Review: k.d. lang, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper
k.d. lang takes you on a journey through her career on her new disc, Watershed. She mixes in a little country, a little pop, a little easy listening, but, unfortunately, very little life. It’s the kind of collection that you might have on in the background when you’re alone doing stuff around your house or reading a book. It keeps you company, but it doesn’t want to make you use the broom as a guitar. Lang has an incredible voice, her harmonies are great, and her melodies are interesting in spots, but the 11 songs are painfully slow, and after about four of them you are hoping there isn’t a rope anywhere near you. If you are a k.d. lang fan, then you’ll probably enjoy this disc. If you’re not, and want to hear some of her better work, try 1992’s, Ingenue.
Madonna’s latest offering, Hard Candy, sounds like a Justin Timberlake album,
it’s just not as good. It’s one of those collections that is light on melody, but heavy on beats. It starts off pretty promising with the catchy “Candy Shop,” and moves nicely into “4 Minutes,” the first single with the aforementioned JT. However, by about the fifth or sixth song, you are looking for the eject button. Overall, this CD is actually not bad, but it’s a long way away from her finest moments on Like A Virgin, True Blue and Ray of Light.
Like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper also has a new album that is dance-floor ready. Lauper possesses a better voice than Madonna and on Bring Ya To The Brink she employs top studio help to help her give the Virginal One a run for her (our) money with 12 high-energy originals. Disco toss-offs like “Into The Nightlife” and “High And Mighty” thump and throb in all the right, predictable places. Lauper digs a little deeper on “Same Ol’ Story,” bitching about some lover (who really listens to dance music lyrics, anyway?) and dropping the “f” bomb repeatedly in the chorus (every disco song repeats the chorus 1,000 times, don’t-ya-know). Probably great for dancing, not so hot for listening, Bring Ya To The Brink is kind of like drinking an entire four-pack of Monster in one sitting. Whew!
Madonna’s latest offering, Hard Candy, sounds like a Justin Timberlake album. It’s one of those collections that is light on melody, but heavy on beats. It starts off pretty promising with the catchy “Candy Shop,” and moves nicely into “4 Minutes,” the first single with the aforementioned JT. However, by about the fifth or sixth song, you are looking for the eject button. Overall, this CD is actually not bad, but it’s a long way away from her finest moments on Like A Virgin, True Blue and Ray of Light.
Like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper also has a new album that is dance-floor ready. Lauper possesses a better voice than Madonna and on Bring Ya To The Brink she employs top studio help to help her give the Virginal One a run for her (our) money with 12 high-energy originals. Disco toss-offs like “Into The Nightlife” and “High And Mighty” thump and throb in all the right, predictable places. Lauper digs a little deeper on “Same Ol’ Story,” bitching about some lover (who really listens to dance music lyrics, anyway?) and dropping the “f” bomb repeatedly in the chorus (every disco song repeats the chorus 1,000 times, don’t-ya-know). Probably great for dancing, not so hot for listening, Bring Ya To The Brink is kind of like drinking an entire four-pack of Monster in one sitting. Whew!
30 Days Out 
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