Drag

 (44 customer reviews)

First she was a Nashville misfit, then a would-be pop diva. But for 1997's "Drag," kd lang took elements from each of her previous incarnations and fused them with elements of jazz and lounge for an ultra-sophisticated torch concept album. Loosely linking songs that either center on or make reference to smoking (not to mention the double entendre depicted in the album's photographs, coupled with the fact that a good number of these songs are commonly associated with male vocalists), lang's selection in material has never been sharper, as not one of the dozen songs onhand sound as if they weren't written specifically for her voice and stylings.The lyrical ties may be a bit of a stretch at times, but the music throughout the project is firmly knotted together. One hardly has to read the production credits; a sampling of the left-of-center jazz and country blend leaves little doubt that anyone other than Craig Street, oddball extraordinare behind Cassandra Wilson's "New...Read more

k.d.lang has a voice that just soars and is able to wrap itself around a song. I would call her a modern day Karen Carpenter. The depth of emotion in her singing and the songs on this album just show off that range. The theme of "drag" is carried throughout the album in the smokey sound of her voice and the literally smokey/airy titles of the songs. "The Air That I Breathe" is a perfect example of the floating vocals making a perfectly perfect ethereal atmosphere. This is an amazing album of songs sung by an amazing voice of our time. Haunting and moving. A definite must for any music lover and an absolute must for a k.d. fan.

Before "Drag" the only music I had heard by kd was the duet she did with Roy Orbison "Crying", which ranks as one of the best pop duets. "Drag" had some interesting selections so I purchased it on a whim. "Don't Smoke In Bed" could only be equaled by Midler's sizzle and sarcasm. You can almost feel the burn baby burn as she's walking out of the bedroom. Carly Simon did this same song on her "Film Noir" Cd but kd's version takes the prize. "The Air That I Breathe" was one of the songs I wanted to hear (I thought if she did half as well on this one as she did on "Crying" it would be worth the Cd). This song was made for infinite interpretations, and kd's is by far the one I like best. You feel a sensuous humanity in her voice and the lyrics. Albert Hammond remains one of the great underated writers of pop music, and his music really shines here. "Smoke Dreams" takes you into some smokey nightclub with smoke...Read more