k.d. lang - Absolute Torch and Twang (1989) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Absolute Torch and Twang was the last bona fide country album of k.d. lang's career, and while external circumstances may have forced her hand in exploring other musical avenues, this set suggests she may have already been headed that way. Absolute Torch and Twang is the definitive statement of lang's country period; by this time, she'd moved past the slightly kitschy Patsy Cline homages of her earliest work and developed a strong musical personality of her own, using her rich and supple voice to approach material both witty and heartfelt. lang's collaboration with producer and songwriter Ben Mink was reaching its peak as well, with the performances and arrangements hitting a superb grace note between polish and passion. lang's songwriting had matured, most notably on "Nowhere to Stand," a powerful number about child abuse, and she'd developed a knack for writing about misfits, both defiant and otherwise; as a Canadian lesbian vegetarian performance artist trying to work within mainstream country music, you have to know her heart was with the heroines of "Big Boned Gal" and "Wallflower Waltz." And while lang had embraced vintage countrypolitan sounds on Shadowland, Absolute Torch and Twang found her bridging a gap between Cline-style balladry and polished lounge styles on "Trail of Broken Hearts" and "Pullin' Back the Reins," and finding a comfortable home in the middle ground. While some fans were disappointed when lang retreated from country music on her next album, Ingénue, it's hard to imagine her (or anyone else) topping an album quite as strong as Absolute Torch and Twang. by Mark Deming  
Tracklist :
1    Luck In My Eyes 4:13
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
Claves [Clavé] – Graham Boyle
Slide Guitar – Greg Leisz
2    Three Days 3:18
Written-By – Faron Young, Willie Nelson
3    Trail Of Broken Hearts    3:26
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
4        Big Boned Gal 3:09
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
Bass [Bowed Basses] – Ben Mink, David Piltch
5    Didn't I    3:40
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
6    Wallflower Waltz 4:23
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
Acoustic Guitar – k.d. lang
Strings – Ben Mink
7    Full Moon Full Of Love 2:50
Jeannie Smith, Leroy Preston
Double Bass [Upright Bass] – David Piltch
Drums – Ed Thigpen
8    Pullin' Back The Reins    4:24
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
9    Big Big Love 2:29
Kenneth Carroll, Wynn Stewart
10    It's Me    2:20
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
11    Walkin' In And Out Of Your Arms 3:05
Ben Mink / k.d. lang
Spoons – Graham Boyle
Voice [Voices] – The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama
12    Nowhere To Stand 4:27
k.d. lang
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Ben Mink (pistas: 1 to 11), Gordie Matthews (pistas: 3, 10)
Arranged By [Strings] – Ben Mink (pistas: 3, 8, 12)
Bass – John Dymond (pistas: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 11)
Bass [Fretless] – Graham Boyle (pistas: 5, 8)
Drums – Michel Pouliot (pistas: 1 to 11)
Electric Guitar – Ben Mink (pistas: 4, 10), Gordie Matthews (pistas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 9, 11)
Lap Steel Guitar – Greg Leisz (pistas: 2, 7, 9)
Mandola – Ben Mink (pistas: 1, 4, 9 to 11)
Mandolin – Ben Mink (pistas: 6, 11)
Percussion – Graham Boyle (pistas: 3, 5, 10)
Piano – Michael Creber (pistas: 2, 3, 5, 7 to 10)
Steel Guitar – Greg Leisz (pistas: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11)
Tambourine – Graham Boyle (pistas: 4, 9)
Violin – Ben Mink (pistas: 1, 4, 5, 7)