Shadowland

Didn’t care for this much.

This surprised me. Good country sounds.

Competent, professional, and often pretty cheesy. Not sure there's anything distinctive enough about the arrangements or song choices here to merit either its inclusion here or a score above 2. (By contrast, I've just seen the great set of songs chosen for 'Hymns of the 49th Parallel' and, a couple of tracks in, I'm so down for kd does Canada.)

Good Country singing. 2,3

If you like dumb lyrics moaned into mediocre melodies then this is for you.

I thought this would suck or be corny with all the Nashville sound, but it’s a good album. Really like the Songbook choices k.d. lang made here.

Decent

I know of this artist and know one of their singles that was all over the radio growing up. I respect it, just not for me.

Well I was turned off right out the gate with this album cause it reeked of serious country but there were a few tracks in there that were really pretty. Jazzy, sexy bar room type songs. 3 stars.

i didn’t expect this to be as enjoyable as it was. pretty cool.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I especially liked Busy Being Blue. This is a 7/10 for me.

Lang's vocals are interesting but overall the songs aren't exciting. Fine as background music. Well-made background music 2.4

stunning voice

Country-Gejodel

While I have largely overcome my long-standing aversion to country music I still find "torchy" type country really awful. Furthermore, I think my Mom is currently beefing with k.d. lang's older sister.

This is #day742 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second and final record by k.d. lang. I'm not sure why you must hear two of her albums before you die, though. The music and the singing are decent, but, you know... I just can't tell the difference between this record and her previous one I got a while back. The quiet-stormy "Black Coffee" is my personal highlight here. "Busy Being Blue" is another one. I prefer those jazzy numbers to the honky-tonk ones. Let it be a 3 out of 5 again. Looking forward to #day743.

Nailed the old crooner style , constantly craving for something more though

Not really that keen on this one.

An odd mix of country, folk and blues and all done equally badly. Her voice is good, the album was short and at least she tried something different.

Somehow manages to balance some fine line between feeling derivative, yet with a genuine unique energy. I don’t feel enlightened in the slightest from the listen, but it was reasonably entertaining.

This album reminds me of my grandmother. I think she was a big fan

bland

Really surprised with this one. Love the mood, the creativity. Great composition throughout. Charming.

As a country fan, this album is even too country for me. However, I would count Anjanu as one of my all time faves.

Not really for me

This is not what I thought KD Lang sounded like. It was a bit more country than I was anticipating. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really my thing.

1.75 - I didn't realize that this is what k.d. lang music sounded like.

Super pleasant. I Wish I Didn't Love You So was my favorite track. Not a ton of range. Came close to 4 stars, but couldn't get all the way there for me.

didn't love this. her covers are beautiful but overall this style doesn't land for me as much as her other album i heard.

Increíble. Desde los primeros tracks me obtuvo y tenía aseguradas las cuatro estrellas, pero luego llegó Black Coffee y este disco explotó en mi cabeza. Genial, épico, con música extraordinaria y una voz increíble. Fan de K.D. Lang desde ya, me pongo a escuchar todos sus discos.

Very much not my thing. Too sentimental and schmaltzy. It's all very well performed though.

Credit where it’s due, this is not a pale late-80’s imitation of various 50’s and 60’s country and jazz artists, predominantly Patsy Cline. This is it. It’s almost eerie to hear someone so faithfully capturing everything about that era of music. It’s kind of weird, but also weirdly impressive. I like Patsy Cline, and a significant portion of this album is a Jurassic-Park-fly-trapped-in-amber-DNA-clone of Patsy Cline; or what it would sound like if Patsy and her band time traveled to 1988 for the sole purpose of recording songs with the benefit of the advancements to audio technology that doing so offered; and so I like this too.

I definitely like this more than most and okay times it definitely sounds a bit cheesy but god what a beautiful voice. That first song really hooked me and everything else was probably viewed through rose colored glasses but alas I thought that was good!

Shite

Daniel O Donnell's fanbase would eat this up

Ok I do love kd lang, but this is not what I was expecting at all

where tf is constant cravings????????????? standouts: idk it was all a vibe

Great singer, great songs.

What a brilliant voice and what a vocal performance!

Helt OK dette, men ikke for meg. Kunne absolutt sett for meg å høre dette på K-Rose 🙃 Black Coffe høres forøvrig ut noe som kunne vært en Bond-sang, kanskje favoritten fra albumet så langt. Sterk 2.

Kjedelig

4/7

Alright

Not for me, but can respect it

country is shit 9 times out of 10 and this was no exception

I didn’t like this. I don’t like country music in general, but I read a review where it was suggested this is cabaret country, which I agree with.

Another k.d. lang album?? The last one I heard was spared the ignominy of a 1-star rating by one good and one great track in the middle of an ocean of blandness. Shadowland is afforded no such mercy. It's an album of entirely dreary country covers. I'm sure there are people who appreciate her choosing a few songs that already existed and just turning up for a karaoke session in the studio but it belongs nowhere near this list and I will not be listening to it again.

Dude who made the list must've thought 'Holy shit this slaps' when he heard I'm Down to My Last Cigarette and Busy Being Blue, cause these 2 are the best and the rest sucks.

This is country music. Tasteful, expertly-crafted and performed country music.

Solid. Almost a 4. A good genre bender.

Pleasant, charming, in an understated yet compelling way. Sung ever so well that even a newbie listener can appreciate. The genre(s) and execution really don't leave much of anything to be desired, and then some. A very respectable 4, perhaps on a different day I'd even give this a 5, although I think it's lacking some extra-special spice for me to go "wow".

God I love this kind of campy sappy country, as corny as it is. Something about it just tickles my ears. This is very unashamedly Patsy Cline, to the point where it felt a bit more like immitation rather than iteration. I can't score it on top due to that, but I still very much enjoyed my time with the album.

This is a GREAT record.

Well, it’s all well-performed but I had a very different idea of what her style would be

I was in the mood for some weird country

A sultry blues and country album? Yes, please!

k.d. lang’s debut was an alternative country album. That was unexpected. Maybe I am just conditioned to her 90’s work, like Ingenue. Maybe this is a grower. Overall: 4/10

It is not Pop, as advertised, but is instead Country and Western. It is more interesting than most of the Country/Western of 1988 due to it being a throwback album to the songs and sounds of Patsty Cline, but I really feel that the only k.d. lang album that belongs on this list is INGÉNUE. Instead of including k.d. lang impersonating Patsy Cline how about just putting a Greatest Hits album collection or any of the excellent Patsy Cline albums on here instead. After all, Cline's work is arguably more essential than anything k.d. lang ever did. Also, there were far more interesting 1980s albums that were bumped for this.

Nice album, beautiful voice. Feels a bit like 60's with some songs very country. Would definitely revisit 3.5

Just couldn't quite click with it, though I like the vibe of the first half. 2.5

A jam

Objectively better than any country released after 9/11

This has that particular country twang that I’m not versed in to tell you what it is, but I’ve never liked it. Some clever writing though

There’s probably no single country album I’d ever give more than a 3 star to so this was fine. Apple Music is so weird about genres. This is so clearly and obviously a country album, why call it pop?

Pleasant, could.listen to while sipping lemon tea in a cafe

Not for me.

En tiedä mitä tämä oli, jotain sekaista leidi-kantri-wannabe-elvis-kamaa. Mutta jotenkin geneeristä, ei innostanut.

