Customer Reviews

The Wizard Of Oz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Deluxe Edition

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a true Oz fan! I collect everything that I find (unless it's not in my price range) and when i saw this I couldn't pass it up, even though it was a bit pricier than I had expected. Trust me, this was well worth the price!!! I love this CD and the book that came with it is more than just a bonus, it is a God send! If your an Oz fan this is a must! You've got to have this. Don't just think because you have other soundtracks of Oz and such that you don't need to buy this! This is the only CD that has ALL the songs including the outtakes, and even half takes and the only one I have seen with a 52 page book! What more could you ask for?! This is truely a must have! If you are an Oz fan and/or collector be sure to pick this up to day. You won't be sorry!

It's been nearly 11 years since Rhino Movie Music and TCM Music teamed up to bring two editions of the awesome soundtrack from this movie to the public. One edition is a single-disc version and only contains the songs and a few bits of score. (However, it contained ALL of the songs, including outtakes and extended versions.) This is often found for around $10 and is a great buy for the casual fan or one who rarely shops online and can't find the 2-disc in a store. Although I feel more could have been included on it, it's a nice little package, especially for the kids.

However, Rhino and TCM also released a deluxe 2-CD edition featuring ALL of the music recorded and some great supplemental material as well. This deluxe version comes in a long box with the two discs, a tracklisting and short paragraph on what's inside on the back, and a special book that not only explains the music, making of the film, and the stories behind those who created it, but also contains pages for the tracklisting that includes the vocalists on the tracks and even dates of recording. One chapter even offers an annotated film guide, with notes on where the tracks on the CD appear in the film, as well as details on the deleted/extended materials presented here. Also included is a plethora of photos sprinkled all through the book.

These two discs contain a total of 82 (!) tracks, 59 of which are the songs and score. Almost immediately, you're treated to extended pieces of score as well as score that was entirely deleted. In addition, some of the songs we all know and love contain additional material, such as the Scarecrow's deleted dance from If I Only Had A Brain. There are even three deleted songs presented on this set: The Jitterbug, a reprise of Over The Rainbow, and Ding-Dong! Emerald City/The Trimuphal Return To Emerald City. The fact that all this material has been completely preserved and is made available to the public is to be commended.

If you think the songs and score will be all you get on these CDs, you're wrong. Starting with Disc 2, Track 14, you're treated to 23 demos, alternate/partial takes, alternate versions, orchestral angles, and other rarely heard materials such as a partial take of Over The Rainbow where Judy Garland messes up, a take of Over The Rainbow that doesn't make it to the final film, a demo of the deleted Jitterbug number, and even an alternate version of the end credits music.

The sound, for the most part, is absolutely amazing and clear. Some tracks have a minimal amount of tape hiss. Enough that you notice it, but not enough to detract from the listening experience. Also, it sounds as if some of the sources were slightly deteriorated, as on some of the instrumental tracks, there's a considerable amount of warp. However, for audio that at the time was over 55 years old, this soundtrack is amazingly clear and crisp and vibrant-sounding.

Rhino and TCM are to be commended for their beautiful treatment of the music from greatest family film of all time on CD. If you're a casual fan, don't care about anything but the songs and most important score pieces, or just don't want to pay this much, the single-disc CD soundtrack is an excellent package. However, if you're a hardcore fan of the film such as myself, you definitely want to spend the extra cash and pick up this lovingly created box set. Just to have the complete score alone is worth the price, but in addition, the supplemental audio materials and the excellent box and beautiful packaging make it all worth every penny. I plan to sell my single-disc soundtrack ASAP, as I no longer need it.

This is the best soundtrack of OZ available. What's with the complaints about the high price? The length of the two CDs combined is longer running time of the film and the booklet which comes with it is well researched and full of fascinating photos. Pass by the shorter single CD versions and get this one. You'll not be disappointed. All of the original score is here, including the cut scenes: the wind machine, the witch's threats, the Jitterbug, the attack of the bees on the Tin Man, the return to the Emerald City......and of course the wonderful Judy Garland outtake of "Over the Rainbow" in which she coughs in the middle of a take.

