History Music / TheDreaming

** "Get Out of My House" uses mules as a metaphor for stubbornness, to the point of ending with a series of donkey brays.

* CrazyIsCool: Invoked in "Leave It Open", which portrays weirdness as an overtly positive trait and asks the listener to "let [it] in" to arm themselves against their harmful side.

** Entertainer Rolf Harris plays digeridoo on the TitleTrack. As Harris made no vocal contribution, his parts were preserved on the 2018 remaster, released after his conviction for child sexual abuse (his vocal parts on ''Aerial'', by comparison, were replaced by Bush's son Bertie).

** Ian Bairnson of Music/TheAlanParsonsProject plays acoustic guitar on "Leave It Open".

** "There Goes a Tenner" depicts a plot to blow up a bank vault destroying the money as well as the safe.

''The Dreaming'', released in 1982, is the fourth studio album by English art pop musician Music/KateBush. A dramatic departure from the BaroquePop of her earlier work, this record marks a shift into far more aggressive and experimental territory, informed heavily by both Bush's prior work with Music/PeterGabriel on his similarly dark, percussive [[Music/{{Melt}} third album]] and her growing enthusiasm for the Fairlight CMI digital sampler and the flexibility it offered in composing and performing. Her previous album, ''Never for Ever'', had already made use of the device to a minor degree, but here Bush embraced it wholeheartedly, so much so that for the first time she elected to produce an album entirely on her own.

** The album and its TitleTrack takes their name from a religio-cultural worldview in Aboriginal Australian culture.

Upon release, the album significantly undersold in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story, becoming her first album to chart there (peaking at No. 157 on the Billboard 200) and receiving substantial airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}}, both of which would serve as important outlets for AlternativeRock throughout the decade. In the wake of this, Creator/{{EMI}} would reissue ''Music/TheKickInside'' and ''Lionheart'' in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Never for Ever'' there as well.

Upon release, the album significantly undersold in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story, becoming her first album to chart there (peaking at No. 157 on the Billboard 200) and receiving substantial airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}}. In the wake of this, Creator/{{EMI}} would reissue ''Music/TheKickInside'' and ''Lionheart'' in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Never for Ever'' there as well.

Upon release, the album significantly undersold in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story, becoming her first album to chart there (peaking at No. 157 on the Billboard 200) and receiving substantial airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}}. In the wake of this, Creator/{{EMI}} would reissue ''Music/TheKickInside'' in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well.

Upon release, the album was a major critical and commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. Critics were sharply split by the record's experimental tone, with [[Music/PetShopBoys Neil Tennant]] describing it as "very weird" in a review written for ''Smash Hits''; Colin Irwin of ''Melody Maker'' on the other hand described it as "initially bewildering," but ultimately rewarding. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story. ''Village Voice'' writer Robert Christgau praised ''The Dreaming'', favorably comparing it to Gabriel and [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]]'s solo and collaborative work, and ''Trouser Press'' described it as "a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances." While the album still wasn't successful in America, only reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200, its greater acclaim as well as airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}} immediately established a cult following for Bush, a tremendous surprise to Creator/{{EMI}}, given that ''The Kick Inside'' flopped over there. In the wake of this, they would reissue the latter in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

In the years since its release, critical reception towards ''The Dreaming'' has been [[VindicatedByHistory far more positive]] around the world. Retrospective reviews praise it as one of Bush's most daring releases, a major GrowingTheBeard moment, and an adept transition between her early and later work. ''The Quietus'' in particular praised its production as "startlingly modern," and music critic Simon Reynolds described it in 2014 as Bush's masterpiece. Music/{{Bjork}}, [[Music/OutKast Big Boi]], and Music/StevenWilson all cited ''The Dreaming'' as a major influence on their own output, and today it's widely ranked alongside ''The Kick Inside'' and ''Hounds of Love'' as one of Bush's best albums. This retrospective praise would ultimately lead ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic'' to list ''The Dreaming'' at No. 1305 on the 2020 edition of its [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums.

