Ingénue

by

k.d. lang

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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.

I listen to this, and there's a beauty of most of these songs that remind me of being out in a prairie somewhere in Kansas, and seeing the green grass swaying, and the dust flying up in little whisps. It has that earthy folk feel, and considering this was supposed to be adult contemporary it sounds more like adult alternative. I was generally pleased with what I heard except for the second and sixth songs which I don't remember the titles of, but they just reeked too much of the key of "F". I hate that key with a passion, and so goes with the last song on this album "Constant Craving". I didn't know it existed until I moved down from Philadelphia; you see they didn't play this song up there from what I knew, and the first time I heard this was in 94 during the summer when I was at my worst emotionally, and since hearing it for the first time then it's always had a way of draining me emotionally like there's no hope. It's like seeing a man come home from a day where he didn't make alot of money at his work, and coming home with virtually nothing. It's a single young man who just had his heart stomped on by a girl, and now is grieving, and many other metaphors you could think of; for others this may be a haunting song, but still has it beauty; well you're right to think that, but to me sometimes beauty can be a downer if the spirit is not a pure loving one. This with the title of "Constant Craving" is of someone who's not happy with stopping with what she has, and I can identify with that because I have trouble with just standing still, and just enjoying beauty, but it has to be a beauty that strikes me dead, and "Constant Craving" just leaves me crying because the song makes you hungry, but for what? It's still has beauty just look past the fact that there was an article where Lang and Cindy Crawford had a fantasy where Crawford gives Lang a shave I actually saw that in Playboy. However, Lang does offer a good voice to these songs, but avoid 2&6, but especially "Constant Craving" if you want to keep your happy mood.