Customer Reviews

Judy at Carnegie Hall

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have loved this recording for twenty years. It is Judy Garland at the climax of her now legendary 1960-1961 tour. My only problem all these years, in my opinion, was that both the LP and original CD release had a very muddy sound to them. The original CD release even substituted a studio version of "Alone Together" for the original track. The performance was still classic, but Judy was lost behind the roar of the crowd and a brilliantly loud orchestra. Well my friends, NOT any more! DCC obtained the original master tapes and re-mixed them the way they should have been. This "live" recording has a REALLY "LIVE" sound to it. Judy is right out front beating the band and has never sounded better. Things what were nearly undetectible on prior issues are now loud and clear! Not only is the audio quality improved but the recording is finally REALLY complete. Including the original "Alone Together" track. You have every moment as it happened nearly 39 years ago. From the first round of applause when the house lights dimmed, to Judy's footsteps across the stage, to additional storytelling by Judy, to the enthusiastic chatter after the curtain fell. It's all there! I don't care if you are a die-hard Judy Garland fan or just meeting Judy for the first time. If this is your first exposure....WHAT AN INTRODUCTION! The Gold Disc set is a must have for ANY music lover. Who ever said that you can't improve a classic. Steve Hoffman and DCC have done just that! The booklet included contains both the original album liner notes and new insightful narritive by noted Garland historian Scott Schechter. Listen especially for the new story from Judy following "That's Entertainment" on disc two. Shows off her legendary sense of humor brilliantly. I give this release ten stars. A highly entertaining, musical experience! Buy It!

This new reissue of possibly the greatest live album by a popular singer of the last century is amazing. In the previous CD release, the overture was thrilling, but here it positively blasts you out of your seat. The audience spontaneously bursts into applause at the climax of The Man That Got Away during the Overture; with this new release you'll hear why: you'll "get" the full power of this wonderful orchestra for the first time.

But the best part is, of course, the clarity and power of Judy's voice, which is present on this CD with dramatic vividness. My previous (slight) reservation that her voice was not as powerful as it had been 10 years earlier has been corrected. From the moment she opens with "When You're Smiling", you'll know that she never sounded better! If you already know this performance, your first time hearing this CD will be a revelation, no matter how highly you regarded it before.

They have finally released the entire concert, and the pandemonium of the last half hour of the event is excitingly captured, unlike in the previous CD, which merely hinted at what you'll hear here. There is also a new story, one which you can also find on the DVDs of her TV show, but which she puts a hilarious twist on in this CD.

It's about time this great performance was given the Royal treatment it deserves. When will there ever be another talent like this?

By the way, if you don't already own a surround sound system, this release is the reason to get one. I actually went out and bought a new pair of rear speakers a week after I got this CD.

I have been a fan of this concert since the mid '70s, when I bought the double-record set. Even then I thought it had muddy sound, which I attributed to a belief that the technology for live recordings was primitive in 1961 (not true; it was just a muddy mix!) Nonetheless, this was an addictive recording.

The first CD was a terribly disappointing abridgement of the album, with at times an even worse mix than the old lp.

The next CD edition was exciting; an improvement over anything that had come before, restoring most of Judy's stories and interaction with the audience, but with some odd flaws: most notably the use of a studio recording in place of one of the live tracks.

The release of this new "Gold CD" mix is the most exciting thing since the release of Judy's TV shows on DVD. The sound is vivid, crisp and exciting; the mix is perfect and in a league far beyond that of any earlier release. It brings this recording into the digital era.

The restoration of every moment of the original tapes is not archeology; it IS history, and it DOES make it possible to experience more of this amazing evening than ever before.

I believe that this was the greatest single pop concert of the 20th Century, and this new release is the only way to experience it now.

This album was originally purchased by me for my 11th birthday (6.00 for mono!). Afterwards my ear was cocked to the hi-fi speakers for weeks. I had never heard anything like it. Almost forty years latter, I still haven't. In the intervening years the mono album was replaced with the stereo version. These LPs were replaced with a truncated CD version which, in turn, was replaced with the 2-CD version. Then came Amazon.com to tempt me with the DCC gold plated issue. My first (and second) reaction? No way. Not again. Well, after reconsidering, the "Gold" version just arrived in the mail this week, compelling me to write.

If you've purchased this title before, break down and do it again. I never thought the previous issues were engineered very well, but attributed that to the shoftcomings of live recording. This version finally got it right. The voice is front and center, no longer competing with the orchestra, yet the musicians are heard with a clarity that's new, revealing textures not heard before. The previous versions put you in the audience. These CD's have you sitting on the stage.

