Reviews (page 5 of 7)
This album was pleasant, if not the most interesting to me. Kind of a mix of jazz and country with a general easy-listening feel. It was a bit cheesy-sounding at times, and the songs themselves were a little bit boring to me. However she undoubtedly has a great voice, and that made the otherwise slow album worthwhile. Favourite: Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
Country, pop. Ni fu ni fa.
Way too country and sad
Þetta er fínt country, vel pródúcerað og erfitt að tímasetja. Fínt, en ég þarf þetta ekki aftur.
Nice voice
pretty
An interesting, genuine country album that dips its toes into a bevy of genres alongside. Lang’s voice carries through whatever arrangement she’s working with, and while I wish the production felt a bit smaller and less blown-out/grandiose I did enjoy this one a good bit.
I have a memory of k.d lang from when I was a kid and she first became popular. For some reason that memory did not include that fact that she's a country singer, and a crooner at that. So I was pleasantly surprised. The album is decent overall, and again, that lap steel guitar always gets me.
Even though their (lang uses both her and their pronouns) style is usually not one I'm drawn to, I've enjoyed quite a few of k.d. lang's songs over the years because k.d. is so incredibly talented. It was nice to listen to this album all the way through as I don't believe I'd ever done that before. Once again, even though the styles and genres are not my usual listening fare, k.d. lang's vocal prowess draws me and captivates me. Just incredible.
Country, pop. Ni fu ni fa.
Country, pop. Bonita voz.
The first two and last three songs on this album are just country crap that I can't enjoy. The middle seven songs however at least don't turn me off immediately. She does have a great voice and I sometimes find myself getting into those middle tracks. I quite enjoyed the variety in the decent songs. Black Coffee and Shadowland are suitable for a smoky basement club, though I admittedly can't picture k.d. in the requisite scarlet dress crooning at the front of the stage. Sugar Moon belongs on a Hawaiian beach, and Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes seems like it is played by a mariachi band. The backing band is very solid, not a lot of standout performances but just steady and solid throughout. The slide guitar is the one that stays with me, providing a sound that is irritating on the country tracks but quite nice on the other tracks, even if it does attempt to drag the genre back towards country. You can create an EP from this album that is fantastic.
This was alright. Yet another country album.
I was a pretty surprised fan. I didn't really know anything about her except for the radio stuff which honestly wasn't the best. I like this album. I will research her further.
3/5 This was old, Texan man, slide guitar music. I was really confused by this album. I didn't have any faults in the execution of the music, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I will relisten to it because I want to hear the lyrics again and see if anything sparks more interest.
I think this may be better than I'm rating it so it needs a revisit but now isn't the time. Initial thoughts: very country and 50's(?) sounding.
Reminded me of the last album this site gave me, but better in a lot of ways. Has a 50s sound to her voice, or at least some of the production. Pretty cool, even though it's not my thing.
Ok but nothing special
3.6 - An exceptional voice reminiscent of Roy Orbison with a classic country sound that's produced to perfection. She didn't write these songs and some are standards ("Black Coffee") while others feel derivative of the American songbook. Nevertheless, a nice listen. Standouts: "Western Stars" (by Chris Isaak), "Lock, Stock and Teardrops."
Decent country ballads
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: yeah it was lovely, absolute clarity and such seduction in the vocals! Favourite song: Track 9 - Tears Don’t Care Who Cries Them
To think where k.d. lang got to from this debut is pretty incredible. Not sure how I feel about cover songs but if the purpose was to showcase her voice then that worked. Fave track has long been a favourite of mine from other artists: Black Coffee
Kinda slow, but decent I guess.
Not for me
Einerseits wieder seeeehr altfattrisch, andererseits scho auch nett / cool Würds aba net öfter hören glabi
Slow and nice. Good recording with a good length not really my sort of music so hard to rate. Sounds older than its actual age. No real standout tracks for me almost lobby music.
It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s not country. There might be one or two standards, but no. I don’t know how the album as a whole could be considered country… I mean, slow guitars do not equal country. Still, it’s fine. I guess that’s my problem: this is a perfectly fine album that many people have heard, and many others haven’t, but how did it end up on this list? It seems like every major publication gave it a solid B (or 4/5 stars), and that’s what it seems like. It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m just confused.
Just love her voice and style.
Honestly not bad for the genre, it was rather pleasant all along, but it's just not for me.
Her voice is 4 stars but this album’s not her best work.
Country. Pop. Un poco aburrido.
