Eleven of the 12 songs here wonderful recordings for every collector (inclusion of the duet with Bing Crosby is a strange choice--certainly not one of Judy's finest). My quibble is that a 12-song "millennium" collection on a CD is just chintzy, especially when the songs are not extended play versions. Judy merits at least 15 to 20 songs for the past millennium, and the technology easily allows for putting that many on a disc. The Best Of Judy Garland: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection)
This album delivers Judy Garland in her early years (and early years ONLY). If you want the younger, crisper sound of Judy Garland, featuring primarily show tunes, then get this album.I would have given this ablum 5 stars if it included more material (there was room for more songs) and if it included some of her great performances later in her career.It is what it is. If you want a high quality recording of her early music, get this album. If you want the feel of her later performances on stage (as opposed to the sound room), then look for something else.
Good introduction to her Judy's legendary talents, but longtime fans need to know that these are the Decca versions, because it is quite possible that they already have these recordings on other discs. (For those who don't know, Judy often recorded different arrangements of songs she did in her current movies for Decca Records. These are the songs on this disc.) Enjoy, future Judy fans!
As we all must accept, there are few singers who are identified by their style in song, no matter what she sang--we knew it was Judy and it was the best. It is a rare and fine time when a song and a voice meld in perfection; let us be thankful for these marvelous recordings for eternity.
Judy Garland was a singer of tremendous emotional power. In her latter years this was reenforced by the sense of her fragility. In the early years the singing is fresher and filled with hope. The songs she sings here are among the greatest in the world's songbook, including one that is for many the greatest song of all time, her signature song, 'Over the Rainbow'.
This is one of those songs it is possible to list to over and over again. 'Embraceable you' ' You made me love me' 'Swanee' are in the same category as great classics of song.
First of all, I'd like to tip my hat to the reviewer who writes that so many of Judy's songs are not on this album--they entitled their review "Judy Was Never Geared Toward The Singles Market." It's true that while this CD offers nothing but exceptionally wonderful songs performed by the immortal Judy Garland, there's not enough music here for any record label to call this a "best of" type of album. What a shame, too! Judy and her fans deserve better than this. However, as I said this material is completely terrific (as far as it goes) and so that's pretty much that. In addition, the quality of the sound id very good and the artwork is nice even if it is somewhat standard for this CD series.
Naturally, this being Judy, there isn't a dud in the bunch on this album. I love every song! "Over The Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz" is a Decca Records recording; it's not the movie soundtrack recording but it's still quite pretty and Judy never sounded better! "I Got Rhythm" charms me and Judy sings this with tons of positive energy; and listen for another gem in "Dear Mr. Gable: You Made Me Love You" from "Broadway Melody of 1938." Judy sings this with her voice as clear as a bell and that's grand.
"Meet Me in St. Louis" comes from the film of the same name; Judy sings this faultlessly. "Embraceable You" is a fine Gershwin tune that only Judy Garland could sing so very well as she does here; and the musical arrangement fits in perfectly with her vocals. "Yah-Ta-Ta- Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk)" has Judy with Bing Crosby for this sweet and playful duet; they really sound terrific together! I love it. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" also comes from the film "Meet Me in St. Louis;" Judy sings this beautifully with genuine emotion and you can hear it in her voice.
"For Me and My Gal" is a brilliant gem that Judy loved to sing with many other songs in the years when she gave us so her wonderful concerts; and "But Not for Me" is another Gershwin ballad that showcases Judy Garland's talent. "The Trolley Song" is pure bliss to hear; I thoroughly enjoy this number which is classic in every way. "Swanee" is a song Al Jolson often sang but I think he definitely would have approved of Judy's rendition of this song. The CD ends with "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" from "The Harvey Girls;" it's wonderful in every way and I like how they gave us a part of the track that includes a few others singing as well.
Judy may have left us all too soon; but she obviously lives on through her CDs and her movies both on DVD and VHS. This is a must-have for fans of Judy; but please keep in mind that this is early Judy only and a great deal of her best work is not included here. I will give this four stars, however, because even though this CD is far from complete, Judy's singing and that music are sublime and that's truly very special.
I traveled to many stores in the area looking for a CD of Judy Garland and some of the older stars recordings, to no avail. Then someone told me about Amazon.com, so I got online and there they were! I ordered two of the many choices for a gift for my elderly Aunt and she was so happy to get them! Thanks Amazon.....Vivian
From her initial hit single Over The Rainbow in September 1939 (# 5) from her film The Wizard Of Oz, to her last in 1954, The Man That Got Away (# 22 that September) from the film A Star Is Born, she only registered 17 hit singles, 15 with Decca and the last two for Columbia. And in this volume you get just seven of them, as tracks 2, 3, 5, 9 and 11 were never hits for Judy.
In addition to Over The Rainbow, on which she was accompanied by the Victor Young orchestra, this gives you: a duet with Gene Kelly, For Me And My Gal (from the film of the same name), which went to # 3 in February 1942; The Trolley Song (# 4), Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis (# 22), and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (# 27) - all in late 1944 and all from the film Meet Me In St. Louis and all backed by Georgie Stoll's orchestra; another duet, this time with Bing Crosby, on the humorous Yah-Ta-Ta, Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk) which, with the backing of Joe Lilley's orchestra, went to # 5 in June 1945; and On The Atcheson, Topeka, And The Santa Fe\, a # 10 in October 1945 from the film The Harvey Girls, backed by The Merry Macs and Lyn Murray's orchestra.
Left out, and which would have been better choices in a volume titled "best of" than the five tracks mentioned above, were any from among these Decca cuts: I'm Nobody's Baby, a # 3 in August/September 1940 with Bobby Sherwood's orchestra backing from the film Andy Hardy Meets Debutante; the flipside to Me And My Gal and another duet with Kelly, When You Wore A Tulip (And I Wore A Big Red Rose), which reached # 19 in April 1942; Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart, a # 22 in July 1943 with Victor Young's orchestra from the Broadway Revue "Thumbs Up"; the March 1944 # 25 A Journey To A Star from the film The Girls He Left Behind, with Georgie Stoll's orchestra; This Heart Of Mine, a # 22 in May 1945; Wait And See, a # 24 in March 1946, also from The Harvey Girls; You'll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, a # 21 in June 1946 with Lyn Murray's orchestra; and a duet with Dick Haymes, For You, For Me, Forevermore, from the film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, which reached # 19 in January 1947.
After that last hit with Decca, she next turned up at Columbia, and in July 1953 had Without A Memory go to # 29 backed by Percy Faith's orchestra, followed by the above-mentioned The Man That Got Away.
Despite the omissions and the inclusion of those 5 tracks this is still one of the better entries from the Millenium Collection with 3 pages of liner notes by Joseph F. Laredo, a partial discography of the contents [no chart information], and several more nice photographs of Judy. I just wish that producer Andy McKaie had seen fit to include some of those missing hit singles. He certainly had room to do so. - Cd - Maybe Cds'
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