Search - Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, Judy Garland :: Gay Purr-Ee (1962 Movie Soundtrack) (Rhino Handmade)

Beautiful Music, But a Disappointing Restoration

Bill | Newport News, VA USA | 04/05/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Rhino, in the liner notes for this CD, refers to the Gay Purr-ee soundtrack as having been restored from the original Warner master tapes.



What exactly has been restored is open to debate, as the entire album is marred with audible tape hiss and occasional dropouts. If any restoration of these elements took place, it isn't audible in the finished product.



It's still a "must have" for anyone who loves Judy Garland...but with the tiniest bit of effort, this long overdue CD could have been worlds better. As things stand, it's mediocre at best."

Grab this amazing soundtrack quickly!

takemehome | USA | 05/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, this wonderful soundtrack is once again available, now on CD!



Except there's one tiny drawback - it's part of the Rhino Handmade collection of limited CD releases. Each one individually numbered and some released limited to as few as 1,000 copies. Gay Purr-ee's soundtrack release is limited to 5,000 copies. Not 5,000 per chain/store/whatever...5,000 total, for everywhere. Meaning Amazon is likely to have less than 1,000, Rhino's online store is likely to have less than 2,000, and then a few thousand more for the rest of the country. So pick up your copy quickly, because once all 5,000 are sold, that's it! (However, Rhino IS selling a digital download version, so if you can't buy a physical CD, you can always buy the download version.)



The soundtrack has been nicely remastered for this CD release. A tiny bit of tape noise still exists on the CD, and there's occasional clipping from the loudness of the recording, but overall, the quality is superb!



Of course, the reason this soundtrack is so spectacular is because of the presence of Judy Garland. Gay Purr-ee was Judy's sole cartoon voiceover work, and the team of E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, who had penned her signature song Over The Rainbow for her in 1939, wrote several incredible songs for Judy for this film. Take My Pand Paree, Paris Is A Lonely Town, and Roses Red Violets Blue are wonderful songs that showcase her incredible voice. But the highlight of the album, which I also consider to be one of her finest performances ever, is Little Drops Of Rain. Despite the fact that this movie is basically a kid's movie, Little Drops Of Rain is quite an adult lament, as many have said of the song. This song is also available on Rhino's Judy Garland In Hollywood: Her Greatest Movie Hits compilation for VERY good reason - it's one of the best songs she ever sang.



I wholeheartedly recommend this soundtrack. If the Amazon price seems a little steep, it's only about $20 at Rhino's website. Don't wait too long to buy it though - it could be sold out tomorrow!"