Album: The Sensual World

Introduction
"The Sensual World" is the sixth studio album by British singer-songwriter and artist Kate Bush, released on October 16, 1989. After the huge success of her previous album, "Hounds Of Love" (1985), expectations were high for Kate's next project. Real to form, Bush provided another pioneering album loaded with lyrical depth, new innovation, and emotive efficiencies. It stands as a testimony to her artistic evolution and innovative control worldwide of music.

Idea and Themes
"The Sensual World" delves deep into an expedition of love, sensuality, and human experiences. From its initial conception, the album was meant to be immersive, welcoming the listener into a vibrant and evocative sensory landscape. However, compared to her previous albums, "The Sensual World" adopts a more reflective, atmospheric, and nuanced method to its subject matter and compositions, while still retaining her characteristic poetic wordplay and storytelling.

Among the essential themes in the album is the relationship between human beings and innovation, a fitting background provided Bush's innovative usage of the Fairlight CMI synthesizer and her partnership with other musicians who employed innovative technology of the time. The album also delves into themes such as love and relationships, both in their most intimate minutes and broader cultural contexts.

Album Production
Following the precedent she embeded in her previous two albums, Kate Bush kept creative control throughout the whole production process. She produced the album herself and played various instruments, including keyboards, piano, and the Fairlight CMI. "The Sensual World" marked the first time Kate dealt with the legendary Trio Bulgarka, a female vocal ensemble from Bulgaria that includes prominently on several tracks. Turner Broadcasting commissioned the tune "The Sensual World" to use their satellite link-up in 1987 due to concerns about the launch of the Venus probe, strengthening the theme of connection between human beings and innovation.

In addition, "The Sensual World" boasts a stellar list of guest artists, including Irish artists Davy Spillane on uilleann pipelines and whistle, John Giblin on bass guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Donal Lunny. These cooperations gave the album an unique Celtic taste and further stressed the idea of bridging gaps between cultures and genres.

Track Highlights
The album opens with the title track, "The Sensual World", which sets the tone for what's to come. This standout track is inspired by James Joyce's literary masterpiece "Ulysses" and checks out the idea of experiencing the world through touch, noise, and feeling.

"Love and Anger" is a powerful track that sees Bush in her most assertive, dealing with the intricacies of human relationships and feelings with a driving and contagious melody. "The Fog" is a standout ballad, a heart-wrenching ode to maturing and releasing, underscored by a spectacular string arrangement and Spillane's evocative uilleann pipes.

"This Woman's Work" is perhaps the most well-known track from the album and stays one of Bush's many iconic songs. The emotional piano ballad, composed for the John Hughes film "She's Having A Baby", records the fear, vulnerability, and love of a man witnessing the birth of his child.

Tradition and Reception
Upon its release, "The Sensual World" peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and received critical acclaim, especially in the UK. Although the album didn't garner as much commercial success in the United States, throughout the years, it has ended up being a beloved part of Kate Bush's discography, celebrated for its emotional scope, innovation, and sheer artistic prowess. "The Sensual World" strengthened Kate Bush's status as a groundbreaking and influential artist, continuously pressing the borders of popular song while protecting her distinct identity.