Äääääh, ei vaan lähe tämmönen Elvis-inspired kantrifrankenstein. Tai mikä ikinä olikaan.

C'est pas ma guerre

I have always like K D Lang and I love a honky tonk waltz. This record is a bit reminiscent of the great Patsy Cline. I love it.

This record has it all ... great voice, strong instrumental performances, graceful arrangements, clean, clear recording ... and yet, not very exciting. I think listening to this album turned into an exercise in reflecting on how I don't really like country. Ironically, this exercise in classic, retro country works best for me on the Chris Isaak cover -- not a true country artist, and a contemporary of lang.

I thought I would like this a lot more than I did. I found it kind of boring and fine as background music but I wouldn't listen to it again.

I'm pretty fond of k.d. lang and have had some phases in life where I listened to her records a ton. This record didn't grab me. I can see where it astounded people as a debut. It must have sounded so fresh at the time. To me now it sounds kind of repetitive and not exactly the style I like, but it's not bad. I wouldn't turn it off.

Lovely voice. It’s a shame that country and western music has drifted so far from the true faith.

I cant be the only one that didn't know k.d. Lang was not only a female singer songwriter but also a Country star during her career??? These two revelations really swept me off my feet but also kept me very interesting in what I was about to experience on Shadowland. This album feels like an old rusty cowboy should be singing it, and yet the much more clean and youthful k. d. Lang is the one behind this very calming project. I wouldn't say anything here is blowing my socks off, but the smokey vibes this album gives off really did make me feel very at home and welcome in a soundscape I don't usually dip my feet into but still enjoyed nonetheless. I can totally understand why some people wouldn't be into a project like this, but I think k. d. does a pretty solid job at staking her claim in the Country scene thanks in part to her really fitting the comforting vibe that is this laid back and relaxing sound. Shadowland is a comfort album more than anything else and I definitely will be coming back to this during my next Southern adventure.

Inoffensive love songs.

Masterpiece

k.d. lang is an icon. I wrote a paper about her for my Women in Music class in uni so I used to know a lot about her career and still remember some of it. She's from Edmonton, Alberta and started her career as a country singer before moving into more of the pop/folk realm after this first album, around the same time that she came out as a lesbian (1992). So this album doesn't really encapsulate her true musical style, though it does showcase her Albertan roots and beautiful singing voice. Her 1992 album, Ingenue, is also on the list so we'll get to listen to that later. k.d.'s biggest claim to fame is her rendition of Hallelujah, which is considered one of the best versions of all time (alongside Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, etc). After hearing her perform his song, Leonard Cohen supposedly said, "well, I think we can lay that song to rest now! It's really been done to its ultimate blissful state of perfection". Her version truly is stunning and definitely worth watching on YouTube.

Couldn’t tolerate more than a song. So I turned it off after that. I tried but country music defeats me again.

interesting variety, I preferred the songs that leaned away from country.

Good time! Maybe closer to a 3.5 but definitely above average for me. I see a lot of haters on this one but I enjoy a little old school twang every now and then even if it's pastiche.

New Vegas vibes. 3.5

1001 Albums a Canadian Should Hear Before They Die should definitely include at least two k.d. lang albums. I think choosing Shadowland and Ingenue misses that the cowpunk stuff was a part of the torch song stuff's success k.d. had to become a style icon for parents in the 80s so their gay kids could become the coolest people you've ever met. gotta put some respect on it.

Sort spot for k.d. as a fellow Alberta Guy, and I enjoyed the first few songs a lot. But I gotta be honest, this was the longest 35 minute album I’ve heard in a while.

All I've known of KD Lang is Constant Craving and Hymns of the 49th Parallel (cover album of Canadian artists which is great to my ears). I don't know what I thought I'd hear on this - but another cover album (as a debut!) of country songs was not on my bingo sheet. That said, her voice is incredible, and the songs are great to listen to.

Not really my thing but some pleasant ones and it's cool that she did a 50s tribute, like? in the 80s? What a nostalgic queen.

Nice vocals, but a bit too country and boring. The other album on this list by her is better, so I'll score this lower

Went from the double album Will The Circle Be Unbroken by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to this cheese. No business being on the list. 2/5.

KDL is one of my favorite Canucks and she did not disappoint with this offering

cool LP, great singer.

I liked this better than Ingenue! It's definitely more country, and has a mid-century feel to some of the tunes. Not what I expected going in, but not a bad listen.

Look - she's got a great voice and I'm sure the band are all the best of the best Nashville had to offer when this album was recorded. But, it just doesn't grab me. It feels like an exercise in how how to sound really vintage (but doesn't pull it off).

Not for me

Look, I'm partriotic as fuck and k.d. lang is a national treasure, but this isn't doing Canada nor k.d. any favours. Let's keep Ingenue on the list and just leave it at that. Except for her voice, this is a caricature of Country music - ie. the reason we ridicule the genre.

Retro is fine in the present, but the trouble is, time keeps passing and you’re just left with an old pastiche project. I think Chris Isaak was around the same time? I tried not to hate this but failed. I have a big problem when it seems like an artist is asserting, ‘All you have to do is [blank]’

musica vieja con estandares de la epoca gran voz per todo lo demas te lo regalo, no lo escucharia ni el ua moto

Very meh

3/5

how did nobody clock her as a lesbian at the time? i'm friends with butches that would kill to have the swagger she has on the cover art. fairly standard stuff for the time, but i quite like I'm Down to My Last Cigarette. staple song back in spring 2023 song for me. deserves to be one of the 1001? i think k.d. lang should have an album on here, and whether it's this or Ingénue is a matter of personal preference

Was not expecting a country album. A lovely smooth voice - but not really my bag - very MOR/hotel lobby vibes.

England have just lost to Argentina in the world cup semi final. A frustrating, self-inflicted loss. This album is a long way from that. It's not any good, but better than the football. KD Lang does have a nice, soothing voice. Stupid Tuchel.

I hadn't heard this before, so I was somewhat surprised that listening to this album pushed me through a wormhole. It sent me back to the 50's. The album is a lovingly constructed homage to the music of Patsy Cline among others. k.d. Lang's voice is lovely and clear and the album is smooth and laid back

Just crap really

Terrible

Country in a fun classy way. La música que sonaría en port aventura far west.

Raar plaatje. Het is sfeervolle muziek, perfect voor in een restaurant of hotel lobby. Volle en warme stem in een country jasje ergens ver weg op de achtergrond. Als het dichterbij komt blijft er niet veel speciaals over om heel warm van te worden. 5/10

Not what I expected kd lang music to sound like. Expressive vocals with an intimate country music setting.

wtf she invented fallout music in the 80s? vision.

A very good album.

07/11 Felt like I needed a whiskey and to be playing Fallout New Vegas while listening to this

Really quite liked this actually! Not the genre I expected, way more country than punk, and it was a nice mellow (if mournful) album. Great stuff!

No I think this is not my thing

Brilliant voice and jazzy tunes. Pleasant listening.

i love her voice, so smooth and relaxing

She has an incredible voice, and when the arrangements leans into the classic Owen Bradley sound it's aces. But man this album is polished to an inch of its life. You can slide across the production with socks. And even though this does not fall into the late 80s production tropes... you can tell this was the 80s. It's a bit to clean, too sterile. I wish it was more earthy. (6.8) ★★★

Pleasant, and good, but nothing mindblowing. 3.5 stars

I thought today's album started pretty good and thought it was going to be a pretty solid album of Fallout: New Vegas style country, but even at 35 minutes, it got a little tiring after a while. Favorites were "Western Stars" and "(Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dancefloor". 3 Stars.

