The Wizard Of Oz: Selections From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg, The Wizard Of Oz (Related Recordings), Herbert Stothart

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 19, 1995)
• Original Release Date: September 19, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000033KM
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,056 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Lions and tigers and bears, the yellow brick road, gamboling midgets, warnings scrawled high above by a skywriting witch: No movie ever imprinted itself on young imaginations or endured in adult memory more than MGM's classic 1939 musical, and no movie score ever hooked as forcefully into our collective cultural memory. This exemplary soundtrack finally treats this deserved classic to a thoughtful and comprehensive rendering (an even more detailed, expanded version was also released simultaneously as a deluxe box) that confirms the enduring power of Harold Arlen's original music and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg's lyrics. On film, the songs unreeled as a mixture of discreet songs and multi-themed medleys with frequent reprises, a presentation preserved here, epitomized in the "Munchkinland Musical Sequence." If not as concise as Bobby McFerrin's legendary, hilarious concert compression of the entire musical story, this telling of The Wizard of Oz relives the film just as vividly. "Over the Rainbow" is here, of course, precisely where it should be in the sequence, as as timelessly luminous and wistful as ever. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic "Wizard of Oz" music makes me feel 8 again!, December 6, 2000

By	Alex G. Thompson (West Palm Beach, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

There are probably few people in the world who love this classic motion picture more than I do and hearing this beautifully recorded soundtrack brought back so many wonderful memories and tears to my eyes as I sang along and listened to them again. I have waited years for someone to record an album with JUST the songs and not with the accompanying dialogue and this is it! I admit I was leary of the title "Selections" from the "Wizard of OZ," figuring that it might have some of the better known songs: "Over the Rainbow," "Off to see the Wizard," If I only had a brain, ...heart, ...courage, so imagine my surprise when EVERY song I remember was on the disk, even extended versions of songs and songs never heard or seen because they were cut from the movie before its release in 1939. I first saw the movie in 1955 at a drive-in movie (does that date me or what?) and immediately fell in love with it and Judy too. (Who wouldn't fall in love with her?). It has been my favorite ever since! I know the dialogue and songs by heart so It's so great that the music is from the original score too and not redone my someone else or a shortened version of them. Anyone who loves the "Wizard of Oz" has got to buy this CD!! Gratefully, Alex Thompson.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound Quality was Good;All the Favorite Songs from the Movie, September 29, 2003

By A Customer

My daughter has just discovered the Wizard of Oz and is enthralled. I was hesitant to purchase the soundtrack, given how the other reviews said the sound quality was poor. I don't know if they re-mixed the songs or what, but the sound quality on our CD is just fine -- it's equivalent in quality to the soundtrack on the DVD. The CD has all of the favorite songs from the movie, of course. I highly recommend it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!!, June 23, 1998

By	- (-) - See all my reviews

I really liked this CD (5 stars) because of a number of things. #1- It's a condensed version of the boxed set, and perfect for a CD when you're in a time pinch. #2-It has a cheaper price than that of the Boxed set (although you should still get the box set), and you have the core songs of the 1939 movie.