Reviews (page 6 of 8)
terribly boring.
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.
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.
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.
This is basically classic honky tonk, but rebranded as a modern and elegant reimagining that you’d expect to hear in a late-night lounge or speakeasy. It was kind of cool at first, but it ran dry pretty quickly. By the end, I was honestly just begging for it to be over.
Not my style. I heard k.d. do a cover of Neil Young where the vocals are not affected and the Patsy Cline stuff is gone. Much more to my liking. Check out Hymns of the 49th Parallel.
I was not previously familiar with the music before listening, and I did not expect a country album. I can acknowledge that it was very good for what it is - her voice is good and the songs were fine, but this is not the sort of music I normally enjoy listening to, so I don't plan to listen again.
Country music is not for me.
The twang of the steel guitar.....
Inoffensive and very bland, for a 35 minute album it really feels like twice the length.
Bland Not my thing Dull Pointless
Hm. I really, really liked Ingénue! Like, I thought it fucking ruled, dude. I got it earlier and gave it a 5/5. I didn't like this one as much. It's a country record and I don't care for country. But I still really fuck with some k.d. lang apparently, that was kind of an unexpected discovery. So I'll check out her other records now that I've listened to the two on this list. she clearly has a lot of range. Shout out to melancholic lesbians.
I like the voice, but not the flow of the music, nor the sound (country twanging).
This is one of those - does this warrant being the 2nd album on the list artists. Is it bad? No. Am I the target lesbian for this? No, I’m not a woman. But I guess Canadian Crooning Country is a thing?
not really my favorite. i can hear these songs playing in a rundown bar in texas tho haha
This one got old quick. Albums with all covers don’t belong on this list. 2 stars because she does have a good voice.
Something about this album rubbed me the wrong way. I typically enjoy this type of music, and her voice was good, but I really did not enjoy this. Weird
Meh. Not a fan of this style of country
Too lame or not really my jam? Anyway nothing remarkable for me.
Well I got that wrong. I thought KD Lang was that Scottish bint. Obviously not. Now is it just me, or are about 30% of the albums on here either country or jazz? That said this was surprisingly palatable it was easy on the ears and her voice isn't unbearable. Doesn't mean I'd give it better than a 2.6, but it's got to be worth that. Almost a shame that I'll round it down to a 2, almost.
Let's play two truths and a lie. This album is: -Gay -Innovative -Boring
It was like okay , geezer looks like elvis . Not my like proper cup of tea but can manage with it
Amazing vocalist. Great range, good power, really nice tone. I unfortunately find the style of music outside of my interests. My mom was a big fan of this style of country music, and a big fan of k.d. too, so I've listened to it a lot, and I can just never get into it.
Get me off this k.d. lang train please. You know what, there are some songs on here that aren't too bad. I didn't mind Waltz Me Once Again Around the Dance Floor. It was a fun foot tapper. Not to mention, I can't ignore her voice being incredible and powerful. But seriously, please no more k.d. lang.
2.2 3x short and sweet just not my thing
- bei mir ist praktisch nichts von dem Album hängen geblieben, weder negativ, noch positiv - immerhin war es entspannt 1-2/5
A couple good songs. Dont know why they put two of the worst songs as the first two tracks. The production is so thin, but at least we get some pedal steel guitar.
Ouch... 2 matige country albums achter elkaar? Het zit even niet mee zeg! Deze is wel iets beter dan Merle, maar echt maar een kleeeeein beetje. Beiden zijn ontzettend saai en zo te vergeten. Moet zeggen; k.d. lang heeft een fantastische stem, maar het is verder zo saai en nietszeggend dat ik toch echt niet boven de 2 sterren uit kan komen. Het is een album vol ontzettend trage ballads die allemaal vrij veel op elkaar lijken. Zien dat dit maar 35 minuten duurde was dan ook een ontzettend grote verassing. Voor mijn gevoel heb ik een ruim uur zitten luisteren hiernaar. Het later werk is veel meer jazzy, dat pakt me ook een stuk meer! Er staat een prachtige solo op Busy Being Blue wat echt mn aandacht er weer bij pakt. Lukt het KD om dan toch op de valreep een 3e ster erbij te pakken? Het antwoord is nee, maar wel net niet! FAVO: Don't let the stars get in your eyes, Busy Being Blue
Not sure why this album makes me think of Sophie B. Hawkins. Maybe because they shared the cover of an issue of Interview magazine ...? This isn't quite as terrible as I though it would be, but it does sound kind of like an act you'd find at a fancy talent show aboard a cruise ship.
