Customer Reviews

Best of Capitol Masters: London Sessions

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Judy Garland's famous London Sessions recordings, recorded during the first week of August 1960, stand as some of her most remarkable studio recordings ever. Judy had nearly died a year earlier and had been told that she would be a semi-invalid for the rest of her life. Free of her constant stress and worry over work, Judy's health and spirit actually soared miraculously. In June 1960 she recorded the album "That's Entertainment!" and soon afterwards flew to London, where she launched a series of European concerts that paved the way for her triumphant American concert tour of 1961. While in London, between August 2 and August 8 of 1960, she recorded the twenty incredible songs you will find on this album. Many of these were songs she would sing in her upcoming concerts, and it is fascinating to listen and distinguish tiny differences in pace and delivery between these studio recordings and their live-audience counterparts in such concert albums as Judy Garland a Paris, The Legendary Amsterdam Concert 1960, and the amazing Judy at Carnegie Hall. Show-stoppers such as The Man That Got Away, San Francisco, Swanee, and Rock-a-Bye Your Baby (With a Dixie Melody) had a much more energetic and exciting feel to them when Judy sang them in front of thousands of adoring fans, but these studio recordings reveal subtle yet hidden depths in these songs, and Judy had never sounded better and more in love with her music than she did in these London Sessions recordings.

Most of these songs are quite familiar and need no introduction from me. A few merit special attention, however. Lucky Day is a joyous song enlivened with the passion for life Judy was finally feeling at this turning point in her career. The Judy at the Palace medley harkens back to Judy's incredible nineteen-week run at Broadway's immortal Palace theater in late 1951; Roger Edens wrote the introductory verse and adapted Shine On Harvest Moon, Some of These Days, My Man, and I Don't Care into a special medley to honor some of the big names who had previously played the Palace. Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe was a song Judy began singing after the birth of her son, Joe Luft. Perhaps the most unusual song in this collection is Cole Porter's I Happen To Like New York; much of the song hovers around the same few notes before building into an awe-inspiring crescendo of sound toward the end. Why Was I Born? is a song Judy enjoyed singing, but in my experience it is not featured on very many collections of Judy Garland songs. Over the Rainbow, as always, deserves extra special attention. This particular version is remarkable for the haunting quality of Judy's performance; this is no longer the young Judy Garland dreaming of a better world, it is a mature Judy Garland singing about hopes unfulfilled and a deep longing for something never found.

Amazingly, only six of these songs were released during Judy's lifetime. 1962's "The Garland Touch" included Lucky Day, the Judy at the Palace medley, Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe, It's a Great Day For the Irish, You'll Never Walk Alone, and I Happen To Like New York. In 1972, all twenty of these songs were released on "Judy in London," but this album saw only limited distribution. This London Sessions CD marked the first digital release of all twenty of these Garland classics. This album is actually the third CD in the remarkable Judy Garland: The One and Only box set released in 1991. While The London Sessions CD is certainly well worth owning, I would encourage prospective buyers to seek out and purchase the entire box set if possible, thereby getting 45 additional Capitol recordings to complement the twenty treasures found on this one album.

That's what I thought when I first heard this album. I got it used, on a whim, and was blown away. "San Fransisco" is electrifying, and I love "It's a Great Day for the Irish," but the greatest song is "You'll Never Walk Alone." It is amazing. That's all you can say. Judy is at top form here, and you can forget all about her private life. We all know that she was tragic, but her songs let you see beyond that to reveal a divine performer. She can go from happy fast songs to slow, sad ones. If you feel down, listen to "Swanee." This is a true "sing in the shower" CD to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Anyone who thinks Judy's voice was gone by the sixties should buy this album. The first time I heard the L.P. recording I was just blown away. Her powerful voice and her emotional rendering of the lyrics are unbelievable. The C.D. is even better than the original L.P. Highly recommended.

I have never enjoyed any cd of Garland's more than this one! Impecabbly and beautifully produced with full orchestra of all of Judy's standards for the first time in stereo. Judy's voice has never sounded better. A MUST HAVE!

OUTSTANDING,REMARKABLE, I think are the words to discribe such an extraordinary performance.You can feel the what is inside, all the pation that she use to put on her voice all the tenderness is reflected on this record and definitive there was and there allways will be just one Judy.

What can I say ? Judy Garland is a one of a kind. There will never be anyone else like her. This collection truly shows the wide range of a booming voice, that is the Garland Touch. Judy is the Greatest Entertainer who ever lived.

