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.


she defines the genre   September 19, 2004
C. K. Nichols (san juan islands, wa)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

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.


What Can One Say About k.d.?   March 17, 2004
Douglas Moran (Austin, TX)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

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.


Wow!   April 12, 2004
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I've owned this album since back when it first came out. A co-worker lent it and after the first 30 seconds of the CD - Luck In My Eyes - I was hooked. After Pullin' Back The Reins, I knew I had to buy it. Immediately. What an amazingly sensuous song! I challenge you to not get lost in it. k.d. soars, snarls and struts from beginning to end. I'm not a big country fan, but then this isn't big country. This is Big Music. Thank You k.d. lang!


One of the great voices in popular music   December 10, 2003
Bruce Hodges (New York, NY)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Released three years before "Ingenue" brought her international fame, this CD is one of Lang's best collaborations with producer/songwriter Ben Mink. After this, she pretty much left her country-music roots and went on to explore other genres, but nevertheless, this gem remains one of her most satisfying recordings.

One of my all-time favorites is "Pulling Back the Reins," a slow ballad that showcases Lang's powerful, overwhelming range at its most poignant. In a similar vein, the throwback "Trail of Broken Hearts" sounds as melancholy as if it came straight from the 1950's. But lest you think that all is mournful and humorless, Lang dives into the clever, upbeat "Big Boned Gal" with a satisfying gusto. ("She was a big boned gal from southern Alberta...you just couldn't call her small...")

Sound is lively and present, with the twangy steel guitar timbre coming across especially well. The recording has a slight resonance that well suits the material and enhances the soaring phrasing that Lang seems to locate so instinctively.

Perhaps not for fans of "traditional" country music, since Lang's influences are all over the map. (This comes out more strongly in her later recordings.) But for those who want to hear the work of one of the country's finest vocalists in any medium, period, don't hesitate.