The early '90s were a very different time than now. Young teenagers were not expected to have many public opinions, and were not exactly welcomed by most people to condone thoughts and feelings considered outside the mainstream.
I remember the summer "Constant Craving" played constantly on the radio, the summer of 1992. I was a 12 year old North Dakotan, just waking up to the world. And hearing this song, I realized something about myself. It was something I don't think North Dakotan kids were supposed to freely acknowledge. But it was undeniable, suddenly just magically self-evident.
I loved music deeply.
There were songs I loved before that, inklings of a special attraction to the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that compose songs. This was the first song, however, upon hearing it new, I specifically remember thinking to myself, "This is ingenious music."
It was downright scandalous.
There was so much brilliance to hear. The vocal harmonies of "Constant Craving" are irreplaceable. I was just not prepared for them at the time. They still give me instant goosebumps; I've sung along to them a thousand times. The verse chord progression is so dark and thoughtful, the expansive vocal melody is trademark. The chorus is utterly original and disorientingly passionate. Beneath the harmonic luster, the rhythms are perfect, the economical snare work just exactly right. I love the small drum rolls folded in at great spots. A special shout out to the evocative bass playing throughout.
What parts of this song are greater: the big moments or the small ones? When we have that breakdown towards the end, where silence is followed by a spellbinding, hushed section - what dramatic confidence. And then for all that full, astounding instrumentation to enter for the ending passage... I can pick one instrument, say, the vibraphone, and just hear it in the mix and know joy.
It wasn't long after that summer of '92 I started forming the idea that listening to this stuff wasn't enough. I needed to play.
Thank you, k.d. lang, for speaking to so many and letting us know our feelings were all right. In the very words of this great song, our passionate feelings are transcendent, possibly telltale of a universal love guiding us all.