3.5

Just not my bag nor my preferred pair of Birkenstocks either. I substituted this with Kruder & Dorfmeister K&D Sessions for a much better ‘kd session’.

By this stage in life, I have figured out that the kind of music k.d. Lang makes, is simply not for me. Having said that, plenty about this album has been more enjoyable than I might have expected. Lang I have experienced before has been some of the blandest MOR claptrap that I’ve heard and has certainly given no indication of the vocal capabilities on show here. Practically every track on Shadowland has some spectacular display of Lang’s singing prowess. Soaring moments and challenging melodies that she is easily a match for. I don’t understand why this strength would ever go unused. Musically while the palette is still on the mild side and with a country bent (a combination unlike to find a welcoming home in my ears) the retro vibe that I don’t have the genre knowledge to identify, is certainly a more bearable version of country than many I have come across. Song choices are working too. So, great job overall, and while I’m giving this a lukewarm rating, it could so easily have been a single star.

Te braaf binnen het stramien kleurend om ooit interessant te worden.

nog maar is iets vrij bland met veel potentieel voor achtergrondmuziek.

I love a certain kind of country music, and this isn't quite the kind I like (too plinky plonky if that makes sense). Undeniably beautiful singing voice though

Nije loš ovaj album, čak mi je ok sjeo, zanimljiv je na trenutke. 3/5, 5/10

The reviews on this site are always so harsh towards country music (and all of the reviews have this unearned heightened sense of self about them might I add) so I get a bit defensive toward the genre as a whole. This album was beautiful and it's a queer female singer? Love. It's nothing groundbreaking or spectacular and some of the lyrics are a bit dramatic but fuck it, we need more of this and less nondescript Brit rock

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Day 323 Pleasant enough and she has a cracking voice but I’m unlikely to return to anything here. Highlights Tears don’t care who cries them Busy being blue

terribly boring.

Did not peg KD Lang for a honky tonker. I've never pegged her at all, actually

Normally not a fan of country so was somewhat apprehensive but i enjoyed it overall

I read that she didn’t continue to make country music. Probably for the best. Far and away the best songs on this album are the blues ones, and the country ones seem anachronistic.

Beautiful standards. Very romantic

beautiful voice and easy listen but not my vibe

Man, this was dorky. But also pretty calming I suppose. It did make me realize just how much the “western” in “country western” is just gone these days.

Not what I expected.

Country with a little bit of soul. I really enjoyed K.D.’s voice.

Lesbian country music. Go off queen. I really enjoyed the chill vibes, I could listen to this for hours

Some albums are so good that you almost forget the genre it’s in… this is not one of them. However, K.D.’s voice makes the album bearable despite how painfully country it is

It was fine. I do actually like this older style of country music but this one didn't really do it for me.

Not my cup of tea

Ah jo...

wowowowow, this is magnificent. beautiful voice, beautiful album, how come ive never heard of this gem before

Figuring out what music you like is a weird thing, an illogical thing. I'm not a huge country fan, but this album checks most of the things that I like in a country album. It's well produced and sounds good, her voice is nice, and the lyrics aren't just traditional drown myself in beer fare, but interesting. So why do I not like this much at all? Well I'll say this...it does *sound* more 'traditional' than I was expecting, and some songs are definitely a bit overwrought and sappy. Yeah, this album does very little for me.

She is a great singer but it's a bit boring.

Her voice is gorgeous and the instrumentation is lovely. There were points when it faded to the background for me, but overall it was just a really nice album. Fav song: Busy Being Blue Least fav: Shadowland

Maybe it’s because London is the same temp as Death Valley right now, maybe it’s because I caught about 20 mins of Dutton ranch while my flatmate was watching it, but I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. A bit of honky Tonk can go a long way. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - (Waltz me) Once again around the dancefloor Least fav - Black coffee

I found the first couple songs boring and was dreading a full album of it. But when she starts to really go for it she's so so good! What a voice! Also the guy who originally composed the song Shadowland is called Dick Hyman... Favourite song: (Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor Least: Western Stars

Following Bobby D yesterday, she CAN sing. Songs are keech tho.

A little tame but it had a retro, country, bluesy vibe that I enjoyed.

I didn't listen to her music at all growing up, and honestly I thought she did more pop or adult contemporary. I was surprised it was country. It was a good listen while doing yardwork!

Ever have one of those albums where you know the artist is incredibly talented, but you just don't like it? That is Shadowland by k.d. lang. k.d. has an incredible voice, but I dislike both crooner music and twangy country...and this album is nothing but that.

Could t really get in to this

I consider giving up... This is one of the albums you "have to listen to"??? Is this list an insider joke? Any AI would make a better list.

I dig it. A little hokey in parts, but she has a great voice.

Not my typo of music, but the quality is undeniable.

Country swing?

Bien.

Uh oh. Looks like I've got another challenging genre prediction on my hands. I was riding high on my hot streak of correct genre guesses a couple of days ago and the list just had to bring me back to reality. I have not a single clue as to what this album could be. It could be punk, but it could just as easily be jazz or bossa nova. I know punk album covers have homaged other, more innocuous genres of music, though 1988 seems a little too late to being something so provocative. The artist name and butch hairdo gives me more a punk feel than anything, however. Fuck it. I'm rolling with punk for my genre prediction. Nope, alt-country. I feel like I can be forgiven for my incorrect guess. It was inordinately difficult to judge this album by its cover, after all. This was alright. Lang has a nice voice, which is generally put to good use across this album's humble 38-minute runtime. There's also a bit of a novelty to hearing this style of music coming from a woman. The vocals are very characteristically male in their pronunciation - especially during the strained sections. There's less to remark about the instrumentals. They get the job done, though the meandering, characteristically country guitars put me to sleep. However, there's fortunately enough variety to keep me occupied. There's a surprising spread of cultural influences, from Gaelic music to a hispanic, old Western sound. Other embellishments, like the strings and brass numbers are also welcome. Overall, this album was competent and I didn't mind kicking back to it for a few, though I don't get the impression that it belongs on this list. Book time. Lang alienated audiences at the time for her androgynous appearance and spin on country music. She did, however, impress Owen Bradley - a prominent and influential country producer in the 50s who came out of retirement to assist in the creation of this album. Bradley's most significant contribution to the album was that he smoothed out the campiness of Lang's previous album, instead replacing it with a blend of straightforward pop and country. Wikipedia says that this album was well-received by the handful of critics that reviewed it in addition to peaking at No. 9 and No. 73 on the Canadian/US charts respectively, though that's about it. Yeah. I'm not convinced by this one. The critics are favourable, but somewhat polarised by her albums and Lang also doesn't appear to be particularly successful or influential. We Australians like her, however. The highest chart placements on all of her successive albums were almost always in Australia, being firmly rooted within the top 10. Most of her albums also landed at around No. 40 on the year-end charts. Aw geez dood. I think it might be an indictment on our women that a butch lesbian has so much sway on the charts. Anyways, two list albums is definitely Lang punching above her weight, so we're ripping this one the fuck out of here. In place of this album, I humbly submit "The Beta Band" by The Beta Band for inclusion on the list.

I want a reason to hate it, but i cant find one. not bad. 3 stars

I avoided this album at first. I'm not sure why, but I'm glad to hear it. I still didn't finish the whole thing, but am glad I heard her sound.