It turns out that k.d. Lang doing country-western covers is even more boring than her original work that followed this dull debut.
Great vocalist. Not my jam.
Once again. Her voice is great. Don’t at all like these songs though.
Patsy Cline and Roy Orbison walk into a bar, hit it off, and made a K.D. Lang. Lots of talent, but ol timey country styles just aren't for me. Props for moving the bar on several social fronts and repping Canada in a time where, in my perception, there wasn't a whole lot of recognition for Canuck music.
nah, not for me
I'm really sorry Miss Lang I thought you were a man until I heard your voice and you have a beautiful voice but just not my kind of music.
Inofensivo. Essa moça tem uma linda voz, não da pra negar, mas fora isso, esse disco não me fez sentir absolutamente nada. Ranking de 1 estrela eu reservo pra albuns que ativamente me ofenderam ou me frustraram, então vou deixar 2 pra esse aqui. Gostosinho até, foi bom de ouvir, mas não me fez sentir absolutamente nada. Entrou por um ouvido e saiu pelo outro. 2/5
Canadian nostalgia for the 50s. She has a great voice but tries too hard to sound like Elvis.
doet me niks...
The album cover had me thinking this was another Ute Lemper-like album, but it turned out to be country!? Weird. part from K.D. Lang's great voice, there is not worth salvaging from this album. Basically didn't find any song that I liked particularly much, and it all felt very forgettable.
The first KD Lang album I got (Ingenue) was a pleasant surprise, a strong 3 with some nice variety, so I was curious to listen to this...but...meh. The song choices aren't great - the country stylings are quite dull, and even a gorgeous song like Black Coffee is somewhat ruined by 80s synth sounds. The Honky Tonk medley is awful. Sometimes the power and unique qualities of her voice shine through, but a lot of it is smothered in WAY too much reverb, and it's just not a pleasant listen. Saved by 'Busy Being Blue', which is gorgeous, and the only reason this isnt a 1, but otherwise really not much to recommend. Again, I'm left wondering why this 50s pastiche is here instead of some of the actual 50s music being covered.
Eh…. Lovely voice. Boring material.
I Wish I Didn’t Love You So //
kd lang has incredible pipes and she puts them to a wide array of country & western and honky-tonk standards. it's not really my cup of tea, but it is impressive to hear how she bends her voice to suit each song.
Like many have said - beautiful voice shame about the music. 2/5 23/3/25
Her voice was just enough to push this to 2 stars, but only by a sliver.
I can see the value of modern country that isnt sung by old white men and i liked the slide guitar on this. But it passed me by without making any impression at all.
More like KD Range! What a spectrum of musical abilities. And a menagerie of sounds…
Capably executed songs by talented musos in a genre I can’t stand
Ehh, kind of boring. Liked some of the country stuff but overall 35 minutes felt too long which is not a great sign. High 2.
point6.
Pretty lounge music. It is amazing how much you can hear Brandi Carlile in her vocals. It is also just kind of creepy how female country singers from the 80s/90s pretty much only sing about being cheated on. I guess that has not changed a ton in the subsequent decades, but in recent times the vibe has turned from sorrow to retribution. In fact, the latter seems to have become our new national pastime. I liked sorrow better.
Ik dacht de hele tijd aan spongebob
I am not a fan of country. That being said the only song off this album is found semi enjoyable was There's Don't Care Who Cries Them which sound like it came off of a Linda Ronstadt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra album.
All covers and none as good as the originals.
Not my style at all. Not sure why this one is on the list. Seems unremarkable, even in its genre.
