Kate Bush - Never for Ever (1980) [Complete CD]

Never for Ever is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 8 September 1980 by EMI Records, it was Bush's first No. 1 album and was also the first album by a British female solo artist to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as being the first album by any female solo artist to enter the chart at No. 1. It has since been certified Gold by the BPI. It features the UK Top 20 singles "Breathing", "Army Dreamers" and "Babooshka", the latter being one of Bush's biggest hits. Bush co-produced the album with Jon Kelly.

Never for Ever is the only studio album by Bush up to Director's Cut (2011) not to have a title track. According to Bush, the title alluded to conflicting emotions, good and bad, which pass, as she stated: "we must tell our hearts that it is 'never for ever', and be happy that it's like that".

The album cover is an illustration (in pencil) by artist Nick Price, who had also designed the cover for the programme for her 1979 tour. Bush was pleased with the results (it depicts a multitude of animals and monsters emerging from under her skirt). Of the concept, Bush said that it reflects the title, depicting good and bad things that emerge from one's self.

Tracklist:
0:00 Babooshka
3:20 Delius
6:12 Blow Away
9:47 All We Ever Look For
13:36 Egypt
17:47 The Wedding List
22:02 Violin
25:18 The Infant Kiss
28:08 Night Scented Stock
29:00 Army Dreamers
31:58 Breathing

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the Never for Ever liner notes.

Kate Bush – vocals; piano; keyboards; harmony vocals; Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer; Yamaha CS-80 polyphonic synthesizer (1, 4); arranger
John L. Walters and Richard James Burgess – Fairlight CMI programming
Max Middleton – Fender Rhodes piano (1, 3, 5, 6, 11); Minimoog (5); string arrangements (3, 6)
Duncan Mackay – Fairlight CMI (4, 10)
Michael Moran – Prophet-5 synthesizer (5)
Larry Fast – Prophet synthesizer (11)
Alan Murphy – electric guitar (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11); electric guitar solo (7); acoustic guitar (4, 10); bass (10)
Brian Bath – electric guitar (1, 6, 7, 11); acoustic guitar (3, 4, 10); backing vocals (6, 10)
Paddy Bush – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 6, 10); balalaika (1); sitar; bass vocals and voice of "Delius" (2); koto (4); strumento de porco (psaltery) (5); harmonica and musical saw (6); banshee (7); mandolin (10)
Kevin Burke – violin (7)
Adam Skeaping – viola da gamba (8); string arrangements (8)
Joseph Skeaping – lironi (8); string arrangements (8)
John Giblin – bass (1); fretless bass (11)
Del Palmer – fretless bass (3); bass guitar (5, 6, 7)
Preston Heyman – drums (3, 5, 6, 7); percussion (2, 3, 5); backing vocals (4, 6)
Stuart Elliott – drums (1, 11); bodhrán (10)
Roland – percussion (2)
Morris Pert – timpani (4); percussion (11)
Ian Bairnson – bass vocals (2)
Gary Hurst – backing vocals (1, 4)
Andrew Bryant – backing vocals (4)
Roy Harper – backing vocals (11)
The Martyn Ford Orchestra – strings (3, 6)

+++ Description, Tracklist and Timecodes by Alex4Rock +++