Search - Judy Garland :: Over the Rainbow

Judy sold these songs without even trying--she was THAT good

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 02/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Over the Rainbow is a great budget priced CD that showcases the singular vocal talents of the immortal Judy Garland. Nobody could ever touch audiences the way Judy could; and this CD more than proves her contributions to the arts were beyond comparison.



The CD starts out with Judy singing "Over The Rainbow" which was recorded around the time she was in The Wizard Of Oz. This rendition of "Over The Rainbow" sometimes picks up the pace a bit from the movie soundtrack version--this is NOT from the soundtrack of The Wizard Of Oz. Nevertheless, Judy turns in a fabulous performance and it makes the perfect appetizer for the rest of the CD's hits.



"You Made Me Love You (Dear Mr. Gable)" was one of Judy's first masterpieces ever captured on old 78s and in the movie Broadway melody of 1938; the story goes that Judy sang this so well the movie going audiences applauded at the end of this song as if Judy had given a live performance! Judy sings "You Made Me Love You (Dear Mr. Gable) with panache and great sensitivity; I could never forget this performance. "For Me And My Gal" showcases Judy singing sweeter than I've ever heard a lady sing; and she enhances the natural beauty of this number simply by using her incredible voice!



"I'm Nobody's Baby" again features Judy's excellent vocals from her MGM years; the strings work well in the musical arrangement, too. "I Got Rhythm" from Girl Crazy features a great big band arrangement to accompany Judy as she flawlessly delivers this number.



"Swanee" is a solid number that Judy always loved to sing; and you can tell she's enjoying every minute of recording this when you hear this! Judy's excellent diction bolsters her performance even more. The album ends strong with Judy singing "Changing My Tune;" this features a slightly older Garland in perfect form; the strings and more make a fine musical arrangement.



Overall, for the casual Judy Garland fan, this CD is a great choice. Many diehard fans will also want this for their collections. I highly recommend this fine album.

"

A marvelous Judy Garland budget CD

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 10/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You can't find a better opening number for an album than Swanee, a proverbial show-stopper that audiences constantly begged Judy to sing. The pace slows considerably with the second track, the sensual Do It Again. Next up is Judy's secondary signature song (only Over the Rainbow is associated more closely with this greatest of singers), the incredible The Man That Got Away from 1954's A Star Is Born. From there we are taken through a trio of less familiar yet wonderful songs: Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home is a well-paced jaunt with undertones of the blues; Love of My Life begins slowly and then develops what I would call a very slight Latin rhythm that pushes Judy's ever more powerful vocals to greater heights; Dirty Hands Dirty Face is a quiet song which opens with the sole accompaniment of a piano and gradually brings in soft violins to accompany this mother's celebration of her little boy. The second half of the CD is charged with power, starting with the empowering, toe-tapping medley of Comes Once in a Lifetime and I Feel a Song Coming On. Can there be a better feeling than to be in the presence of Judy Garland and have her sing about feeling a song coming on? Never Will I Marry is another tour de force of a song that comes from the Judy Garland Takes Broadway album that never materialized; you would never know it by listening, but Judy had a bad case of laryngitis when she sang this song. When the Sun Comes Out is a moving song about the power love induces to help you overcome adversity and keep looking for the sun whenever you see the rain. I Love You continues this simple yet wonderful theme, while Don't Ever Leave Me is a short and sweet little ballad sung live to the accompaniment of a piano. The immortal Over the Rainbow closes the album out in the best of all ways; this is a particularly impressive live version of Judy's signature song, for Judy is, if I'm not mistaken, singing it to one of her children onstage. All in all, what you have here is a surprisingly good budget CD crammed full of impressive songs by the greatest singer to ever live."