What a beautiful, soulful, melancholy country album who's singer has such a gorgeous voice. I'm not a huge fan of country and this held my attention so good job on that front :)
I appreciate some of Lang's music, she can certainly write and has a nice voice. However, "Western swing" music just isn't my thing and I found this a hard album to listen to.
She has a wonderful voice. I like the last 2 songs. Not my genre
There had to be country at some point, and for me it took until almost 400 albums in. Great voice, but I can't stand the music.
Not the worst thing in the world which is a win!
She has a good voice but not my kinda music. Liked one song which saved this from being a 1⭐️
Country warbling
Didn't really have any expectations for this. It's kind of a cross between country and holiday music. It's not bad by any means, but not for me.
2.1 First couple of songs I thought ok, I can withstand this. Nice voice, not my music, the slide guitar particularly grating but I can get through it. Half way in and I'm done. The singings got more grating, the slide guitar is beyond help, and I'm finding the rage boiling up inside. Not as bad as most country but not that much better.
I'll start directly with my grade for once: Musical competency: 5/5 (as for 99% of the records listed here) Production values : 1/1. Relatively timeless for a country album produced during the dreadful eighties. Vocal performance : 1/1. No one can deny the heartfelt vocal chops of k.d. lang. Personality: 0/1. It's a debut album exclusively made out of covers. Compositional work: 0/1 (or very close). It's a debut album exclusively made out of covers that are VERY predictable or "by-the-book". There's a nice song here and there ("Black Coffee", the title-track...). But not enough to make this LP a thrilling listening experience. Groundbreaking aspects or thematic impact or lyrics that would be particularly striking...: none of the above, 0/1. So that's 7/10 for *Shadowland*, but if we talking about *essential* albums here, only the last five points matter (musical competency is a given for acts reaching those heights, apart from the Shaggs, maybe). And this is how I interpret the five stars grading system in this app. Which gives us a 2/5 mark. In other words, there's nothing to really hate in this record, but there isn't really anything to love either. 1/5 albums are often more memorable than 2/5 LPs, very ironically. Ain't life cruel? Number of albums left to review: went over the 1001 line, those are the extra LPs mentioned because the lists evolved from one edition of the book to the next... Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: almost half, approximately, I've temporarily lost the exact count here Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately. Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter, almost a third (including this one) Next, please.
country mit modernem poptouch und blues - trotzdem immer noch herausfordernd, länger als drei tracks zu hören.
Slog
Not bad, but I'm not really a fan. Some honky tonk country songs mixed with some (better) blues songs. Good voice, but it needs some good music.
Breathy country show tunes. Her voice is nice but the album is a chore to get through.
Look, it’s not for me, but I can appreciate the sheer talent of k.d. Tbh the only song of hers I previously knew was her cover of Hallelujah sung for the opening of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver (which is mandatory listening btw). I was definitely bopping my leg on the train to (Waltz Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor and can imagine absolutely cutting a rug to this at line dancing.
Kjedelig
Not for meh
This was really boring album to me, although it has good instrumentals and although I love country, every song sounds kinda similar to previous one and next one
there's too much honky tonk on this list
Eh, I don’t know. Not horrible but not for me. 2/5
I don't get it, great voice though
Yeah it was alright. Not too much to add. I mean it was good but it didnt get me
I get this version of country but not a single Waylon Jennings album so far? Or Haggard. Zero Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Chet Atkins, but we must listen to this hotel lounge country caricature before we die? She has a nice voice, but for everything saying she's similar to Patsy Cline, I'd rather just listen to Patsy Cline.
Just a bit boring, and in a boring way and about 40 years outdated
This won’t last more than a few minutes in my memory. It’s fine for what it is, but I don’t need what it is.
She has a nice voice but overall was not my style.
Was not expecting a country album. A lovely smooth voice - but not really my bag - very MOR/hotel lobby vibes.
Not for me, it was kinda boring, but thankfully it wasn't too long and was over quickly.
Great voice but an overall generic, forgettable country
Wasn’t what I expected to be fair, so I suppose that’s something. I’ll never listen to it again of course, nor seek out any further offerings from the artist. But it’s fine for what it is I suppose?
