Julie Andrews - Here I'll Stay - The Words of Alan Jay Lerner

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Music reviews of Here I'll Stay - The Words of Alan Jay Lerner

Music Review: Andrews and Lerner: A Match Made In Camelot
Rating: 4 Stars

There are hints, even on this record, that that crystalline voice was already showing a few very minor stress fractures, but overall it was holding up remarkably well in her fifth decade of performing. While some have complained that her "My Fair Lady" medley will never begin to compare to the original cast recording, it is clear (by dint of the fact that is IS a medley) that it was never intended to. Nonetheless,Andrews sings these classic bits with wit, authority, heart and skill.

As project albums go, this collection of songs with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner is a mixed bag. And that's not a bad thing in this case. Aside from the showstoppers, there are any number of brooding, introspective pieces that Julie Andrews renders sensitively. For several years now, Julie has deliberately let herself be cast against type and has sung songs "against type," and has successfully distanced herself from her early Mary/Maria image. At this point in her life, when she tackles something like "My Love Is A Married Man," it seems pretty natural and uncontrived, however, just one more role that this accomplished singer/actress can take on handily.

I was eleven when MARY POPPINS was first released, and in my Beatlemaniac pre-adolescent mind, Julie Andrews was just one more cool British export. By the time I was in high school, however, Andrews was, of course, nowhere near being cool. (Julie Christie, maybe, Julie Driscoll, certainly--but NOT Julie Andrews!) But at age 50, I can look back at all that and admit that--as much of a rock'n'roller as I'll always be in my heart--I was weaned on the Ed Sullivan Show, just like everyone else of my generation. In our hearts, we loved those numbers from MY FAIR LADY or BRIGADOON that were included on those shows as much as our parents did. Now we can admit it.

One last point: I did not purchase this album because of Alan Jay Lerner's lyrics. Of course, I was aware of him and his contributions to the American musical theater. But name recognition and awareness of a lyricist's prestige is one thing. Had you asked me to name something he penned, outside of MY FAIR LADY, I would have been at a loss to come up with a single song. This album, which mixes classic Lerner and Loewe with the works of other collaborators of Alan Jay Lerner should give listeners a genuine appreciation of his gifts. It did for me anyway.

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• Musicals > General
• Traditional Vocal Pop
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