Search - Judy Garland :: Best of Judy

Judy Garland At Her Best -- A Retrospective

Nancy Moran | Baltimore, Maryland USA | 08/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 3-CD collection is comprised of the most well-known Judy Garland tracks made during her adult life when she was robust, hale and hearty. They are taken from live performances as well as from studio recordings. They were selected by her husband, Sid Luft, after her death. Her voice is strong but can be lilting: "Over the Rainbow", for example was not the version done in "Oz" and is interrupted by applause. The only criticism that I have is that some of the songs end abruptly just as applause starts to sound. I also have the "Judy at Carnegie Hall" 2-CD set but this threesome contains a far wider range of what Judy Garland could do during her mature lifetime."

The title says it all

devils182 | New York | 02/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I fell in love with Judy Garland's voice when watching the E! True Hollywood Story about her life. Not a true fanatic, but I am a follower of her music. I received this 3 CD set for Christmas and I have not stopped listening to it. It's so great to hear the audiences reaction to her powerful songs, and her reaction to them as well. I realize now that there is no one that compares to her. The way she belts out tunes like "The Man that Got Away" (3rd CD) with such emotion, I couldn't help but tear up and think of her life long torture. Or her hope to get "Over the Rainbow" (3rd CD) and how she chokes up at the end (as did I)I was a little disappointed at how they cut some of the songs short at the very end, when the audience was beginning to applaud, but it cannot be helped when it's a live CD.I highly recommend this compelation of songs for anyone that wants to listen to probably the best voice in the music biz. I highly advise you to actually listen to the words, the emotions, the crowds reactions. I felt like I was right there, watching her every move. Hats off to Judy! I think you finally made it Over the Rainbow!"

A Reasonable Summation of a Great Performer

Cory Thomas | Murfreesboro, TN United States | 06/17/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I do enjoy Judy Garland. I've read her biography, own several CD's of her work, and have seen many of her movies. I respect her, and I like what she brings to vocal performance, to say nothing of the silver screen. This set of three CD's is a nice sort of time capsule for Garland fans, letting one hear some of her "greatest hits" as they were performed live (the recording format for most of the songs). I don't dislike this set, but the tracks sometimes have a "dirty" sound, or lack the digital mastery that is possible for music now. These are good songs from a good singer and I cannot say there is anything particularly weak about them. They just don't let you hear the full power and richness of Garland's voice as you should, and that is a disappointment.Yet there are some highlights in this set. Her recording of "Moon River" makes it one of my all-time favorite songs, and "The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" is a nice tease to demonstrate the sort of witty vocal play she could do with her marvelous instrument. The fact that this boxed set is so reasonably priced also makes it quite appealing. For a die-hard fan, this is a collection worth having, but if you want to truly appreciate Garland in all her glory, I recommend something along the lines of her "Decca Years" album."