Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall [2 CD]
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Free Music Notes for Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall [2 CD]
Free Music Review: Almost Like Being In Love
Hit: 4 Stars
The wait is finally over! Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall released today to the cheers of many an adoring gay man across the country.
For those of you who don't know about the concert, a little background is in order: on April 23, 1961 Judy Garland performed an epic concert at Carnegie hall where she sang a whopping 28 songs in one night, solo. At that point in her career she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis and was told by her doctors she would never perform again, this was also around the time she started her infamous decline. However, she pulled it together that night and delivered a concert unanimously praised by the critics.
In all honesty, Miss Garland's original concert is a must for any well rounded music collection. The album is a fantastic time capsule of American Songbook standards from the likes of Irving Berlin, the Gershwins and Judy's interpretive specialty: Harold Arlen. Nearly all of the performances recorded that night are considered to be Judy's definitive interpretations, and for good reason. She bore her soul that night with the self-assurance of a master at her craft. Her Over The Rainbow is incredible in its utter loneliness, to hear it is to be unnerved. You won't think of Dorothy in the same way again.
To recreate such a legendary performance by such a legendary performer would be career suicide for most entertainers. Enter Rufus Wainwright and his tireless ego. He recreated the concerts in June of 2006. Wainwright has just enough similarities to make the concept of a recreation make sense: both had tumultuous home lives, both began performing at early ages, both had drug problems, and the both of them are gay icons, just to name a few similarities. Thankfully he makes his recreation part tribute, part campy spectacle, part individual artistic event, part history lesson. He gives some exhilarating interpretations of "The Man That Got Away", the "Almost Like Being In Love/ This Can't Be Love" medley and provides interesting historical commentary throughout the live album. Wisely, he made this album to complement the original, rather than replace it.
One criticism of the album, however; the cuts are a little choppy. One of the great technical aspects of the Judy album is that her editors made the night flow seamlessly when they fit it to an album. This was especially necessary for her performance, considering she came on stage to a fifteen minute ovation. That's not to say you can't hear the audience on the Judy album, you most definitely can, but they are limited to a few choice moments that remind the listener that this is a live concert instead of irritating the listener with constant shouts from the audience.
Whether or not the audience talked back at Rufus's concert, it doesn't matter since if any occurred it has been trimmed from the album entirely. This is fine, but some of the very beginnings of monologues between the songs are clipped, making controlled, humorous moments frenetic and jarring.
Overall his recording is well worth a listen. The band sounds great and Rufus's interpretations stand alone quite well; however to hear the night without knowing the concert it pays tribute to cheapens the experience. If you only go so far as Judy's concert, you've done yourself a great service, but if you want to go further, get Rufus's after soaking in the original for a while.
Free Music Review: WHOA! WHOA!! CALM DOWN!
Hit: 4 Stars
I had never purchased a Rufus Wainwright album, and was never particularly captured by a song of his that I heard. I did not expect to "love" it, so I asked for it as a Christmas present, and I was actually quite thrilled when I heard it! I am now a Rufus Wainwright convert.
But, my goodness! I expected people to spit poison about this, but these reviews are a litt-le over the top, no? Even for something Judy related...
First of all, there is nothing more ridiculous than armchair critics picking apart the particulars of a performer's vocal talent, ESPECIALLY when we're comparing Mr. Wainwright to Judy Garland. Judy sang loudly. Judy had a glowing talent to be able to hit a note dead-center as she carried the end of a song all the way up an octave. She alstho lithped and had difficulties with her letter S's (which became DILLEMAS for daughter, Liza...), and while fans of Judy love her vibrato and timbre, that trait is an artifact of the time-period in which she worked. (I've SEEN people my age CRINGE at the sound of Judy Garland's voice). We can't expect a MAN four or five show-biz generations later to sound like that, nor should he. Those of us who adore Judy should know she's one of a kind, anyway.
So, Rufus has a pop-rock accent and he's singing classical pop -- big deal! (What time and effort we took detailing his pronunciation of E's!). Have you heard some of the screaming cats that release classical pop and standard albums these days?
I thought he sounded just great. I was surprised to find his voice this charming and NATURAL. This is not in any way a campy sendup or drag-show of Judy Garland, which made it that much more personal and touching for me. He wasn't attempting to immitate Judy, he was singing a famous playlist of hers in tribute.
To be quite honest, the only jarring part of the whole album was, unfortunately, Lorna, who seemed to have a Palace Theatre flashback and forgot she was holding a microphone. YIKES...
So, let's not be bitter and vicious. We ALL would have loved to have been up there, but we weren't and Rufus was, and he did a great job. And, by all means, stop into any New York City kareoke bar, any night of the week if you want to see full-tilt impersonations of Judy Garland -- on tone, playing to the balcony, correct E's and all.