Doftar mycket av Patsy Cline. Kanske ville kd visa att även kanadicker kan sin country? Hur som helst en prestation att lyckas med det här-88. Tyvärr inte helt såld på alla låtar.
Strikingly different to Ingenue and her later work, but still a really good record
This has the flavor of original country music -- not heavily orchestrated, clear messages, etc. She ruffled a few feathers but the music holds up well
Never heard of this artist before, but seeing the genre of music, I was expecting to completely hate this album. But I was actually pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to listen to and enjoy. Sure there were some corny sounding country twangs here and there but the majority of the music and her voice were nice to hear.
Love KD. Not my favorite of her albums, but a solid 3
I do love the women of country! Not the most exciting but her voice/look are incredible
Her talent shines brighter when she does jazzier songs than the honky tonk country that had been dead for decades at that point. It was entertaining and I’ll listen to some of the songs again, but there was not much original here. This seemed like and album for the sake of making an album. Easy listening, but that’s all. 3/5
Je vais vous expliquer en quoi ce projet a été le théâtre d'un véritable désastre. En voyant la pochette de cet album apparaître sur ma page d'accueil, j'étais persuadé que la personne qui nous montrait fièrement sa tête n'était autre qu'un homme. C'est pour cette raison que je décidai d'organiser une session d'écoute avec tous mes amis masculinistes. Je précise que je n'ai personnellement rien contre les femmes, mais ce groupe d'amis est très réticent à leur égard et ont une opinion très tranchée sur celles-ci. « Bon allez, on lance l'album du mec là, j'ai trop hâte » lance mon ami José. Petite alerte sur le morceau d'introduction : c'est une femme qui prend la parole. « Pourquoi c'est une gonzesse qui chante ? » lança alors le gros Marcel. « Ça doit être la première partie, t'en fais pas » tentai-je de le rassurer tandis que les autres convives semblaient très agacés par la situation. Vint ensuite la deuxième chanson, accompagnée du même problème. « Mais encore cette grognasse ?? » s'impatienta José le poilu, à raison. « Il doit y avoir un problème, normalement c'est bien un homme qui doit chanter, il n'y a qu'à voir la pochette et ces cheveux courts » répondis-je sous la pression. Les morceaux suivants ne montrèrent aucun signe du tant attendu mec pour lequel nous étions tous réunis. Très énervés, mes amis partirent sans se retourner et ne m'adressèrent plus jamais la parole.
Je ne ferai plus aucun review tant que cette série fantastique ne sera pas stoppée, 17 albums sans 4/5, et je suis sûr que Robert n'a pas fini de nous décevoir !
I like this well enough, but I prefer ‘Ingenue ’. She has a great voice, but this just sounds like middle of the road country to me. Nothing special.
De eerste noten doen me aan Hawaii denken. De zang onthult echter de zware Western sound. Doet me denken aan die goedkope vrijmarkten in de jaren '80, waar dit soort muziek door lokale bands gespeeld werd. Prima muziek voor op de achtergrond. ***
this was.. perfectly fine and pleasant. nothing really stood out to me, and i dont think i’ll revisit it, but the vocals were good and the instrumentation was fine.
3.5/5. Shoutout Edmonton!
K.D. Lang has a cool crooning voice, but this album was dated back when it was released and it still is.
That was more fun than I thought it'd be. Simple, enjoyable country. Holy hell k.d. has pipes.
That's one good-sounding sad cowboy.
Not really my thing, but it was ok
Pleasant to listen to.
сначала удивилась что кантри, но да, местами кантри) мало что запомнила
I put it on in the background while doing work. A few minutes later, I noticed Black Coffee was playing (in a good way). Then, to my surprise, the music stopped. Apparently I'd reached the last song. So I restarted from the top, surely intending to listen this time, and the same thing happened! Three more times I repeated this strange sequence of events. Then I came here to write a review. Hard to know what to make of this. At the least, it's so utterly inoffensive that apparently I can listen to it all day without getting bored. The times when I gave it my attention were quite pleasant; her voice is great. But it also wasn't really able to hold my attention even when I was intending to sit and listen for a little, so I can't in good conscience give it 5 stars. Torn between 3 and 4 stars. I think I'm going with 3 but this is going to shift my rating scale going forward, because if this is a 3 then Nico's Chelsea Girl needs to be downgraded 3 -> 2 at least.
The old western vibe was cool, but this wasn’t really my jam.
4/12, 33%
Country's not my thing. But this has some good tracks. Favourite (waltz me) once again...