Upon release, the album was a major commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. In the US meanwhile, it became Bush's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200 in addition to gaining considerable airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}}. In the wake of this, Creator/EMIAmericaRecords would reissue ''Music/TheKickInside'' in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

Upon release, the album was a major critical and commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. Critics were sharply split by the record's experimental tone, with [[Music/PetShopBoys Neil Tennant]] describing it as "very weird" in a review written for ''Smash Hits''; Colin Irwin of ''Melody Maker'' on the other hand described it as "initially bewildering," but ultimately rewarding. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story. ''Village Voice'' writer Robert Christgau praised ''The Dreaming'', favorably comparing it to Gabriel and [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]]'s solo and collaborative work, and ''Trouser Press'' described it as "a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances." While the album still wasn't successful in America, only reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200, its greater acclaim as well as airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}} immediately established a cult following for Bush, a tremendous surprise to Creator/{{EMI}}, given that ''The Kick Inside'' flopped over there. In the wake of this, they would reissue the latter in America, issue a self-titled EP, and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

In the years since its release, critical reception towards ''The Dreaming'' has been [[VindicatedByHistory far more positive]] around the world. Retrospective reviews praise it as one of Bush's most daring releases, a major GrowingTheBeard moment, and an adept transition between her early and later work. ''The Quietus'' in particular praised its production as "startlingly modern," and music critic Simon Reynolds described it in 2014 as Bush's masterpiece. Music/{{Bjork}}, [[Music/OutKast Big Boi]], and Music/StevenWilson all cited ''The Dreaming'' as a major influence on their own output, and today it's widely ranked alongside ''The Kick Inside'' and ''Hounds of Love'' as one of Bush's best albums. This retrospective praise would ultimately lead ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic'' to list ''The Dreaming'' at No. 1305 on the 2020 edition of its [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums.

''The Dreaming'', released in 1982, is the fourth studio album by English art pop musician Music/KateBush. A dramatic departure from the BaroquePop of her earlier work, this record marks a shift into far more aggressive and experimental territory, informed heavily by both Bush's prior work with Music/PeterGabriel on his similarly dark, percussive [[Music/PeterGabriel1980 third album]] and her growing enthusiasm for the Fairlight CMI digital sampler and the flexibility it offered in composing and performing. Her previous album, ''Never for Ever'', had already made use of the device to a minor degree, but here Bush embraced it wholeheartedly, so much so that for the first time she elected to produce an album entirely on her own.

* IndecipherableLyrics: "Leave It Open", in which the vocals are distorted to the point of incomprehensibility because Kate played the original recording backwards, did her best to imitate the sounds she heard, and then played the resulting recording backwards for the final song.

Upon release, the album was a major critical and commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. Critics were sharply split by the record's experimental tone, with [[Music/PetShopBoys Neil Tennant]] describing it as "very weird" in a review written for ''Smash Hits''; Colin Irwin of ''Melody Maker'' on the other hand described it as "initially bewildering," but ultimately rewarding. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story. ''Village Voice'' writer Robert Christgau praised ''The Dreaming'', favorably comparing it to Gabriel and [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]]'s solo and collaborative work, and ''Trouser Press'' described it as "a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances." While the album still wasn't successful in America, only reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200, its greater acclaim as well as airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}} immediately established a cult following for Bush, a tremendous surprise to Creator/{{EMI}}, given that ''The Kick Inside'' flopped over there. In the wake of this, they would reissue the latter in America and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

In the years since its release, critical reception towards ''The Dreaming'' has been [[VindicatedByHistory far more positive]] around the world. Retrospective reviews praise it as one of Bush's most daring releases, a major GrowingTheBeard moment, and an adept transition between her early and later work. ''The Quietus'' in particular praised its production as "startlingly modern," and music critic Simon Reynolds described it in 2014 as Bush's masterpiece. Music/{{Bjork}}, [[Music/OutKast Big Boi]], and Music/StevenWilson all cited ''The Dreaming'' as a major influence on their own output, and today it's widely ranked alongside ''The Kick Inside'' and ''Hounds of Love'' as one of Bush's best albums. This retrospective praise would ultimately lead ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic'' to list ''The Dreaming'' and No. 1305 on the 2020 edition of its [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums.

