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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Watershed is the first major project from celebrated Canadian chanteuse k.d. lang since 2004's Hymns of the 49th Parallel. Where Hymns explored the music of fellow Canadians such as Ron Sexsmith, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Watershed represents the first set of original songs from lang in around eight years. Self-produced and arranged by musicians she has worked with a lot in the past, the most striking aspect of the album is its intimate, homely feel. Adding to the cozy ambience is the fact that Watershed brings most of lang's musical passions and influences--jazz, country, folk, bossa nova--under one roof, lending the project a dreamy, mellifluous coherence. But if the musical landscape is mellow and easy to traverse, Lang's lyrics can be less comfortable. Using her laid-back, often ethereal arrangements as sugar-candied coating for thornier topics, the singer serenades with stories of broken love, occasionally harsh self-analysis and the obligatory forays into existential angst. These contrastive elements only serve to make the album stronger, adding emotional weight to the airless arrangements of "Once in a While," and the delicate "Close Your Eyes," and conjuring up images of beauty on the string-laden "I Dream of Spring," and the wonderfully lazy "Sunday". Intelligent, mature and sophisticated, Watershed is the kind of perfect pop album it's difficult not to fall in love with immediately and forever. --Paul Sullivan
Product Description
Watershed, K.D. Lang’s second Nonesuch album, indeed represents a significant juncture in her 25-year career as a recording artist-a collection of eleven new original songs produced, for the first time, by Lang herself. As with any challenge she’s met in her unparalleled career, lang is a natural behind the boards in the studio. Watershed has an intimate feel and a sophisticated sound that highlights the warmth in Lang’s voice, the maturity of her songwriting and the simple beauty of her arrangements. The Grammy Award-winning artist draws on her wealth of experience with an impressively wide range of genres to fashion a revealing portrait of the artist as she is right now. As Lang explains, "Watershed is like a culmination of everything I’ve done — there’s a little bit of jazz, a little country, a little of the Ingénue sound, a little Brazilian touch. It really feels like the way I hear music, this mash-up of genres, and I think it reflects all the styles that have preceded this in my catalogue."
K.D. Lang Photos
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 Watershed Deluxe Limited Edition |  Hymns of the 49th Parallel |  Ingénue |
 Shadowland |  Live by Request (2001) |  Absolute Torch and Twang |
 Drag |  All You Can Eat |  Reintarnation [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] |
 Live by Request [LIVE] |  Invincible Summer |  A Truly Western Experience [EXTRA TRACKS] |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Finally, a new kd lang album, and one she wrote and produced herself. "Watershed" is like back to the good old days when she was releasing her good music. This reminds me of "All You Can Eat" and "Absolute Torch and Twang", her finest. And it's great to see her writing again with Ben Mink after all these years. It's a beautiful album from an incredible voice. Every time I listen to this CD I like it more and more, it will grow on you. And that's a sign of great music, it's not instant, but takes its time to draw you in and then you're hooked. I love kd lang and this is as good as it gets. It's hard to decide what I'd like to hear next from her, an album of great covers or old standards or more of this same kind. Either way it doesn't matter, as long as we don't have to wait this long again.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Kd has come back home.That is to write gorgeous songs such as I Dream of Spring and Close Your Eyes with pal Ben Mink.We fans have waited for such a complete album for long.So embark and dream along with the unique Kathryn.Throughout the journey,you will feel like you are in a coffee shop surrounded by country,pop and jazz musicians,all of them trying to accompany this unparallel voice that thrives on lows and ride triumphantly on highs.Bon voyage!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
KD Lang sounds so good on her tenth studio album Watershed. This is her first self produced album. This disc is a turning point in her career, and that is the reason for the title Watershed. I love the musical and vocal arrangements of these tracks very much. My favorite track is "I Dream Of Spring". Her sensual vocals are beautiful on this love song. I love Greg Leisz who is featured on the steel guitar featured on this track. The other stand out track is "Sunday". This is a tribute to her favorite day of the week. The bass playing by David Piltch on this track is so smooth. "Je Fais La Planche" is a song about how brief life is. The acoustic guitar gives this track a very soothing quality. The banjo playing on "Jealous Dog" gives this track a simple easy going sound. Shadow And The Frame is a pretty song. The piano playing is beautiful on this track. "Once in A While" is a pretty romantic song. "Upstream" is a hopeful song that makes me feel good. "Flame Of The Uninspired" is another sensual sounding track with great background vocals. She sounds so peaceful and effortless singing the track "Coming Home". Watershed is very enjoyable listening experience because of the vocal and musical arrangements.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By VinMark
Format:Audio CD
I am absolutely amazed at the woman's talent every time I am privileged to hear it. I have no always been a fan, but I have enjoyed everything in the last 15 years, If you liked Invincible Summer, you will like this cd even better. Lang has outdone herself. The smooth vocals and the exquisite lyrics are so powerful. I truly feel something when I hear her sing. You will not be disappointed.
