Review: “Judy Garland – A Celebration” is Nothing to Celebrate

“Judy Garland – A Celebration” is a waste of three CDs. 

First off, I cannot in good conscience support this CD release or advise anyone to purchase it.  There are many reasons for this. 

The main reason is that the curator, Lawrence Schulman, used the seven Capitol “Judy” bonus tracks without the permission or even the knowledge of the owner of the only known copies of these recordings and knowing that the owner was currently working on a project to restore, remaster, and release them.  It’s one thing to “scoop” a story; it’s quite another thing to take audio from an in-progress project without permission and then sell it.  Schulman only had access to seven of the twelve tracks in raw format due to an email error.  That’s not a justification.

There are actually twelve previously unreleased tracks from the “Judy” project that are currently being properly restored and remastered (stay tuned for info about the upcoming legitimate release of all twelve).  Disclaimer: I am not involved in that project either; I only have knowledge of it.

As if that weren’t enough, the rest of this CD set’s contents are mixed at best, with most of the tracks on the “not worth it” side.  The producer kindly sent me an advance copy (digitally) of both the CD and LP.  I listened to it with my Bose headphones to be able to properly hear the “new” stereo effects created by Brian Lee and to ascertain the quality of the other tracks.

The set is not AS BAD as those “stereo” CDs put out by that Swiss company.  However, it’s not much better.  Most of the “new” stereo mixes sound more like the “electronically enhanced for stereo” tracks that MGM Records (and Decca) put out in the 1960s & 70s (old-timer fans will know what I’m talking about).  This is because, in most of them, the bulk of the orchestra is in the right channel.  Sometimes, various instruments ping-pong back and forth.  This indicates that they were run through an app or program and not vetted properly by human ears.  A few seem to start off ok, but when Judy’s voice comes in, she sounds very “mono” and “flat” compared to the orchestra, which is, in most cases, too loud.

Good stereo from mono is very difficult to achieve properly, which is why human ears are still needed.  The “new stereo” mixes that are popping up on YouTube (that have obviously been run through “stereo” apps without any quality control) are similar to the poorly rendered stereo in this release – much like those apps that colorize film but end up making it look all copper and tinted.

In Sid Luft fashion, and for whatever reason, Lee decided to “Frankenstein” the Decca versions of songs from Meet Me In St. Louis (MGM 1944).   For “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” he added the intro music from the film soundtrack.  No reason is given as to why this was done, and to make matters worse, the switch from MGM to Decca is bad – it’s really rough and obvious.  All of the Decca “St. Louis” tracks are listed as hybrids of the Decca studio and MGM soundtrack, which explains the weirdness (for lack of a better term) going on in the background.  Lee obviously took the orchestra-only audio from the home media releases and added them.  There is no reason to do this other than to carry on the Sid Luft “you gotta get a gimmick” tradition.  The gimmick doesn’t work.  The (hopefully unintended) result is that they sound completely overarranged.  These don’t help Judy’s vocals at all, either.  The gimmick might be fine for a bizarro video on YouTube but not on an alleged legitimate CD release.  In the CD liner notes, Schulman quotes audio engineer Nick Dellow, “When asked what his remastering philosophy is, Dellow replies: ‘It’s a simple one. Respect the source material. And don’t over-egg the pudding!'” – Lee should have taken heed.

Schulman comments in the liner notes, “Insofar as Lee, some might criticize his stereo remixes for using different sources and then melding them.  It is the result that counts, and what one hears ni [sic] his remixes is a seamless stereo soundstage that is both natural and enjoyable to the ear.”  It appears that Schulman’s comment is trying to justify Lee’s poor choices.  It’s not that “some might criticize” his work; it’s that most (if not all) will criticize it.  It will be interesting to hear what real audio engineers with proper equipment have to say.  In my opinion, he didn’t just use different sources and then meld them; he ruined them.

My question is, “Why?”  There is no reason to “Frankenstein” these recordings; they’re more than wonderful on their own.  It’s the same disregard and disrespect for Judy’s performances as when another YouTuber actually spoke over Judy’s vocals in a vain attempt to “audio watermark’ the recording.  The results are the same: Totally unlistenable garbage.

