Customer Reviews

Poor Little Rich Girl

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Poor Little Rich Girl is a two CD set that gives us a huge amount of tracks by the incomparable Judy Garland. Judy was the world's greatest entertainer ever; and there's no doubt of that when you hear her sing on these CDs. The quality of the sound is fairly good with some surface noise here and there; and the artwork reflects good taste.

The first CD starts off very well with Judy singing "(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You." Judy sings this with a voice that is as clear as a bell; and her personal affection for Clark Gable enhances her ability to sing this with great sensitivity. "Over The Rainbow" seems to be the version Judy recorded for a 78rpm record; but nonetheless she delivers this with panache and her signature song certainly doesn't suffer! Moreover, "Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis" features Judy front and center as she sings this awesome tune. The musical arrangement features a full orchestra and this impresses me very much; they also make great use of the percussion.

"I'm Just Wild About Harry" gets a great treatment from Judy who sings this with loads of positive energy along with a big band style arrangement. "The Trolley Song" also sounds better than ever when Judy sings this--she handles the complex tempo changes effortlessly and the MGM chorus harmonizes very well. Listen also for "For Me And My Gal;" Judy's youthful voice never sounded better and I really like "For Me And My Gal."

"That Old Black Magic" is a tune partly written by Johnny Mercer who had quite a crush on Judy at the time; Judy sings this very well and her voice imparts every little nuance of the lyrics in this ballad. "I've Got Rhythm" ends the first CD strong; it certainly leaves you wanting more!

The second CD continues the hits. "The Boy Next Door" really sounds perfect when Judy sings this; the musical accompaniment enhances the number very well. Judy is again squarely in the spotlight for the awesome number "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" from The Harvey Girls. This is a recording made in the studio for a record, however--it's not from the movie soundtrack. Listen also for "Embraceable You;" Judy handles this Gershwin tune like the pro she always was and the Gershwin brothers were certainly proud of how well Judy did this number!

"Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" has Judy singing this with a slower tempo; later in life Judy sang this faster and I think the faster version actually beats the rendition we get there. Oh, well. "The Joint Is Really Jumpin' Down At Carnegie Hall" shows off Judy speaking the first few lines before she breaks into song--and the piano arrangement is very thoughtfully done.

"On The Bumpy Road To Love" ends the CD with an upbeat number from an early Judy film; Judy's excellent diction bolsters her performance and the MGM orchestra plays wonderfully.

Overall, this two CD set really should appeal to any Judy Garland fan. These are classic songs made famous by Judy Garland; and even casual fans will want to pick up this two CD set. I am baffled that this is currently out of print--hopefully that will change soon!

This British budget compilation is far better than it's budget status would suggest. The only flaw (if there is one) is that there is no information about the actual recordings, though the liner notes do provide a reasonable biography for those unfamiliar with Judy's story. However, all the essential songs are here and plenty more besides - forty tracks in all.

To name just a few of the classics here - When you wore a tulip, Over the rainbow, For me and my gal, On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe, I'm nobody's baby, Zing went the strings of my heart - so many wonderful songs, all sung beautifully by Judy in her crystal clear voice, which still sounds great sixty years or so later, despite the limitations of recording techology back then.

If you are unfamiliar with Judy's music, this is a great place to start. If you already have some, check the track listing. As there are so many great songs here (and not just those I named), you may still want this collection.

To anybody who enjoys music by the great ladies of the thirties and forties, Judy Garland is essential. At the price (even the American import price), you won't find a better compilation than this - it's great value for money.