Rooten and tooten
It takes a bit to get into it, but I do appreciate the flip on its head approach to her crooning voice. It reminds me of this amalgamation of influences with Elvis, maybe Hank Williams
k.d. lang is one of those artists I've always thought had something special going on but I never dug into her catalog apart from knowing some of the big hits (and she and Tony Bennett were the choice for Marianne and my wedding song). So this entry makes me want to go and buy the book this whole endeavor is based on. Why this album? I don't know much about her catalog, but I know this is not her best album. It's fine, it's like a glimpse into what she'd later blossom into as an artist, but this is pretty raw, not terribly well produced, and sounds more akin to a well-crafted demo than a shining example of an artist at her creative apex. So why this album? It's a 3 in my book, and just barely.
Love kd lang and her voice. Listened to Shadowland and then played Constant Craving right after. Such a better sound and overall quality. Shadowland is kd lang doing Patsy Cline. Ingénue is all kd lang as inspired by Patsy.
Heard of her, but never listened to her music. I was pleasantly surprised. Thought she had a great voice and the music seemed to flow from country to 50-60's r&b, soul type sound. When I saw the album, I was like oh no, but I enjoyed. Favorites Sugarland, I wish I didn't love you so, Waltz me, years don't care.....heck I liked most of album. Loretta Lynn on last song pretty cool. Solid 3 for me
3 So it seems country music is going to appear on here so I might as well get used to it. Once I gave in an accepted it I really started to vibe with it. Reminded me of the music from Fallout: New Vegas. I think I like country ladies more than good ol boys, I’m more apt to listen to what they have to say. This album unlike the last few had really tight playing and production. The lyrics were better than Dwigt but nothing to write home about. Also some sneaky saxophoooooooooone. I dig it. Not bad, a little better than okay. Favorites: Western Stars, Sugar Moon, Black Coffee, Shadowland, I’m Down to My Last Cigarette
Well…I didn’t hate it? I can’t see myself listening to this again but I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed “I’m Down to my Last Cigarette.” Also, hard to deny how nice her voice is. She reminds of Jewel, but more country. Nice to see more Canadian talent on here.
supongo que es algo innovador para una mujer, curiosamente el sonido va bien con su voz, nada fuera de este mundo pero tampoco nada mal, buena música para tener de fondo
This is good, but it’s really just that. It feels soulful, but not deeply unique. I’m not sure I can describe where it’s lacking, only that it is.
Spongebob title card music. I like it.
It's not for me, but I certainly didn't hate it thanks to its wit and low key sadness, which made me happy.
Melódica sin mas
This is an album of what I can only imagine are country music standards, or the equivalent. It's an easy listen, and has a nice country twang to it. It isn't particularly outstanding, nor is it terrible. It's just average, and that's okay!
3.25
This album is ok as far as country goes. It sounded like she just about couldn't reach some of the tones.
Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought k.d.lang was a soundcloud rapper.
Great album but not my jam
Segon disc de la primera etapa de k.d.lang, més centrada en el country. Un country molt influenciat pel pop, però també pel r&b, tocs de jazz i, per sobre tot plegat, la seva veu tan característica. Sent un disc predominantment country, ja deixa entreveure la personalitat càustica de la protagonista, que sobresurtiria en futures obres
Some good jams in here, but a largely forgettable pop sound overall.
Surprised by this- only country record I’ve actually liked. Each song leaves me interested in where the sound is going next.
I forgot how nice her voice was, great midrange.
Typisch country album. Mooi gezongen, hier en daar een tof nummer
Better than I had anticipated. A beautiful voice
Was ok
Great voice, just not really my thing
I really thought kd lang referred to an old school rapper and not a white country lady pretty chill though
Aika perus kantri-honky-tonkyltä kuulosti, ei mitään sen kummempaa. Ei oikein ollut sellaisia suuria hittibiisejä, jotka olisivat jääneet päähän soimaan. Hajuton ja mauton perus kolme miinus.
Mind blowingly beautiful voice let down by the incessant tacky love songs and faux noir laid out on a piano sultry sax numbers. Got super confusing jumping between full on noir piano, to honky tonk country then back again. ( I was trying to be funny saying honky tonk without realising that there's a whole closing track called Honky Tonk Medley. Good lord 🤦🤦🤦🤦. Sorry KD, I do not in fact love that two fiddle sound. The banjo can get fucked too.
This is solid, classic country music. It's not really my cup of tea, but k.d. has a great voice, it's well-suited to the genre, she's believable. I really liked "My Last Cigarette" - if that's not a near-perfect country-western song, I don't know what it. On the whole, I'd put it up there with Patsy Cline, George Jones, etc - well executed, but nothing really mind-blowing.