Free Music Review: GARLANDS OF PRAISE FOR RUFUS! RUFUS! RUFUS!
Hit: 4 Stars
On April 23, 1961, Judy Garland sang a staggering and historical concert at Carnegie Hall. Some 12 years later, Rufus Wainwright was born. And 45 years later, in June of 2006, Wainwright recreated the Garland concert, immortalized on a double-disc set. The following year, a DVD also captured his Garland tribute, this time live from the London Palladium. Wainwright is the openly gay son of two staggeringly talented folk singers, and Garland is arguably the most important gay icon of the 20th century. So what exactly gives here? Is this the ultimate insult, a cheap exploitation of a woman exploited all of her life, or is this an honest homage to an incredible talent? Although opinion seems to be sharply divided, let's make a couple of observations. No one in their right mind would go to all the work to learn material now so wildly out of the mainstream; Carnegie Hall must be an expensive place to rent, and must be far more pricey if you land on your butt there, embarrassing yourself and killing your career. This was obviously a project done out of love and respect. And so it is a wildly joyous and happy celebration to hear (and watch) Wainwright reach for Garland's material, mostly conquer it, have one hell of a time singing it, and take us all for the fabulous ride. Wainwright is sleek, sexy, charming, and frankly, a little nerdy in the nicest way. Saying that listening to the material on the CD is like meeting an old friend may be a cliché. Remember, Judy had been singing this material for years and years by the time she got to Carnegie Hall, so Wainwright is not always spot on, but then, even Judy blew lyrics. And to complain the Wainwright sounds mannered at times suggests an ignorance of Judy's style; her sometime treatment of consonants had to be illegal in some states. Both the CD and DVD should by enjoyed for two very important reasons--- the depth and breadth and the wonder of the material, and the passionate artistry of the man singing it.
Free Music Review: Rufus CAN hit those notes
Hit: 4 Stars
When I saw Rufus do this show at the Hollywood bowl and he was missing notes left and right, I thought, "I wonder if he can ever hit these notes, even in the studio." Even if they had to dub in some notes in the studio, the album comes together as an enjoyable and listenable show.
I think Rufus said, "What's next? What's the hardest thing I could think of doing? What could challenge me and take my skills to the next level? What would I LOVE to do?" Reproducing Judy at Carnegie was his choice. It was ambitious, and at the Hollywood Bowl overly ambitious. (OK, maybe he said, "What's the gayest album of all time? I'll do that.") The other reason is that his sister Martha said, "I wish I could sing Stormy Weather on the big stages of the western world. Rufus, could you make that happen?" ;-)
At the Hollywood Bowl, the best song of the show was, indeed, Martha's Story Weather. On the album, it's just as good, but Rufus's songs sound better, balancing the feel of the set.
The songs on the CDs are not Rufus' choice, so the real review should be the singing and patter. So, it's a good recording, but it doesn't match Judy's power, emotion and pure performance ability. Sure, Rufus brings something new in his interpretation of the set, but he's taking on a set that is part of musical history.
However, I'm a WAY bigger fan of Rufus than Judy, so I listen to this version much more than Judy's version.
One aspect I hadn't considered when I bought the recording is how nice it would be to hear a male voice singing some of these songs.
Applaud Rufus for being ambitious and having vision; enjoy his ambition with compassion with this part of his body of work.
Free Music Review: 3.5 Stars... Ambitious recreation and loving tribute
Hit: 4 Stars
Recreating the 1961 Judy Garland Carnegie Hall show in its entirety 45 years later at that very same venue was a stroke of brilliance on Rufus' part. His at times over the top style of music (as displayed on the Wants One and Wants Two albums) lends itself particularly well for this kind of project.
"Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall" (26 tracks; 114 min.) is lush and stylistic in every way, and really does transport you back to the heydays of the American big band music. The highlights of this set for me include "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", which Rufus stops about 15 seconds into it, only to urge the band to play it "a little faster", "Stormy Weather" which is sung by his sister Martha Wainsright, and of course "Over the Rainbow", which features his mother Kate McGarrigle. (Makes you kinda wonder how Rufus couldn't fins a song to bring out his dad, Loudon III.) It is striking how Rufus is straining himself towards the end of the album, as if from sheer physical exhaustion.
The liner notes are quite interesting, particularly his mom's, which includes a pciture of the 1961 Judy Garland show where you can see Rufus' grandmother and grandfather sitting in the audience! As is the case with Rufus' other recordings, I find that it is best enjoyed in small doses, sort of like eating Belgian chocolates: one or two are heavenly. After that, enjoy at your own risk.