Bush - Cloudbusting

Question 1

Sonority

Answer 1

Lead vocal, backing vocals, drums
String sextet - used throughout, prominent detached chords
Balalaika
Fairlight CMI
String sextet - Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles

Question 2

Texture

Answer 2

Melody-dominated homophony
Strings provide a chordal accompaniment
Bar 34 introduces a violin countermelody
Vocal samples - e.g. bar 65
Vocal samples - Andy Warhol by David Bowie

Question 3

Tempo, Rhythm and Metre

Answer 3

Moderate speed
Predominantly 4/4 - occasional 2/4 and 6/4 bars
Constant crotchet beat established by the strings
Even quavers in balalaika
Drums from bar 11 reinforce the crotchet pulse
Recurring mechanical rhythm, first explored in bar 3
Sudden halt to crotchet pulse (bars 17 and 50)
Longer note values in violin countermelody at bar 34
Off-beat sound effects at the end
Constant pulse - The Chosen One by Bryan Ferry

Question 4

Melody

Answer 4

In C# Aeolian mode
Range of a minor 10th
Predominantly syllabic
Violin countermelody at bar 34 - stepwise descent before a rising line
Synthesizers’ line - initially 3 pitches, expands from bar 73
Modes - used in Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles

Question 5

Harmony

Answer 5

Based on the constant rotation of a limited number of dissonant added-note chords - C#7, B9 and A6+9
All chords contatin B and C# - tonal centres
Changes in harmonic rhythm - opening C# and B get 2 beats each, at 95 chords get 4 beats each
Added-note chrords - the start of Wow by Kate Bush uses added 6th and 9th chords

Question 6

Structue

Answer 6

Verse, Bridge, Chorus x2
Chorus, Instrumental, Chorus
Instrumental + Coda
C#m throughout
Some melodic lines based on B