‘Over-Nite Sensation’: Kate Bush’s favourite Frank Zappa album
Kate Bush is one of the weirdest yet most wonderful figures to venture into the realm of pop. With her wandering vocals, world-building lyricism and ethereal synths, she completely transformed the genre for the better, pushing it into new realms both sonically and visually. She’s a true visionary who has found worldwide success through her singularity, always committing entirely to her creative pursuits.
The command she has over her artistry has been consistently demonstrated throughout her catalogue, from the conceptual second half to her 1985 record Hounds of Love to the iconic movement in the music video for ‘Wuthering Heights’. But while Bush may be one of the most unique and enigmatic artists to grace the British music scene, she is not without her own influences.
The ‘Running Up That Hill’ singer was inspired and influenced by a number of her fellow sonic experimentalists, from her close friend and mentor David Gilmour to her choreographer and movement mentor Lindsey Kemp. Beyond those she worked with on her own output, Bush was also inspired by the weird and wonderful artists who preceded her, including avant-garde icon Frank Zappa.
A genre experimentalist and a visual artist alongside, Zappa had a similarly all-consuming vision to Bush, so it’s no surprise that she adored his work. She also admired his attitude, particularly his approach to his personal life, which he separated completely from his wild artistic persona. This is something Bush has emulated in her own approach to the industry.
When it came to Zappa’s music, there was one release that Bush was particularly passionate about. The genre alchemist honed a mammoth discography over the course of career, putting out over 60 albums in 27 years, making for a difficult task when it comes to picking out your favourite. But for Bush, it was 1973’s Over-Nite Sensation that won out.
The art-pop singer named the album as one of her favourites to mark the release of Never For Ever in 1980, in a list which also included the likes of The Eagles’ One of These Nights, David Bowie’s Young Americans, The Beatles’ iconic Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Zappa record stood out as one of the weirder endeavours on the list.
With just seven songs and a run-time that barely surpassed half an hour, Over-Nite Sensation saw Zappa taking his genre experimentation in new directions, combining comedic and sexually-driven lyrics with a sound that sat somewhere between prog and pop. The lead single ‘I’m the Slime’ acts as a solid representation of the album, with lyrics about being gross and perverted, obsessed and deranged, a tool of the government and the industry too.
Bleeps and a singular guitar underscore his strange words, while his delivery sits somewhere between sarcastic and eerie. It’s an album that, like much of Zappa’s catalogue, is steeped in strangeness while still containing the pop elements to allow for some level of accessibility. It’s a balance that few have got right, but Bush is one of the few.
Like Zappa, she created worlds within the studio that sat somewhere between radio-friendly and experimental, imbuing pop with a new sense of artistic and visual purpose. It’s no surprise that Zappa takes the title for one of her favourite albums, or that he had an influence on her own artistry.
