still finding new stuff in it. I’m quite reluctant to move onto the next one as I feel I’m not finished with this one yet.
Your opinions and insights, as ever, are valued. Over to you.
Excellent. Think you nailed it.
Breathing is an incredible track and a very brave single with the cold war about to get into full swing. Glad she put it out. I always thought the singles towered a bit over the rest of the album but like you I still can find much to love in the remaining tracks
Believe this was the first self written, self produced album by a female artist to get to no. 1. And she was about to get even better …
The cold war had been going on a bit by that time, Dai. About 40 years I think?
Re-emergence when Reagan took control, danger level certainly went up, why I said “full swing”
Good point re KB’s influences. I think she must have been quite introvert as a kid. Many of her songs are based on TV programmes, movies, and books.
I like the fact that she thanks Basil Fawlty and The Young Ones on the Hounds of Love sleeve notes.
Great review. I think this is a patchy record. A great opening track, a great closing track, and a lot of varying quality in between.
I think a lot of the songs suffer a bit from being dramas; prior to this she did a TV special on the BBC where she acted out some of her songs and I think this may have influenced it a bit.
If you think this album is Kate on steroids turned up to 11, wait till you hear the next one.
Yes, my thoughts too. I started watching the At the BBC thing on iPlayer, which began with a choreographed dance to Violin. I don’t much like the track, it’s the kind of cheesy 70s Rawk I can’t get on with. And the dancing wasn’t much better – it was very Lindsay Kemp, if you’ve ever seen any of Bowie’s mime.
I thought the TV show got better towards the end, though, a bit like the album does.
The duet with Peter Gabriel on Another Day is really good.
Yep. I can’t believe they never released it on a record.
I think it was probably because Peter Gabriel’s lines, “The night is young, why are we so hung up in each other’s chains?
I must take her, I must make her while the dove domains” are badly over recorded to the point of distortion. Perhaps they just didn’t fancy doing it again. I remember listening to it at the time when it was first shown and wondering where on earth I could possibly have heard it before. Then I realised it was actually my favourite song on the This Mortal Coil album, although that was quite heavily disguised. Years later, my first choice is Roy Harper’s original.
As far as I’m concerned, Violin is just about the worst song ever recorded by anybody. Absolutely atrocious; preposterous, pretentious and impossible to listen to. I detest that song with all the venom I can muster, which I suppose she’d probably consider makes it a success.
I must confess that I had forgotten this album ever existed.
She did study with Lindsay Kemp (it says here)
And it shows… She got much better later. Mind you, I’m glad the public don’t get to watch my dancing from when I was 22.
Every bloody dance troupe at the time was in thrall to the little monkey.
Was Sat in your lap not on this album? That was a tune!
That was on the next album The Dreaming.
But came out in 1981 closer to Never For Ever than The Dreaming
I did indeed but it was still the first song on The Dreaming albeit being released over a year before that album was released.
Yes. She took longer than expected to complete the album, a sign of things to come.
Thank you both. I can relax now.
I suspect that, had it been just the first two albums, she would have passed me by. It was this that pricked up my ears to say, ‘oh, this is interesting’. It’s clearly the overlap between her being the record company’s daughter and being herself and in control. Violin and the am-dram story-telling of Wedding List definitely feel like harking back to the first two albums, but most of the album looks forward. The heavy Fairlight presence does suggest she was overfond of a new toy, but the material was strong enough that it didn’t take over. That said, this was the moment at which Not the Nine o’Clock News found it easiest to parody. The drum machine was very much of its time too. Night Scented Stock? Her way of saying she could do that segue thing between tracks that proggers do.
Roll over Frederick Delius.
It was a brave move to open the album with Babooshka. A most definite high that leaves other tracks trailing.
The album tries but doesn’t quite hit the spot after those 3 minutes of slightly unhinged storytelling
Excellent review (as always).
To me this is the transition album where she really starts to take control and the whole “production” becomes important rather than it being a collection of songs. I still love this album and it contains one of my favourite of her “early” songs in Army Dreamers.
Can’t wait until you hit The Dreaming and remember to take the advice on the sleeve – “This album was made to be played loud”
I bought the Kate Bush album box sets when they came out a few years ago, and they are still sat there in the cellophane, so I’m gonna join you on this journey Stan, if you don’t mind. Looking forward to giving ‘Never For Ever’ a first spin this evening.
For some reason I thought ‘Never For Ever’ was Kate’s first album. Just unearthed the first box set and realise that is obviously not the case.
The exciting thing about that is the idea of The Dreaming being her difficult second album.
no hits clash, vinlys, punters, appalling, dodgers, Sainted Dave, Spurs’ Trophy Cabinet, dire 1980s –
HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jaygee, Sewer Robot… your lads took one hell of a beating…
I’ve cleaned up, you were on the wrong thread!