Starts pretty well, but then I got bored of it.
It was fine. Country isn't my style but this wasn't off putting, it was whelming. I liked the bluesier parts best. Favourite Track: Busy Being Blue
I really only knew her version of Hallelujah, which is beautiful but had never listened to anything else by her. She does have a great voice. This album was a tad too country for me personally. Didn't dislike it, am pretty neutral to it. Wouldn't ask to change the station if it was on in the car. Favourite song: Sugar moon, black coffee
Powerful vocals, but I am generally bored by the song arrangements. Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes and Black Coffee are best. I don't think any are making it into rotation for me.
Belle voix, belle musique et bien realise. Pour une premier album c’est tres bon et ca s’ecoute bine. 3.75
Somehow, I’ve managed to go all these years without ever listening to K.D. Lang. That’s unfortunate because this is was a pleasant listen. Lang’s vocal style is smooth as silk, languid and dreamy and quite engaging. It’s hard not to like her. Lang's style is very evocative of Patsy Cline, especially when she hits that little yodel. She really channels Patsy in “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So.” Musically the album definitely has a retro vibe, like honky tonk music of the early 60s, with a torchy undertone. Really lovely. Fave Songs: Western Stars, I Wish I Didn’t Love You So, Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes, I’m Down to My Last Cigarette
This feels like Country being country. 2.5, but will bump because 'Busy Being Blue' has a 'Shine on you crazy Diamond' feeling going on and I dig it
A little too much western vibes. Fine but would rush to put on again.
Country isn’t a genre I would seek out but I enjoyed listening to this 3*
Decent, kind of boring. For the most part this feels like it could be a Hank Williams Sr cover album. Black Coffee is amazing.
5/10. Pretty decent, but a little boring. Might have been more enjoyable if I paid more attention, or it might have just dragged on longer.
Just boring country. Her voice is decent though. 5/10
Too folk-ish to my taste, so no deep comments today :)
Smooth and easy listening.
Surprisingly pleasant.
Listening again
Not my cup of tea
Debut Album. Reminded me of Patsy Cline. Great Voice. Slow country.
very fun very groovy
Decent listen, a throwback album to country/western music that I generally like. k.d. has a great voice, and it's nice for easing into the morning. I'm not entirely sure why it's on this list, though. It's a great showcase for her talents, but it doesn't seem particularly ground-breaking, and I'd go to other artists (e.g., Patsy Cline) for better seminal work in the genre.
Relajante
R
Great voice- pipes of an old handsaw. Struggled to actually find the album online to listen to properly, though.
Interesting mix of country and rock elements, easy listening
Great vocal performance. The album dives into elements of country and contemporary jazz, but never seems to deliver something unique and original in and of itself. Great album for delivering Lang’s voice to the world, but not an album deserving of this list considering the many jazz and country works that precede it.
+1 for Alberta
Music was enjoyable. K.D. Lang has a nice smooth voice, and I'd listen to her again. Not really my style, but was nice background music.
I like this better than Ingenue, but still not the biggest fan of the schmaltzy, lounge singer feel. No doubt she has a great voice. 3 stars.
Not at all what I expected. I don't really know how to weigh the good and bad of a slowjam honky tonk album, but here we are.
sorta reminded me of norah jones with the piano and some vocals. damm k.d you can sing. I like how it barely sounds like country. swoonyy. 3.5
It has its qualities, but I didn't like the country themes. I may try other album. 7
Liked this more than I thought I would. Would listen to again.
Nice easy listening country
Voice is beautiful. First half of the album was way better than the second.
Not really a traditional country album but not bad. She has a good voice and the album is decent.
gillade hennes röst va. men i övrigt rätt tradig musik
What happened to her?
Relaxing!
beautiful voice and easy listen but not my vibe
Ah jo...
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is not most listen before you die. 2 stars
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
Sleep country with some highlights, particularly the opening Chris Isaak cover.
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.
Country..
i got bored
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.
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.
Her voice is beautiful but I just won’t ever listen to this again.
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.
Too country for me
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.
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.
OK.
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.
329/1001. 5 stars for the exotica vibes -3 starts for the country vibes.
Not for me but Western Stars is a good song
Shadowland? More like shadowbland
Meat does suck, but KD isn’t much better.
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
county is shite but this is ok 2/5
This was so boring. Nice voice but nothing else stands out
this is ok - the music/songs run together but her vocals are incredible.
Why should I listen to this album? It’s not very interesting or original.
I love her song Constant Craving and her album Ingenue. But sadly, this record feels completely forgettable to me.
