1. After the Gold Rush (Young)
2. Simple (lang/Piltch)
3. Helpless (Young)
4. A Case of You (Mitchell)
5. The Valley (Siberry)
6. Hallelujah (Cohen)
7. One Day I Walk (Cockburn)
8. Fallen (Sexsmith)
9. Jericho (Mitchell)
10. Bird on a Wire (Cohen)
11. Love Is Everything (Siberry)
Amazon.com
Was it homesickness that compelled longtime Los Angeles resident k.d. lang to fashion her one-woman campaign for north-of-the-border nationalism, or just plain good sense? All Canadian content has long been a mainstay of the Canadian Broadcasting System, but few have selected their material with such a fine hand and a high aesthetic. The expatriate singer has taken great pains to create a sophisticated homage to her Canadian roots, elegantly reinterpreting 11 songs penned by some of her more illustrious countrymen (and women) such as Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen. The idiosyncratic chanteuse turns Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" into an aching monochromatic lament, exploring new tributaries of pain that didn't exist in the original, while recasting Neil Young's "Helpless" into a haunting anthem of memory and comfort, all the while sounding anything but helpless. A gorgeous love letter to her brethren, complete with an intelligent and understated orchestration. --Jaan Uhelszki
Album Description
Hymns of the 49th Parallel fulfills k.d. lang's longstanding desire to create a Canadian songbook. On the album, her first for Nonesuch Records, she pays homage to fellow Canadian artists including Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Jane Siberry, Ron Sexsmith, and Bruce Cockburn.
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Hymns of the 49th Parallel
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2004-07-27)
- Publisher: Nonesuch
- Label: Nonesuch
- Studio: Nonesuch
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 136 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #1352
Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: KD Lang Hymms 2008-10-29
Comment: Wasn't thrilled with this CD. I so love KD but the songs were not to my taste!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Oh, Canada! 2008-09-24
Comment: KD Lang delivers on this disc! Her rendition of Neil Young's "Helpless" is worth the cost of the disc alone...but every song is wonderfully arranged and performed with heart and soul.
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Summary: What's To Complain About? 2008-08-29
Comment: No Gordon Lightfoot, no Ian Tyson (and k.d. is as much a cowboy as Ian, just a generation or two apart). And I realize Bruce Cockburn is sensitive and has his politics right, but he's gotten so humorless. And Ron Sexsmith is erratic and I would have picked other songs before Fallen. Beyond that, no complaints. This is a terrific CD -- she could have chosen any of twenty or so songs for both NY and LC, but the two she's done for each of them are superb. In fact, for me, her Helpless rivals the original. Ditto for Joni Mitchell's A Case of You, the definitive, bracing and bittersweet ode to lost pasts, whatever your sexual persuasion may be. And, finally, this is the third version I've got of Love is Everything, Siberry twice on her CD and this. And if they could do Calling All Angels together for that CD and the Wim Wenders film Until the End of the World, why not a duet on Love is Everything?
I waited way too long to get this CD; so have you.
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Summary: Mellow, easy listening, with the definitive version of Hallelujah 2008-05-23
Comment:
K.D.Lang, a woman whose voice I regard as one of the greatest in music, takes to covering songs from her homeland, Canada. Not really being that familiar with Canadian music [I'd be surprised if I could name 50 Canadian songs-though listening to this album would nudge me close to that mark], I can't say how well or otherwise she has chosen her songs. Perhaps there are better songs she could have covered? In any case, she delivers a consistently mellow and laid-back treatment of the songs she sings here.
There are some artists she honours by covering two of their tracks: Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Jane Sibery. Of the little I've heard of Joni Mitchell, I'd have to say that I would rather have heard "Both sides now" tackled by Lang, but I suppose the danger there would be that their treatments wouldn't be that differentiated.
The absolute highlight of this album is Lang's version of "Hallelujah". Can't really say that I've heard the definitive Cohen version...did see a You Tube version by him which must have been more recent. His voice isn't the best and K.D. really finds a beautiful melody for this song and a wonderful vocal style...she has a very pure, silky voice. In any case, Lang does signal her version as being The Definitive version of this song...the one which marks out its melodic territory. Perhaps the difference between the snippet I've heard from Cohen and Lang's version is akin to the difference between the original Mondo Rock version of "Touch of paradise" and John Farnham's sublime new arrangement. And Ross Wilson, of Mondo Rock, is one of pop/rock's greatest vocalists too.
Of the other songs, I liked "After the goldrush" and "Simple". A criticism of this album, I suppose, is that there is a certain sameness to the sound, which is only occasionally breached towards the end of the album.
Lang's vocals and the instruments used, like piano, accoustic guitar, violin and orchestra etc. make this album's sound sort of "lounge" ambiance wise.
Some assorted notes I made of other songs here:
"Helpless"-reminded me of Nancy Sinatra's all time classic "These boots are made for walking", as far as the guitar sound goes. Less mellow than the first two tracks which precede it.
"A case of you"-features a double bass, I think.
"One day I walk"-features an organ and sounds a little country. Not sure if this song also features an accordion or some such.
"Bird on wire"-is another song which features the organ.
Lastly, did notice K.D. hit a bung note in "Love is everything". Since her singing is usually so pure, you really notice an aberration like that!
I'm giving this album 7/10. K.D.Lang is a real talent.
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Summary: Hymns of the 49th Parallel 2008-05-06
Comment: kd takes you straight into heaven with her singing these old, familiar songs. Some of the arrangements are breathtaking whether they are soberly recorded or going for the whole works. kd's voice seems to be getting better as she grows older. Her rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is simply magnificent. Money well spent.
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