Judy Garland - Greatest Hits Live (24 tracks) +Album Reviews

Fine album of Judy Garland hits from her television show

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 01/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD gives us an excellent, generous assortment of great songs by the immortal Judy Garland. Judy performed these numbers on her weekly television show in the early 1960s. Judy never sounded better and her rapport with her audience is excellent.

"I Feel A Song Comin' On" features Judy's vocals squarely in the spotlight with a great band to support her; I like the arrangement for the brass and Judy belts this one out to perfection! "Judy's Olio" is another coup; she sings this medley with all her might and her voice conveys all the subtle nuances of each emotion in every word.

Listen also for "Smile," Charlie Chaplin would have been proud to hear Judy sing this one. (Chaplin co-wrote "Smile.") Judy sings this without a superfluous note and it really moves me to hear it. "On The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" features Judy singing with a backup group that harmonizes flawlessly and Judy delivers this like the pro that she still remains.

"Swanee" has Judy singing this marvelously with great accompaniment by the orchestra; the brass and the drums really help to make this a hit straight out of the ballpark! Judy handles the tempo changes and the subtle key changes very well.

"The Man That Got Away" was one of Judy's signature songs; and this album certainly has a great interpretation of it as Judy sings this so passionately with all her heart and soul. Excellent! "I'm Nobody's Baby" features a great flute arrangement and Judy's voice sounds as clear as a bell--awesome! Judy's excellent diction bolsters her performance quite a bit.

The album ends beautifully with a huge hit for Judy, "Over The Rainbow." Judy sings this so well you're convinced the song belongs to her and her alone. The flute is great and Judy never misses a beat. "Over The Rainbow" is truly a masterpiece in Judy's capable hands.

The cover art is excellent; Judy's fans will easily recognize that dress she's wearing!

Overall, Judy Garland fans really must get this album for their collections. This album displays Judy's superlative vocal abilities; it's a pleasure and a thrill to enjoy.

"

Bravo to Savoy Jazz

David R. St Germain | pawtucket, ri USA | 08/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Savoy Jazz should be highly praised for this excellent Judy Garland disc.Fans and newcommers are equally served with this fine release. The remastering is superb considering the mono 1960's television source material.This program finds Judy at the height of her powers vocally.

Her definitive version of "Smile" included here is worth the price of this cd alone."

Nice companion to Carnegie Hall

California Greg | USA | 08/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Once again, Savoy Jazz is putting out a nice CD of songs taken from the masters of "The Judy Garland Show." There are funny bits of Judy intro-ing the songs and it's a nice selection of material that's not overly duplicative of Carnegie Hall. It's great to finally have this material in an accessible format for listening. One can only imagine how badly the management at CBS handled the show for its one year run."

A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much

JGC | 10/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Out of all of my Judy Garland records this is one of my favorites. Because I'm sure this is what it must have felt like to be at one of Miss Garland's concerts. (Although I can only imagine the type of excitement and hysteria of being in the presence of this musical goddess could never be duplicated simply by listening to a CD, but this is the next best thing.)

All of the songs were recorded and performed live from Miss Garland's television series. Besides "Over the Rainbow" (which is probably everyone's favorite song) I also especially adore: Be a Clown, Get Happy, Smile and What'll I Do. Miss Garland's voice is so beautiful on each and every track. It's almost like she knew that 45 years later this CD would be out so she tried extra special to make it sound perfect. And she does sound perfect.

The CD comes with a lovely little booklet which includes pictures (I especially love the one on the back cover of the booklet) as well as a very detailed description of the songs and the performances. The liner notes also states which show each of the songs were sung on and when the show aired and when it was taped, as well.

You know how some times older songs sound older and almost faint? I really hate that. But that is not the case on "Greatest Hits Live." I don't know what the producers specifically did but it doesn't have a poor analog sound in the slightest. I am not very techie when it comes to this stuff so if I don't use the correct wording you'll understand. But what I really want to articulate is that the volume of the scores is perfect. You will not need to turn it up super-loud (like on some older CDs that have screwed up volume) because this is all evenly dubbed.

To any new Judy Garland fans who're looking for a CD I recommend picking up this one. I know there's a huge selection that may look a little intimidating at first, but this is a great place to start because it includes so many hits (24 full tracks in all) and the CD is nearly full (over 70 mins.)

I really appreciate the showman in Miss Garland because it's apparent that she doesn't just stand on a stage and sing some songs. No way! She performs. She sings and dances and speaks to her audience. She brings the house down and she will stop at nothing to be certain that everyone listening to her is just as amused as she is. It is a very rare performer that can do that. And today in this society of disposable celebrities it is a complete and total anomaly."

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