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Tom Sanders
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the fabulous first notes of the album to the finish there isn't a mis-step. This is her strongest outing to date and that's an amazing thing to say. This is one of the great albums ever. I haven't heard anything this great since discovering Jake Shimabukuru's Gently Weeps or hearing Tish Hinjosa sing Estrellita.
It doesn't get any better than this...just different.
It doesn't get any better than this...just different.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By D. Starr
Format:Audio CD
k.d. lang's music has wound its way into my life since childhood. I've followed her ever-changing career with fierce anticipation: what would k.d. do next? You could always count on two lang albums NEVER sounding exactly alike. The only low-point in her genre-hopping is (IMO) A Wonderful World with Tony Bennett (I sat through one listen and can't go there again--just hate it!) Other than that, k.d. has never disappointed and with her newest album, "Watershed", we find k.d. in her most comfortable, most intimate and most interesting.
Everyone hails "Ingenue" as k.d.'s masterpiece, but I will disagree with that. I will say that "Watershed" is the other side of the "Ingenue" coin. While "Ingenue" was focused on the obessive love of another person (in a very naive way), "Watershed" finds lang expanding her horizons and going far deeper than unrequited love. It's this openness and broader perspective that makes "Watershed" so brilliant.
I'm interested to see where k.d. takes us next. If I have my druthers, we'd get a traditional bluegrass album! You can see hints of that on the track "Jealous Dog" and I'd love if that were explored in a full-length album. But that's me! :) Either way, "Watershed" is a must-have for old and new fans.
5 Stars!
Everyone hails "Ingenue" as k.d.'s masterpiece, but I will disagree with that. I will say that "Watershed" is the other side of the "Ingenue" coin. While "Ingenue" was focused on the obessive love of another person (in a very naive way), "Watershed" finds lang expanding her horizons and going far deeper than unrequited love. It's this openness and broader perspective that makes "Watershed" so brilliant.
I'm interested to see where k.d. takes us next. If I have my druthers, we'd get a traditional bluegrass album! You can see hints of that on the track "Jealous Dog" and I'd love if that were explored in a full-length album. But that's me! :) Either way, "Watershed" is a must-have for old and new fans.
5 Stars!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By muzic mania
Format:Audio CD
watershed is first rate music, singing, songwriting, its all here, pop, country, some of the best tracks, I dream of spring, comming home, sunday, upstream, soulful, deep, strong. if you like or love kd lang, and after eight years for some written songs by ms lang, how could you not love this cd. There are no top 10 songs here.....just great music, wonderful singing, thanks kd, for your great gift. i am a fan for life.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For her first album of originals since 2000's Invincible Summer, kd lang hearkens back to all the music she's made in the last 25 years. There are touches of her Absolute Torch and Twang country brilliance, the snazzy chanteuse who blossomed on Ingénue and the lush, smokey voice that has carried across all her work from the beginning. It also marks her transition to a mature singer/songwriter.
"Watershed" may be comprised mostly of love songs, but they are subtle takes on the gift. "Coming Home" (the best song here) is exquisitely written; can you name any songwriters of late who can work a word like 'minutiae' into their lyrics? Didn't think so. The heavy handed Moon/June type of love songs are 100% absent from "Watershed," replaced by such delights as "Flame of The Uninspired" or "I Dream Of Spring." The songs are often underscored with gorgeous string charts. It's Lang's first attempt at self-production, and she acquits herself nicely.
