Product: K.D. Lang - Live by Request [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 4.0
The quality you'd expect from one of the world's best singrs
In a pop world of singers who can't sing, k d lang inevitably stands out. Personally I can't think of another English-language singer whose just plain singing ability is any better. For the most part, she delivers here the kind of well thought-out, beautifully controlled performances for which she is increasingly becoming known, while at the same time leaving plenty of room to let loose and have some fun.The selections more or less span her recording career to date. First and foremost, she gives her intense and moving trademark performance of "Crying", a song that by now I think she must be considered to have irrevocably stolen from Roy Orbison. The vocal performance is pretty much the same as the one she delivers on Harvest of Seven Years, but this time she is not hamstrung by a brainless, cheesy orchestra that just can't bend to fit the performer. On Live by Request, the band manages to accompany while fading into the background, leaving the focus where it belongs, something the earlier orchestra failed utterly to do.Of the other songs, I thought that "Pullin' back the Reins" and "Trail of Broken Hearts" were particularly well done, and she gives a very good, if disappointingly brief, performance of "Fever", accompanied only by the double-bass player. (For some reason this highlight track is omitted from the CD of the show.) Her poke-in-the-eye at Chatelaine magazine, "Miss Chatelaine", is used for some sartorial variety and cutting up, at the slight expense of the singing; but it's worth it for variety's sake. Personally I could live without the "MacArthur Park" skit, and the frequent interruptions of the "host". A phone call from Tony Bennett is a pleasant surprise the first time around, but could get irritating on repeated listening. My main complaint about the selections is that she doesn't do "The Air That I Breathe", a number she has stolen from the Hollies (or whoever they were) as effectively as she took "Crying" from old Roy. Her performance of it on Drag is an absolute masterpiece.Despite my verbosity, there's not a great deal to say about this show; it's just a really good performance from one of the world's top-notch pop singers. The audio and video quality is fine, the sets are nice, the crowd is pleasant, and the band is professional. This is a must-have for kd's fans, and a definite recommendation for anyone who appreciates good singing and a pleasant evening.