A strong debut. Isn't that what any artist would want? While some might go for instant fame, many artists don't want to have that super top of the charts hit right away. Selling a few hundred thousand singles and a Christmas number 1 before being forgotten. Known as the guy or girl who "sung that song". Doesn't appeal to them. Not at all. They want to stay and be looked at for the music. A strong debut would let them spread their wings on later albums. I have no idea how Kate felt when 'Wuthering Heights' hit the summit. 4 weeks number 1, hard to believe isn't it! This adaption of 'Wuthering Heights' comes with a glistening piano and voice like no other. Both haunting and beautiful, it is hard not to feel a ghostly presence when listening to this one. Not that it is bad. In fact, I should make it clear this is one of the best Kate has ever done! This album has impeccable songwriting and suits Kate as a vocalist perfectly. 'Them Heavy People' is a fitting tribute to the people who helped her to the top and 'Moving' is a warm opening with sparse instruments. The blur prints to a standard top 40 vocalist album are there but it is where they deviate from them it gets interesting. Don't get me wrong, 'Kite' and 'Oh to Be In Love' are both great songs which used tried and tested formula's, it is songs like 'The Saxophone Song' which show a lot more maturity. More of a story than anything, although not spoken word, it has Kate going into some bar and there is like a dude playing Saxophone or something. She likes it too. Seriously... I can't do the song justice with that explanation. Not a lot I can explain of here and you will have to listen yourself. This is a mature artist who has youth completely on her side, switching from American saloon jaunts on 'James and The Cold Gun' to much more... difficult subjects on 'The Kick Inside'. If you had heard this album at the time, you would be right to think better things were to come.

This is Kate's debut, where she just started singing rock and pop music to the public. It might be due to the classical opera training she received that she sounded very screechy in almost all notes. It's good as a debut, but not much of a good album. Hounds of Love shows how she sings properly and how innovative her songwritings can be.

This album and autumn were made for each other, one of the few albums I can listen to after a particularly stressful day that will calm and soothe without fail, stunning debut.

OK, sorry, guys. I only listened to the first side when I made that comment, then I had to do something else. Now, that I've listened to the whole thing, I have a slightly differed opinion.

Looking back, as Freddie said, this album really was ahead of it's time, in a similar way to Black Sabbath's first two album. And, especially on the second side, there are several great songs on here. It could've used a few more surprises (those surprises are what make me love The Sensual World so much), but that's my only real criticism of it. I'm now bumping this to a 70/100, since I liked it a good bit more than The Hounds of Love.

Formulaic? The Kick Inside was an original pioneering debut and unlike anything else on the airwaves at the time. A brilliant album considering the context that it was first. It has somewhat less impact today because of 30 years of "borrowing and honouring" by artists such as Tori Amos.

A winning formula in my book

This is Kate Bush's debut album, and it shows. It's not bad, but like Radiohead's Pablo Honey, it's far too formulaic.

The album with Wuthering Heights. Need I say more?