Unfortunately, what keeps this album from a more inspiring rating is the fact that it never perks up past low-to-mid tempo. The biggest kicks come from the clever "Upstream," and the country growler that closes the CD, "Jealous Dog." "Dog" is the only song that breaks from the immaculate middle of the road sound. By just setting itself around Lang and her piano/banjo playing, it breaks the mold enough to be a standout. It's an issue that also haunted her prior Nonesuch CD, , which bogged down under too many low-key songs.
While "Watershed" doesn't fail in its mission to soothe and relax, kd lang has shown multiple times that she is capable of delivering far more. This album is a pleasant, immaculately crafted work, but in the end, it's just immaculate craft. Lang has, in the past, produced art...and "Watershed" falls short of that mark. Read more ›
"Watershed" may be comprised mostly of love songs, but they are subtle takes on the gift. "Coming Home" (the best song here) is exquisitely written; can you name any songwriters of late who can work a word like 'minutiae' into their lyrics? Didn't think so. The heavy handed Moon/June type of love songs are 100% absent from "Watershed," replaced by such delights as "Flame of The Uninspired" or "I Dream Of Spring." The songs are often underscored with gorgeous string charts. It's Lang's first attempt at self-production, and she acquits herself nicely.
Unfortunately, what keeps this album from a more inspiring rating is the fact that it never perks up past low-to-mid tempo. The biggest kicks come from the clever "Upstream," and the country growler that closes the CD, "Jealous Dog." "Dog" is the only song that breaks from the immaculate middle of the road sound. By just setting itself around Lang and her piano/banjo playing, it breaks the mold enough to be a standout. It's an issue that also haunted her prior Nonesuch CD, , which bogged down under too many low-key songs.
While "Watershed" doesn't fail in its mission to soothe and relax, kd lang has shown multiple times that she is capable of delivering far more. This album is a pleasant, immaculately crafted work, but in the end, it's just immaculate craft. Lang has, in the past, produced art...and "Watershed" falls short of that mark. Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Watershed
Not one of K.D. Lang's better CD's
She has produced mush better ones, but with time comes also maturity in the voice.
She has produced mush better ones, but with time comes also maturity in the voice.
Published 4 months ago by Maria Kanas
5.0 out of 5 stars
To thumbs up.
Classic kd. Once I start, I can't stop listening to it. It's addicting. The music, the lyrics her vocals are a complete package. Satisfaction gaurenteed.
Published 4 months ago by Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shadows
K.D. Lang never disappoints,her voice is amazing no matter what she sings, this one is mellow and shows her effortless soothing sound. I'm not country, she's everything for anyone. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jill Agnew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Melancholy Lady
Is it possible to take an artist's near-perfection for granted? At her recent sold-out concert at the Palace of Fine Arts, singer-composer k.d. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jim Provenzano
2.0 out of 5 stars
i don't get it
I confess I don't understand. I'm not much of a k.d. fan, but I did think "Ingenue" was a masterpiece, all those years ago. This, however, is incredibly boring. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Bertrand Stclair
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful
Today I listened to this for the first time. Her voice is so pure, so beautiful and at times, sultry. Every song seems perfect for this album. I love it.
Published 21 months ago by J. F Palmer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD
First of all, let me say I have never heard a CD by K.D. Lang that
I did not like. She has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. Read more
I did not like. She has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. Read more
Published on April 29, 2010 by VanillaRage
5.0 out of 5 stars
gosh what a voice!!
am a new kd lang fan and am trying to assemble a collection. I am very pleased
Published on April 3, 2010 by Cathy R. Whitely
5.0 out of 5 stars
Watershed shines
Watershed by K.D.Lang is a shining showcase for her beautiful voice. Rich harmonies and heartfelt lyrics throughout. Excellent C.D.
Published on July 18, 2009 by L. Hall
4.0 out of 5 stars
KD Lang can do no wrong
Let's face it: One is tempted to give KD Lang beaucoup stars every time she opens her mouth to sing. Is there anything she can't deliver on? Read more
Published on July 10, 2009 by Diane M. Armitage
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