Sensual, seductive, and above all smoky, the latest from k.d. lang is a collection of a dozen tunes that all have some connection to smoking--usually in the romantic, post-coital sense--done up in a lush, orchestrated fashion. Some of these tunes are standards, such as "Smoke Dreams" and "My Last Cigarette," while others are just plain strange selections given some of the oddest readings imaginable. Case in point: the cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker." lang's voice is an incredible instrument, and it's a treat to hear her vamping. But you have to wonder what she's up to, especially because she seems to just say no to tobacco herself, --Jim Derogatis
More Albums by k.d. lang
k.d. lang "Watershed Deluxe Limited Edition"
$15.93
Deluxe packaging - UniBox with cloth wrap and embossed foil stamp, box contains 3 photo insert cards, 2 babyjacket CD sleeves, and 16-page 4/C booklet. Second cd includes 4 bonus tracks and interview.
In her first quarter-century in the music business, Canadian k.d. lang has gone from straight-up country artist to iconic pop songstress, with many side-steps into pop, jazz, and show tunes along the way. An eight-year break since her last record of originals (2000's Invincible Summer) has re-channeled and recharged both the songwriter and that brightly toned voice that lies within. In assembling this intimate 11-song album, which features many of her enduring collaborators but is defined by her powerhouse vocals, lang drew inspiration from all her favorite musical styles. The bass- and string-driven "Coming Home" and "I Dream of Spring"--a Spanish-style pop dream accented with Greg Leisz's signature steel guitar--are easy picks for "Constant Craving"-like success, yet Watershed's magnetism is captured in the expansion of lang's songwriting palette: the hushed jazz of "Flame of the Uninspired," the Brazilian jolts of "Upstream," and the absolute rawness of "Jealous Dog," which strips away any studio veneer, leaving that voice as pure and bewitching as ever. --Scott Holter
Was it homesickness that compelled longtime Los Angeles resident k.d. lang to fashion her one-woman campaign for north-of-the-border nationalism, or just plain good sense? All Canadian content has long been a mainstay of the Canadian Broadcasting System, but few have selected their material with such a fine hand and a high aesthetic. The expatriate singer has taken great pains to create a sophisticated homage to her Canadian roots, elegantly reinterpreting 11 songs penned by some of her more illustrious countrymen (and women) such as Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen. The idiosyncratic chanteuse turns Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" into an aching monochromatic lament, exploring new tributaries of pain that didn't exist in the original, while recasting Neil Young's "Helpless" into a haunting anthem of memory and comfort, all the while sounding anything but helpless. A gorgeous love letter to her brethren, complete with an intelligent and understated orchestration. --Jaan Uhelszki
k.d. lang has spent her eccentric career pitching between twin poles of desire--torch (jazz/blues) and twang (retro country), and artistry and flamboyance. On Live by Request, she revisits the best of her shimmering repertoire, from her rough-edged cowpunk days to her current gossamer soundscape. But at the start of the set, recorded December 2000 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, she threatens to diminish her own impact with a lumpy, rushed rendition of "Summerfling" and a cartoonish version of "Big Boned Gal." Soon, however, she settles down to do what she does best, which is seduction. While a way-too-melodramatic arrangement spoils "Don't Smoke in Bed," she goes on to bring goose-bump intimacy to "The Consequences of Falling" and "Constant Craving," one of popular music's most aching songs of longing laid bare. By the time she turns her exquisite soprano to the howling chorus of "Barefoot," the earth doesn't just move, Ernest, it trembles--a prelude to the staggeringly emotional affect of "Pullin' Back the Reins." When she gets to that one, don't be surprised if your stereo starts to smoke. --Alanna Nash
k.d. lang may still go lowercase, but Invincible Summer is Love-struck with a capital L. Following in the footsteps of the multiplatinum Ingénue and the underappreciated All You Can Eat, the singer's first album of original material since 1995 displays her hyperromantic side. Inventive production by Damian Le Gassick places lang's rich vocals in settings that meld electric and acoustic guitar lines, harpsichords, string arpeggios, and various aural bachelorette-pad accoutrements. The record's overwhelmingly smitten tone sweeps the listener along, making even silly sentiments like "In this crazy world full of lemons / Baby, you're lemonade" sound just right. The vividness of emotion on display here, along with the smart retro-modern sound, make this one you'll listen to long past September. --Rickey Wright
The album on which she officially gave up on Nashville and began singing torchy, adult-contemporary pop, Ingenue has been referred to by lang as her "stalker" album for its emphasis on songs about desire and obsession. Despite such onerous implications, the album is a charmer, thanks to lang's sincerity and passion and the smoldering arrangements of songs such as "Constant Craving," "The Mind of Love" and "Still Thrives This Love." The album's somewhat dark spirits are tempered by the campy "Miss Chatelaine," which lang has often performed live to the accompaniment of a Lawrence Welk-style bubble machine. With Ingenue, you can do the same in the comfort of your own home. --Daniel Durchholz
Pulling out all the Nashville stops, k.d. lang's 1988 album is a meticulously crafted work, her bid for mainstream country acceptance, and an homage to her idol Patsy Cline. Surrounded by the brilliance of Owen Bradley's string-laced production and a host of legendary pickers (Buddy Emmons and Pete Wade) and singers (Kitty Wells, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn), lang's voice soars and moans like a dove. After the lush Chris Isaak-penned opener "Western Stars," lang follows with more-familiar country writers, from Roger Miller ("Lock, Stock and Teardrops") to Harlan Howard ("I'm Down to My Last Cigarette"). Both a commercial (the album went gold) and artistic success, Shadowland ranks as one of the best country records of the 1980s. --Roy Francis Kasten