This is IT, folks! The ULTIMATE Wizard of OZ (aka, WOO) soundtrack/score album!

Man, this is just Beautiful, believe me! What's amazing to me is how a man of 60 years (almost) has this bank in his brain for so many elements from this absolutely magnificent film. (How the Hell could Gone With the Wind have even been considered as "Best Picture" against this Timeless Classic? I think the intervening years have proven the "MPA" very wrong on this one. There is no way that this picture, and it's most wonderful musical soundtrack/score do not go to the top of the "Best Movies of All Time" list. Right up there right behind "Citizen Kane", which would make it #2, I believe.

The folks at Rhino Records have taken this material and have lovingly and carefully cleaned it all up, and remastered it with the utmost care, and then, they have created a truly beautiful, deluxe package to "keep" it in! Those of us who treasure all things "OZ", especially from the movie, will find themselves thinking "I wish I'd bought this before!" You will be so pleased when you hear things that have never been released before from the score on records, LP's, previous CD's, etc. Truly a Priceless Album that you will delight in and treasure. What a treat when one is having a "bad day" to pop this into their player and be transported to the wonderful land of "Oz" for an hour and a half.....the best stress reliever I know! Order yourself a copy of this beautifully packaged and presented set, and ENJOY! ~operabruin

I just watched "The Wizard of Oz" on Turner Classic Movies tonight and never tire of the enduring magic this movie lends itself over and over again.

This CD set is the ultimate truly for anyone who is a hardcore Oz fan like myself. Unless you own the laser version copy of the gift set "The Ultimate Oz" you will not find the complete musical scoring on any other CD (in fact the "Ultimate Oz" actually includes more than this CD does!).

I considered the price quite in-expensive when you consider the deluxe packaging and booklet that's included. But that's me and I can never resist another trip "Over the Rainbow" with Judy in Oz.

This is probably the best recording that i have ever heard of OZ. It is truly amazing how they have preserved the copies of the outtakes, numbers that didn't make the show, etc. I believe that if you are an OZ fan, or if just new to this movie/musical, this is a must have. The price may be a tad high, but it is worth it.

This is the ultimate Oz CD for all Oz fans. The only faults I can find with it is that in light of the 1998 theatrical release of the film with its newly remastered stereo soundtrack, this CD set has not been released in stereo. As "complete" as this set appears, there are some omissions, although some might consider it minor nit-picking. The beginning of "Follow The Yellow Brick Road" in Munchkinland doesn't include Judy's or the Munchkins voices bouncing that phrase off of each other as she spirals through the first steps of her journey. The vocals resume as the Munchkin chorus chime in the refrain. The Winkie Guards' song (Oh EEE-yo, YO-ah) is inexplicably absent from this release, as is "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!". The "Optomistic Voices" sequence (You're Out Of The Woods) has slightly different vocal harmonies than the one used on the actual film soundtrack. Overall, it's still a must-have for any Oz fan! Hopefully these oversites will be corrected in a future edition. - Gerry

This is a great addition to your "WIZARD OF OZ" Collection. I hae a copy of it and it's done very well. You can also get to hear many of the outtakes music stuff from the movie and that's really neat to hear too. There is also a wonderful extended verison of "Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland when she filmed the movie she sang the song a few times but it ended up that they had to keep redoing the song a few times as heared on the CD because she ended up crying!

This CD is tops!! It has everything. Well worth the money! A must have!. The 52 page booklet with it is 5 stars too very informative!

Hello OZ fans. This is truly the best Wizard Of OZ soundtrack to date in my opinion. In October of '05 Warner Bros is releasing this classic film again on DVD. I was wondering if anybody knows if they will release another soundtrack to accompany the re-release DVD? Either way, I doubt it could compare to this excellent deluxe edition. See ya, over the rainbow!