There is such a thing as too much slide guitar
Eh. Not my cup of tea.
What a complete mess of an album. She can certainly sing. And it is beautifully engineered; especially for 1988. But it plays like a demo tape from someone who enjoys singing in wine bars on weekends. The best moments come when she shamelessly apes Patsy Cline records. But K.D.'s songwriting doesn't hold a candle to the Nashville pros; and Patsy's recordings are so superior in every way that it's hard to understand why anyone would listen through this mess to get to two or three decent imitations. (580 albums in and I haven't seen one by the legend; typical of this list that features mediocre imitators over brilliant artists.) The real tragedy, however, comes in the fact that she can't pick a lane. It veers from embarrassingly sterile "Honky-Tonk," to imitation Patsy Cline, to Cabaret, to Lawrence Welk style 1950s pop. It would be one thing if she had a musical sensibility and combined these influences into something interesting and unique. But it seems that she doesn't.
kd lang is a country singer? Who knew. Good, but got too loungy.
está duro, pues no se si es una vieja pero duro la verdad está bueno pero full no mi estilo, ya al final como que me cansa bastante pero igual está ahí bacanito
This has the 5th best cover of Black Coffee on it and not much else that interesting
Good vibrato but maybe not for me
This is exactly the kind of music that made he hesitate for so long before going with my friends to queer line dancing. Love the gay vibes, don’t love the country music.
I like k.d. voice but didn't like the county songs at all. I did like the end of the recording which were more blues oriented. k.d. later album is much better but this one really wasn't worthy to be on this list.
564/1001 😴😴🌑🌑🌑
NK
Good voice overall, but music’s not for me. Leave the honky tonk tracks to Johnny Cash
Okay a bit torn, i do like the genre/style and i love me some country slide...but still feels a bit one note and boring? They are all covers, right?
Kd Lang has always been on the periphery of my awareness, though I'm familiar with "Constant Craving" which was everywhere for a while. That song, I think, is more suited to her voice. She sounds ageless, like the ghost that haunts my attic. Why is the ghost that haunts my attic having a hoedown?
k.d. lang has an undeniably sweet yet strong voice, and listening to it can be quite soothing. I just struggled a fair bit to get through what felt like a very karaoke album.
Kanskje den kjedeligste plata så langt.
En ok produsert plate med dørgende kjedelige sanger. Minus for steel guitar.
Hun er kjempeflink å synge. Hvorfor skal hun lage et coveralbum med country?
Skjønner ikke hvorfor denne plata er på lista. Dønn ordinær musikk, på grensen til pastisj. Koselig, men helt pregløst.
It's a fine listen, just slightly forgettable.
Really struggled to get into this one
Favorite Song: Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
I do like elements of the production, and I enjoyed the blends of Jazz amongst the Country, although maybe thats just the sax. At other times, the sound is sparsely populated and reminds me of hotel lobby music. Did not like the vocal performance which I found bland and (yodel-like?!) at times although pleasing on tracks like Shadowland. The album was generally rather boring and sleepy, I am grateful it was only 35 minutes.
Not for me, was ok but just meh
Aika shaibaa ja mitäänsanomatonta. Taustalla menis varmaan jossain isossa kokoontumisessa. 1,5/5.
It's nothing special, but the biggest problem is that this is the second mediocre album from this artist.
Her debut album. Country. Lovely vocals. Overall though an album of dour Country cover songs is an album of dour Country cover songs.
Far from music I actually like, it somehow still has a vibe. Her voice is amazing enough I think she can just do whatever she wants and I'll pay attention to it. Nevertheless, half an hour of old country covers just doesn't seem like it's worthy of the list, and I am again very confused about the reason this album was picked over so many better, more impactful ones.
I am ashamed to admit that despite knowing the artist's name for decades, I did not know she was primarily a country artist, and had not heard any of her music. She has a great voice, and I liked one or two of the more bluesy songs, but the album didn't appeal to my music tastes.
Great voice but the country-club jazz fusion doesn’t hit for me. Sounds like an act id see on a stage in Nashville while people try to make it
Her voice is undeniably beautiful, but sitting through this album is exhausting. It leans heavily into a honky-tonk country sound that just feels overbearing after a while. It’s polished and well performed, and I can appreciate the talent, but the overall experience is more draining than engaging, and not something I’d want to revisit.
She has a beautiful voice, but this is just not my kind of music.
2.5
2/5 Bem produzido, e a cantora tem uma voz bonita e potente. Porém os arranjos são simples e não entregam muito mais que um country americano ordinário.
Lesbian country, not bad.
