Search - Julie Budd :: If You Could See Me Now

"This Nearly Was Mine" Makes This a Must-Have

07/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd never paid any attention to Julie Budd til I heard a track played on the radio last weekend, and immediately ordered the CD ("If You Could See Me Now") based on that one track. The track I heard IS the highlight of the disc and makes it a must have : a jaw-dropping "This Nearly Was Mine." Julie Budd has an astounding set of pipes that she uses quite well -- most astoundingly when she belts (which she does often, and with good reason : you'd belt a lot too, if you had the kind of power and force that she does!) Yes, Julie sounds a lot like Streisand (except she sings the songs Striesand SHOULD be singing, but largely doesn't these days), but I was surprised to also hear healthy doses of both Barbara Cook, and Judy Garland. So, give it a shot. She's a bit better on ballads than on up-tempos (which would explain why the CD is so ballad-heavy), but, as I said before, the "This Nearly Was Mine" track (from the legendary Broadway-then-Hollywood musical"South Pacific") makes this a MUST-Have CD for the collection, if you like good singers / vocalists in the Streisand / Garland genre. (I will say I have been replaying the disc repeated over the last couple of hours, so it's obviously enjoyable.)"

For those who appreciate a woman who can sing

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 03/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Barbra Stesiand or Linda Eder, Julie Budd might very well be your cup of tea. Her songs here are Broadway tunes, power ballads, and some jazzy numbers. What I like about the songs here are that most of the songs build to a crescendo showcasing Budd's high and well sustained voice. At times, her voice can be a little strained but most of the time its in great form, reminding me a little of Stresiand. The ballads here are the best; Budd has covered two Barry Manilow tunes. The first being the bittersweet "When October Goes" and the evergreen "Weekend in New England." Both were well done but a little too close to the originals. "This Nearly Was Mine" a song about unrequited love is given an emotional reading by Budd that you can almost feels the pain as she holds the final note climaxing the pain of the song. The emotions and her vocal prowess are again demonstrated in touching "When a Piano Plays." However, in tracks like "Home at Last" and "I Will Wait for You," there's just so much warmth that you almost could feel that you were living those songs. The more upbeat songs are not as great as the ballads, though they give the listener some relief from the emotional ballads. "My Baby Just Cares for Me" is a silly song about undivided love with silly lines like "you never see my baby in shorts..." "Being Alive" is perhaps my favorite, it's a celebration of living, filled with zest and it just swings with fun and enjoyment. This is a classy CD from a woman who can sing -- a CD with well chosen tunes and well produced. Instead of being cluttered by the instrumentation, Herb Bernstein, the producer, allows Budd to sing her heart out. For those who truly appreciate a woman who can sing, and who can sing well."

Highly Recommended! WOW! THIS IS WONDERFUL!

01/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to express the excitement surrounding this wonderful collection of some of the greatest songs ever written, performed beautifully by Julie Budd. After many spins, I am still in awe of Miss Budd's delivery of this spectacular material. Each track is treated with its own special arrangement. The chills you will experience are due to the extraordinary quality in both Julies voice and the superlative musicians that appear on this very moving and exciting CD. It would be very difficult to select a favorite track; From the beginning to end I am spellbound! Listen and collect the Julie Budd catalog. Here is an artist with extreme talent who is gifted beyond words. There are only a few singers left that can perform this material with such passion. Highly, Highly recommended!"