Customer Reviews

All You Can Eat

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Simply stated, k.d. lang is one of the top singers today--inany genre. This CD is one of her best, and it doesn't get nearly theair play it deserves.

These are songs of love and longing. Kd can sound strong, confused, yearning, confident, and sensuous. Underlying this expressive versatility is her compelling voice--it soars and warms, soothes and excites. The timbre and phrasing are spectacularly good, but never overwhelming. She completes the songs, rather than competing with them: She and the song are as one. The lyrics are simple but direct and effective; never forced, the words wrap around the music just as k.d.'s voice envelops the words.

Unlike most CDS (where there often are at least one or two disappointing numbers) every song here dazzles. "Sexuality" is a song to share with someone you love: Both playful, "how bad could it be, that you should fall in love with me," and bold "release yourself upon me," its hauntingly beautiful arrangement (augmented by Ben Mink's strings) is just one of many highlights here. "Believe in Me" is lushly arranged with viola, violin, guitars, cello, and keyboards. "Infinite and Unforeseen" basks in warm, languishing, contemplative colors; every note played and placed just right without seeming studied. The last song, "I want it all," embraces the dualisms of love:

"All the illusion, all of the truth, all the confusion, all of the proof; all of the pleasures, all of the pain, all I am losing, all that I've gained...oh-I want it all... "

Non-musical features include excellent liner notes, drawings by and pictures of kd, and the location of her official fan club website ... Strong, sensuous, supple, k.d.'s voice is a wonder! Buy this for yourself--or someone you love.

You've got to give kd Lang a lot of credit. "Ingenue" is one of those CD's an artist loves due to it's success, and dreads what to do next. "All You Can Eat" answers that question. The material has a different feel from its previous effort. I also feel she opens up a little more on this album on cuts like "Sexuality" and "I Want It All". kd gives us a lot of feeling on "This" and "Infinite And Unforseen". "Get Some" could've been a hit, but (as the Artist would say) the right people didn't get paid, so this gem didn't make to the public airwaves.

I can listen to "All You Can Eat" for days, put it down for a month, and come right back to it and get that same GREAT feeling! I'm sure you'll get that same feeling as well.

When a left-of-center country/torch singer finds herself with a platinum record, Grammy award, and crossover hit single, what's next? Why, a nosedive into the mainstream, naturally. Luckily for us, this isn't at all the easy sellout it may sound like, and after "Ingenue" and its hit, "Constant Craving," made kd lang a household name, "All You Can Eat" proves she has the talent and taste in material to make sure it was no fluke.

In retrospect, it's amazing this album wasn't more of a Stateside success than it was; "If I Were You" and "You're OK" are the sort of irresistible pop/rock workouts you'd expect VH1 to cling to (imagine a subdued Sheryl Crow), and the tender ballad "Maybe" sounds like something Fleetwood Mac might have aspired to after "Rumours." Similarly retro and commercial-friendly is the organ-laced 60's feel behind "Sexuality," and the Beatles-heavy vibe found on "Get Some" provides one of lang's most joyous-sounding vocals and overall finest moments. "Acquiesce" is a bit of an oddity, with some moody "ooh"s and the repeating of the title attempting to pass as hooks, but the track isn't an unpleasant listen, and the tender, Motels-like ballad "This" and the sultry, slow-burn funk of "I Want it All" more than make up for any quibbles it may inspire.

Throughout the record lang's frequent producer Ben Mink keeps that glorious voice awash in crisp drum rhythms, tasteful instrumental flourishes and lush self-harmonies; this album is so polished you almost expect to see your own reflection in it. But what's especially striking here is the minimalist effect at work; most of the tunes have one verse and bridge, one chorus, a short solo, and another chorus leading to somewhat abrupt finishes that make you want to instantly start each track over again. Suddenly the Chinese-takeout theme of the packaging makes sense; like the old joke about eating Chinese and being hungry an hour later, you may well find that one -or two, or three- spins of this slick pop record simply isn't enough. "All You Can Eat," indeed.