Another debut album makes its appearance. This artist was popular back then (1990s) and I haven’t heard much about her recently. These songs are all country/western and most were written by big names like Roger Miller, Chris Isaak, Sonny Burke, etc. The singing is fine and the music is generally peppy. For a country album it’s good.

Ho ho! Never in a million years would I have thought k.d. lang is a country artist based on the songs I know from her. But - like this album - most of those songs are covers. Even though I like k.d. (one of the modern lowercase pioneers), I guess I really don't like country songs, because this did not interest me. Too slow, too boring. Pretty voice though.

I don’t know it makes me giggle, sounds overall fun and classic, just country music, yk?. Not a huge country fan tho. but I got to admit she’s got a smooth voice.

Sounds like classic old country so it’s ok she has a good voice but was nothing special to me

Even if k.d. isn’t the reincarnation of Patsy Cline, she’d still be a legendary voice. I played this album a lot in… oh god, 1988 was a long time ago. Achy and romantic, strong and clear in voice, she pours honey all over these songs that should be listened to swinging in a hammock on a hot Texas night… or crying bitter tears into your beer in a lonely, dark barroom.

Country crooner

Perfectly "fine" album of standards done in a Patsy Cline style with Cline's producer. I can admire these songs and Lang's voice, of course, but the songs produce no feelings in me at all. The song I liked most was the last one, with Loretta Lynn and others, because it broke from the previous stylized country songs and added some heart and humor.

Feel similarly lukewarm about this as the other kd lang album here. Fantastic voice, but there's a real lack of originality in these throwback country/ Orbison crooner songs, and they almost all have the same sleepy quality. Not much to grab onto, although I did like the last medley track. Nothing against her but will never quite get the hype either.

sehr smooth und jazzig. will es beim kochen hören. oder bei einem cocktail.

This is not most listen before you die. 2 stars

"Oh we got both kinds. We got Country and Western." Western music is the sub-genre of Country that is like a vestigial tail. Evolution hasn't worn it off entirely yet, and there are still sightings of it, but it has no functional purpose other than to point out that it exists. That's what makes this album such a puzzle. Why in 1988 would someone decide to make their debut album a Western? It's decades past it's prime, the core audience is dying or dead, and there's been no evolution of the style. It feels like the dead end it is. Ms. Lang's voice is good -- maybe great -- but these backing tracks all feel like karaoke CD versions of Western songs from a bygone era. I can't figure out (and won't spend any time determining) if these songs are covers or originals. They could be either and that's not a compliment. This is all a long winded way of saying, I liked her voice but the music kinda sucked. I'm a Country-hater so my ceiling for this is a (2/5), with apologies to Ms. Lang. If any of her other work veers into Folk (the only palatable style/sub-genre of Country I can stomach) I could see myself liking her stuff more. I'm not motivated to look. We have one more of her albums on the list, so I'll wait until then.

It's the late 80s and a lesbian from Canada with a Stray Cats haircut gets her big break singing front for a Patsy Cline tribute band (The Reclines was a great name, btw), so she drops an album mixing old "standards" of crooners from the 40s and 50s with a few original songs written by some of the same songwriters, all with varying degrees of country twang and jangle. She picked songs that show off her range and are just b-side enough to show that she knows her history and is a serious musician, and gets the guy who produced Patsy Cline's best albums to run the show on this one. It's like American Idol before there was one, and it's a pretty inspiring start to a career that led to her being a household name. All of that to say that I appreciate the artist much more than I appreciate the medium here. I'm just not a big fan of country, so a lot of her later work jives better with me than this one did. It's hard to blame her for that, as her voice is amazing and somewhat wasted on this material. It's still a 3/5 that prompted me to listen to her 1987 collaboration with Roy Orbison to re-record Crying, as well as her 2002 collaboration with Tony Bennett on A Wonderful World. You should check those out, too, as they're better than most of the material here.

6. Shadowland - k.d. lang (1988) 6.10.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 3 = 2.4 rounded down to a 2 "Don't let the stars get in your eyes/ Don't let the moon break your heart/ Love blooms at night in daylight it dies" Lang is starting off with some good will from me. While I haven't loved her stuff enough to dive into even one of her albums, I've seen her plenty on late night shows and other appearances to know she's a legit talented professional with a wide range of influences. The country stuff I think she got saddled with ( pun intended) early on as it happened to click and she kept going maybe a little too long with it, possibly making it more difficult for her to break out into a wider audience later when she tried. Her more cabaret/ loungy stuff I think I've heard more of. And her appearance on the Pee Wee Herman Christmas special was a pretty joyous and charming performance. I kind of lump her in with Chris Isaak as a sort of country-adjacent act that later ended up being way more well-rounded than anyone realized. And I see the very first track here is an Isaak penned number. In fact, the whole thing looks like mostly a covers album. Let's hit the trail! THE TRACKS "Western Stars" - Got some Marty Robbins meets Roy Orbison vibes off this one immediately, and just generally that sort of 50s country and western that leans towards the "western" part of things. More cactuses and coyotes than grits and less "bless your heart" and biscuits and gravy. But I think that gels with the Canadian of it all as well, as the country and western tradition up that way has much more frontier spirit than good old boy vibes. And Lang lays it on thick here. You can almost hear the leather fringe hanging off her cowboy shirt. Some very impressive, and tasteful, if possibly slightly winky take on the material. More than solid opener. "Lock, Stock and Teardrops" - A very loungey, bluesy take on the original Roger Miller song ( one of the few on here I am somewhat familiar with). Once again Lang shows her range and treats the material well. There's nothing to complain about on here except maybe that it veers off into a style that's just not for me. "Sugar Moon" - An even older throwback style, this one plays in the old 30s and 40s singing cowboy arena, with what sounds very much like I imagine the Bob Wills version must be like. Shades of "My Blue Heaven" in particular on this one, also feels of a kind with those older western singers who co-existed at the same time as all the Tin Pan alley stuff. "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" - This one feels very out of step with everything else so far, and would have to listen to the original, but seems much more of a popular number much more in lounge jazz material. Lang's voice is equally well suited to this mode, but it's not one I'm interested in. "(Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor" - Little bit of a honky tonk / ragtime saloon feel here, with some more country swing thrown in. A little bit later in her career Lang will take turn into cabaret, and it makes total sense when you hear this. I can imagine this as a number in a campy stage show. Just imagine Miss Piggy performing this on an episode of The Muppet Show. Makes sense, right? "Black Coffee" - A jazz blues standard seems like Lang as been building to, in increments over the course of the first side. Doesn't hold a candle to the Sarah Vaughn or Ray Charles version, but Lang certainly does not embarrass herself. She's let down by the instrumentation here though, especially the weak horn section. Did Tom Waits ever cover this? Side two "Shadowland" - Lang once again does a fine job here vocally, but this song was so very middle of the road that it almost washed around me without the slightest effect. "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" - Back to the Marty Robbins sound here, and I'm much more down for it. The tex-mex atmosphere is a bouncy little number and Lang gets to do some acrobatics with the phrasing and packed in lyrics. "Tears Don't Care Who Cries Them" - Oof. The strings on this one did not work for me. Very much in the Patsy Cline mode again here, but way too sappy and schmaltzy for my tastes. This really could have used some honky tonk piano over top to give it some flavor. "I'm Down to My Last Cigarette" - This is much better, and closer to the Patsy Cline feel that the last one just could not fully achieve. The fiddle does some heavy lifting in that respect, and Lang keeps it simpler with her phrasing which gives this more of an old school feel. "Busy Being Blue" - I was not expecting to hear any bedroom saxophone on this. Lang's vocals work very well for the torch song lounge seductress vibe, but the instrumentation is far too Kenny G, and ends up sapping away whatever soul Lang is laying down. "Honky Tonk Angels' Medley" "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)" "You Nearly Lose Your Mind" "Blues Stay Away from Me" HIGHLIGHTS - "Western Stars" - "Sugar Moon" - "(Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor" - "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" MIDLIGHTS - "Lock, Stock and Teardrops" - "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" - "Black Coffee" - "I'm Down to My Last Cigarette" LOWLIGHTS - "Shadowland" - "Tears Don't Care Who Cries Them" - "Busy Being Blue" FINAL THOUGHTS This had way less of the too-clean, session music backed adult contemporary feel that I expected, and Lang delivers well on the promise of taking these older songs and giving them a bit of a polish to make them more palatable to modern ears. My biggest problem though is exactly that. I like my country music and standards to feel a little bit more raw and, not dirty, but less produced maybe? I read that she got Patsy Cline's old producer to work on this and that makes total sense, as Cline's stuff feels very similarly brightly clean and polished. Not necessarily sanitized though, as there is still plenty of soul and emotion here. But almost like a production style that lends itself better to someone like Etta James. It does make me wonder if Lang has ever done an album of blues and jazz standards though. As well as she acquits herself vocally, I can't help but get a feeling of musical cosplay here. She handles the emotional beats well, but also maybe because these are all covers, there's an extra layer of performance going on which has the effect of removing much of the immediacy for me. Were these songs she really loved? This gave me the same feeling as when I hear a very well performed Christmas album by some pop heavyweight. Those things are almost always tasteful affairs, but ultimately don't illicit any deep readings, and always fail to move me. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Probably won't be revisiting any of his, but wouldn't turn off the highlights if they popped up on my radio FURTHER LISTENING - Silvertone by Chris Isaak - The List by Rosanne Cash - Remembering Patsy Cline by Various Artists - Pontiac by Lyle Lovett