If you think you've heard this concert before - you haven't. And if you never have, put this in your shopping cart. There must have been some type of planetary alignment the night this concert was recorded. The songs and their arrangements are a testament to how the Great American Songbook often went beyond craft to art. The orchestra and the audience are in some sort of metaphysical groove with a gifted performer who was never in better form than on that particular evening. Her talent was rarely, if ever, better documented.

Anyone who has listened to and loved the recordings of Judy Garland from her Carnegie Hall concert will be stunned by this gold disc. It enables us to hear Judy for the first time, her voice wonderful and effortlessly sailing over the orchestra like a jet plane. The records seemed too carefully "balanced" with her voice and the orchestra at the same volume. This gold disc is an instant classic, especially when one hears her marvelous voice with just a piano accompaniment. And the encores are complete, all the applause making for a very exciting "you are there" recording. If only we had had this thirty years ago! The gold disc is a must have for any Garland fan.

It's so gratifying to see "Judy at Carnegie Hall" still getting rave reviews after all these years. Just goes to show you what a true classic this recording is. It is without question, the finest live performance album ever released, from the most gifted and greatest entertainer the world has ever known. Every song is a masterpiece, from the haunting "The Man That Got Away" to the incredibly emotional "Stormy Weather" down to "Over the Rainbow" (where you can actually hear her tears) to the joyous "Swanee" and "Chicago." If there is a better album, I've never heard it,and again, it is good to see the great Judy Garland is getting all the attention and artistic recognition she richly deserves. Listening to this peformance is more than an entertainment.It's an emotionally charged experience no listener can ever forget, and no performer can ever top. I can't imagine not owning and treasuring this incredible recording by a fabulous lady who still gives us so much even now. Buy it today. It's more than just a recording. It's an important artistic milestone you'll love forever.

I have read all of the reviews and it is amazing how on target most of the reviews are. But, I don't get the sense that too many of these people were actually there that night execpt the young man of 6 years old. I was 19 and you had to be there to really appreciate how this CD captures that evening. I have the original Black Box limited edition version, the mono version, the stereo version, the first and second CD and now THIS ONE. What has always been missing is the excitement of that night. I was dissappointed when the record first came out because it appeared Judy just sang with no interaction with the audience. I still remember the woman yelling out "I love you." But all that has been restored and while those who complain about sound differences may be correct, I'll take this version any day and so should you. I was LUCKY to have seen Judy in person 5 times, but Carnegie Hall was the greatest. Anyone out there who was there that night, would love to hear from you. Ricky---RICKEEDEM@AOL.COM

If I were told that I would be forced to live out my days on a desert island, and I could take only ONE album with me, it would be Judy At Carnegie Hall. This is the best album ever recorded, and this includes all other live or studio recordings. Judy Garland is at her absolute ZENITH in this concert. If you are not a Judy fan, I dare you to buy this album and not fall in love with her. Her talent, showmanship and humor are stupendous. Buy the gold disc, because Judy is more out front, as if she were in your living room singing to YOU. I have listened to this album hundreds of times, and I know every note, every sigh, every word. Yet this album NEVER gets old. It's new, fresh and exciting every time I hear it. BUY THIS CD!

If you only own one Garland album, this has to be it. You will be amazed at the power, humor, and charm of the performance, but you will also hear the sweetness and vulnerability that could turn a cavernous theater into an intimate setting. The fans are driven almost to hysteria, ending in Garland's question to them: "Do you really want more?" Their answer is a ringing, loving affirmation of that incredible evening. This IS one of the great live-performance recordings of all time and a tribute to one of the most talented and distinctive entertainers of the century. A must have!

After reading some other reviews (and finding a great used price) I purchased Judy at Carnegie Hall DCC Gold Edition. I had already purchased the 2001 Capitol Release and usually don't buy duplicates, but this concert is SO GOOD... Anyway, I originally liked the mix of the the Capitol edition better, but after several listens, Judy's voice is so much clearer and the recording itself is so much more crisp, that technically this recording is far better. The price is a bit high, and for the average listener with average stereo equipment, I doubt much difference will be evident between the DCC and Capitol releases. BUT! For the audiophile with good equipment there is a big difference. My solution to the dilemna...buy both. (Although buy the DCC version used!)For the audiophiles...I LOVE that they took the echo off Judy's voice, the recording sounds so much more personal without it. Capitol's issue sounds a bit too big. I like being in the front row, not the 90th!