''The Dreaming'', released in 1982, is the fourth studio album by English art pop musician Music/KateBush. A dramatic departure from the BaroquePop of her earlier work, this record marks a shift into far more aggressive and experimental territory, informed heavily by Bush's growing enthusiasm for the Fairlight CMI digital sampler and the flexibility it offered in composing and performing. Her previous album, ''Never for Ever'', had already made use of the device to a minor degree, but here Bush embraced it wholeheartedly, so much so that for the first time she elected to produce an album entirely on her own.

Upon release, the album was a major critical and commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. Critics were sharply split by the record's experimental tone, with [[Music/PetShopBoys Neil Tennant]] describing it as "very weird" in a review written for ''Smash Hits''; Colin Irwin of ''Melody Maker'' on the other hand described it as "initially bewildering," but ultimately rewarding. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story. ''Village Voice'' writer Robert Christgau praised ''The Dreaming'', favorably comparing it to Music/PeterGabriel and [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]]'s solo and collaborative work, and ''Trouser Press'' described it as "a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances." While the album still wasn't successful in America, only reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200, its greater acclaim as well as airplay on CollegeRadio and Creator/{{MTV}} immediately established a cult following for Bush, a tremendous surprise to Creator/{{EMI}}, given that ''The Kick Inside'' flopped over there. In the wake of this, they would reissue the latter in America and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

* NotSoDifferent: "Pull Out The Pin" is about a [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar a Vietcong soldier]] encountering an American counterpart and seeing that they're not that different after all.

* ConceptAlbum: "There Goes a Tenner" depicts a bank robbery, following the song's lyrics directly.
* CrimeCaper: "There Goes A Tenner" is about an elaborate attempt to blow up a bank vault that goes wrong.

In the years since its release, critical reception towards ''The Dreaming'' has been [[VindicatedByHistory far more positive]] around the world. Retrospective reviews praise it as one of Bush's most daring releases, a major GrowingTheBeard moment, and an adept transition between her early and later work. ''The Quietus'' in particular praised its production as "startlingly modern," and music critic Simon Reynolds described it in 2014 as Bush's masterpiece. Music/{{Bjork}}, Big Boi, and Music/StevenWilson all cited ''The Dreaming'' as a major influence on their own output, and today it's widely ranked alongside ''The Kick Inside'' and ''Hounds of Love'' as one of Bush's best albums. This retrospective praise would ultimately lead ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic'' to list ''The Dreaming'' and No. 1305 on the 2020 edition of its [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic compendium]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums.

Upon release, the album was a major critical and commercial disappointment in the UK compared to its predecessors. While it went to No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, its total sales only amounted to a silver BPI certification compared to the platinum status of ''Music/TheKickInside'' & ''Lionheart'' and the gold of ''Never for Ever''. Critics were sharply split by the record's experimental tone, with [[Music/PetShopBoys Neil Tennant]] describing it as "very weird" in a review written for ''Smash Hits''; Colin Irwin of ''Melody Maker'' on the other hand described it as "initially bewildering," but ultimately rewarding. In the United States meanwhile, where Bush had struggled to crack the market, it was a much different story. ''Village Voice'' writer Robert Christgau praised ''The Dreaming'', favorably comparing it to Music/PeterGabriel and [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]]'s solo and collaborative work, and ''Trouser Press'' described it as "a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances." While the album still wasn't successful in America, only reaching No. 157 on the Billboard 200, its greater acclaim immediately established a cult following for Bush, a tremendous surprise to Creator/{{EMI}}, given that ''The Kick Inside'' flopped over there. In the wake of this, they would reissue the latter in America and belatedly release ''Lionheart'' and ''Never for Ever'' there as well, helping build her growing cult fanbase and culminating in Bush's mainstream breakthrough with ''Music/HoundsOfLove'' in 1985.

At the same time, Bush had also grown frustrated with public perception of her as a ditzy airhead who got by mainly on her looks. The darker and more disjointed tone of the album thus doubled as an attempt to [[PlayingAgainstType break out of this mold]] and demonstrate a greater level of artistic range than on her previous three records. Tellingly, her choice of opening track and leadoff single was "Sat in Your Lap", a more abstract and percussive piece that belied the more airy tone of her earlier releases.