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Melting your soul, breaking your heart and making you jump f

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 02/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Judy Garland was the world's greatest star ever. She could dance, act--and wow, how she could sing! This CD gives us excellent numbers by Judy and her voice sounds strong and beautiful every time. The quality of the sound is excellent and this leaves you wanting more!



The CD starts strong with Judy singing "That's Entertainment!" Judy belts this out with panache and so much style it dazzles me. She is able to use her voice to convey all the subtle nuances of every word she sings; I don't think I've ever heard anyone sing "That's Entertainment!" better than Judy sang it. The musical arrangement is very good, too; the use of the strings is quite good. "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" is probably my very favorite Judy Garland song; she sang this for her audition at MGM but here we have Judy singing "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" with a faster, peppier tempo that truly is nothing short of heavenly.



"April Showers" is an excellent example of an Al Jolson song that Judy perfected with her excellent diction and her ability to sing so well it moved you more than any other time you ever heard this tune performed by others. Judy sings "April Showers" with all her heart and soul; and the melody is very beautiful. The strings once again are used to great advantage in the musical arrangement.



"Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" stuns me with its beauty; and Judy sang this even better than ever partly because her own son is named Joe. Judy sings this with panache and this impresses me greatly. By contrast, "Puttin' On The Ritz" has a swinging flavor to it; Judy swings brightly as she delivers "Puttin' On The Ritz" flawlessly. In addition, there's also a marvelous rendition of "By Myself;" Judy sang this in I Could Go On Singing and this arrangement lacks nothing.



"Lucky Day" again features Judy belting this out this joyful tune; and "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" stands out as another highlight of this album. Judy sings this wonderfully with great sensitivity and the musical arrangement enhances the beauty of the number.



The CD ends fittingly with Judy's signature song, "Over The Rainbow." Judy never sang this without perfect timing, excellent diction, heart and soul--and just one listen to this track proves it. Judy's voice never sounded better!



Judy Garland can never be forgotten. To this day Judy's legacy still inspires many, many young women to become successful entertainers in the show business industry. Judy certainly was perfect as little Dorothy Gale in The Wizard Of Oz; but her singular talents went very, very far beyond that. Judy was able to reach out to people and touch them in a way practically no one ever could; and we are indeed blessed that she made so many fine contributions to the arts. If you like this album I would strongly recommend other albums by Judy Garland including the two CD set of her historic performance at Carnegie Hall.

"

BRILLIANT!

brynniemo | Saline, MI United States | 02/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a SERIOUS Judy connoisseur and I've been listening to this collection on repeat for 3 years. The quality is fantastic, the selections are beautiful. No track is to be skipped. It's better than any mix CD you could make yourself. "Memories of You" will break your heart and melt your soul."