Recently, a friend and I were having a conversation about how music creates color. It was odd that this had never come up before, because both of us are avid listeners, and probably both thought it was weird to “see” color when listening to music.

I’ve been listening to Kate Bush quite often, and to listen to her music and attempt to see color is not something is really so bizarre, since her music is so textured and full of opportunities to experience this. Although I can’t think of a song by her I haven’t enjoyed, I will limit myself to her 1985 album Hounds of Love.

Considered by many to be her masterpiece, 1985’s Hounds of Love combines Bush’s unmistakable voice with the huge, dramatic sound of 80′s excess. The vocal samplings and vast orchestrations create more of an environment than just something to put on while doing the dishes. Hounds of Love is a commitment, but a rewarding one.

The true pinnacle of this record is Bush’s voice. This woman has a startling range, and because of it, she can create many moods. Her lower register has the raspiness of an 80-year-old bluesman, but is still feminine and rich sounding. Her higher register can milk the drama of her lyrics to levels that someone with a mediocre voice could not.

Although it is considered “more commercial” track, “Hounds of Love” is probably pulse of the album. The percussion in the introduction creates a feeling of tension, and then Bush comes almost suddenly to tell a tale of spending her life running for love, and waiting for the right person she can “take her shoes off and throw them in the lake with.” The percussion continues to pound throughout the song, as well as a continuous cello part that illustrates running, and the anxiety of being pursued by all the wrong people, and waiting for the right one.

Bush barely misses a beat before launching into “The Big Sky.” Actually, this is how most of Hounds of Love is, a breathless, spectacular, but beautiful slow walk in the woods. The album comes full circle and leaves the listener feeling completely satisfied. Oftentimes, this is difficult to find with many albums, as there always seems to be one track that doesn’t fit or seems unfinished.

Oh yes, about the color? It’s mostly purple.