TRIBUTE albums can be frightening things, as they often feature artists performing songs by icons they’ve always wished to be, but whose heights they will clearly never reach.
When a tribute does work – as with Petra Haden’s a cappella take on “The Who Sell Out” from 2005 – it’s because it has so thoroughly broken the mold of the original that it manages to create something utterly new.
So it’s to Rufus Wainwright’s eternal credit that his tribute to Judy Garland succeeds because of its extreme fidelity to the content, form, spirit and passion of the original. On Tuesday, Wainwright releases the two-CD “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall,” his exact replication of Garland’s legendary 1961 show at that historic venue, which most agree was the high point of her career. That same day sees the release on DVD of “Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium,” his version of the same show performed across the pond.
While it’s not uncommon for amateur cover bands to play classic albums in their entirety, the notion of a major artist doing so has all the disaster potential of Gus Van Sant’s bland 1998 shot-by-shot remake of “Psycho.” But Wainwright knows his audience and his music, and, backed by lush orchestration, imbues standards such as “Almost Like Being in Love,” “Do It Again” and “Over the Rainbow” with keening, heartbreaking poignancy. Enriching it further are Wainwright’s anecdotes, including tales of how he wanted to be “Dorothy on good days” and the Wicked Witch on bad ones. His recollection of how he’d spend time as a boy “melting” into his mother’s high-heeled shoes got big laughs from his empathetic audience.
Wainwright has said he was inspired to re-create the Garland concert because of the comfort he took from her music after 9/11, and his performances here make the strength of his emotional ties to this music clear. One would be hard-pressed to find a better compliment for Garland than the sincerity with which Wainwright takes her on, embraces her warmth and pain, and makes her whole for a new generation.