Why Kate Bush considers one of her most successful albums a rushed mistake
In short: Released just nine months after her debut, Lionheart reached number six on the UK charts and earned platinum status. Yet, the singer herself has often expressed dissatisfaction with the result, feeling the production was rushed and constrained by her record label's eagerness for a follow-up.
Recorded at Super Bear Studios on the French Riviera, Lionheart stands as the only album in Kate Bush's career recorded outside of the United Kingdom. At just 19 years old, the singer found herself under significant pressure from EMI to deliver a sophomore effort quickly. This haste meant that many of the ten tracks were actually compositions Bush had written during her teenage years, rather than entirely new material.
The album's production was handled by Andrew Powell, as Bush felt she lacked the necessary experience to produce her own work at that stage—a role she would eventually take on for all her subsequent releases. While the album achieved significant commercial success, including a 36-week run on the UK charts and over 300,000 sales, critical reception was notably mixed. Some reviewers dismissed the work as bland or lacking substance, and a Guardian poll placed it near the bottom of her discography with only 2% of the vote.
Despite the criticisms, the album served as a pivotal moment for her musical circle. It marked the first time Del Palmer contributed to a Bush project; he would go on to play bass, engineer, or record on every one of her albums until 2011. While Bush has admitted the album felt restricted, she has expressed satisfaction with specific tracks, such as the single "Wow," which reached number 14 on the UK singles chart.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Lionheart (Kate Bush album)
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