Listened to some of it. Not my style.
Country er ikke helt min genre, men på den her måde går det lige. Nogengange lød det sådan lid disney-pixar agtigt, det var cute. Ville give det 2.5
got through about half of this. some tracks weren’t as bad as others
Not at all what I was expecting from the “Constant Craving” singer. Way too twangy for my taste but I can somewhat appreciate it for being good at what it is. (2)
yeehaw but make it lesbian (and kinda dull)
Dreary alt country 😴 I have yet to see a good artist that doesn't capitalize their name.
This wasn't bad it just really isn't my style
I'm sorry k.d. lang - your earlier work does not hit as well as your later work.
Shadowland sounds like background music for the lamest saloon on the strip. It still adds an atmosphere, but it doesn’t compare to the best of the best. The album does have a dimness to it, yet it is oddly reminiscent of Christmas music. This albums worst offense is how utterly basic and forgettable it is.
Someone who I was very aware of in the 90s but somehow I’m not sure I’d ever heard a KD Lang song until now. I’m not sure what I expected but I don’t think country lounge singer was it (she kind of looks and sounds like a lesbian Chris Isaak). Musically a little boring but lyrically pretty good and I like her voice. 2.7
2.0 I never really listened to k.d., although I would have assumed she was a staple on the CKUA growing up. Did not enjoy this very much at all, thought I would have. Nice voice but for me it just seemed like she droned on and on and I found myself skipping through the majority of it.
Beautiful voice. The album mixes really classic country sounds with 50s vocal stylings as well. Nicely produced and nicely sounding, I'm just not sure how this would be influential when it came out about 20 years late for it's sound. Certainly not a painful listen, despite a good portion of these songs being sad.
She has a great voice, but the music bores me and it’s way too honky tonky
Sounds good if you like the genre, it isn't really for me though
I do not enjoy country
The first few albums on this I really enjoyed but it’s a bit dry after that. 80s produced covers of country songs won’t rate high for me, but her voice is very good. It kinda sounds like the music that plays in a film when the protagonist finally loses their mind and is merrily walking around in a lobotomised state.
Just a bit of a snoozefest unfortunately.
I made it about half way. I really hate country music. ^^;
I initially liked this better than I thought I would. Her voice is soothing and not as jarring as I found her hit Constant Craving. I hate that song soooo much. But as I listened further to the album, her voice lacked oomph and passion, and although pitch perfect, just doesn't do it for me. Anyway, my favourite track on this album is probably the 1950s wistful cowboy song vibe one- the opening track. Not so keen on the honky tonky tracks where the steel guitar features highly, and not the bluesy or saxy jazz ones either. Perhaps it is all too polished and clean for me. I'm now feeling very nitpicky... not sure if I would seek it out again for another listen...I just wanted it to end...
Didn't really grab me and I bailed before the end.
Not bad
мне было это тяжело слушать
She has a phenomenal voice, just felt the album was just ok, nothing stood out too much
Too honky tonk for my taste
I don't feel particularly fond of country, so when a song/album doesn't do anything except just bein' country, it's not for me. Sometimes it sounded Christmassy to me? (I Wish I Didn't Love You So), but I also don't harbor any special feelings for Christmas music so that didn't help this album's case either.
Slow and repetitive. Lang is fine as a singer and the music is played well, but this is a bore.
She has a great voice but this might be one of the most boring albums on the list. I completely forgot I was listening to it at one point.
Lovely voice, but not my kind of jam. Couldn't really listen to much without getting agitated.
Lovely compositions but a tribute to a style of music I don't have much interest in. A little too sleepy and creating a loving tribute with no twists doesn't have the same magic as the original artists of the genre.
Passable. Don’t know why it’s on the list. 2.5/5
SpongeBob
"I guess it’s kind of like seeing your sibling have cancer. In a way, it’s devastating. But in a way, there’s a means to an end. I think to have the cancer come so clearly and so aggressively to the forefront, one can only hope it means you can find the systemic issues and eradicate them." k.d. lang, 2018. Not really my thing musically and turns out the systematic issues were even greater than we realised too.
I always hated country, you think this will change my mind? 2/5
fun but also aching but also not my cup of tea but also not completely discarding it
A very sleepy plodding along album. There are no stand outs here, nor is anything particularly offensive. It's very tedious.
She was on the cover of the first issue of Entertainment Weekly in 1990, my fave magazine of the pre (and post for awhile) internet era. I still have it, plus the first issue of People with Mia Farrow from 1974. This album is just ok. Too twangy for me.
Unbearable country. No Constant Craving.
