k.d. lang & The Reclines - Absolute Torch and Twang
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Free Music Notes for Absolute Torch and Twang
Free Music Review: KD LANG at her best....
Hit: 5 Stars
Digging through my Cd collection to record some mixed CD compliations, I came apon this 1989 classic recording. I
really haven't heard much from KD LANG since her "Constant Gravings" single. One of the most unique vocalist around and
unfortunatley she got piegeoned holed into a country/western
honky tonk mold and she messed around with the style and poked
fun at its limitations and over dramatics but inside she was
one of closest singers (country or pop) that could touch Patsy Cline in power and
range but in this present day she seemed to end up being more
a freak of nature with the biggest pipes in the business.
KD chose to come out and it didn't seem to work to her best
advantage as her fan base was not only quirky music nuts but
real hard core country music lovers that new a voice when they
heard one, but really didn't know what the hell to think of
her? She was her own person for sure but I just think
she lacked a direction after Con Gr and it hurt her sales afterwards. Shes been messing around with the likes of Tony
Bennett but shes missed considering people know what she is
capable of since "Constant gravings" was her biggest hit and although
it was featured in a pop setting, it, like her country stylings
was slightly off center and it made it all the better.
"Absolute torch and twang" is one of the very best examples
of the kind of country that I love, on level with such acts
as Lyle Lovett and Shelby Lynn(at times) taking country music
to new places, experimenting but still keeping the central core
of it intact, just blowing it up a bit. From start to finish
this is a vocal show down and with Ben Mink's talent the two
just created a masterpiece of sound and vision. I had forgotten
just how brilliant this collection is. "Luck in my eyes", "Three
days", "Big boned gal" and especially the "Pullin back the reins" are just a few of the many highlights through out AT&T,
proving she was like no other but the owner of a voice that
was not to be denied. I wish she would go back and do some
more of her zany brand of country & western or try something
with a Daniel Lanois/Malcom Burns feel. The music business is
in big need of some fresh sounds!
Free Music Review: she defines the genre
Hit: 5 Stars
Bassist Ray Brown once said of Ella Fitzgerald, "it's not what she did, it's what she didn't do; she never did anything wrong". I believe this can also be said of k.d. lang (and The Reclines). If you want middle-of-the-road pap you can always listen to Shania Twain, Faith Hill or a vast number of similar beauty queens who fill up the air waves today. If you're in search of a thrillingly fabulous country influenced album with a standout singer/songwriter/interpreter and downright brilliant instrumentation, "Absolute Torch and Twang" is nonpareil.Free Music Review: Wow!
Hit: 5 Stars
I've owned this album since back when it first came out. A co-worker lent it and after the first 30 seconds of the CD - Luck In My Eyes - I was hooked. After Pullin' Back The Reins, I knew I had to buy it. Immediately. What an amazingly sensuous song! I challenge you to not get lost in it. k.d. soars, snarls and struts from beginning to end. I'm not a big country fan, but then this isn't big country. This is Big Music. Thank You k.d. lang!Free Music Review: What Can One Say About k.d.?
Hit: 3 Stars
Ordinarily, I do not review CDs. God knows there are plenty of people out there to do that, and they don't need me adding my opinions of dubious value to the pile.However. However, I cannot let this particular album go by without comment. Ingenue is a superior album; one of my very favorites. I also prefer Shadowland to this one. But it was lang singing "Pullin' Back the Reigns" on, I believe, Saturday Night Live that made me a fan for life. That voice; those gestures; the power of the performance. It reached through the T.V., grabbed me by the ears, and *forced* me to pay attention. Other than Peter Gabriel, I have never in my life seen a performer of such dynamic power as lang. And to this day, that comes through in that track, at least to me.
The remainder of the album is enjoyable, and often excellent (e.g., "Trial of Broken Hearts"). But I bought this album for that one song, and I have never regretted it.
Free Music Review: One of the great voices in popular music
Hit: 5 Stars
Released three years before "Ingenue" brought her international fame, this CD is one of Lang's best collaborations with producer/songwriter Ben Mink. After this, she pretty much left her country-music roots and went on to explore other genres, but nevertheless, this gem remains one of her most satisfying recordings. One of my all-time favorites is "Pulling Back the Reins," a slow ballad that showcases Lang's powerful, overwhelming range at its most poignant. In a similar vein, the throwback "Trail of Broken Hearts" sounds as melancholy as if it came straight from the 1950's. But lest you think that all is mournful and humorless, Lang dives into the clever, upbeat "Big Boned Gal" with a satisfying gusto. ("She was a big boned gal from southern Alberta...you just couldn't call her small...")
Sound is lively and present, with the twangy steel guitar timbre coming across especially well. The recording has a slight resonance that well suits the material and enhances the soaring phrasing that Lang seems to locate so instinctively.
Perhaps not for fans of "traditional" country music, since Lang's influences are all over the map. (This comes out more strongly in her later recordings.) But for those who want to hear the work of one of the country's finest vocalists in any medium, period, don't hesitate.