This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.
KTOM: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.
Song #383: Cloudbusting by Kate Bush.
In a recent post, I spoke about how books have inspired many of the best songs of our generation. This is very true of the song that is the focus of today’s post: “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush.
Back in 1973, Kate Bush read a book called A Book of Dreams. It was written by a man named Peter Reich. Reich was the son of a well known philosopher and psychiatrist named Wilhelm Reich. A Book of Dreams is a memoir of the father-son relationship that they enjoyed. Unlike many ordinary families, the Reichs lived in the rolling hills of Maine in the U.S., where Wilhelm had built a hilltop laboratory. The chief focus of his research was on building a machine that could change the weather so that he could make it rain at will. The machine he was attempting to invent was called a Cloudbusting machine. Unfortunately, his work became a source of concern to the government. Wilhelm Reich was arrested and taken to prison, his laboratory was ransacked and his young son was left to watch helplessly as his father was taken away.
Kate Bush often infuses her songs with references to the Arts and “Cloudbusting” in no exception. The lyrics to this song tell a fairly faithful recreation of the original story. When she shared her song with Peter Reich, he commented on how perfectly she captured the competing emotions of the security he felt when with his father in his laboratory and the complete loss of everything he knew as he watched his father being taken away. But, as much as the song stands alone as one of Kate Bush’s best and most popular works, it is the music video that truly takes this song to another level.
The video for “Cloudbusting” was directed by Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame). It plays like a full-length movie, even though it is only 5-6 minutes long. The video stars Canadian actor Donald Sutherland as Wilhelm and Bush (with shortened hair) starring as the son, Peter. The cloud busting machine was designed by the same set designer who came up with the monster from the movie Alien. If you are familiar with the movie Alien at all then, you will see the physical similarities between Wilhelm Reich’s machine and the movie monster quite readily. In any case, this song pulsates with a beat that mimics a heartbeat and is filled with emotion as the relationship between father and son grows and swells and then, is taken away once the authorities arrive on the scene. When this video was first released in the UK, it was often shown in theatres (like a movie trailer) before the start of the main feature and it was quite common for people to cry as it ended or to cheer, as well.
As humans, the ties that bind parents and children are among the strongest and most primal that we can experience. “Cloudbusting” captures every emotion present in the good times and the bad. In a world where “Hey, Baby, Baby” is the standard relationship arc that drives the music that fills our airwaves, “Cloudbusting” serves as a reminder of the many other important relationships that exist in our lives. It is a remarkable saga told through song and through video. Please enjoy.
The link for the music video for “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush, can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
A link to a website devoted to Kate Bush can be found here.
A link to order the book written by Peter Reich called “The Book of Dreams” can be found here. I ordered the book and can attest to the fact that it is a very unique and interesting story.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2021 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
Tom MacInnes, Writer