Completely zany, eccentric and even raucous country album that bursts with raw energy.
You know when people say they don't like country - well, it could be also because genre is so darn boxed in stereotypes but this is completely different and obviously it takes outsider from far North to bring some new energy into what is basically a worn-out, tired and grey pound. I have no idea how did Nashville establishment take this but to me it sounds almost revolutionary in its playfulness and irreverence. It has fiddles and all, as expected but album explodes with wink and nudge - as "Diet of Strange Places" and "Rose Garden" shows, K.D.Lang could easily switch to croon whenever she wished so though the rest of the collection is more madcap energy and it definitely appeals to everybody curious to hear different take on country. Here I must also add that its exactly this youthful energy, humor and rockabilly sound that I like the best - going all weepy ballads and heartbreak is for me just calculated step into boring direction that plays on acceptance. To come out with something as crazy as Monthy-Pithonesque "Watch Your Step Polka" means "hey world, here I am" and I enjoy it immensely. This is sound of young, enthusiastic musicians playing their asses off and having fun.
As subsequent releases showed, Lang went the torch way and got heaps of awards for it. Which is just fine if you love ballads but spontaneity and energy here was never repeated. I am not sure does it mean improvement, because I happened to love celebratory and party music like "Tune Into My Wave" where she just explodes with energy and Presley himself would probably love this. It makes me wonder does success in country means whitewashing all the rough edges and everything that made artist interesting in the first place?
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