Lorna Luft - Songs My Mother Taught Me
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Artist: Lorna LuftEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2007-12-11
Music Label: First Night Records
Music reviews of Songs My Mother Taught Me
Music Review: Ever since this world began, there is nothing sadder than...
Rating: 2 Stars
...a daughter who can't get out of the shadows. For those who may not know, Lorna Luft is the daughter of legendary entertainer Judy Garland and the younger sister of another legendary entertainer, Liza Minnelli. She is a capable singer in her own right but sadly has always lacked the brilliance and talent of her mother and sister and hence has spent a lifetime in their shadows.
As Lorna admits, for years she ran from the legacy of her famous mother. However, after writing a book and helping to produce the excellent mini series it inspired she now seems to make a career out of embracing her mother's legacy. Hence, the show "Songs My Mother Taught Me" which is the basis for this CD. As a show (which I haven't personally seen) I feel sure that Lorna's telling the story of her mother thru song and singing the songs associated with Judy Garland would be a highly entertaining experience. Sadly, as a CD it simply does not work.
Why? Many reasons. Firstly, Lorna has never had the heart and sincerity that so endear the world to Judy and Liza. Lorna has always had a brashness that I find a bit of a turn off. However, as a lifelong fan of all things Garland and Minnelli I wanted to hear this CD. Having said that, Lorna's brashness works against her.
Secondly, Lorna's voice has deteriorated badly. She has always been a capable singer though with an undistinguished sound and style. She always sounded to me like she was attempting a cross between Streisand and Merman. At 55 her voice is basically sound though frayed and her vibrato has taken on a wildness that is at times disturbing. She sounds as though she's trying to do Liza doing Judy and the results are not always pleasant to listen too.
Thirdly, Lorna doesn't share Judy's abilities in presenting a song, something no one could expect as Judy is considered by many the greatest popular singer of the 20th Century. Judy had an uncanny sense of timing for both comic and dramatic effect and a wonderful ability when it came to the dynamics of a song. Lorna sadly doesn't share this. By singing Judy's songs utilising facsimiles of Judy's arrangements the expectation is that Lorna will do it Judy's way. But she doesn't and is slightly off in her timing which just sounds wrong. When she does try and ape Judy she just sounds silly. For example, the two intakes of breath at the end of "The Man That Got Away", where Lorna tries to sound as though she's about to break down, simply don't work. This is something Judy was the mistress off and when she did it was real and moving. When Lorna attempts the same thing it's mannered and silly.
Then there are the factual errors in Lorna's retelling of Judy's story. In the extended medley of Judy's journey to Carnegie Hall (which plays as corny with Lorna's two children included as audience to their mom's retelling) there are so many facts that are WRONG! Lorna would have us believe that Judy was fired from MGM by Louis B Mayer for marrying and divorcing twice and growing up and that 1950's "Summer Stock" was Judy's first grown up role. Judy had indeed married twice in her MGM years but was still married to husband # 2 Vincente Minnelli when she left MGM. She wasn't fired but was released from her studio contract by mutual agreement. And, her first grown up role was in 1940's "Little Nellie Kelly" a decade prior to "Summer Stock." Don't even get me started on Lorna's mispronunciation of "Meet Me In St Louis." (No, it ain't St Louie!)
Finally, the worst aspect of this CD that re-emphasises the unappealing brashness is Lorna's statement about "making peace with the ghost", so disrespectful to Judy's memory topped with her goal of "keeping my mother's incredible legacy alive." I'm sorry, but Judy's legacy is doing just fine and will continue to do so without Lorna making a career out of her mother. Add to that the shameless plugging of both her book and the mini series in the opening track... It all goes down hill from there. Oh, and those "duets" with Mama, please... Lorna's sustaining of the final note past Judy on the "Shining Star/Over The Rainbow" duet is simply unprofessional.
The CD actually opens with Judy singing "Lorna" from her 1964 TV series. Hearing a truly great singer and then a merely capable one in the opening track kind of sums up the whole experience. Perhaps if the show was recorded live it would have all worked better. The narration sounds silly and the studio mic emphasises the many vocal failings of the mature Lorna. I feel sure that everything would work much better in a live setting and if the show is ever presented in Sydney, Australia, I will see it as I'm certain it would work well in that setting, something it doesn't do in a recording studio.
My recommendation: for Luft fans only. If you want to know what Judy Garland is about, get the Carnegie Hall CD and treat yourself to the world's greatest entertainer.
Description of Songs My Mother Taught Me
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