Cloudbusting - Kate Bush

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Context

Hounds of Love released in 1985, a semi-concept album

- Notable for her literary and historical inspirations (Wuthering Heights, Cloudbusting)

- Diverse musical influences, from progressive rock to folk

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Performance forces & handling

- String sextext provides main accompaniment

- Extensive use of Fairlight CMI - vocal sample (11-17)

- Vocals are mid-range and syllabic

- Lack of conventional backing instruments

- Balalaika line played by Paddy Bush 

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Structure

- Lack of introduction

- Extended conventional structure

- Instrumental goes straight to the final chorus

- Long outro

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Tonality

- Modal C# minor

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Harmony

- Uses modal chord sequences

- Use of added note and extension chords, sus chords, and slash chords.

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Texture

- Mainly melody-dominated homophony

- Polyphonic feel in chorus, due to violin countermelody

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Melody

- Pitch inversion in violin melody. It is conjunct and repetitive 

- Vocals use triadic shape, as well as rising 5ths

- Backing vocals use rising minor 7th 

- Syllabic

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Rhythm, Metre and Tempo

- Fast, steady tempo

- Mainly 4/4 (Bridge = 3/2)

- Anticipatory syncopation in chorus

- Strong, homorhythmic string chords articulate the crochet pulse

- Strings becomes more active towards the end

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