Kate Bush – Director's Cut

Original formats all sounded so bad, like something you'd hear through a shoe box. I have a new set up now, in a new room, in a new house. Originally it was impossible to listen all the way through. Today I gave it another go. No, as awful as ever! I'm a huge fan, but this album is a No sadly.

"Flower Of The Mountain" sounds like she had just woken up and was pushed in front of a microphone. It sounds like she hadn't sung for many years and tried this as a way of getting everyone to lower their expectations. It should like she is doing bad karaoke to a stripped down instrumental of FOTM. It's so 'sloppy' that at first I thought she was drunk. It's strangely terrible for a Kate Bush song.

"Song of Solomon" sounds more polished than FOTM. I'm wondering if this was an old vocal take because I don't understand how she could go from this to the voice she had in FOTM. I like it.

"Lilly" is like a studio version of the 2014 live version. I like it but the 2014 live version is better.

"Deeper Understanding" is alright. It's not amazing but it's certainly not offensive like FOTM was... I still like it.

"The Red Shoes" is alright too, just an alternative version. Not better than the original I don't think, a bit looser and more casual sounding. A different feel and I still like it.

"This Woman's Work" done on a tine piano with some different chord selections and a more worn sounding vocal. Not better than the original, and I think a wee bit more melancholy. Makes me think this is how it would sound being sung by a drunk woman. It's okay-ish. Not sure why she chose to do this to be honest. I definitely prefer the original.

"Moments of Pleasure" is just piano with new chords that don't make it better than the original. Funny that eventually she gives up on the new chords and reverts to the original chords. I guess they won out, or maybe she forgot what she was playing. There's some strange pauses added and new background vocal meanderings but I'm not sure what they add. I guess it's okay. Okay-ish. More of the "please lower your expectations" sound.

"Never Be Mine" is a welcome change of pace from the last two slow tracks. It's quite good again. Full production and again it sounds like an old vocal take compared to the tired, drunk sounding Kate on MOP, TWW and FOTM. Such a total contrast between her vocal takes on this album. Anyway, I like this version. It's good.

"Top of the City" is a studio version of the 2014 live version. I like it but the 2014 live version is better.

"And So Is Love" is an alright alternative version. Eric Clapton really adds a new layer of emotion to it. I like it.

"Rubberband Girl" is a more contemporary live band sounding rendition. It's sort of rock-ish and gives me a Memphis vibe. Not worse than the original and I like the harmonica too. It chugs along nicely and I like it.

Very strange album with a weird contrast between vocal takes from drunk, tired and worn out Kate to younger on-point takes. It's just a VERY obvious difference and the drunk tired worn out Kate vocal takes aren't great at all. Anyway, some nice renditions here, but overall a mixed collection not too sure how I would rate this.

I like Kate Bush, i really love her music. Ether ''out and out strange'' or ''radio friendly'' I love the way the voice and the instruments come alive outside of the normal stereo imaging space from my loudspeakers, but sorry...

This does not. It sounds as flat as 'beach donkey's fart'

The tracks that are on the album are very good, it's the sound quality, akin to listening to a Prerecorded Cassette with the playback heads out of alignment. Still it's another CD to add to my Kate Bush collection, she can be forgiven for this just because everything else, including ''50 Words For Snow'' is a master piece.

It's clearly not meant as anything resembling a greatest hits collection, but it's still a compilation of older songs even if some of them have been redone from scratch. Most of the instrumentation is the same. Only three songs were recorded from scratch… the others were changed slightly in pitch (or with some instruments faded back or removed). It’s not a live album at all, or even a “reconceived” album since original players have not had to drop by to re-record their bits.

Sorry to say the original releases were better IMHO. First time a Kate Bush album really bores me, heard 3 times and doesn't click at all.

Some cuts are ok others quite disappointing.