Absolute Torch and Twang

K. D. Lang

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 1989)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B000002LH9
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,648 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Indie Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
This 1989 album was k.d. lang's generous farewell to the country music world that had given her the cold shoulder after her stellar collaboration with legendary producer Owen Bradley on Shadowland. Songs such as "Pulling Back the Reins"--written by lang with coproducer-guitarist Ben Mink--combined classic country and western imagery with more revealingly personal emotions. At the same time, the album maintained a sly sense of humor missing from much of her later work. The covers of Willie Nelson ("Three Days") and Wynn Stewart ("Big Big Love") certainly don't hurt. The Reclines, lang's band, is notable for the presence of Greg Leisz on steel guitar. -Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lower case name, BOLD CAPITAL talent, January 29, 2002

By	Kevin Cook "Darlin' Boy" (McDonough, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first time I saw k.d. lang (on "Hee Haw," no less), I thought I was seeing my boyhood friend Woody Meeks again. But when k.d. opened her mouth and that big, big voice washed over me like warm honey, I was 95% certain Woody never could have learned to sing like that.

Needless to say, k.d. didn't exactly fit the mold of a "Hee Haw" honey. Visually and vocally, k.d. was a brash breath of fresh Canadian air, a big-boned gal on a mission to teach the big-haired country music queens of the day how to sing it right.

On "Absolute," she does just that. This is a bold album, nearly perfect, that sounds as good today as it did in 1989. Better, even, if you put it up against the dross that passes for country music nowadays.

k.d. holds her own, whether it's Western swing ("Three Days"), lush ballad ("Trail of Broken Hearts") or high octane hybrid ("Big Big Love"). On "Big Boned Gal" and "It's Me," she has great fun celebrating her, shall we say, differentness, with a hearty nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

k.d.'s band, the Reclines, sound like the tightest, smartest, most versatile roadhouse band ever assembled. Enough said.

My favorite track is "Pullin' Back the Reins," one of eight superb songs k.d. wrote for the album with longtime collaborator/co-producer Ben Mink. Silky smooth and absolutely, flat-out gorgeous, a single playing of "Reins" would gentle the wildest mustang.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars she defines the genre, September 19, 2004

By	C. K. Nichols (san juan islands, wa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What Can One Say About k.d.?, March 16, 2004

By	Douglas Moran (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.