< the Beatles I like some k.d. lang but... Not this
Странным образом, я заценил этот альбом в большей мере во время прослушивания, чем ее главный Ingenue, но на повторном проскроливании совершенно не понимаю, с чего вдруг. Лучшая песня - Black Coffee.
Sugar Moon has SpongeBob vibes. She has a good voice.
Ei tää kasarin country-pop oikein mua varten ole, vaikka ihan kiinnostava hahmo sinällään. 2/5
A very mellow country pop album, not really my style, and a lot of the songs were too slow, but I can appreciate the singer’s voice. Not bad but I don’t think I’ll revisit this one
Lang has a nice voice and this collection of Traditional Country music is better than the room temperature, watered-down, Adult Contemporary skim milk she usually produces. Hardly a must-listen, though.
She really has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, her singing style is the country version of Katie Melua and I can't stand it.
Nothing here caught my attention. It's fine.
Dreadful, to be honest with you. She has a good, strong voice, but it's pure showtune nonsense that really does feel about 40 years out of date. It's all very 'working in a diner in rural Virginia' to me - just vapid, show-y and blah.
This was the first album that was generated for me. Definitely not a fan of crooning corny country ballads, but her voice is undeniably incredible. I did like the occasional hints of blues, but on the whole this was a bit of a struggle for me to get through despite the whole thing only being 35min.
Reading about her on Wikipedia, k. d. lang doesn't seem the type of person to have produced an album of such basic country songs as this. I guess it just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover. Anyway, this is pretty dull fare, although I enjoyed Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes.
Beautiful voice but a too slow for my taste
Not for me.
This started pretty ok then quickly become forgettable and stale. Not for me. 2/5
country, 1988 -> 2
It wasn't necessarily bad but I didn't connect with it. There wasn't anything on this that I would save and come back to. 4/10
pre: country rock, lets see how this goes; also found out she is gay yay Western stars - cheesy and just not my thing 2/5 (least fav) Lock, Stock and Teardrops - still not a fan of the background music but i like the overall Sound a little better 2,3/5 Sugar Moon - okay i think this will all be very very country; kinda sweet though 3/5 I Wish I Didn't Love You So - like the Drama 2,7/5 Waltz Me … - expected a waltz and got a 4/4 beat; like the energy 2,5/5 Black Coffee - how does every song start with the same notes; chill 3,5/5 (fav) Shadowland - 3/5 Dont let the stars get in your eyes - changed it up a bit, but also the same 2,5/5 Tears dont care who cries them - dont like the Drama 2/5 Im down to my last cigarette - 2,3/5 Busy being blue - like the title 3/5 (2nd fav) Honky Tonk Angels Medley: In the Evening - harmonies are actually cool; "lock him up at home" period 2,5/5 (Coherence - it was all country 5/5) overall Impression - 2/5 -----> 2,4/5
Not my kinda thing.
Boring
Americans wouldn't know good music if it slapped them in the face.
not the kd I would reach for
Was not in the mood for this at all.
Remember Adult Contemporary?
Pretty good - oddly romantic country album. Not something I’d ever really go back too..
Meh.
On paper this project is a superb concept but the reality is that for every OK Computer or Dark Side Of The Moon you get served up 50 albums like this. Inoffensive but pure background music. There is a time and place for that I guess but it certainly isnt on a list of things I need to hear before I die
meh
I don’t like country, and the background string arrangements in this albums don’t help at all. It is still way to quiet and monotonous for me. This albums was inoffensive but still boring.
meh.
An okay album. I listened to it all the way through, probably for the first time. Has some nice songs on it, but it's not really something I'm going to come back to.
Sounds like music from a Tarantino movie.
Started out hopeful but it's just another boring country album.
Ooof what a drag. Not for me at all this one. Annoyingly shiny, over-written, over-produced pop country. The saving grace is I'd prefer this to most other pop country but that sir is a low bar. Bland and uninspiring, however Lang's voice is great I'll pay her her dues. Very meh
30 seconds in and checking how long it is on Wikipedia. 35 minutes; I can do this. It must nearly be over, right, but how is this still track 1? This would've been fine 30 years earlier, but just feels pointless in 1988.
I thought I liked KD Lang but this awful! Glad she got better with her later albums.
3 for the showtunes, 1 for the country bits, take the average
4/10
What an unremarkable album. Another one of those "why is this here?" moments. There was nothing special here. A 2.
Not for this guy, sorry.