kd lang's voice could turn iron into moult, of that there is no contest. 'All You Can Eat', although a 5 year old recording now, still continues to deliver over its 30 something minute length. The songs flow as smooth as chocolate, and just envelop you in their warmth and sensuality. The playfully teasing 'Sensuality' is an invitation to indulgence (what the album's title infers), with a firm tongue in cheek from ms lang. Get Some & I Want It All continue with the theme of encapsulation and immersion to capacity. The album's real killers however come in the shape of ballads, revealing the sheer range and emotion of kd's crystal clear voice, and the magnitude of her song-writing abilities. 'Acquiesce' simply haunts the soul and stuns with the vocals, and the penultimate trak 'Infinite and Unforeseen' is a spellbinding lost classic which regrettably never saw the light of day as an airplay song. A haunting lullaby which bobs along guided by a guitar and kds vocals, singing of the stirring and memerising effects which love exercises without being able to resit - and you are glad she could not so that she and Ben could create a song of this capacity. It is tragic as that song would have catipulted kd to the top of her league, and definitely won the hearts of millions (and maybe a grammy or 3, we shall never know). Even all these years down the line, this album never fails to bore me with its rich textures and unforgettable charms. kd, I salute you.

This is a wonderful CD. In my opinion, it's better than Ingenue for several reasons. The songs are more mature and clever in their lyrics and also their musicality. There is a sameness about the songs in Ingenue that makes them blend together instead of standing out. All You Can Eat has more musical diversity which makes the songs memorable and interesting. The songs also showcase Lang's incredible voice by giving her a wider vocal range to sing. Every song is excellent. I don't quite understand the lukewarm reception this received--it is totally undeserved. If you are looking for a first kd lang CD, try this one. It's clever in composition and positively hypnotic.

In reviewing a work by k.d. lang, one must consider that there are, effectively, 2 k.d. langs: the first, a frenetic wildwoman/Elvis who made four albums of country music more listenable than all of country music that came before; and the second, a quieter, mellower chanteuse of adult contemporary pop. I cannot fairly rate an album from the second genre by comparison to the first any more than one can rate an apple on a scale of oranges. That having been said, ALL YOU CAN EAT is arguably the BEST work by k.d. to date in her post-country incarnation (i.e., through and including INVINCIBLE SUMMER). With each listening, it grows on me more and more. ALL YOU CAN EAT boasts several of her all-time best songs.

Case-in-point is the opening track, IF I WERE YOU. Setting the tone with a relaxed, easy shuffling melody, k.d.'s voice is as crisp and clear as a mountain stream. There is a fullness to her sound that wraps around you and envelops you in the intimacy of the song. The dreamy, yearning mood is further augmented by the wandering, cascading string arrangement in the interlude.

Another diamond is YOU'RE OK, a drawl-ly number which typifies the overwhelmingly personal feel of this cd.

k.d. has expressed a deep admiration for Joni Mitchell, and never was that inspiration more in evidence than on ACQUIESCE, a serious, ponderous conversation with God. While songs like this and MAYBE address feelings of ambivalence and uncertainty, there is a comfort and sense of ease between k.d. and her material here, a kind of quiet resolve that transcends the melancholia of the DRAG or INGENUE cds.

SEXUALITY is a beautifully enticing piece. I was initially skeptical that a song with so bold a title could pull it off--both in mood and in meter. Then those first wavering notes pulled me in and charmed the pants off me. The very nakedness of the subject is humbling. See k.d. perform this one at the opening of the LIVE IN SYDNEY video and be BLOWN AWAY!!

Another noteworthy gem is GET SOME, the off-beat and uplifting amorous directive to "get some, take all that you're given..just get some of the love you're giving someone". The Beatles influence is highly recognizable in the moody strings and the vocal harmonies as well as in the message.

WORLD OF LOVE and INFINITE AND UNFORESEEN are two tracks notable for the masterful imagery of their lyrics and as always, k.d.'s alluring delivery.

In summary then, ALL YOU CAN EAT sees k.d. continuing in the new direction that INGENUE was only a warm up for. Despite the open-ended invitation of the cd's title, this one left me hungry for more....constant(ly) craving!

While kd lang is unquestionably one of the finest vocalists in music today, "All You Can Eat" is not one of her better efforts. Her voice is in as fine a form as ever, but the problem is the material which leans heavily towards the dull side. Apart from "Maybe" and "You're OK" there is nothing especially memorable on this CD. Stick with "Drag, "Ingenue," or "Absolute Torch and Twang."

k.d. lang has had a bumpy musical career as any I can think of. She started out as a country singer, albeit one of the best vocalists in its history. But her identity as a lesbian & a vegetarian shook up country music's conservative elite, so she never really was embraced as one of their own, despite her considerable credentials. Also, having root canal work done before her 1992 album INGENUE helped her move towards a more sophisticated pop sound, no surprise with a genre more open-minded than country.

