Track Listing

1. By Myself
2. Almost Like Being In Love/This Can't Be Love
3. Me and My Shadow
4. I'd Like To Hate Myself In the Morning
5. It Never Was You
6. Zing! Went the Strings Of My Heart/The Trolley Song
7. The Boy Next Door/You Made Me Love You
8. The Rainbow's End
9. Do It Again
10. Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody
11. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows/Over the Rainbow

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11419 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

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

Customer Reviews

Happy Days Are Here Again - With Music That Makes The Soul Happy!
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.

How Does She Hold Those Notes????
What a voice! I'm embarassed to say this was my first Linda Eder purchase (it wont be my last!) It takes a lot of chutzpah taking on Judy Garland and I was curious enough to give this a listen. All I can say is, Wonderful! I was just bowled over by her voice. (she even sounds a little like Judy on some of the songs). My only complaint is a few of these songs are only marginally associated with Judy (she may have recorded them, but...) while other more famous ones never made the cut. I was disappointed that The Man That Got Away wasnt on here (I've since found out she allready recorded it on a previous CD, but it would have been nice to be included here as the CD doesnt seem complete without it) The newer song, Rainbows End, is sensational and for me the high point of the album. This is a powerhouse set and if you like great songs sung by a wonderful singer, you cant go wrong here! I love every track on it.

A Must Have!
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!