Hymns of the 49th Parallel

by k.d. lang

Overview

In 1988, Stompin' Tom Connors, the most fiercely patriotic Canadian musician to ever take the stage in the land of the Maple Leaf, wrote a song in tribute to fellow Canadian k.d. lang for continuing to hang her hat in Alberta after enjoying a commercial breakthrough in the United States. It's hard to say what Stompin' Tom thinks about lang these days, now that she's an out-of-the-closet lesbian, an animal rights activist, and (gulp) spending most of her time in America, but it's a good bet he approves of Hymns of the 49th Parallel, in which lang turns her attention exclusively to the work of Canadian tunesmiths. Anchored by classic songs from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen (all of whom rate two songs each), Hymns of the 49th Parallel is not so much a flag-waving celebration of Canada as an appreciation of the often spare and evocative style of its best-known lyricists (or at least that's the case with the material on board), and lang and frequent collaborator Ben Mink have matched the selections with production and arrangements that are simple and to the point, with only a piano/bass/drums trio for accompaniment (though a string section pops in every once in a while). With her phrasing subdued and her projection scaled back from the big-as-all-outdoors sound of her early days, lang seems to have kept her own instrument in check as well, though her best moments still inspire a very real awe. Though lang has chosen some superb songs (and written a fine one herself in the album's only original, "Simple") and performed them with obvious love and affection, Hymns of the 49th Parallel seems oddly lacking in passion; perhaps in deference to the frozen North, this album has a cool and frosty undertow that seems designed to hold the listener at arm's length, despite the inarguable beauty of its craft. Perhaps for the follow-up, she should bring in Stompin' Tom for a duet on "The Hockey Song" to liven things up. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	01/20/2017
Label:	Nonesuch
UPC:	0075597943689

Tracks

1. After the Gold Rush
2. Simple
3. Helpless
4. A Case of You
5. The Valley
6. Hallelujah
7. One Day I Walk
8. Fallen
9. Jericho
10. Bird on a Wire
11. Love Is Everything

Album Credits

Performance Credits

k.d. lang   Primary Artist,Vocals
David Piltch   Guitar (Bass),Bass (Acoustic),Bass (Electric)
Teddy Borowiecki   Piano,Accordion,Keyboards
Brian Dembow   Viola
Larry Corbett   Cello
Cynthia Fogg   Viola
Deodato   Conductor
Tiffiany Yi Hu   Violin
Clayton Cameron   Drums
Cecilia Tsan   Cello
Stephen Erdody   Cello
David Stenske   Violin
Armen Ksadjikian   Cello
Ben Mink   Fiddle,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Sara Parkins   Violin
Ralph Morrison III   Violin

Technical Credits

Dave Leonard   Audio Engineer
k.d. lang   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Ben Mink   Audio Production,Producer,Digital Editing
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Leonard Cohen   Composer
David Piltch   Composer
Jane Siberry   Composer
Deodato   String Arrangements
David Leonard   Mixing,Engineer
Joni Mitchell   Composer
Ron Sexsmith   Composer
Neil Young   Composer
John Morrical   Assistant
David Sherr   Contractor
Bruce Cockburn   Composer
John Musgrave   Technical Assistance
Russell Nash   Technical Assistance
David Eaman   Technical Assistance
Tom Calderaro   Copyist
Jeri Heiden   Photography
John Heiden   Photography
Andy Goldsworthy   Cover Photo