Bush Enters ‘Golden State’
by Sandy Tonncho
Times-Herald Record
May 10, 2002
Concert Preview: The concert tour stops to night in Poughkeepsie for the British rock group Bush.
How does a rock album come together?
Consider the case of Bush and it’s new CD, “Golden State”, which the British group is promoting in a tour that stops tonight at the Mid-Husond Civic Center in Poughkeepsie.
For the bands fourth stuido recording and Atlantic debut, Bush members Nigel Pulsford, Robin Goodridge, Gavin Rossdale and Dave Parsons went back to their hard-edged roots. The process began in August 2000 as the band was wrapping up a European tour in support of their 1999 release, “The Science of Things,” Bush’s RIAA platinum certified third album.
“We were in a world of turmoil and we and decided to go with something we knew,” said drummer Goodridge. “We wanted to get back to the way we were when it was just about playing the music.”
Lead singer Rossdale spent October 2000 writing the songs, which include the single “The People That We Love,” the high-velocity “Solutions”and the other worldly “Out Of This World.”
Then Goodridge, Rossdale, guitarist Nigel Pulsford and bassist Dave Parsons met at a North London studio space in November for the finishing touches.
“We write our own parts with our own instruments as individuals, and everything just kind of takes shape, then we flesh it out,” Goodridge said.
“We had about 18 or 19 songs as they saw themselves out,” Goodridge said.
“They made pacts together cause they knew if they wanted to make it onto the CD that they had to stick together. The way the album turned out makes sense.”
Bush has had an excellent track record with its albums. Its 1994 debut, “Sixteen Stone,” went platinum six times and produced the songs “Everything Zen”, “Little Things”, “Comedown”, “Machinehead” and “Glycerine.” The sophomore release for Bush, “Razorblade Suitcase,” included the song “Swallowed.”
“Personally, I have gotten older and wiser and I have gotten two new haircuts,” Goodridge said. “Seriously though, we’ve gotten better and more experienced. In the beginning it was like “Star Trek”: We were going so fast, like warp speed, that all we could see was blurs. Now, we’re still going warp speed, but we can see clearly.”
Goodridge said the band has intentions of heading into the studio when it finishes touring for this album.
“We’ll be writing this summer, but we’ll start recording in the fall after the wedding (Rossdale is engaged to No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani),” Goodridge said. “Gwen may still be on tour for her new album because it’s doing well.”
Goodridge said that Bush likes to give back to the crowd at their performances.
“Our shows are extremely exciting and it’s very much about sharing,” Goodridge said. “Yes, we have some love songs, but they’re loud. It definitely has plenty of pace.”