Customer Reviews

Christmas Through the Years

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This CD is a Laserlight collection of Judy Garland numbers over her years from youth to maturity. Judy herself never recorded a Christmas album, but this is the one you will cherish for years to come. Remember that the title is not just "Christmas through the Years", it is also "... and songs of inspiration".

For the price, this CD is a tremendous value. If you are a fan of Judy Garland, it is the one to have.

This is a mixed bag of mostly Christmas songs and a couple of obviously non-Christmas songs (Lost in the Stars, Little Drops of Rain) that shows Judy's range of emotions through the years. Incidentally, Through the Years, a cloying and irritating ditty, is on the album, and for some reason was known to be Judy's favorite song. Go figure!

Birthday of a King, from the very young Judy, gives us a glimpse as to the unusual emotional timbre and style of this unique child. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is absolutely joyous, happy, zippy and well-sung from Judy's TV Series in 1963. A quite sad After the Holidays wraps up the album, and more or less wraps up her life at the end of 1968. The song was written by one member of the gay coterie that more or less supported the homeless and drug-addled Judy at her twilight. It's painful listening and a downer. If you wondered about the truth about her TV series-- did Judy pitch in and show up for rehearsals-- the answer is revealed in the "Whole World in His Hands/Swing Low" medley. Judy is completely lost and at odds with the arrangement; clearly this was the first time she was hearing it. In any event, if you're a Judy-file, you'll certainly want to add Christmas Through the Years to your collection. If you're merely tepid about Judy, then perhaps you should pass.

1995 LaserLight Digital 12 534 Track List is a little different:

1. Merry Christmas [The Good Old Summertime]
2. Little Drops of Rain [Gay Puree]
3. Lost in the Stars
4. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
6. You'll Never Walk Alone [From Carousel]
7. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
8. Smile [Modern Times]
9. Through the Years
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
11. After the Holidays

I already knew that I would love the music on this cd.......having enjoyed it 2 past Christmases, before I sat on my old copy and broke it. However, I was suprised how fast my "replacement" cd arrived and when it did, it looked brand new, inside and out. Thanks again!

Christmas Through the Years is yet another budget priced Judy Garland album that people can enjoy year round--it's THAT good. Most of the tracks here are tied into the Christmas holiday; but there are a couple of tunes that are not really Christmas tunes just as another reviewer notes ("Little Drops Of Rain" and "Lost In The Stars").

Judy sings "Merry Christmas" to start off the CD really right; her voice never sounded better; and her excellent diction bolsters her performance. Nobody could sing this the way Judy could; she was born with a singularly special talent to sing and song far beyond what we would ordinarily call "perfection." In addition, listen for "You'll Never Walk Alone;" Judy delivers this like the pro she always was and this inspiration ballad fits well at Christmastime or even year round. Great!

"The Birthday Of A King" gets the royal treatment from Judy as she sings this so sweetly; Judy's voice is in fine form and the musical arrangement is very pretty. "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," with its jazzy arrangement, is a more playful wintertime tune that is also terrific any day of the year. Judy belts this number out strong and she never sings a superfluous note, either.

"Through The Years" was reportedly a personal favorite of Judy's; and her rendition of this fabulous ballad lacks nothing when Judy sings this so sensitively. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," from the movie Meet Me In St. Louis, features Judy's vocals squarely in the spotlight and this shines brighter than ever in Judy's capable hands. The album ends with another very special ballad entitled "After The Holidays." "After The Holidays" is perfect for this album and Judy sings this with all her heart and soul. The musical arrangement for the piano is very good, too.

And, of course, don't forget the two songs that are inspirational and fun more than suitable for holiday time: "Little Drops Of Rain" and "Lost In The Stars." Both numbers sound great as Judy sings these to perfection.

All in all, this is a superlative Christmas time album by Judy Garland which even gives you a couple of extra tracks more for fun and enjoyment than for the mood of Christmastime. I highly recommend this for Garland fans; and maybe casual fans of Garland who celebrate Christmas will enjoy this album also.

This one just felt like it was cobbled together clumsily from whatever tracks could be found easily and which fit the general holiday theme, however awkwardly. Still, if you want a recording of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, this disc gives you two. [The disc I received was different from what appears on the item page: mine was from Laserlight, not Delta. Its track listings are different from the Laserlight disc: The Birthday of a King was missing; the additional version of Merry Little Christmas was added.]

I purchased this item for a gift as the one song my mother has been looking for the past 4 years was listed on this CD. When it arrived the song "Star of the East" though advertised as being on the CD was not... also the song "The Birthday of a King" was not on the CD. Disappointing after I told her that I had found the song that she was searching for and then when she played it the song wasn't there.

I read the review about this that referred to "Birthday of a King". If you click on "Smile" it plays the "Birthday of a King" sample. Like the reviewer said, "hauntingly beautiful". On this basis, and because the tracks and the sample links do sometimes get mixed up within a tracks lists (not from 'way outside!), I ordered this CD from overseas. Well, "Birthday of a King" is not on this CD at all. Any other Judy Garland CDs that the song is listed on are all "Unavailable". So:
a) Amazon/CDNow, fix this sample error
b) fix the review referring to "Birthday of a King"
In the meantime, I got a CD with this very special song by Judy Garland from CDUniverse. When you order from overseas, and pay the extra shipping cost, and wait expectantly, the disappointment at poor quality is great. I have ordered many CDs from CDNow over the years, but after this experience it will most likely be my last.

Judy Garland was the consummate entertainer. This collection of Christmas and Inspirational Songs are indeed a testament of that. Its a CD that I will enjoy playing all year round. These songs were recorded during the forties when Judy's vocal prowess was unlimited and unhindered by the ravages of her illnesses later on in her career.

My favorite song on this CD is "Birthday of A King"...it is absolutely haunting! The same thing with "You'll Never Walk Alone" which I cannot listen to without getting misty eyed. This is a CD worth owning not just for Christmas but all year round!

This is an okay disc (too bad Judy never recorded a bonafide Christmas album), but the selections are either the obvious inclusions such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, songs that are obscure for a reason (After the Holidays), or tunes that REALLY stretch the concept. (Lost in the Stars is obviously just to pad the playing time, likewise Little Drops of Rain.) Only for those who must have every little thing ever recorded by Miss Show Business.