The Best of the Capitol Masters: The London Sessions is an excellent CD of some of the very best studio recordings of Judy Garland's entire career. Her voice sounds fresh, energetic and clear as a bell. Judy was able to deliver these songs with the ability to impart every subtle nuance of the lyrics to the listener--a rare feat indeed! The sound quality of the songs on this CD couldn't be better; and the artwork alone is enough to make you want to buy this one!

"Lucky Day" features Judy singing marvelously; her voice sounds great and the big band style arrangement works wonders for this number. "Stormy Weather" gets the royal treatment from Judy who sings this passionately with all her might. The strings work well and Judy's vocals in the spotlight are absolutely enchanting. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" has great drums as Judy belts this out like the pro she always was! Judy's voice rings through as if she were standing right next to you as she sung this to you and only you!

"The Man That Got Away" is actually so good it's even on a par with the rendition Judy sang in A Star Is Born; she shows off the operatic qualities of her voice on this track. Judy's excellent diction bolsters her performance even further. "Swanee" benefits from a strong backup chorus; and listen for "Happiness Is A Thing Named Joe" which was probably very important to Judy personally because her own son was named Joe. Judy delivers "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" with panache and Ethel Waters, who sang this in Cabin In The Sky, would be mighty proud of Judy!

The "MGM Medley" features parts of "The Trolley Song;" "You Made Me Love You" and more; Judy sounds perfect on these numbers and she leaves you wanting more! Fortunately, that's precisely what you're going to get--there's more to this fine album!

"Do It Again" is a most romantic melody that puts Judy squarely in the spotlight; and the musical arrangement is very elegant. "Chicago" is a bouncy, energetic number that sounds so much better whenever Judy sings it; I love the brass on "Chicago!" "After You've Gone" lacks nothing--it's THAT good. "After You've Gone gets more than one great tempo and Judy handles the tempo changes very well. Of course, the album closes with one of Judy's biggest hits ever, "Over The Rainbow." Judy never misses a beat and she sings this from her heart. Sadly, Judy's life wasn't always too happy; so I believe that her delivery of this masterpiece is enhanced by her ability to inject her personal feelings about her life into this ballad.

Overall, this is one mighty fine album by the incomparable Judy Garland, the world's greatest entertainer ever. As another reviewer correctly notes, if you like this you may as well purchase the three CD set by Judy entitled Judy Garland: The One and Only. The box set would be a good buy and diehard Judy fans will want the entire three CD box set. More casual fans will be comfortable with just this one CD.

After a near fatal illness, Judy went to London and feeling better and on the mend went into a London studio and recorded these classic sessions which contain many of her finest studio performances which are beautifully arranged with a full studio orchestra...the results are totally stunning and these incredible recordings are also a preview of the legendary Carnegie Hall concert which exploded on the music scene the following year, selling millions and gave Judy Garland a much deserved "Five Grammy Awards" win including a Grammy Award for "Album Of The Year". "Judy In London" finds Miss Garland in great voice and in a wildly creative mood expanding her classic reportiore with new classics such as the most inspirational version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" ever recorded with a glorious vocal soaring to breathtaking heights showing Judy in peak form! Opening with an exhuberent and brilliantly sung "Lucky Day", it is clear that luck belongs to the listener of this treasure chest of tremendous performances...the richness of Garland's voice and the passionate and wildly soulful performances show that this great singer possessed the greatest voice of her generation and of the century...never before or since has Cole Porter's "I Happen To Like New York" been sung with such emotional depth plus a full-voiced rich vocal that is gorgeous and incomparable! A tour-de-force medley "Judy At The Palace" defines what great singing and the art of emoting are all about thus bringing the song to life for the listener in a most extraordinary way...and those rich heavenly tones!!! Judy manages to make an athem out of "It's A Great Day For The Irish" and this timeless collection is full of definitive performances of many of the greatest songs written over the past century...quite a accomplishment but Judy Garland's brilliant career was full of them and Judy left behind quite a collection of wondrous performances for us to savor and enjoy and these legendary sessions are as far as her recordings go at the top of the list...get it and enjoy the greatest singer ever! Bravo Judy and we miss you!!!

This is one of my favorite recordings of Judy. She had just survived a near-fatal battle with hepatitis and comes back with a vengence and a zest for life that is evident in her delivery of these songs. Her voice is older, more mature, not as clear and shrill as in her films in the MGM era, but it's a rich as caramel and chocolate. Each note is perfect, the phrasing is all-natural, and Judy sounds happy. Only Judy is able to allow her emotions to shine through a song, infusing each note and word with her whole being. And for this reason she is a legend, a star whose brilliance will never dim. She will always be loved by millions and never forgotten.

What can I say that hasnt been said already of Judy Garland. She is the best singer to ever walk this planet even to this day. I'm collecting all her albums and this one is WOW a must have for sure!
as simple as that