Customer Reviews

Live At the London Palladium

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

 

 

This 2 CD set of the complete concert of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli live at the London Palladium is still not available. But if it ever gets released, a lot of fans will be very happy. No one knows why this recording has been withdrawn by Capitol Records. A lot of speculation has been stated, but no real reason has been said. We can only hope some day that this gem will be released. Even if the sound quality is not up to par, just to hear mother and daughter's only complete concert together from beginning to end will be most welcomed by all the fans of Judy and Liza.

...............it's exclusive to Collectors Choice Music's online site , for now.

Their description reads:
Almost 40 years to the date after Judy Garland's death, and 45 years after it was recorded, 'Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli: Live at the London Palladium' is finally coming out on CD! This is the complete, restored concert, remastered and annotated under the careful ears and eyes of Garland/Minnelli expert Scott Schechter. Includes 'Overture'; Judy's renditions of 'Just Once in a Lifetime; Maggie, Maggie May; As Long as He Needs Me; Just in Time; Smile; Never Will I Marry; The Man That Got Away; Make Someone Happy; Joey, Joey, Joey; The Music That Makes Me Dance; What Now, My Love; Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody; It's Yourself, and 'Over the Rainbow'; Liza's performances of 'The Travelin' Life; Pass That Peace Pipe; The Gypsy in My Soul; How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life?; Mama Medley; I'm All I've Got; It's Just a Matter of Time; If I Were in Your Shoes; Who's Sorry Now', and 'Maybe This Time'; duets on 'Hello, Dolly!; We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together/The Best Is Yet to Come; Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight; Don't Rain on My Parade; Hooray for Love Medley; Johnny One Note; When the Saints Go Marching In/Brotherhood of Man; He's Got the Whole World in His Hands; Battle Hymn of the Republic; Swanee; Chicago; San Francisco', and 'Together'. Plus, you get four bonus piano-only rehearsal takes and a 1965 Judy phone interview!

On a sadder note Scott Schechter passed away May 15th 2009

This is a great album. Two great stars, one reaching the end of her career and another just begining.

Judy Garland is not in great voice on this album but she still manages to to give a legendary performance. She also has a slightly different line up of songs than on her usual live dates. You can really hear the pride in her voice as she introduces Liza Minnelli.

Liza Minnelli is fantastic. At eighteen, unknown as an artiste at the time of recording, Liza steals the show. Every song is performed with verve and complete gusto that we have now come to relate to this fantastic star. The highlight of the album has to be Liza's version of Who's Sorry Now.It will knoch your socks off!

The two duet perfectly on some very unusual songs such as Chicago and San Francisco. As legend has it Miss.Garland showed signs of her professional competitiveness on the stage that night not realising that Liza could actually sing as well as she could. Liza Minnelli later said that it was not her mother that she stood on stage with that night but that it was Judy Garland who shared the spotlight! Having said that, I think it is important to say that the concert was done in good spirit and deep love and respect.

Like many Garland albums this album has a very raw quality to it. A collectors album for many years both on vinyl and then on a rare c.d. Worth while buying although it will make my rare c.d worthless!

There is also a DVD of the second night concert they did where they sang different songs to this recording. There are no filmed concerts of Judy Garland (apart from her T.V show)so this concert, filmed at the Palladium, is well worth buying on DVD. The relationship between the two performers is extraorinary and laid open for all to see on this film.

For any fan or collector this album (and DVD) is a must and a real treasure of the great Judy Garland..... Having said that, you might guess that I am a little bit bias!

Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli Live at The Palladium is an historic recording. Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli wowed their audiences then; and they are every bit as powerful when you hear these songs today. The songs and medleys shine and the sound quality is very good.

Of course, with these individual MP3 files being available for download you can either take your pick or download all of them. I have my favorites as you will, too. The overture is very pretty but it's not the signature Garland overture; this may have been because Liza was performing with her mother. Judy gives a passionate rendition of "Once in a Lifetime;" I love every minute of it! "Just in Time" and "Smile" are very well done by Judy; and listen for Liza to perform great numbers including "The Travelin' Life;" "Who's Sorry Now" and a medley of songs including "Tea for Two" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Judy sings "The Man That Got Away" with all her heart and soul while "The Music That Makes Me Dance" gets the royal treatment from Garland. Of course, "Over the Rainbow" couldn't be any better than when Judy sang it.