I have vague memories of my mother attending a k.d. lang concert before I was ten. It may have been around the time this album came out. I remember her wearing that concert shirt many times. It may have been the only time I remember my mother engaging with anything that would’ve been considered pop music. I guess it was the country western ness of it all. I mean this album has Kentucky legend Loretta Lynn on it. That made a big splash where I came from. Where this album did not make a big splash was with me, today. I just could not get into it. An album of torch songs done with a bit of twang starts out as hard sell for me. Lang’s voice is fine, and her performance is adequate. It is however the lacking in accompaniment. The production is flat and uninspiring. There was a spark of life near the end with “Busy Being Blue” and the “Honky Tonk Angels Medley” with the two tracks keeping the highlights of the album for the finish. Overall, though, I was underwhelmed. 2/5

Sleep country with some highlights, particularly the opening Chris Isaak cover.

Wow, this Canadian sounds country. This album is actually really decent. I like the bluesy songs the best, like Busy being Blue - k.d.’s voice lends itself really well to those vocal slides.

Die kanadische Sängerin k.d. lang – bürgerlich Kathryn Dawn Lang, geboren 1961 in Alberta – nahm ihr erstes Soloalbum Shadowland im Frühjahr 1988 in Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, auf. Produziert wurde es von Owen Bradley, dem legendären Nashville-Produzenten, der zuvor Patsy Clines Klassiker verantwortet hatte und für lang eine lebenslange Inspirationsquelle darstellte. Erschienen beim New Yorker Independent-Label Sire in Vertrieb von Warner Bros., ist das Album auch als The Owen Bradley Sessions bekannt – ein Untertitel, der die Bedeutung dieser Zusammenarbeit unmissverständlich unterstreicht. Das Repertoire setzt vollständig auf Fremdmaterial: Chris Isaaks „Western Stars" eröffnet das Album mit einer spürbaren Orbison-Verwandtschaft; Roger Millers „Lock, Stock and Teardrops" und Harlan Howards „I'm Down to My Last Cigarette" verankern lang tief im klassischen Country-Songwriting der 1950er und 1960er Jahre. Den emotionalen Höhepunkt bildet die „Honky Tonk Angels' Medley", für die Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn und Kitty Wells als Gastsängerinnen gewonnen werden konnten – ein Generationentreffen, das lang gleichermaßen als Schülerin und ebenbürtige Stimme ausweist. Langs Mezzosopran entfaltet dabei eine Wärme und Tragkraft, die sämtliche Vorbilder ehrenhaft zitiert, ohne je in bloße Imitation abzugleiten. Shadowland ging in Kanada Platin und Gold in den USA, wurde von der Canadian Country Music Association zum Album des Jahres gekürt und erhielt durchgehend euphorische Kritiken. Trotz oder gerade wegen seiner bewusst retrogarden Haltung – ein Anachronismus, wie die zeitgenössische Presse treffend bemerkte – besitzt das Album eine zeitlose Stimmigkeit: Bradleys opulente, hallreiche Streicherproduktion mag das Entstehungsjahr verraten, Langs Stimme selbst kennt keine Verfallszeit. Ein Album, das zeigt, wie viel Eigenständigkeit in vollkommener Stilhingabe stecken kann.

Thought this might be interesting, knowing the name but very little about her music. I was wrong. Fairly awful show-tunes seemingly 1920s inspired, with no ounce of charisma or personality.

There were times when I sighed to be listening to an '80s country covers album but there were times I felt like I got it, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" does go. It's a decent album

I have never heard anything in this album before, and that makes sense, though it's not terrible.

Weird! But not bad i suppose

Me sorprendió para bien, sentía que no me iba a gustar, no sé por qué.

This was okay. Quite an interesting mix of instruments used. Favourite Track(s): Black Coffee Least Favourite Track(s): Lock, Stock and Teardrops

This was nice I liked it.

Es música lo que valora

I was incredibly surprised when I found out this is an almost pure country record. After listening to "Ingénue", I expected all of her work, past and future, to be singer-songwriter oriented, but guess I was wrong. I should start reading more into the history of the artists I listen to... So basically this album is essentially a country project. It may have some touches of vocal jazz, but I think it definitely counts as country. And for that reason, I didn't like it pretty much. What saves this record from being just another boring country album is her voice, She sounds really good and gives a great performance with a lot of energy on every song. Even the more standard melodies sound quite good thanks to her. In terms of instrumentation, the skillful guitar playing also stands out overall. Makes the album more entertaining to listen to. The rest is okay. There are some decent strings and saxophones here and there, but nothing compares to her voice. With that being said, I might be giving a lot of praises to the performances, but the album isn't that good, and it is due to the ideas being quite bland, if I'm being honest. So in the end, I think it is just an alright experience.

Country..

Oh generator, how you love to waste my time. I specifically exclude country music and you serve me up this platter full of steel guitars and banjos. So be it. The singing and playing here is top-notch but the music itself is so backwards-looking that the whole thing feels like it's coated in a thick layer of dust. Too bad that the "alt" in "alt country" didn't mean being innovative enough to abandon all of the corny things that make C&W so regressive to start out with.

