I couldn;t agree more --- it is scary how live she will sound EXACTLY like the studio recording....a power of an instument and I have most of her recording , but I never know what she is really feeling....
"Sir K, the Viscount of Uppity-shire...." -- kissmycookie
Rathnait62; Honey..if I put this on the main board it would be moved here.
KMF; It is almost as if a computer was singing the songs. No emotional content whatsoever. ( But I feel the same with Celine Dion and look how popular she is)
"She scrambles the two to create a copy of a copy of something that feels impersonal, no matter how much sincerity she pours into the project. On Wednesday, she brought a mechanical bravura to songs like "By Myself," "The Man That Got Away" and "You Made Me Love You," but her stock notions of how to sing them precluded the emergence of an authentic vocal personality."
The quote I most agree with ( basing my opinion on other concerts but also on this current album)
"...call the Times with the news, tell them boys stop the presses..."
She has a rare and beautiful instrument, but I wish to god she knew how to use it. I have never seen a performer (if we can call what she does performing) more devoid of warmth, connectivity to the material and the audience, and personality in my life.
Miss Thing is loud, though...I'll give her that.
Suzanne: I never use catalogs. I'd rather go in the store and see all the salespeople groveling and sucking up to you.
Julia: Pardon me, I never knew they were so solicitous at the K-Mart.
I've seen her in a couple concerts and on stage in J & H...NEVER was there a variation in the delivery when comparing her live performances to other live performances as well as recorded one.
Don't misunderstand me, she has an amazing voices -- it is just too trained and too calculated....
"Sir K, the Viscount of Uppity-shire...." -- kissmycookie
ANd it shows more with the material she is doing now. Just listen to Garlands originals and the emotion and depth is so powerful it is amazing. And then you listen to Lindas version... and while pretty; it doesn't amount to more than elevator music.
I must say that when I heard she was doing it.. I hoped for the best and thought this might be the thing where she shows some kind of emotional connection. What a let down.
I TOTALLY disagreee. If Mr. Stephen Holden is GOD to you and you feel vindicated now..fine. How many of you saw this concert anyway???
I was there and it was one of the best..if not THE BEST concert I've ever been to...and Ive seen the likes of Cook, McDonald, Chenowith, Lupone..in concert over the years...Linda received so many standing ovations I lost count and not only for the big belter numbers....Always Chasing Rainbows/Over the Rainbow got one too. The roar of the crowd was deafening.
Her intrepretive side has improved enormously over the years and most other publications have noticed this. The NY Times has agendas these days promoting certain performers and composers at every opportunity..Linda falls withing the pop ballad belter type that the newspaper has taken a position against. Also Ive followed her reviews and the Times remains the only newspaper in the country to trash her..Too bad so many here are so easily influenced by this lately agenda filled rag.
Heres the playbill review for a different opinion: LINDA EDER at Carnegie Hall
In her fourth solo evening at Carnegie Hall this past Wednesday, Linda Eder presented a two-act performance entitled By Myself: Celebrating the Music of Judy Garland. Drawn mostly from her newest CD, "By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland," Eder belted her way through a host of songs performed by the late, great entertainer. Does Eder have Garland's vulnerability and unending emotional depth? No. But does Eder possess one of the most exciting belt voices around? Yes. And, it's that voice — a remarkably rangy instrument that opens at the top to reveal thrilling, vibrato-filled high notes — that stopped the show several times throughout the more than two-hour evening. In the six years since she bowed at Carnegie Hall, Eder has also grown as a performer: She is more confident, more at easy and quite funny in her between-song patter.
Eder, dressed in a mauve gown in the first half and a black one in the second, opened her program with an upbeat pairing of "Almost Like Being in Love" and "This Can't Be Love." After joking, "I can't breathe, and it's not just because of this dress," the former Jekyll & Hyde star said the evening would both celebrate and applaud Garland's musicality and would include several tunes Garland performed at her own famed Carnegie Hall concert in 1961. She then launched into a swinging medley of "The Best Is Yet to Come," "The Man I Love" and "Just in Time." Throughout the evening, Eder spoke much about Garland and how the singer inspired her own career path. Eder also chatted about the men in her life — son Jake, now age six, and new beau Craig — who were both in the sold-out crowd.
The first half also included Eder's takes on "Me and My Shadow," "You Go to My Head" and "The Rainbow's End," a haunting "It Never Was You" and an infectious medley of "The Boy Next Door" and "You Made Me Love You." She then poured out her voice in "By Myself," which closed the first act wonderfully.