Wasn't my thing. My grandmother would've love this. In fact, she probably did. Need to check her cassettes...
Fine
mahtava laulattaja la la la la lallaslaaa... ai että.. ai että.. Uskomaton albumi.. raskas.... noeii, kepistävä, kepestävää askelta laittaa alle tämä poika... anteeks tyttö heh... Joo nyt TÄMÄ on ALBUMI! En kestä kantrimusiikkia tai niin luulin! luulin että en kestä.. mutta tätä kestää.. tämä järisytti täydellisesti ymmärrykseni koko genrestä.. tämä... tämä kahdeksankytluvun kd lang albumi muutti koko vitun maailmankuvani ylös alaisin! näin siinä käy kun ei kuuntele musiikkia.. imagine this guy listen to taylor swift (top country artist). ollaankin yhtäkkiä salkku kädessä jonossa, odottamassa konserttilippuja mukavasti jonossa.. hiljaa ja katse eteenpäin.. busy bleing bue
God damn but this is dreary. There's no denying she can really sing, but a 40s / 50s inflected collection of country covers is very far from my cup of tea, and I doubt its validity in this list.
As a lesbian, I would like to apologize to k.d. lang and to all of my community. I wanted to like it. I tried so hard to like it. 2 stars
She has a great voice, and while I like the jazz and cabaret style influences, I absolutely detest cheesy country music. And cheesy country music it certainly is.
Meh
Blind album and artist. Not sure why, maybe it's the voice, or the style, but I did NOT like this...
She has an incredible voice, but there is just something about the way this album feels that seems hokey to me. It kind of reminds me of something you would see during a PBS pledge drive. Incredibly accomplished musicians making music that somehow lacks real soul to it.
It was ok. Country folk. Not my style
1. ztarz - 2 2. tearz - 1.5 3. moon - 1 4. love - 1.5 5. dance - 1 6. coffee - 1 7. zhadouu - 2 8. eyez - 1.5 9. criez - 2 10. cigarette - 1.5 11. blue - 2 12. honky tonk - 1
Soft vanilla blues
i prefer p.g. lang
It's no Ingénue, thats about all I can say.
Nice voice. It is really boring. Dull country tropes. Next.
No, please stop.
It’s not for me. It’s a mix of slow country ballads, honky to k and blues that I just can’t connect with. The song construction isn’t bad, but I don’t feel connected to it. Also knowing this is from the late 80’s, it’s not exactly breaking new ground. 2/5.
I do really like her voice. I still don't understand why an album of mostly cover songs makes this list.
Are Canadians even allowed to make country music?
Boring. This came out 22 years after Revolver, there's no excuse for it.
I normally don’t mind country music but this is probably a bit too sad and ballast for me
Not great. It’s all haunting country western.
Polished pop country With a sultry, yet full voice, And a Hollywood sheen
Not bad, kind of nice to listen to. Good voice but didn't find a lot of depth.
She has a great voice and talent. It's like strange jazzy country fusion. But I'm probably never going to listen to it beyond today. Don't let the Stars Get in your Eyes really took me back.
Country, folksy stuff that puts me to sleep.
I really did not enjoy this. I thought I was going to like this because I like "Constant Craving" but this style of music just felt cheesy to me. I was very disappointed.
Great production, mellow standards feel with orchestration. George Michael kissing a fool vibes
Country is still not my thing, but k.d. langs voice is gorgeous.
80s country wall of sound?
Kd lang singing country and Western songs is not something I need. She's a great singer, but doing a weak Patsy Cline
Ugh, country. Not my cup of tea.
Ihan ok taustamusiikkia. Siinäpä se.
Good vocals but not for me
A strange choice to be on the list, not her best work. 2.5
Good voice, but this style of maximalist jazzy/loungey country doesn’t do it for me. Plus, as far as I can tell, it once again appears to be an album full of cover versions, so it can hardly have been a pioneering release.
The sort of album you think is there anyone out there who actually super into this? Not bad but very tepid stuff 2.5*
Not my cup of tea