Fantastic Voice and Energy
Country music fans missed the boat when they overlooked kd lang. This is a fantastic CD regardless of whether you are a country music fan or not. This CD, with its sexy moodiness and smokey texture, is what country music was meant to be. Fortunately, kd followed this Ingenue (another fabulous "must have"). I highly recommend this CD.
One of the Best
This album is one of my all time favorites, and I never really cared about country music - and I still don't. Before I had even heard of k.d. lang, I heard "Full Moon Full of Love" on the radio one day and thought it was great. Luckily, the DJ told the singers name, so I was able to buy the album. In a time, where so many CD's you buy only have one or two good songs, if you're lucky, and the rest are filler, this album is strong from beginning to end. At the time I got into this album (1990) I had a co-worker who listened to country, and I asked her if she liked k.d. lang - she said, "no way - she's a lesbian". I'm thinking what does that have to do with whether you like her music or not? I'm sure that was the reason she never did very well in that genre. Well, she has more talent in her little finger than 95% of the glitzed-up slickly-packaged "hitmakers" in Nashville any day of the week!! I pretty much can't stand country music these days, but I always go back to this album and Shadowland - they will stand the test of time.
Wow!
I've owned this album since back when it first came out. A co-worker lent it and after the first 30 seconds of the CD - Luck In My Eyes - I was hooked. After Pullin' Back The Reins, I knew I had to buy it. Immediately. What an amazingly sensuous song! I challenge you to not get lost in it. k.d. soars, snarls and struts from beginning to end. I'm not a big country fan, but then this isn't big country. This is Big Music. Thank You k.d. lang!
What Can One Say About k.d.?
Ordinarily, I do not review CDs. God knows there are plenty of people out there to do that, and they don't need me adding my opinions of dubious value to the pile.However. However, I cannot let this particular album go by without comment. Ingenue is a superior album; one of my very favorites. I also prefer Shadowland to this one. But it was lang singing "Pullin' Back the Reigns" on, I believe, Saturday Night Live that made me a fan for life. That voice; those gestures; the power of the performance. It reached through the T.V., grabbed me by the ears, and *forced* me to pay attention. Other than Peter Gabriel, I have never in my life seen a performer of such dynamic power as lang. And to this day, that comes through in that track, at least to me.
The remainder of the album is enjoyable, and often excellent (e.g., "Trial of Broken Hearts"). But I bought this album for that one song, and I have never regretted it.
One of the great voices in popular music
Released three years before "Ingenue" brought her international fame, this CD is one of Lang's best collaborations with producer/songwriter Ben Mink. After this, she pretty much left her country-music roots and went on to explore other genres, but nevertheless, this gem remains one of her most satisfying recordings.
One of my all-time favorites is "Pulling Back the Reins," a slow ballad that showcases Lang's powerful, overwhelming range at its most poignant. In a similar vein, the throwback "Trail of Broken Hearts" sounds as melancholy as if it came straight from the 1950's. But lest you think that all is mournful and humorless, Lang dives into the clever, upbeat "Big Boned Gal" with a satisfying gusto. ("She was a big boned gal from southern Alberta...you just couldn't call her small...")
Sound is lively and present, with the twangy steel guitar timbre coming across especially well. The recording has a slight resonance that well suits the material and enhances the soaring phrasing that Lang seems to locate so instinctively.
Perhaps not for fans of "traditional" country music, since Lang's influences are all over the map. (This comes out more strongly in her later recordings.) But for those who want to hear the work of one of the country's finest vocalists in any medium, period, don't hesitate.
This 1989 album was k.d. lang's generous farewell to the country music world that had given her the cold shoulder after her stellar collaboration with legendary producer Owen Bradley on Shadowland. Songs such as "Pulling Back the Reins"--written by lang with coproducer-guitarist Ben Mink--combined classic country and western imagery with more revealingly personal emotions. At the same time, the album maintained a sly sense of humor missing from much of her later work. The covers of Willie Nelson ("Three Days") and Wynn Stewart ("Big Big Love") certainly don't hurt. The Reclines, lang's band, is notable for the presence of Greg Leisz on steel guitar. -Rick Mitchell
