And away she went. The result is at best a mixed bag; for me, at least, it seems like something is missing, and something else is strained and tenuous. Bush never seems to settle into a groove; while there are moments where she creates absolute beauty, there are also moments where Red Shoes seems to be the very embodiment of a train wreck, a pickle in a milkshake.

What works? Above and all, “Moments Of Pleasure.” In the middle of an album that frankly doesn’t quite work, Bush absolutely nails one of the most reflective, sad, happy, and brilliant songs in her repertoire: when she rises elegantly to her full power singing “Just being alive it can really hurt / These moments given are a gift from time…” I get goosebumps every damn time. Michael Kamen contributed instrumentation and score on “Moments,” and it’s a perfect collaboration.

Other songs that work: “Lily” (one of the most interesting uses ever of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram); the gentle “Top Of The City”; and the album’s closer, “You’re The One,” where Kate proves she can sing a torch song, aided by impeccable guitar from Jeff Beck and Hammond organ from Gary Brooker.

But then again… “Eat The Music” is easily the most annoying song Kate has ever recorded. “Rubberband Girl” is okay at best; I expect better if Kate was going to be a pop star. The same goes for “Constellation Of The Heart,” where Prince pops in and then proves that maybe this pairing doesn’t work at all. (Glad we got that settled.) “Song of Solomon” meanders like a drunk toddler, and Kate’s musical retelling of the myth of “The Red Shoes” leaves me, at best, neutral.