Best of Judy Garland: 20th Century Masters (CD - 1999)

Recorded between 1939 and 1945. Includes liner notes by Joseph Laredo.

This is part of MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series.

These songs, like Judy Garland's hand and shoe prints in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, are forever cast in the in the heart and soul of American popular culture. Featuring her mountain of a voice, and brimming with strong emotions, these recordings from the early years of Garland's career exhibit a doe-eyed hope and vulnerable optimism.

When she sang "Over the Rainbow," she became the voice of a nation, and all these songs are this persuasive; each one puts the listener in her shoes. "On the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe," with its irresistible rhythm, is fueled by Garland's giddy excitement. "The Trolley Song" is equally possessed, and it's the listener whose heartstrings zing. If by some chance you are not familiar with these recordings, a listen will leave you captivated and devoted. minimize