Eder began the evening's second half with a rousing medley of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" and "The Trolley Song" and then spoke about a recent visit to the London Palladium — where Garland also triumphed — led by an elderly fan of the late stage and screen star. "It's All for You," "I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning" and a sexy "Do It Again" preceded a touch of torch: a great combination of "Stormy Weather" and "The Man That Got Away." "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" led into an understated "Over the Rainbow" that ended on a dreamy high note, but it was a high voltage pairing of "San Francisco" and "Swanee" that brought the crowd to its feet.
Eder's encores continued the excitement: her signature tune "Vienna," which was one of the evening's highlights, and a powerful "Don't Rain on My Parade" were each followed by standing ovations, and another Garland favorite, "Look for the Silver Lining," concluded the evening on an upbeat note. (Eder was backed by a full orchestra, expertly led by musical director John Oddo.)
It has nothing to do with reviews - it's our own personal opinions and feelings from having seen her perform in the past. We all find her emotionally disconnected from the music.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
It has nothing to do with the reviews. Just our opinions from having seen her in other concerts and listening to this cd and others. But I am glad you enjoyed it.
I saw her too, and although you know I love ya DAME, I thought she was absolutely wonderful. She had quite a conncection with the audience, and I'm sure she is well aware of the fact that no one can compare to the depth that Ms. Garland put into her songs, because hardly anyone has suffered the ups and downs that she had in her life. I also saw it as one of the best concerts I have attended, and in a previous concert I had been to, Eder actually started crying in the middle of a song because she was so moved at what she was singing.
Ebonic_Singer; Glad you had a good time. Again I want to state that I was not at that particular concert. Just that the reviw sounded like evey other time I had seen her,.
The NY Times review is a real shame because I really think that the majority of those in attendance thought they were witnessing something even historic..it was that good. Garland is a one of a kind talent and its unfair to expect Eder to be Garland. But I thought she put her own spin on the songs and everything worked. She even worked the entire stage. From my vantage point, the roaring standing ovations were spontaneous and complete...I really doubt even Judy received more or louder ones. Belting types are in vogue to hate nowadays in the Times and noone belts better than Linda. I'd listen to her any day over their star protege Kristin Chenoweth though.
Then again DAME you do manage to quickly find the one or two reviews that trash her and seem to take delight in that. Ive followed her and 99% of her reviews across the country are absolute raves. I imagine you wont be seeing her in LA??? Btw I never did find the billboard review.
I will be seeing her in LA. December 10th. Taking my partner. And I can only relate to what my experience has been. Now don't be dissingme for not liking something you do or for not agreeing with you. Your entitled to your opinion as well as I am to mine. And by the way.. BWW posted the NY times review way befor I did.
Peter -- I am certain that the house was thrilled -- I've been to Carnegie and seen her there myself -- and this next statement is NOT diminishing what you witnessed -- but you have to admit that this is an audience of devoted fans...of course there will be huge ovations. I don;t think the Times opinion has anything to do with in or out of vogue to hate belting types...
As I read the review they don't "hate" Linda, nor did anyone else who understood the reviews point.
I am thrilled she is doing so well --- I remember like yesterday watching EVERY SINGLE EPISODE of Star Search Season one just for Linda and Sam and have been a devoted fan since then. I am there with you that this recent Carnegie concert showed a change in her performance style...maybe her separation from Frank is "freeing her" in more ways than one!
Enjoy the LA show Dame! Look forward to your point of view!
"Sir K, the Viscount of Uppity-shire...." -- kissmycookie
Actually, KMF, if my group is in any way indicative. I went with four other friends..only one of them could be considered a fan in any stretch, and certainly not a diehard one. One never heard her before, one did see her in concert several years ago and had mixed feelings about her. Everyone left raving about her and saying it was one of the best concerts theyve ever attended. And actually, if you check Lindas message board, many arent fans of Judys music so at least a portion of her core base passed on the concert for that reason.
Look at today's hit Broadway musicals, and the general style of singing that people nowadays go nuts over...of COURSE there was mayhem and ovating, because nobody, but NOBODY, can yell louder, longer, or higher than Linda Eder, and that's what people want today.
She's Idina, Shoshana, Eden, and all the rest of the big-throated belty broads rolled into one (extremely handsome, IMHO) package.
Suzanne: I never use catalogs. I'd rather go in the store and see all the salespeople groveling and sucking up to you.
Julia: Pardon me, I never knew they were so solicitous at the K-Mart.
Yes, Jailyardguy, shes the best of the belters. But she also has a beautiful sorpano side and not all her songs are huge showstopping belter songs. She also received a standing ovation for a very understated Always Chasing Rainbows/Over the Rainbow.