Another country album, another day of suffering. It’s not that bad I’m just burnt out on country albums that all have the same subject matter. 5/10

KD Lang and her sultry voice ugh! This album kind of melted together like butter. I love the jazzy elements and her lovely clear voice. You can really hear the Patsy Cline influence in how she sings. I can imagine swaying and dancing in the kitchen to this one. Lets go Canadiand! Lets go lesbians!

The most beautiful voice in the world. So beautiful it even makes some of the more shmaltzy songs enjoyable. This album runs the country-to-jazz spectrum, and I definitely liked the albums on the country end a lot more.

Definitely not my style, I won't be adding any of this to my playlists. But it didn't felt horrible to listen to. It was quite alright, actually. Rounding up to 4 stars.

Shadowland - k.d. lang (1988) Great voice. These are mostly if not exclusively covers, but it was a good listen. I see it's getting some harsh reviews over there, and I may be biased because I think women are too rare in this list, but I really liked the album. ⭐⭐⭐ 7/10 [This album has been listened to and rated on October the 2nd, 2026.]

la voz de lang es como un ángel, me ha encantado la vibe mi favorita sin duda busy being blue

la verdad no me esperaba que me guste tanto, me parecio que recuerda a cosas de unos 30 años antes de que salga este album ya que muchas canciones podrian literal estar en una pelicula de barbra streisand. Muy bonito 8/10

Country is not my thing, but this is so chill that i cant be mad at it! And i actually have a rule: if an album has a track that literally gives me goosebumps it gets at least 4 stars. That track is Busy Being Blue

There’s always a danger with records like this that they get filed under “tasteful”. That faintly poisonous category reserved for albums that are clearly accomplished but don’t appear interested in smashing furniture or announcing their importance every thirty seconds. But that completely undersells what’s happening here. This is a hugely gutsy record. k.d. lang walks directly into one of the most codified traditions in American music and inhabits it so fully that the question of whether she belongs there quietly evaporates. The obvious comparison point is Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue. Another artist with deep love and understanding of country music throwing themselves into the form. But where Almost Blue often feels tense and slightly cornered by its own ambition, Shadowland feels astonishingly comfortable in its own skin. There’s no sense of “fixing” country music, reclaiming it or modernising it. She just sits inside the emotional architecture of the songs and lives there. The effect is warmer, stranger and much more radical than any overt statement would have been. Part of that confidence comes from the production. This is Owen Bradley territory. Full countrypolitan mode. Jordanaires-style backing vocals, softly glowing arrangements, steel guitar used as emotional weather rather than ornamentation. At its best the album enters a genuinely spooky little zone where torch song, country and dream-state overlap slightly out of phase with one another. You can hear Patsy Cline all over it, not as imitation but as emotional grammar. The sadness smiles. The arrangements know when restraint is more powerful than display. And then there’s the singing. Lordy. The pitch control is absurd but it never hardens into recital. That’s the miracle of the album. She can glide into enormous notes with total authority while still sounding conversational and loose. The glissandi are magnificent throughout. She phrases like someone who understands that the movement between notes often carries more emotional information than the notes themselves. At times she mirrors the lap steel so closely that voice and instrument seem to become part of the same emotional current. The really fascinating thing is that she manages to sound both fully inside the tradition and unmistakably herself at the same time. A lot of singers can disappear into a style. Others remain defiantly individual but never quite inhabit the form. She somehow does both simultaneously. You never mistake her for Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee or anyone else, but equally there’s never a second where she sounds like she’s visiting country music from outside. The emotional fluency is complete. The joy in this album sneaks up on you. Not cheerful joy. Joy in musical mastery. Joy in inhabiting these songs fully. Joy in going toe-to-toe with country standards and emerging not merely intact but completely commanding. The “Honky Tonk Angels’ Medley” seals the deal. Less museum piece than a gathering of women who understand exactly what this music can carry. Hearing k.d. lang alongside Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and Brenda Lee only sharpens the sense of just how extraordinary her control really is. She soars when she lets loose. Not every production choice lands perfectly now. One or two moments drift a bit too close to glossy late-80s Adult Contemporary for my taste. One saxophone in particular can absolutely bugger off. But even then the sheer intelligence and vitality of lang’s singing cuts straight through the sheen. Most importantly, this never feels like heritage reconstruction. It feels alive. The performances breathe. The phrasing is playful. The emotional intelligence throughout is deeply adult. Composed, wounded, flirtatious, socially functional, funny. No melodramatic collapse. No prestige suffering. Just beautifully controlled feeling moving through exquisitely shaped songs. And underneath all of it is a wonderfully confident idea. k.d. lang doesn’t ask permission to inhabit this music. She simply does it so well that resistance starts to look faintly ridiculous.

The clouds above Canada knew I was listening to a cancon icon and gave me a perfect rainy day to enjoy this album as it was meant to be heard. I was also walking this earth for 30+ years thinking it was “Katie Lang” not “K.D. Lang.” I haven’t been this bad of a Canadian since I rooted for the USA men’s hockey team in the 2010 Olympic final.

Among a plethora of British rock bands that honestly start blending together and becoming indistinguishable, this album was a breath of fresh air. I know this artist and album predates Laufey, but it reminds me of her.

Whatever u say beautiful Such gorgeous vocals!! ++ Twang

i got bored

This album starts off with such a bang with Western stars. The way lang's voice hits those high notes in this song instantly grabbed me and made me very excited for the rest of the LP and I think for the most part it lived up to what my expectations became. Although the album can be consistent with lyrical themes and production each song gives this very rich image of country heartbreak that I can not help but melt away and enjoy. Fav tracks: Western stars, lock, stock and teardrops, I wish I didnt love you so, and Shadowland

Wonderful voice, unexceptional songs. 3.5

It's not for me at all. She has a great voice, but the country/Hawaiian vibes are so cheesy. It's only 35 minutes long but I could've sworn it went on for an hour.

Boring

Sublime

A great voice. Not so keen on the country stylings, but the crooner type offerings are nice.

Nice and sweet, enjoyable little trip into country.

Incredible vocals unfortunately paired with mostly boring and uninteresting instrumentals. Don’t let the stars get in your eyes and busy being blue are by far the standout songs.

Not my vibe. 50s elvis with extra cheese

I’ve been stuck on my 1001 mission for months. It’s been sat on my shoulder for months. Four albums sit on my list. This is, somehow, the most appealing. The Eurythmics, Christine Aguilera, and Simply Fucking Red haunt my 1001 project dreams. I have to say that KD has a lovely voice. But I have less than zero interest in whatever this album is. Easy listening background country romcom soundtracking bullshit? It can only get worse from here.

It's a love letter to the oldschool woman fronted Country that was popular some 20-30 years before this album came out. I think it's an interesting and pleasant era of music, but I don't think this album adds much to it. Covers are a bit uncreative and unlike the Cowboy Junkies, K.D. Lang doesn't really manage to thread the line between 80's folky and 80's kitsch. It doesn't sound very enjoyable to me, it's really boring and also lame.

No thanks.

already? I looked at Ingénue literally three days ago. go home, 1001 Albums Generator, you're drunk. this album features k.d. lang in the element that her fans originally knew her for, presenting a series of twangy, jazzed-up country standards with a light pop exterior. like with Ingénue (and a lot of country music, to be honest), lang's voice is the star of the show; but I'd also like to give it up for Buddy Emmons and Hal Rugg, two of the foremost names in the history of steel guitar, who bring that instrument's finest qualities straight to the center of this album's sound. you could weep just listening to it by itself. that's not even mentioning the strings, the backing singers, even little bits of saxophone and accordion for good measure. it's certainly interesting that people were shocked when lang came out as a lesbian. I mean, just look at this cover art; she gave you all of the clues! light 7/10.

