K. D. Lang: All You Get is Me [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Victoria Starr (Author), Delphine Blue (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996

In K.D. Lang: All You Get Is Me, Victoria Starr explores the life of the artist who has broken all the rules of pop culture while becoming one of the world's most beloved singers. K.D. Lang: All You Get Is Me traces K.D.'s path from college dropout to pop superstar. Along the way we discover the inner strength and unwavering vision of an artist determined to make her own wild dreams come true. Abridged on two cassettes Told by Delphine Blue

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first full-length bio of country/pop chanteuse k. d. lang suggests that its subject is noteworthy both for her courage as a self-proclaimed lesbian and for her refusal to submit to industry control of her image or her music. The first claim is undoubtedly true; Starr, a freeelance journalist and radio-program producer, convincingly asserts that lang's status as the "first openly lesbian pop icon" paved the way for other celebrities to "out" themselves without stigma. But the latter assertion is arguable. If lang has successfully resisted record-label attempts to market her music according to notions of commercial viability, Starr's portrait reveals that lang has always carefully packaged herself. Attracted to the spotlight, she would appear to have embarked on her career less because of a true passion for music than out of a desire for fame. She does emerge, however, as an inspiring example of a performer who has retained control of her career despite pressures to conform. Starr's detailed bio is frustratingly impersonal, providing little sense of lang as an individual. But her account of the politics of sexual orientation, especially in the spotlight, is absorbing. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Journalist Starr presents a laudatory, in-depth biography of Grammy Award-winning country/pop singer k.d. lang. With material culled from numerous interviews, the author begins with lang's childhood in Canada, which was punctuated by the sudden disappearance of her father. Starr continues with the singer's affection for Patsy Cline-style country music, her rise to prominence as a progressive country artist, and her subsequent redirection to pop balladry. Throughout, the journalist analyzes the impact of lang's gender, lesbianism, and animal rights activism on her career. Though sometimes exaggerating the stature of her subject, Starr offers a well-written, thoroughly researched look at lang and the social climate in which she has become popular. Recommended for enthusiasts of music and popular culture.
David Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: B & B Audio; Abridged edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882071603
• ISBN-13: 978-1882071609
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,786,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( L ) > lang, k.d.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched Portrait of a Ground-breaking Entertainer, December 7, 2005

By 

Paige Turner "Film Fanatic" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: K. D. Lang: All You Get Is Me (Hardcover)

Before Ellen DeGeneres, there was kd lang and Melissa Etheridge who were the most famous "Out" entertainers. This is the only comprehensive biography of kd lang to date. It was published 10 years ago, so it is not current, but it is an excellent, detailed biography, nonetheless. Starr traces Lang's history starting with her childhood, her teenage years, and her struggle to break into the music business. Talented but strongly individualistic and proudly Out, it is not surprising "the Old Boy's Network" in Nashville boycotted lang and her "country punk" music, even though she had great songs, a tremendous voice and a huge fan base. Of course, kd did nothing to endear herself to the country radio DJ's or to the powers-that-be, which is unfortunate.

However, people in the industry thought highly enough of her talent to colloborate with her on albums (most notable is Owen Bradley, Patsy Cline's producer), resulting in powerful and memorable music.

The author presents a well-rounded portrait of kd, noting her flaws and mistakes as well as her triumphs. She writes objectively and clearly about her subject, without going into supermarket, tabloid trashiness that often accompanies biographies about controversial entertainment figures. If you're expecting to find steamy gossip about lang's personal life, thankfully you won't find it here.

It is an articulate and interesting read, but in dire need of an update. Still, it is one of the best lang biographies and I highly recommend it.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all my sisters in St. Louis, July 22, 2004

By 

Echols Jason Wayne "Ai Jie Sen" (Shanghai) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: K. D. Lang: All You Get Is Me (Hardcover)

The life story of a famous singer.

Even if I don't like her music, I like k.d. Having on the odd occasion appeared barefoot on stage, she seems like a decent human being.

A must-read for my sister, Julie, who's going through a very exciting time in her life now.