The kick inside

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 14

The kick inside

KATE BUSH “Lionheart” (EMI EMA 787): Kate Bush has just been named top female vocalist of the year by one of Britain’s leading music papers, “Melody Maker.”

The win is justified, because Bush has injected originality, into rock music with her unusual falsetto voice. "Lionheart” reinforces her first album, “The Kick Inside,” even though there is no single as a worthy successor to “Wuthering Heights.”

1 presume that “Hammer Horror” is the new single, because it emphasises best her unusual high tones.

Bush is much better when she reaches for the high ones, because at bass level her voice sounds like an off-key Louis Armstrong, and tends to grate. The title song “Oh England My Lionheart” is a rather Arcadian version of the new Jerusalem, except the air-raid shelters are being overgrown by clover. The song is interesting in that it implies a

kind of patriotism. Kate Bush likes to be suggestive, as she was on “Wuthering Heights.” On ‘■‘Coffee Homeground” there is a hint of poison in the air, or escapism on “In Search of Peter Pan.”

Her lyrics have the ability to surprise, as on “Wow” in “Be that movie queen/He’s too busy hitting the vaseline.” or a whole verse devoted to sex on “Symphony In Blue” saying it gives purpose in life, is good for tension and circulation, “the root of our reincarnations,” without being embarrassing.

NICOLETTE LARSON “Nicolette” Warner Bros. BS K 3243): N’colette Larson has recently attracted the attention of the musical press for her background vocals on Neil Young’s new album “Comes A Time.” On “Nicolette” she demonstrates that she is an artist in her own right, particularly when helped by Billy Payne and Paul Barrere of Little Feat. The Little Feat influence

comes through very strongly, especially on “Rhumba Girl” by Jesse Winchester and “Baby, Don’t You Do It” by Holland, Holland, and Dozier. She also sings “Lotta Love” by Neil Young and a superb version of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me.” Nicolette Larson does not have as strong a voice as Linda Ronstadt, who incidentally provides backing vocals on three songs, yet the type chosen truly suit her.

JANIE FRICKE “Singer of Songs” (CBS SBP 237 150): Janie Fricke has backed the likes of Dolly Parton, England Dan and John Ford Coley, and the late Elvis Presley, and at last has stepped out on her own.

“Singer of Songs” .is produced by Billy Sherrill who, I am informed by a reliable source, produced albums for Tanya Tucker, but the album is anything but country.

In fact, it consists of love songs, either falling in, out, or sideways.

“What’re You Doing Tonight” has been nominated for a Grammy Award against such competition as Dolly Parton, Emmlyou Harris, and Crystal Gayle, and the song certainly has quality.

The harmonies are superb and the strings are i lush — a good record for ; creating a romantic mood, i My only qualm is the cover version of “Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In ! Love With You),” which I : feel needs a torchier inter- I pretation along the lines of Ronstadt. Janie Fricke j sings it just a little too j straight. I

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