I really tried, but it was fucking garbage and I turned it off halfway through. There was nothing significant about it at all. Every song appeared to be a cover of a really old track, except for one relatively newer track, and I can only imagine there are dozens (if not hundredsor thousands) of versions of these same tracks recorded by other artists - and I doubt the versions on this album were any better or worse.

Her voice is beautiful but I just won’t ever listen to this again.

This is a really, really good album. Multiple listens. I’ve never listened to her, but I’ve been digging patsy kline and I remember reading that the guy who produced her best stuff also produced this album, and it’s right on brand. This type of music and Billie Holidays style run in parallel, this just has western influence. KD Lang seems to be to patsy Kline what Amy winehouse (in her purest form) was to Billie holiday. Beautiful voice, beautiful music, this album delivers on every song.

Country kd lang is better than most country, and also better than crooner kd lang

Album #85, k.d. lang, Shadowland, ⭐⭐ “Constant Craving” and her androgynous look are all I really knew about k.d lang. I didn’t even realise she was this deep into honky tonk. I don’t love it. This is a very subjective one, because I can’t really fault the execution. It absolutely achieves what it sets out to do, and it genuinely sounds like it’s from another era, largely thanks to Owen Bradley and that classic Nashville production style. Lang herself is a great vocalist and does the style justice. The problem is that very few of the songs grabbed me. I do like honky tonk in general, but the pithy nature of these tracks started to wear on me after a while. Even though it’s a short album, it felt like a bit of a slog to get through. The only tracks I’d come back to are “Western Stars,” “Down to My Last Cigarette,” and the brilliant Honky Tonk medley at the end. This is another one where I’d question its inclusion on the list. It feels more like a homage to the genre than anything particularly innovative. It’s a well done covers album, but it doesn’t really add anything new. I’d be hoping there are other albums on the list that represent honky tonk in a more distinctive way.

I'm always glad to see some lesbian representation on the list, even if it's a touch rare. But k.d. lang is one of the most iconic lesbians in popular music, so the list chose well. While I think k.d. lang has greater and more interesting albums in her discography, Shadowland is still full of great stuff. This is a pretty straight forward country album that is played earnestly, and presented with a tenderness. There are incredibly sweet country love songs (that I find a little more relatable than usual), and some mopey country weepers too. She isn't re-inventing the wheel, but she is showing the power that is still in the iconic country sound of what would have been, even then, years past. And delivering that sound with a character that is entirely her own.

3.5

Solid

3.5

For dark lonely nights in your honky tonk with a can of beer in the one and a cup of black coffee in the other. The Voice of her makes it palatable. It’s ok I guess.

Great county album, I just don't like country music

Too country for me

Sounds MUCH older than 1988. Makes sense some of these are covers but I didn't realize that at first. She has a great voice but these are just not songs for me. Certainly channeling that oldies sound. "Busy Being Blue" was a welcomed change of sound and pace. This feels 80s.

I never knew I could enjoy country music this much. I had never heard K.D. Lang’s wonderful voice before, and I was truly impressed. The production feels absolutely massive, creating such a great atmosphere. I still can’t decide whether this is the perfect album for a quiet night or a lonely sunrise. I’ll definitely be listening to it many more time.

Yea, pretty nice, sad country songs. A bit basic sound I guess

Utter dirge. Tedious Country drivel.

The cover of this and the time of this album really lulled me into thinking that this was going to be a singer/songwriter new wave pop album. Boy was I surprised when I realised this is a honky tonky country album. AND she's Canadian?? Honestly, thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I don't think it deserves the unfair global rating it's currently sitting on. There's no skips on this thing, it's thematic, k.d's voice is a satisfying mix of emotive and raspy, and overall it screams 80's whilst at the same time breathing the history of country and paying homage to it. Definitely going to be listening to more of k.d. lang, hopefully the quality stays as good as this banger.

This actually wasn't bad. Makes me feel like I should reevaluate that other K.D. Lang album. Favorite track: (Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor

Daría la vida por escuchar este album en un diner de Massachusetts tomando un cafe negro y un desayuno con chori huevo hamburguesa, todas esas graseadas q desayunan alla

Highlights: I Wish I Didn't Love You So, Black Coffee, Shadowland, Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes, I'm Down to My Last Cigarette Having heard Ingénue before, this Hawaii country mixture was pretty disappointing, but I can't say it was really all that worse either. The Hawaii vibe was some sort of a knockoff Elvis, but it often goes for a full country sound too (last track especially). However it doesn't change its tune all that often and I am no fan of monotonous country. Lyrically it gets interesting after a couple of tracks, but it isn't much more special than your average weepy heartbreak record.

Not my vibe.

Heard of K.D. Lang by name alone, but never her music. Off the bat with "Western Stars", she has a great voice and, for some reason, I didn't expect her to be pop-country. Whilst I was worried about variation here, Lang proves by track 3 with "Sugar Moon" that she is more capable of something upbeat, but also reminds me that Country is Country; it has a pretty rigid vibe across the entire genre and it's artists; I really enjoyed this track. Lang's cover of Betty Hutton's "I Wish I didn't Love You So" hit home again how incredible her voice is; it's possibly one of the best I have ever heard. Her talent and hard work is undeniable. But this point I've learnt that the album is entirely covers, but somehow that doesn't lessen the quality of the album or my opinion of it. Even from a quick search across the internet, many people point to Lang as giving the best rendition of each of these songs. Other tracks I loved were "Black Coffee", "Shadowland", "Tears Don't Care Who Cries Them" and "Busy Being Blue".

Really enjoyed most of this album. Great voice, and a reminder that country isn't always the "big truck, cold beer, blonde girl, we country" shtick. So yeah lesbian country goes hard as fuck.

I feel like I shouldn't be surprised by the general lack of LGBT representation on the list but an LGBT artist showing up always catches me. I'm pretty sure k.d. lang is one of like three lesbians on this entire list. Anyways, it's pretty good for an album of country covers. I especially liked the extremely non-country saxophone that showed up in some of the songs. You really can stick a saxophone just about anywhere. The actually country songs are pretty good, especially Once Again Around the Dance Floor. This album is also absolutely made better by k.d. lang being gay, gay people do everything better.

A bunch of cabaret-style country cover songs. This is hotel lobby fodder if I've ever heard it. Has no place on this list. 2⭐️

Nice but a bit basic and boring.

Not too shabby for country, but would certainly not return. Nice to know who kd lang is now, filed away in the memory bank for future crosswords

Uneventful and a bit boring but not like bad or anything, just felt like 14 renditions of basically the same song. Not really sure why it’s on here 2

I think K.D. Lang is a very talented singer-songwriter. This is such an odd choice for a first album, usually an opportunity to show the world who you are and why you should be taken seriously. This album consists of all covers, so it's like a karaoke album at best. Fortunately, there is another K.D Lang album on the list, which will better reflect here talents.

A gorgeous voice completely ruined by steel guitar and jangly piano. This was tough to get through - at least it was quick!

OK.

She's wonderfully talented and I really enjoyed this although it's not really my style. 3/5

Meh

An amazing album. She has such a great voice, and you really feel the breadth of emotions. I haven't listened to a lot of her specifically, despite hearing her a lot, but this album was really good. Maybe its just the Can Con the CRTC has instilled in me, but a really strong folk rock and country album.

