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By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland
Linda Eder
By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Broadway & Vocalists
 
  •  Track Listings (11) - Disc #1

Good news: "The Man That Got Away" is not on this tribute to the Judy Garland songbook. Yes, it's an extraordinary song, but how many versions of it do we need? Apart from that absence, Linda Eder tackles many well-known n...  more »

     
   
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CD Details

All Artists: Linda Eder
Title: By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 1
Label: Angel Records
Original Release Date: 1/1/2005
Re-Release Date: 10/4/2005
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Vocal Pop, Traditional Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 724356334021

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Good news: "The Man That Got Away" is not on this tribute to the Judy Garland songbook. Yes, it's an extraordinary song, but how many versions of it do we need? Apart from that absence, Linda Eder tackles many well-known nuggets long associated with Judy Garland--or as Leslie Bricusse puts it in his fawning liner notes, "Picasso Sings Rembrandt." Eder, a belter par excellence, lacks Garland's brittle vulnerability, and so she isn't at her best on songs that require a delicate touch, such as "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart." She's much more at ease on tracks like the fingersnapping "I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning," which also has the advantage of being fairly obscure--Garland performed it on TV in 1968 but didn't record it so her vocal pawprints aren't all over the song and Eder can put her own stamp on it, as she does on the lone new original, Jack Murphy's "The Rainbow's End." In terms of arrangements, the album sounds as if no expense was spared. The songs are split between the London Symphony Orchestra and a gang of experienced jazzbos who know how to deliver a big-band bang. That alone is enough to recommend this album--lovers of old-school orchestrations should be in heaven. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

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CD Reviews

Happy Days Are Here Again - With Music That Makes The Soul H
Amanda Christensen | New Jersey, USA | 10/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"To perform the songs of Judy Garland - one of America's, dare I say the World's, greatest entertainers - in a tribute CD, is to tread on ambitious and even dangerous ground. But it is with courageous and loving spirit that Linda Eder brings us her latest release, BY MYSELF: THE SONGS OF JUDY GARLAND. Not only does Eder rise to the challenge of capturing the "essence" of Garland, but she somehow manages to surpass her gift, infusing each song with her own style and a "newness" that will resonate for generations to come. The title-track, "By Myself," is a victorious anthem of self-confidence and worth, sung skillfully and with perfect conviction by Eder. She breathes new life into "classic" Judy Garland songs with expertly paired medleys such as "Almost Like Being In Love/This Can't Be Love," "Zing! Went the Strings Of My Heart/The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door/You Made Me Love You," and "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows/Over the Rainbow;" and she exposes the beautiful and blithe "lesser-covered" or even know songs, including "Me and My Shadow," "It Never Was You," "Do It Again," and "I'd Like To Hate Myself In the Morning." Eder's "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" does indeed rock, but, perhaps surprisingly, one of the most delightful tracks among this catalog of beloved treasures, is the only original song - "The Rainbow's End" - penned by Lyricist/Composer and long-time Eder collaborator Jack Murphy. The song, intended as a tribute to Judy Garland's legacy, has smart lyrics and a melody that dramatically builds and falls in brilliant fashion (without ever really falling!) - perhaps meant to mirror the tidal quality of Judy Garland's own life. Although written in 2005, "The Rainbow's End" is well-married with the other material on the disc, which with Eder's opulent voice, effortlessly and blissfully transports the listener to a bygone era - when the songs were great, the talent was pure, and the music had meaning."
A Must Have!
S. Roche | Jacksonville, FL | 10/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"While not your typical "Linda" CD, it still scores a 10 in my book. We're so used to Linda Eder's belt - this CD introduces us to the softer, reflective side of this songstress. Not to worry - there are still songs with that powerful belt!



The medleys, "Almost Like Being In Love/This Can't Be Love" and "The Boy Next Door/You Made Me Love You" seem to belong together. "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart/The Trolley Song" has your toes tapping right along. "Do It Again" is more seductive than words can describe. Finally, "The Rainbow's End", the only non-Judy song on the CD is a superb tribute to the legend.



If you don't immediately love the CD, give it time. You'll warm to it. It needs to be a part of your collection!"
Absolutely spectacular
Gary Cote | New Hampshire | 10/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Linda's interpretations are so unique and all her own. She has paid true homage to Judy's legacy in this "By Myself" production. Her voice is every bit as stellar as the instruments in the orchestra that back her. I could feel the raw emotion that went into this recording, similar the feelings one gets from Garland. Linda doesn't copy Judy, more like there is a piece of Garland living on through Linda's interpretations. And of course, Linda's vocal ability is the apex of singing."