Album of the Day

k.d. lang stood out from the crowd from the get-go - a lowercase name and distinctive look made it clear she was no ordinary cowgirl. Her unique place in country music (rare enough as it is in Canada) is confirmed as soon as she starts to sing; lang's got a voice that would be the envy of Patsy Cline. The connection to k.d.'s musical heroes grew even stronger with the Sire release SHADOWLAND, which was produced by Owen Bradley, who had helmed some of Cline's most iconic recordings. The 1988 collection is a matchless blend of twang and torch songs interpreted with a playful air that could only come from deep respect, and lang is accompanied in the studio by the cream of Nashville's session players (and on “Honky Tonk Angels' Medley” by country stars Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Kitty Wells). If later successes took k.d. lang further in a pop direction, SHADOWLAND remains one of her best albums, and we'll give it another spin today in honor of her birthday.