Currently Listening Much Ado About Nothing: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack By Patrick Doyle see related

I have a very important, very deep blog knocking around in my head (and no, it's not the blog I promised explaining my life-long love affair with Zorro...that is yet to come) but that's going to have to wait until later, when I have more time. Until then, here is a song for me (clears virtual throat...ROFLOL...that sounds really fishy typed out!!):

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to meeeeeeee, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!  (Thank you Jennifer & Emily for the comments to start off my day!! And yeah, it is kinda crazy all of us being in a row like this. )

In addition to my lovely song, I have two random comments to make:

1. One reason to love Patrick Doyle's music (and to hope for the best from his score for Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire) is the fact that Much Ado About Nothing's soundtrack is brilliant. (Not his only brilliant work, IMHO, just one of my favorites!)

2. I am having to slightly re-assess my opinion of Linda Eder's version of "By Myself." Eder is more than capable of hitting crystal clear, powerful notes (listen to "Even Now" or "On the Street Where You Live")...however in "By Myself" she isn't just paying homage to Judy Garland's powerhouse vocals, she's attempting to emulate JG's every vocal nuance. I love Judy, but she never had the crystalline voice that Linda's demonstrated in the past. Linda, when trying to sing like Judy, kinda sounds like she's gargling a throatful of spit (everyone say it with me: "Eeeewwwwww!!"). Ok, so that last bit was probably a bit extreme...but I think this recording would've been improved by Linda bringing more of her own vocal skill to the song, instead of paying tribute to Judy by sounding just like her (excellent tribute though that may be). I am very interested in hearing the whole album on October 4th...right now I think this is a step in the right direction for LE (she is no longer under Wildhorn's Svengali-like control of her musical career)...but it could've been a bolder, perhaps, declaration of independence...we shall see.