I didn’t really expect a country album when I played this one. Nice voice and all but not really for me (like most country).
its alright
Talented but not for me
Look, it's fine. It's not my cup of tea. She's got a great voice. I just don't see myself ever returning to this. 3/10
Not for me.
Disco aburrido con una voz hermosa
Hermosa voz. Pero no entiendo la inclusión en la lista, la verdad. Puede ser que no me gusta el country, aunque tiene baladas que me gustaron harto (Black coffee), al final terminó siendo un cafecito desabrido como los discos de covers bossa nova que ponen en los hoteles.
Slow plain country makes me crazy.
1.5 stars This is not for me. I know it’s not objectively bad, but it’s objectively not for me. The singing is good, for the type of music it is. But I was bored the whole time.
Not much into the vibe but can appreciate.
Pleasantly surprised by this one in a way, since I'm not a big k.d. lang fan nor much one for Country in general. The cool, slow, stirring warble of the guitar is a bit of a one trick pony on the album that only just overstays its welcome. I dunno. I feel like this should(?) deserve better than a 2 but I can't do it. fav tracks: Busy Being Blue
Weird that apple calls this pop when it's clearly country. Meh, 2*
Well executed but not my style. I couldn’t get past the feeling she was imitating older genres instead of being herself or making something new. Very performative. Great voice and production, just not for me.
Sounded like some late 80s pop and country mixed with Elvis. Not my bag, but I tolerated the album. Somewhere around 2.5 stars and rounding down. Interesting to see that Chris Isaac wrote Western Stars.
Too country
ну, какие-то баллады, кому-то наверное важные
Classic 50's/60's Nashville with the k.d.lang take on an album of cover tunes. She has a good voice for the genre and I am sure this will evoke Opry memories from the era of Cline and Lee. Not really my thing but well made and sung.
Interesting blend of country and jazzy lounge music (?) I've never listened to k.d.'s music until this project. Not my favorite style & not something I would seek out, but I wouldn't skip a song if it were on a random playlist.
k.d. lang has an incredible voice, and I can hear what she and producer Owen Bradley are going for here, the point of difference they are angling for in the arrangements and style of what is essentially a country music record – it’s not unpleasant, but it just doesn’t quite land for me.
If you ever want to throw a rager of a party, whatever you do, don't invite k.d. lang. She'll put everyone to sleep. Look, this record is fine. It's completely and utterly suitable for what it is. And that's almost worse than it being just bad. It's not challenging, interesting, or groundbreaking in any way. It's a straight and narrow Country record that has virtually no soul. Lang is talented, and that's about the most I can say here.
The blandest album, for fans of “yeah I like music” you know the type
I have issues with people performing in a genre that definitely is influenced by location and living. I love CCR, but they're from CA not the bayou. kd Lang is not a Canadian cowboy. Decent voice though. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Great voice, but some of these songs were close to putting me to sleep.
Not for me.
When I saw k.d. lang's name appear this morning, I immediately cringed. Something about her mix of blues, pop, country and jazz has always rubbed me the wrong way over the years. I especially remember hating her performance of Hallelujah at the Vancouver Olympics. As a fellow Canadian, I know I should try to give her a break, but we just have better country stars. We have Shania Twain damnit. She's way better than Kraft Dinner Lang over here. This is all to say I went in with very low expectations. And i'm surprised to say... it was better than I was expecting? This album is at it's best when it goes full 50s kitschy Hawaiian Elvis country. Sugar Moon is the best example of this. I love the instrumental. It's just a fun song. I also quite like I Wish I Didn't Love You So. It's a good retro country ballad. Western Stars is also solid. I kind of wish I could hear Elvis sing all of these songs, he'd crush it... but k.d. does a solid job too. On the other side of the spectrum, this album really sucks when it goes in an ugly modern jazz/blues/lounge singer direction. She just can't pull this off. It's really cheesy. Black Coffee and Busy Being Blue are brutal. Tears Don't Care Who Cries Them is... well just read the title again and you'll understand why it sucks. So ya... this album was better than I thought it would be... but still not good. I kinda want to dig into the 50s/60s country that inspired the better tracks on this album. It's gotta be better than this 80s nostalgia version. So ya... it's a 2... but I was expecting a 1. So way to go K.D.... you did it!
This is a pretty unique album (in kind of a weird way). Singer who I thought was male, playing old time country/Western/cabaret style songs in an album from 1988. Bizarre but I guess some credit for being the only one to do it? 4.25/10 (2.125/5)
bad
Folky/Country Music that would fit the feel of a Cracker Barrel. Not my speed but K.D does have a really good voice
2.42
Good voice, but beats me how would make the 1001 list.