The duets are every bit as special. Their version of "Hello, Dolly" is positively electric; the crowd (which filled every square inch of that theater) absolutely loves it and it's obvious that these two ladies enjoyed a tremendously positive rapport with the audience. "Together Wherever We Go" and the medley of "Hooray for Love/After You've Gone/By Myself/'S Wonderful/How about You?/Lover Come Back to Me!/You and the Night and the Music/It All Depends on You" are just two examples of how well Judy and Liza could sing duets most powerfully. I also liked the duets of "Swanee;" "Chicago" and "San Francisco."

I admit that there is something about this that I wish was different: These files for download are actually a combination of the songs from the two concerts Judy and her daughter Liza gave at London's Palladium in November of 1964; I think they could have released an entire night's performance unedited. Wow, how it would be an amazing delight to hear Judy and Liza all the way through one entire concert! Sure, I can see where they were coming from: For example, Judy's voice may have been giving out a little near the end of an evening and some of that has apparently been cut here. Nevertheless, I can't imagine anything but loving Judy sing and Liza does a heck of a job performing, too. Liza was at the tender age of 18 but even though she was still evolving into a superstar she does a great job with everything she performs.

I highly recommend this album for Judy Garland fans; and of course Liza Minnelli fans wouldn't have a complete collection without this album, either.

Collector's Choice Music now is listing the entire 2-CD set for sale. It's the same one from 2002 which was pulled for legal reasons back when it was originally announced. 05/03/2009

Only back in the great musical sixties could a legendary event happen like this awesome once-in-a-lifetime musical extravaganza featuring Judy Garland and then teenage daughter Liza Minnelli in fine form in front of an adoring audience with a tremendous full orchestra...extraordinary to experience this legendary duo in concert over and over in a program filled with classic songs performed to the max! Liza coaxed by Judy once advertising had already gone out, must have been terrified but rose to the occasion and won over The London Palladium and that love affair is still going strong today...solo show-stoppers like "Gypsy In My Soul" & "The Travelin' Life" showed Minnelli has the stuff Superstars are made of and duets with mom are totally inspired and moving with both great singers in full command. Garland in full rich voice throughout & at an emotional peak is deeply moving and soulful in each great solo spot with "What Now My Love" being one of the most incredible vocal performances ever recorded by any singer...in incredible voice, Judy smolders and soars through a great orchestration that showcases a phenomenal tour-de-force performance that is impossible to top or match...Judy in remarkable form and "The Man That Got Away" is dark and moody and richly dramatic while "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from "Funny Girl" is touching and definitive. Forty five years later this musical treasure still is as fresh and vital as the day it was released and thrilling to experience every time...Bravo Judy and Liza!!!

"Judy and Liza: Live at the London Palladium" is an absolute must-have for both Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli fans alike. Despite Judy's aging voice, as far as I'm concerned, everything about this album is sheer perfection. (Well, aside from the small matter that the show has never been released in its 100% full state, but this is beside the point.) This album also marks the quintessential passing of the torch, as it were: as one star was beginning to fade, the other was just beginning her ascent to superstardom. This album is a perfect snapshot of that very historic moment.
Naturally, the album is far more Judy-oriented than vice versa, as Liza was her guest star and not the other way around. You can feel both the airs of competitiveness between the two, yet in other moments, nothing more than mutual love between mother and daughter. I personally feel as though this point in particular contributes strongly to just why this particular album is so gripping and intriguing. Not to mention that while Judy's voice was not the perfectly tuned instrument it once was back in her youth, the imperfections give her voice a smoky, sultry tone to it that wasn't there in younger years.
Which brings us to Liza. Liza had been working a strand of on and off Broadway musicals, as well as having performed on Judy's TV show twice before American audiences. She was no stranger to performing in front of an audience, but was still new enough to the game to still be in the process of discovering her sound and just what her vocal range was capable of. At points, her voice is soft and silky; at others, it's downright shrill and shrieky. Still, despite the nuances in her voice, one can't deny that this was one special, talented young lady who would definitely be going places.
The particular selection of songs used in this performance are a quirky, unusual, and completely unpredictable mixture, but somehow it works splendidly in the way of one magical evening. Everything from the typical Judy standards ("Over The Rainbow", "The Man That Got Away", "Rock a Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody", etc.) to tracks such as "How Could You Believe Me?", "Pass That Peace Pipe", "Don't Rain On My Parade". But, with two fabulous divas such as Judy and Liza, "predictable" is never a term that should ever be used to describe either of them. Such is the case with this setlist.
If you're a fan of either (or both!) these phenomenal ladies, then you NEED this album in your collection. You won't regret it!