The radio performance of “Comes Love” was also given the stereo treatment and the result is a barrel-sounding echoey effect (again, more from the right channel).  It made this listener ask, “Why? Why was it necessary to try to make that stereo?”  Not all of the CDs are in stereo, only certain tracks, so the choice for this one is questionable.

“Smile,” which is one of my favorite Judy performances, is inexplicably missing the first several lines of the song (!).  It’s as if someone hit the fade-in button way too late.  It’s unlistenable.  Perhaps that will be remedied by the time the CD is pressed.

Some of the other tracks have already been given the stereo treatment, so redoing them here was a waste of time.  “Get Happy,” which has already been properly converted to stereo, has some odd things happening in the background, although it’s not a “hybrid” like the aforementioned Decca tracks.  It’s anyone’s guess as to what Lee was trying to achieve.

The rest of the tracks, aside from the few that really ARE new to CD, are just more of the same.  How many times is Schulman going to have someone remaster the audio for the Vitaphone shorts or the Decca test record of “Bill” or “Minnie From Trinidad” (this time in stereo), among others?  The results don’t justify the time it took to remaster them (if any time was spent at all, some could just be direct transfers from previous CDs – I didn’t waste time comparing them).  So here we have another compilation of the same stuff from Schulman, with just a few “new” tracks.   A single CD of those tracks Schulman swiped, plus the several new CD tracks mixed with a few chestnuts, would have been better, although still suspect considering how all of this came about, but at least it would be much more consistent.

The liner notes are also dubious.  They’re oddly written.  Toward the end of Schulman’s diatribe, he compares Judy’s physical appearance to the victims of the Nazi concentration camps.  That’s really tacky. Yes, she was skin and bones, but comparing that to the horrors of the concentration camps is low.  The liner notes scream for an editor, something Schulman apparently didn’t have.  Curiously, the LP notes don’t mention Dellow or Lee at all.

The CD liner notes state that “On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” is the complete Decca version (Parts 1 & 2), but the copy I received only had Part 2 on both the CD and LP.  The LP notes incorrectly list the title as “Sante Fe” rather than “Santa Fe,” and Schulman incorrectly states in the CD notes that this version of Part 2 was deemed unsatisfactory.  That’s not really true.  It was set for release until “March of the Doagies” was deleted, creating an uneven number of tracks on the discs (one song on each side), so Part 1 of “Atchison” was removed.  Decca had Judy come in and re-record Part 2 with new lyrics because the original lyrics would have been out of context without Part 1.  Confusing, yes; unsatisfactory? No.

The photos used in the CD liner notes booklet have been run through the “smoothing” app too many times.  The screenshot of Judy singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is especially bad.  She’s gorgeous enough; this makes her look like a cheap blow-up doll.  Even the LP collage on the back of the booklet includes a photo of an album cover with a huge distorted flash glare.  Sloppy.

I am beyond flabbergasted by this release.  Most of Schulman’s previous releases have been good, if not great.  This is junk.  His shady actions behind the scenes are unacceptable and low for anyone who calls themselves a “Garland fan.”  The set is three CDs of a hodgepodge of bad stereo-izations, unnecessary and overly gimmicky “hybrids,” some random filler, and a few “new to CD” tracks.  In his quest to be first out of the gate with something new, Schulman has sunk to a new low.

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Here is the tracklist:

CD TRACKLIST:

* First time on CD
** Repitched
† Stereo Remix

3 hours 41 minutes

CD 1

1. BLUE BUTTERFLY (Soundtrack, A Holiday In Storyland)

2. BILL (Decca Records)

3. BROADWAY RHYTHM (Radio)

4. ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART (Radio)

5. STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY (Decca Records)

6. IT’S LOVE I’M AFTER (Soundtrack, Pigskin Parade) †

7. (DEAR MR. GABLE) YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU (Soundtrack, Broadway Melody of 1938)

