Absolute Torch and Twang

Absolute Torch and Twang
Absolute Torch and Twang
Studio album by k.d. lang and the Reclines
Released	1989
Studio	Vancouver Studios (Vancouver, BC)
Genre	Country
Length	41:31
Label	Sire, Warner Bros.
Producer	Greg Penny, k.d. lang, Ben Mink
k.d. lang chronology

Absolute Torch and Twang is the third album by k.d. lang and the Reclines, released in 1989.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Chicago Sun-Times	^[3]
Chicago Tribune	^[4]
Los Angeles Times	^[5]
NME	7/10^[6]
Q	^[7]
Record Mirror	5/5^[8]
Rolling Stone	^[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[10]
The Village Voice	B+^[11]

Fred Dellar of Hi-Fi News & Record Review gave the best rating to the album and said that "Canuck has fashioned yet another album that crosses borderlines and blends various aspects of country music with the sounds stemming from a late night, 40's jukebox".^[12]

Track listing

All tracks written by k.d. lang and Ben Mink, except where noted.

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Luck in My Eyes"		4:10
2.	"Three Days"	Willie Nelson	3:17
3.	"Trail of Broken Hearts"		3:24
4.	"Big Boned Gal"		3:08
5.	"Didn't I"		3:39
6.	"Walflower Waltz"		4:22
7.	"Full Moon Full of Love"	Leroy Preston Jeannie Smith	2:49
8.	"Pullin' Back the Reins"		4:23
9.	"Big, Big Love"	Kenneth Carroll Wynn Stewart	2:29
10.	"It's Me"		2:20
11.	"Walkin' in and Out of Your Arms"		3:03
12.	"Nowhere to Stand"	k.d. lang	4:27
Total length:			41:31

Personnel

Musicians

k.d. lang – acoustic guitar, guitar, vocals
Graham Boyle – percussion, tambourine, claves, spoons
Michael Creber – piano
John Dymond – bass
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama – background vocals, voices
Greg Leisz – steel guitar, slide guitar
Gordie Matthews – acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar
Ben Mink – organ, acoustic guitar, guitar, mandolin, strings, violin, electric guitar, mandola, bowed bass
David Piltch – fretless bass, bowed bass
Michel Pouliot – drums
Ed Thigpen – drums

Production

Producers: Greg Penny, k.d. lang, Ben Mink

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1989–1990)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[13]	81
Canadian Albums (RPM)	29
Canadian Country Albums (RPM)	8
US Billboard 200^[14]	69
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[15]	12

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[16]	44
Chart (1990)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[17]	16

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[18]	Gold	35,000^{^}
Canada (Music Canada)^[19]	Platinum	100,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[20]	Silver	60,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[21]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1989	Absolute Torch and Twang	Best Female Country Vocal Performance

References

Citations

^ Deming, Mark. "Absolute Torch and Twang – k.d. lang and the Reclines / k.d. lang". AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ Deming, Mark. "Absolute Torch and Twang – k.d. lang and the Reclines / k.d. lang". AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ McLeese, Don (May 29, 1989). "k.d. lang and the Reclines, 'Absolute Torch and Twang' (Sire)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ Heim, Chris (June 8, 1989). "k.d. lang and the reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang (Sire)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ Lewis, Randy (May 28, 1989). "K.D. Lang 'Absolute Torch and Twang.' Sire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ Bailie, Stuart (27 May 1989). "Long Play: kd Lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch Twang (Sire)". New Musical Express. London: IPC Limited. p. 37. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024 – via Flickr.
^ "k.d. lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang". Q. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
^ Zeppelin, Geoff (May 27, 1989). "K D Lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang". Record Mirror. p. 32.
^ Gleason, Holly (July 13–27, 1989). "k.d. lang: Absolute Torch And Twang". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "k.d. lang". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 474–475. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
^ Christgau, Robert (July 25, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^ Dellar, Fred (August 1989). "Review: k.d. lang — Absolute Torch and Twang" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 8. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 107. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
^ "Chartifacts – Week Ending: 26 April 1992 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 117)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "k.d. lang Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "k.d. lang Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "Canadian album certifications – k.d. lang and The Reclines – Absolute Torch & Twang". Music Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "British album certifications – k.d. lang – Absolute Torch And Twang". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – k.d. lang & The Reclines – Absolute Torch & Twang". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

Print sources

Nash, Alanna (August 1989). "K.D. Lang" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 54, no. 8. New York: Diamandis Communications Inc. p. 75. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021 – via World Radio History.

[1] Deming, Mark. "Absolute Torch and Twang – k.d. lang and the Reclines / k.d. lang". AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[2] Deming, Mark. "Absolute Torch and Twang – k.d. lang and the Reclines / k.d. lang". AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[3] McLeese, Don (May 29, 1989). "k.d. lang and the Reclines, 'Absolute Torch and Twang' (Sire)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[4] Heim, Chris (June 8, 1989). "k.d. lang and the reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang (Sire)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[5] Lewis, Randy (May 28, 1989). "K.D. Lang 'Absolute Torch and Twang.' Sire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[6] Bailie, Stuart (27 May 1989). "Long Play: kd Lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch Twang (Sire)". New Musical Express. London: IPC Limited. p. 37. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024 – via Flickr.

[7] "k.d. lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang". Q. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2013.

[8] Zeppelin, Geoff (May 27, 1989). "K D Lang and the Reclines: Absolute Torch and Twang". Record Mirror. p. 32.

[9] Gleason, Holly (July 13–27, 1989). "k.d. lang: Absolute Torch And Twang". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2013.

[10] Considine, J. D. (2004). "k.d. lang". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 474–475. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

[11] Christgau, Robert (July 25, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

[HiFiReview-12] Dellar, Fred (August 1989). "Review: k.d. lang — Absolute Torch and Twang" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 8. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 107. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.

[13] "Chartifacts – Week Ending: 26 April 1992 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 117)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved February 17, 2017.

[ac_Billboard200_k.d._lang-14] "k.d. lang Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[ac_BillboardCountry_k.d._lang-15] "k.d. lang Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[16] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[17] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[AustraliaalbumCertRef-18] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[Canadak.d._lang_and_The_ReclinesAbsolute_Torch_&_TwangalbumCertRef-19] "Canadian album certifications – k.d. lang and The Reclines – Absolute Torch & Twang". Music Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[United_Kingdomk.d._langAbsolute_Torch_And_TwangalbumCertRef-20] "British album certifications – k.d. lang – Absolute Torch And Twang". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[United_Statesk.d._lang_&_The_ReclinesAbsolute_Torch_&_TwangalbumCertRef-21] "American album certifications – k.d. lang & The Reclines – Absolute Torch & Twang". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]