Lana Lane - Ballad Collection Special Edition

Disc 1
1. Nether lands (5:37) 2. Hands To Heal (5:32) 3. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (5:02) 4. A Place In Time (4:22) 5. Nevermore (4:55) 6. A Place In Time (Reprise) (1:32) 7. Ghost Beside My Bed (5:38) To The Last Whale: 8. Critical Mass (2:00) 9. Wind on the Water (3:24) 10. The River Maid (5:49) 11. Autumn Leaves (3:50) 12. Innocent When You Dream (3:21) 13. If Everyone Was Listening (6:08)
Disc 2
1. Avalon (1:52) 2. Athena's Shadow (5:32) 3. Stardust (5:02) 4. Seasons End (4:22) 5. Through the Fire (Acoustic) (4:55) 6. When Time Stood Still (1:32) 7. Clouds (abc mix)(5:38) 8. Heart of Dawn (abc mix) (2:00) 9. Take a Breath (abc mix) (3:24) 10. Across the Universe (5:49) 11. Avalon (Reprise) (3:50)

Total Running Time: 109:36

Have any of you ever wondered just how in the world you were supposed to distinctly recognize any of Lana Lane's series of Ballad Collections? I mean, they all have the same album title and were released at approximately the same date, so what exactly is going on? Quite simple. During 1998, Lana Lane recorded a couple of songs on a Japan-only release version titled Ballad Collection. The record received great feedback on the region, and thus convinced Lana Lane & Co. to release a follow-up album on the same lines as the Ballad Collection, and, well, decided to label it simply Ballad Collection II. A month later, the record label released the Ballad Collection Special Edition, which showcased both releases on a 2-CD slipcase package; a real teaser for those unsure fans that were not completely convinced as to what release to stick with and now had the chance to obtain the entire Ballad Collection catalogue on a single release. Quite obviously, a comprehensive review of Lana Lane's Ballad Collection records would have to be based on the Ballad Collection Special Edition release. So let us not hesitate any longer and begin our introspective view into Lana Lane's world of ballads and cover songs.

Ballad Collection Special Edition features a handful of beautiful melodic pop songs performed by the elite L.A. based team of Erik Norlander, Mark McCrite, Neil Citron, etc., with the sole purpose of the band being to enhance the graceful, angelic voice of Lana Lane. For this, an ambitiously selected repertoire of cover songs from renowned artists like Crosby & Nash, The Beatles, Marillion, Elton John, and ELO was meticulously arranged to suit her vocal style, displaying her mastery on vocal-oriented songs and, at the same time, offering a tribute to her roots and influences. Still, this is not a strictly cover song release, as there's a fair amount of original pieces, composed primarily by Erik Norlander, that follow the same mellow mood to fully complete the atmosphere intended for the album. Despite the redundancy, I consider it is truly important to point out that this release offers strictly rock/pop ballad oriented songs with mellow, sober arrangements, so anyone expecting crushing electric guitar riffs and pounding rhythms should leave now and look elsewhere.

Most pieces glide gracefully throughout the verse and chorus' lines, never jumping into unexpected, harsh territory, but instead creating a soothing, pleasant atmosphere all around them. Musical arrangements and instrumentation are meticulously treated to fulfill these standards and give the way to the full-front vocal melodies of Lana Lane. And while I would normally say that, musically, the album is right where it needs to be, the album does becomes a bit tedious as a couple of songs go by. The real shame is that most of the songs lack a tinge of excitement to them; losing the interest of the listener by the time the album is at only at mid-length. I feel quite confident when stating that every song works out perfectly as a stand-alone piece, but they fail to work together in the record, following a very similar melodic path and ending up a little too weary and a bit too overwhelming for my particular taste. So clearly, I would recommend to listen to this double album release as two independent and different albums, instead of a serial follow-up between the two.

Still, is this album any good? Well, I should add that it is. What really disappoints me is that both discs offer exactly the same kind of material with the same kind of guidelines and song structure, which again brings me to my point… why even bother in making another release of ballads that identically resemble the original set? Well… probably to satisfy the craving of many Lana Lane fans out there who would surely not be disappointed with this fact. My suggestion? Stick with any of the two albums… I really don't find any difference between them.

-by Javier Elizondo

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