Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow

I truly wanted this to be a fantastic record, but some 14 years later, I still can't. I just can't. The morose and sombre tone of the music is just too much and not enough at the same time. It doesn't dint her status as one of the finest musicians and singers ever, but it does show that she has aged physically, because she doesn't even try to reach out with her vocals. She mumbles and lowly moans her lyrics which is okay for one piece but not for 65 minutes. Her history was based upon musical prowess and daring. This is her with a piano (and likely a bottle of scotch) mumbling numbers between one and fifty while another word for snow is recited. Clever - not.

It certainly cures insomnia as I often fall asleep during listening to it. I'm hoping that wasn't her intention.

I will always ire and respect and devour her first seven albums, while I file away Aerial, Director's Cut and 50 Words For Snow as shadows of her former self.

Had a first pressing that sounded shit: crackled, jumped - the works. Had it exchanged for a proper version.

Beautiful album. Stunningly packaged. Atrociously pressed. I've had a terrible experience with the quality of this version. I ordered direct through Kate's site (the retail transactions are handled by The state 51 conspiracy). My first copy was extremely badly warped, on both discs and it was utterly unplayable. Fair enough to 51, they arranged a free collection and replacement. The second copy was severely scratched in multiple areas across all 4 sides. In addition, there were greasy finger marks and smudges everywhere. Pretty flustered at this stage (multiple emails to 51, repackaging, arranging collection etc), I opted for a third copy to replace this latest faulty product. That arrived yesterday. It is by far the best quality of the three. BUT. It still has aberrations, causing crackle and surface noise, as previously mentioned below. I'm aghast at the experience. I feel so sorry for Kate (who may be oblivious), but something has gone seriously wrong in the pressing plant and warehouse...I'm sticking with it now and will just suck up the shitty quality. No mean feat considering the cost of the item. Pretty gutted.

I received one with a signed card from Kate, so I'm absolutely thrilled!!! It's a collector's item for me (as I have the coloured vinyl reissues as my main playing Kate albums), so this I adore for the artwork and presentation alone.

Great pressing. The remaster has a wider soundstage than my 2011 original, and the snowy vinyl is perfect. Quiet surface noise but nothing that distracts from the music.

Disappointingly, the records only come in paper sleeves and as a result, my copy has multiple marks. These cause a great deal of surface noise, even after being vacuum cleaned.
For such a product it seems bizarre to skimp on proper poly-lined inners.

Tis the season again ! This is a really nice remaster and a good pressing : quiet and clear

Extremely Noisy pressing unfortunately. words words words words words words

Looks beautiful, but my copy is filled with static throughout. Also quite poppy on side 3 (and during my favourite song, no less). Quite disappointing considering the price. With yet another remaster and the coloured vinyl, you’d think the quality control would be a lot better no?

That said it’s hardly unlistenable and could be worth it if you don’t already have the 2011 version.

Same master as the 2018 reissue but on higher quality Record Industry vinyl. Praise stops there, however! Compared to the original Mastering Lab 2011 cut this one's dull and compressed. Muffled and lacking in punch. Despite the relative ambient nature of this album, the original is floor rattling! Here not so much. For $50 it's nothing special except there's no Optimal crapshoot shenanigans afoot, which oddly enough the original was an Optimal crapshoot as well but that was before they became Europe's defacto record shop. Thankfully that does not apply here, but the master just isn't up to snuff if you've heard the original at all.