Ingénue

K. D. Lang

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 17, 1992)
• Original Release Date: March 17, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B000002LSP
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,089 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

The album on which she officially gave up on Nashville and began singing torchy, adult-contemporary pop, Ingenue has been referred to by lang as her "stalker" album for its emphasis on songs about desire and obsession. Despite such onerous implications, the album is a charmer, thanks to lang's sincerity and passion and the smoldering arrangements of songs such as "Constant Craving," "The Mind of Love" and "Still Thrives This Love." The album's somewhat dark spirits are tempered by the campy "Miss Chatelaine," which lang has often performed live to the accompaniment of a Lawrence Welk-style bubble machine. With Ingenue, you can do the same in the comfort of your own home. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless Perfection, February 25, 2002

By	JPH "JPH" (Crawley) - See all my reviews

There is a once-in-a-lifetime moment where inspiration, wisdom and good fortune converge together to prompt a recording artist to produce his or her greatest masterpiece...

For kd lang, "Ingenue" represents that supreme moment in her illustrious recording career. All of her innate gifts as a true music artist - poetic lyric-writing , communicative ability to breathe life into any song, and above all, her glorious inimitable voice - are enshrined in this album. "Ingenue" is a flawless gem! Casual listeners who buy "Ingenue" solely for the reason that "Constant Craving" (kd's world-wide big hit) is in it, and then grumble that the rest of the CD does not measure up to this one song, are missing the point of the album BIG-TIME.

"Ingenue", like many of kd's other albums, should never be perceived as a Madonna-esque or Britney-esque album --- chockful of over-the-top boopy songs with calculated catchy hooks which ensnare your ears and attention very quickly before losing your interest just as quickly. No. It is far more subtle and rewarding than that... "Ingenue" is one of those works of music-art which seem "bland" and unprepossessing upon the first few listens, but which slowly and surely encroaches upon your inner world until that day comes when you fully recognize kd's genius in each and every song.

When that blessed day dawns on you, dear kd-initiate, you will cease to regard "Ingenue" as an album containing nine bland, uncatchy songs leading to "Constant Craving", you will come to regard it as a flawless ten-movement vocal symphony which expounds on the profoundity of Love in its varied manifestations. You will also discover that this beautiful musical expression is achieved with a peerless efficiency: there is not a single superfluous/extraneous note sung or play in the entire album, every silky note and nuance emanating from kd's lips has its own niche in "Ingenue's" entire musical structure. And the cumulative result of it all is an album which boasts a tight musical cogency, so unified that the ten songs flow irrevocably and smoothly into one another - like rivers merging into a great ocean of sonic splendour.

It is for this reason that I refuse to single out any particular track on Ingenue for special mention. That would be akin to ripping out a thread from a fine brocade tapestry. Learn to appreciate "Ingenue" in this manner; if this is beyond you, I'd say you should leave kd aside and return to the ephemeral musical world of the Britneys and what-have-yous.

In a nutshell, "Ingenue" is one of only two albums I recognize as flawless works of modern music-art, the other being Sade's "Love Deluxe" (coincidentally, also released in the same year as "Ingenue"). This piece de resistance from KD will endure forever in the hearts of all those who appreciate the craft of fine musicianship.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE VOICE, June 13, 2000

By	R. Penola (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

With k.d. lang, it is all about that voice - a spectacular alto belt with soul and tenderness and clarity and perfect pitch and tone - when she goes for those sustained notes, you are thrilled down to your toes. This album, featuring her songwriting skills (some are better than others; all are worth listening to over and over), showcases that voice in all its glory, matched beat for beat with luscious production values and interesting instrumentation. The album has a moody, depressive tone, yet is immensely enjoyable in its darkness. Appealing to all of us not enamored with k.d.'s more folksy/country/twangy efforts, this album is torchy, jazzy and pop-infused. The stunning Constant Craving truly infects you; it gets inside you with its perfect blend of melody, layered vocals and lyric. Cannot wait for the Invincible Summer album!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Torch Song Triumph, December 1, 2002

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Here k d lang turns into a stylish torch singer with a cool, subdued vocal style inspired by late 50's/early 60's singers like Patsy Cline, Connie Francis and Peggy Lee. Now and then she even veers into jazzy realm as on the elegant Ms Chatelaine. This set mainly consists of intelligent ballads like Save Me, The Mind Of Love and Wash Me Clean, but her consummate artistry is best displayed on the two stand-out tracks Still Thrives This Love with its compelling hook, and Season Of Hollow Soul which reminds me of the finer moments of the band Everything But The Girl. Ingenue is excellent in its genre but probably an acquired taste for most.