Aerial is brilliant. Simply brilliant.

However...

I simply can't, with good conscience, say that I think it's her best. For me, it's still a three way tie between the Dreaming, Never For Ever, and The Sensual World.

Of course, it is a matter of opinion. :P

So many tough choices. I do consider "Hounds of Love" the gold standard for her recordings, though. I think my ranking would be:

Hounds of Love
Aerial
The Dreaming
The Sensual World
Never For Ever
The Kick Inside
The Red Shoes
Lionheart

But when it comes right down to it, they're all pretty great, aren't they?

I still prefer the b-sides from the Kate box best. Particular fave, Under the Ivy.

Hello everyone!

I find that Aerial is probably the most peaceful and happy work Kate Bush's produced. It's different because being a mother changes your perception of life. Kate Bush plays a lot with perception, sensitivity and different levels of consciousness (for ex The Dreaming was recorded at night and should be listened at night as she said).
She seems to throw at the world whatever needs to come out of her, always with style and solid technique. The B side works best for me. It's a nice idea to try to 'paint' the feelings, light and visual effects of a whole day through music.
The first CD gives a cheaper feeling. Elvis to appeal to the US, Joan of Arc for the French (it doesn't work either, I'm French and couldn't care less about this song), some Italian (it could at least have been pronounced properly just like the French btw,) etc...
Berty is nice and simple. A good song for her son.
Mrs Bartolozzi is funny. God knows how many times you end up washing when you have a kid around, so no wonder she wrote about this, without going into the sexual imagery.
All in all, I find this album more real or down to earth and it's nice to see that a singer and musician can produce some excellent work while remaining practical and happy. It's always easier to appeal to others with the usual sad songs.

As to my favourite songs on this album, definitely Sunset and Somewhere inbetween. I also like the energy of Aerial and the end of Nocturn. The Painter's Link sounds like Pink Floyd at first and it's well done.
Someone here mentioned that the recurrent 'Washing Machine' stopped the flow of the song but I think that's what the album is about (as well as what washing machines do throughout the program). Her music here really concentrates on playing with silence and sound and Kate Bush's voice changes accordingly throughout from whispers to richer tones she rarely used in the past. Someone said somewhere that her voice has changed. I don't think so. I think she's chosen to use a more medium range than before while keeping the lower and higher ranges she has to produce specific effects. This gives a smooth and easy finish, and this is an achievement in itself.

So I don't think any of her albums is better than the other although I'm less keen on her younger stuff because she was still searching herself and her own style. I love the dark and more masculine sensitivity of The Dreaming, I love the sensuality of the song The Sensual World. Running up That Hill feels like an explosion. Army Dreamers is sad and heavy but sung with such incredible lightness. Each of her song is an entity of its own which transcends itself to be felt by many. That's what makes a singer an artist. The rest is a matter of opinion.
She remains the singer whose songs I like to sing best.

I agree with you about Aerial being the BEST I have heard from Kate for various reasons. It is an Album of warmth, and hope for the future, something that the rest of her work has been missing. Though each has its special place in my music collection, and if I may say so my heart. The Ninth Wave was my previous favourite, however found it rather Cold emotionally.and being sensitive to mood changes it can affect me at times. While Aerial is a totally different experience, Which of course there, but one thing I find is a cold story behind it. I feel that Kates voice has matured into a far stronger more rounded sound.

I have had many nights having very special/intimate sex to A sky of Honey, it flows well and the uplifting melody makes for some very special times for me and my sexual partners. Do you think Kate realises that she has written an album lots of people are having sex to????

I always been totally entranced with all her music, some of my favourites before Aerial being some of her more off the Wall pieces. Such as "The Dreaming", "All we ever look for", "The wedding List" and "Delius", and I do try and fly in the face of general opinion, The Red Shoes, I find to be nearly bordering on the concept album status of TNW and A Sky Of Honey. Especially if taken in conjunction with the Film from the 50's.

On another note I have enjoyed Kates Music since the First time I heard Wuthering Heights as a 15 year old school boy in 1978 I . Each album is a special point in her life, telling of a supposed descent into the weird and wonderful from Never for Ever to coming out the Other side with Aerial. If it takes her another twelve years to write another Album, then It will hopefully be of the same standard.

As for A Sea of Honey, I think it is more Traditional Kate, but each song is also special. Like Mrs Bartolozzi, Written about the mundane things every bereaved person goes through. Having been there I can totally relate to the meaning of the song. And who else can write a song about the Number Pi. That has got to be a future classic.

May she write on forever,

NO NO NO NO.....First i want to make it absolutely clear that I adore Kate and am a fan of many years standing, owning all of the albums on vinyl and cd, and I also have the Cathy Home Demo cd.....but i really can't enjoy Aerial......its awful...particularly Bertie (which turns my stomach) and pi which is just dreadful.....it got off to such a good start with King of the Mountain and then just went downhill.....Come On we all know that Kate can do better than this....

And whilst i don't have a favourite The Red Shoes and Sensual world are both special to me, additionally they seemed to make a break from the earlier work with THOL making the bridge from that earlier work to TRS and TSW....Please don't hate me for this response, but I really think that after waiting for 12 years i was hoping for something more...
chemode

Washing machine, washing machine, on the blink, it won't spin, clothes are wet, stains not gone, washing machine, I bloody hate you!!!!!!!! baaaa humbug

The Dreaming
Aerial
Hounds of Love
The Kick Inside
Never for Ever
Sensual World
Lionheart
Cathy Demo bootlegs

... every copy of the red shoes should be fired into the heart of the sun on a rocket!