I can usually get on board with “twangy” country, but I thought this was a pretty tough listen. kd lang has a great voice, but the choice to lean all the way in on older-style country production just did not really work for me.

I don’t like crooner country when a man does it, and now I can confirm I also don’t care for it when it’s a woman too. This album just didn’t work for me. The studio musicians felt different every song so there was no consistency. It just felt like k.d. was singing to extremely polished karaoke tracks with no soul. Maybe future work feels tighter and more unified, but this just felt bland, even with a good voice.

No. 159 I enjoyed this a lot more than I was anticipating and it's purely because the vocals were so good.

329/1001. 5 stars for the exotica vibes -3 starts for the country vibes.

All of the stars are earned from the exeptional singing. Sadly the 50's country formula gets tiring after a while and I really wish that this would have been original tracks from an obviously talented vocalist.

Chill country album with amazing vocal talent. Best track was Busy Being Blue.

Such a lovely, smooth, powerful voice, one of the most talented singers I’ve ever heard. These songs are that much better because k.d. is singing them. 3 stars for the album, the 4th is for the singer.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was anticipating and it's purely because the vocals were so good.

Not for me but Western Stars is a good song

whos this little lesbian sandy cheeks would love her busy being blue is SO good

B-T.FL.

Oh god, a second one in a week?! Really didn’t like the first album of theirs on here. Felt very cheesy, poor crooner, boomer music so this might be a quick listen :-/ Just not sure I’ll ever gel with this. Feels too cheesy and polished and a bit contrived. Just not for me, unfortunately, but can see why it’s popular for a certain crowd

I never quite felt the appeal of k d. Can she sing? Absolutely. But she Sings. It’s great but not for me.

KD had one shot in the singing locker and she fired it on this album of covers and her next album of originals Absolute Torch and Twang. Both records are fabulous and some of my all time favourite music. Once you've heard those two records you've heard KD, pretty much. This is a gem, beautifully produced by Owen Bradley, giving KD that direct link to Patsy Cline. The song selection is perfect, starting with Chris Isaacs sublime Western Stars, through to Black Coffee. The arrangements are exactly right and KD is nicely restrained by Owen; she also gets it exactly right. A stunning timeless piece of Nashville.

I worked at Scratches Records in Newtown in the early 90s. We had a significant lesbian clientele, and we sold boxes of this album. Literal boxes. It was a big seller for us. But this wasn't really my bag at the time. I was young and male and into rock and I didn't like country, so I didn't really pay this much heed. I haven't listened to Shadowland in over thirty years. During that, I have chilled out somewhat and developed an affinity for torch songs and some understanding of country music. So it's interesting to see how I find this record now. And holy fuck, what have I been sleeping on? This is amazing! A perfectly constructed throwback to Patsy Cline (thank you Owen Bradley) in production, song choice and performance. And what a voice! I am overwhelmed with how beautiful this record is! That moment in Western Stars at about 1:30 where her voice blends into the lap steel, and you can't separate them, oh my god! Rummaging around in the backwaters of my record collection, it turns out I own a copy of this record. Well, that is living on the turntable for the foreseeable future. Five stars, no notes. (Tangential gripe -- why didn't Dimery include a Patsy Cline record on his list? I guess she didn't really do "albums" as this list defines them, but that seems like a significant oversight.)

I didn't know much about k.d. lang and was not expecting this sound! I really enjoyed it. :)

Usually don't like this type of music, very reminiscent of old 50s 60s stuff with the vocals but I really like her voice here. Instrumentation is somewhat interesting.

Boring lesbian country

Thought it was going to be another 80s rock album from a fuckboy but it was one of the best country albums I have ever heard in my entire life kd lang you are the GOAT.

Let's put the lesbian part aside and just talk about the music. Opening up, I thought she was just doing genderbent cowboy country. I was ready to just pass on all of it. Then she started doing Patsy Cline styled country, which was good, and then the title track was beautiful. After that. I could forgive this entire album. It's classic country that's uniquely k.d. lang. Let's let her have this moment to shine, folks. She's an amazing vocalist, and she performs country beautifully. My rating: 4/5.

Not really a fan of country music but the vocals were really great!

Shadowland? More like shadowbland

I was even more bored listening to this than she sounded singing it.

Nah

Meat does suck, but KD isn’t much better.

Interesting, some really cool standouts, and a lot of tracks that feel twin peaks esque, and then some filler country. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: I’m down to my last cigarette

Not really my bag, it had some nice bits but generally a bit boring for me. Not a tremendous amount to right home about. Feels like it would benefit from another lsiten, but i'm not drawn to to it enough

This ladies voice and range is incredible. I liked this country album more than her pop one which one all the awards

county is shite but this is ok 2/5

I remember my mum used to listen to this album, so some of the songs were familiar but long forgotten. I actually really enjoyed this one.

Ok

This was so boring. Nice voice but nothing else stands out

Killer voice, and I have some time for country, but this record drags a bit. 6/10

Liked: (Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor, Black Coffee, Busy Being Blue Added: (Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor, Black Coffee

Didn’t think I would like this that much, but it was super well done!

kinda sounds like a very unchristmasy christmas album

I’ve got a soft spot for sad cowgirl music

It's cabaret-style country and it's alright. It's not my thing but it's not bad for what it is.

I'm torn with k.d. lang. She has such a magnificent voice, but sometimes I just don't appreciate the music. Apparently, today I was in the right mood for this smooth and sultry album.

this is ok - the music/songs run together but her vocals are incredible.

I'm not a country by any means but the more ethereal and dreamlike songs here are really good. The more straightforward country songs not so much. Low 4.

The start of the 90s country sound but a little too much twang for me

It's pretty good. I liked the country pop style of music, and the singing is great. The songs aren't super original, but I'll give it a 4.

Quite likeable, in an easy listening kind of way.

I did not realize k.d. lang was a country singer. Then I realized I was thinking of KT Tunstall

Interesting combination of country and soft rock...feels wholesome like they would play it in Toy Story

Shadowland is not a polished record, and that's the point. The slides and twang aren't decorative. This isn't a record that uses country signifiers as seasoning. It's built around that sound, and it will put off listeners who came to country music through stadium tours and Spotify editorial playlists. It sounds like it means it. k.d. lang's voice is lovely, and she has this rare ability to sit inside a note without oversinging it, which is exactly what Nashville pop-country can't resist doing. Everything in modern country has to be a moment, a run, a swell. lang makes space feel intentional. Restraint is part of the performance. The other thing worth noting is that she treats these songs as compositions worth serving rather than vehicles for personality. Popular country is almost always first-person autobiographical branding. lang disappears into the material. At a moment when country was becoming increasingly about the performer's image, she was doing the opposite, getting smaller so the song could get bigger. It's not a perfect record. But it's the real thing, and that's rare in modern country music.

Endearing 80s country from the shadows.

Good, very soothing vocal. Lesbians help lesbians✌️

What an instrument she has. Incredible control, tone, and soulfulness. The music is kinda corny classic country but it turns out I mind that a lot less than modern country which just sounds like bad pop music with a fake ass southern drawl. Nothing groundbreaking for the genre but her voice makes it worth the listen.

I’m not a country fan, so the music on this album was not to my liking. However, Lang’s voice is fantastic—her precise control of her voice stands far above the music. For that alone, this album deserves a 3.

3 stars