INGENUE finally helped get lang the recognition she deserved, most prominently from radio, which had all but ignored her up until that point. After the Grammy-winning opus that was INGENUE, a follow-up was certainly not going to be an easy feat. She didn't quite do it with ALL YOU CAN EAT, but that's not to say she created a dud, not at all.

lang said that she wanted to go for something simpler this time around & lyrically, ALL YOU CAN EAT is stripped down to the near basics, with no big words to really question your intelligence. Musically, things are more ambitious, with strings a very prominent part & no surprise, ballads being the order of the day. Songs like "Maybe", "Infinite & Unforeseen" & "This" are the biggest successes of this form, with them being the epitome of "sexuality" (a song on here that doesn't fit in the ballad category) thanks to lang's smooth-as-silk vocals. The strings are a bit of an aural aphrodesiac in their own right.

Other tunes like the hit (albeit a small one) "If I Were You", "You're OK", "I Want It All" & "Sexuality" pick up the pace a little more & are the closest things to uptempo songs on this very slow & dreamy affair. Some of those songs have a slight R&B tinge to them, proving that lang was more (maybe too) talented than most country stars could claim.

Helping out k.d. like always is her longtime collaborator Ben Mink, who goes back all the way to her days trying for country success. Both he & k.d. have an army of instruments at their disposal, with them playing most of main ones themselves. Not to detract from the other musicians, it's just they're pretty much supporting players, aside from the stars lang & Mink.

I'm glad to be good friends with John Jones, an Amazon reviewer & budding musician in his own right. He's the one that has introduced me to lang & many other sophisticated pop stars who the mainstream has either ignored or not given a fair chance. Again, I thank him for introducing me to this short (36 minutes) but sweet jewel of pop music called ALL YOU CAN EAT. With what he tells me, his music is about pretty much the same thing, smooth & sexy, but not sleep-inducing. That's what ALL YOU CAN EAT seems to be about, so until John Jones appears on the scene with his masterpiece, to get an idea of what might be his sound, k.d. lang & ALL YOU CAN EAT (as criminally short as it is) will be good preparation.

I've always maintained that there was something delightfully subversive about k.d. lang. She may be (at this point in her career) avowedly gay, but she sings so STRAIGHT. You could play most of her stuff for Grandma and get an enthusiastic response. Even now, some of her audience may be uncomfortable with the full package--the sexual ambiguity, political activism AND the vegetarianism (any wonder she never quite fit in with the C&W crowd). But they can't deny the appeal of a hooky song like "Constant Craving," even if they prefer not to think about what that song means for the singer.

Some performers specialize in confrontational art, and some win hearts and minds-or at least a degree of tolerance, through playing the game more or less, well, staight. K.d. lang is not an avant garde artist, thank you very much. On this album, the most abstract she gets is the moody "Acquiesce." The rest of the tracks are the trademark songs of love and longing that she has come to specialize in over the years. Not that there's anything wrong with that. No one does `em better really.

Which is why I was somewhat surprised to see so many indifferent to negative reviews of this album both here on Amanzon.com and elsewhere. Yes, it's true that there is no actual "Constant Craving"-type stand out track, but actually several of the tracks were quite radio friendly in their own right ("If I Were You," "Maybe," and that less that subtly subversive but still fun "Sexuality"-if that one could ever get airplay). And the torch is onhand in abundance even as the twang subsides. "Infinite and Unforeseen" has a smoky, cabaret feel that k.d. was already mastering in the early `90s and which would reach its culmination with her follow up release DRAG a few years later.

Especially nice are the subtle arrangements, including Beatle-type psychedelic moments on the otherwise conventionally poppy "Get Some," and lovely So.Cal type background vocals on the aforementioned "Acquiesce" that could have been lifted from a 70s Ronstadt album. K.d. lang never quite realized her dream to be the next Patsy Cline, and thank goodness. She's gotten pretty darn good at being the first k.d. lang.

I was familiar with KD before this album, but this one made me a groupie. KD was never afraid to reinvent herself, this was an attempt and a good one at the soul sounds of 70's; Al green, Barry white etc....
what a fabulous tour this was. I saw her on the tour for this one in Feb 1996 in Chicago - Union Theatre I think. What a great band and she was like a female elvis. Even had the screaming girls throwing clothes on the stage. hmmm wonder why :). I would definitely line up at the buffet for more music like this.

Every song on this album sparkles and is distinctive. It seems, she was suffering or struggling with issues of love and happiness here and although she went thru pain it seems we are the benefactors of the beautiful funky torment of that period.

The final message is keep trying for love - the universe will bring it to you.