Artist – Album: k.d. lang - Shadowland
Released: 26th
April 1988
Sounds Like: Tosh
I don’t know, k.d. lang may think she’s looking at me all seductive
and sexy and ambigous on that album cover but, to be honest, she just reminds
me of Rick Astley. What sort of a name is k.d. lang anyway? Why aren’t we
allowed to capitalise it? Everybody else functions perfectly well within strict
grammatical confines, I don’t understand why she has her own nomenclature
rules. Her name is a proper noun, isn't it?? Anyway, back to disparaging her appearance: that strong manly jawline
and magnificently coiffured quiff share more than a passing resemblance to the Lancashire
heartthrob, no?
It’s not just in her androgynous looks that she conjured up
the image of the original rickroller. She may never have achieved the musical
perfection of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (few
have), but do you remember that old cover from Astley’s canon that somehow
passes as a Christmas tune? I believe(/totally know) it’s called ‘When I Fall in Love’? This whole album
sounds like that: overproduced, aged and just a bit rubbish. I mean, she (and
he) really does possess an extraordinary voice and her (and his) music is
clearly well written (I particularly liked the old country ballad ‘Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes’),
but (as with his work) I hear no soul here. The lyrics are forlorn and she’s
wrenching emotion out of each word by the book, but I just don’t buy it. It’s
like the anti-blues. Stylistically, I hear a lot of Roy Orbison in the
shuffling rhythm, slide guitar and captivating vocals, but I just care so much
more about the Big O. The record may be a loving nod to Nashville, but it may
as well be Newton-le-Willows (Rick’s hometown) for all that I care.
I hope that this record and I will not be 'Together Forever'.
By the way, this is totally against popular critical
opinion, so, you know, you might like
it. But there again, you may also love the Dixie Chicks and hate The Zombies,
in which case I have only pity for you.
Albumaday... rating:
5/10
1. Western
Stars – 3:12
2. Lock,
Stock and Teardrops – 3:28
3. Sugar
Moon – 2:26
4. I
Wish I Didn’t Love You So – 3:07
5. (Waltz
Me) Once Again Around the Dance Floor – 2:35
6. Black
Coffee – 3:17
7. Shadowland
– 2:28
8. Don’t
Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes – 2:20
9. Tears
Don’t Care Who Cries Them – 3:03
10. I’m
Down to My Last Cigarette – 2:46
11. Busy
Being Blue – 3:40
12. Honky
Tonk Angels’ Medley – 2:55
Listen to ‘Don’t Let
the Stars Get in Your Eyes’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zXk7-T0CQ
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