Kate Bush was only 19 years old when she released her debut album "The Kick Inside" in 1977 full of songs about sex, menstruation, pregnancy and other womanly things. She was born as Catherine Bush in July 1958 and began writing songs at the age of 11.
US album cover / Japanese album cover

Canadian album cover / Uruguan album cover
The title of the album refers to pregnancy. The story could have ended different when EMI planned everything the way they wanted. EMI planned to release "James And The Cold Gun" as her debut single but Kate insisted that "Wuthering Heights" would be the first single to be released. Ian Bairnson (from Pilot’s It’s Magic) played the guitar solo on "The Wuthering Heights". EMI was surprised when this song based on the novel from 1847 by Ellis Bell (pseudonym of Emily Brontë) would become a worldwide hit. Even progressive rock band Genesis adopted this novel on their album "Wind & Wuthering" in 1976 by using the last lines of the novel in 2 tracks.
Them Heavy People - single cover
Wuthering Heights - single cover

The Man With The Child In His Eyes - single cover

"The Kick Inside" includes 2 classics "The man with the child in his eyes" and "Wuthering heights". Her lyrics were deeply personal and she enhanced performances with her own brand of dance and mime she learned from Lindsay Kemp who was also responsible for the appearances of Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie). The opener "Moving" is about him. "James And The Cold Gun" is the worst song of the album and doesn't reflect the sound Kate has to offer. But the song was a song on her repertoire for a long time. She played it in pubs with the KT Bush Band including her brother. Also "Kite" and the single "Them Heavy People" are nowadays considered classics. The album has a emotional dreamy sound also in “Strange Phenomena”, “Feel It” and “Oh To Be In Love”. For that time it was also very experimental. The second track "The Saxophone Song" for example uses the sound of whales in the intro. David Gilmour from Pink Floyd helped Kate to get her contract with EMI by recording 3 demo tracks: "The Saxophone Song", "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" and "Maybe". Stuart Elliott (from Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel) played some of the drums and became her main drummer on subsequent albums.

There is nothing more to say then this is a masterpiece. "There's a hole in the sky with a big eyeball" (Kite)
orginal international album cover
The Kick Inside
Moving/ Saxophone Song / Strange Phenomena / Kite / The Man With The Child In His Eyes / Wuthering Heights / James And The Cold Gun / Feel It / Oh To Be In Love / L'amour Looks Something Like You / Them Heavy People / Room For The Life / The Kick Inside
The Man With The Child In His Eyes
Wuthering Heights
Them Heavy People