8. SUN SHOWERS (Soundtrack, Love Finds Andy Hardy)

9. OVER THE RAINBOW (Soundtrack, The Wizard of Oz) †

10. F.D.R. JONES (Radio)

11. I’M JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY (Decca Records)

12. COMES LOVE (Radio) † **

13. I’M NOBODY’S BABY (Soundtrack, Andy Hardy Meets Debutante)

14. FRIENDSHIP (with Johnny Mercer, Decca Records)

15. DO THE LA CONGA (with Mickey Rooney & MGM Studio Chorus, Soundtrack, Strike Up The Band)

16. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Soundtrack, Little Nellie Kelly) †

17. I’M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS (Soundtrack, Ziegfeld Girl) †

18. MINNIE FROM TRINIDAD (Soundtrack, Ziegfeld Girl) †

19. EASY TO LOVE (Soundtrack, Life Begins for Andy Hardy)

20. HOW YA GONNA KEEP ‘EM DOWN ON THE FARM (AFTER THEY’VE SEEN PAREE)? (Soundtrack, For Me And My Gal)

21. EMBRACEABLE YOU (Decca Records) †

22. THE BOY NEXT DOOR (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) †

23. HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) †

24. BOYS AND GIRLS LIKE YOU AND ME (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) †

CD 2

1. THE TROLLEY SONG (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) †

2. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack)†

3. I MAY BE WRONG (BUT I THINK YOU’RE WONDERFUL) (V-Disc)

4. IN THE VALLEY (WHERE THE EVENING SUN GOES DOWN) (Soundtrack, The Harvey Girls)

5. ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA, AND THE SANTA FE (Decca Records)

6. MY ROMANCE (with Frank Sinatra, Radio)

7. WHY WAS I BORN? (Radio) †

8. CHANGING MY TUNE (Decca Records)

9. YOU CAN DO NO WRONG (Soundtrack, The Pirate) †

10. I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN (Decca Records)

11. MR. MONOTONY (Soundtrack, Easter Parade) †

12. A COUPLE OF SWELLS (with Fred Astaire, Soundtrack, Easter Parade)

13. LAST NIGHT WHEN WE WERE YOUNG (Soundtrack, In The Good Old Summertime)

14. IF YOU FEEL LIKE SINGING, SING (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) †

15. (HOWDY NEIGHBOR) HAPPY HARVEST (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) †

16. FRIENDLY STAR (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) †

17. GET HAPPY (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) †

18. YOU’RE JUST IN LOVE (with Bing Crosby, Radio)

19. I’M IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL GUY (Radio) **

20. HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAID I LOVED YOU WHEN YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN A LIAR ALL MY LIFE? (with Bing Crosby, Radio)

21. MY SHIP (HAS SAILS THAT ARE MADE OF SILK) (Radio)

22. SEND MY BABY BACK TO ME (Columbia Records) †

23. HEARTBROKEN (Robert Parker Dolby Surround Sound version) (Columbia Records)

24. THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY (Soundtrack, A Star Is Born)

25. IT’S A NEW WORLD (Soundtrack, A Star Is Born)

26. MY MELANCHOLY BABY (Rehearsal) *

27. ME AND MY SHADOW (Capitol Records, Alone)

CD 3

1. ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART (Capitol Records, Judy in Love)

2. MORE THAN YOU KNOW (Capitol Records, Judy in Love)

3. WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT (Capitol Records, Garland at the Grove)

4. THE FARAWAY PART OF TOWN ** (Soundtrack, Pepe)

5. IF I LOVE AGAIN (Capitol Records, That’s Entertainment!)

6. YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE (Capitol Records, The London Sessions)

7. JUDY AT THE PALACE MEDLEY (Capitol Records, The London Sessions) *

8. COME RAIN OR COME SHINE (Capitol Records, Judy at Carnegie Hall)

9. COMES ONCE IN A LIFETIME (Capitol Records)

10. SMILE (TV Special, Sunday Night at the London Palladium)

11. WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE (TV, The Judy Garland Show) *

12. MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY (Private Recording) *

13. THE MUSIC THAT MAKES ME DANCE (TV, On Broadway Tonight) *

14. WHAT NOW, MY LOVE? (TV, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall)

15. HOW INSENSITIVE (TV, The Mike Douglas Show)

BONUS TRACKS:

16. DIRTY HANDS, DIRTY FACE (Capitol Records, Judy) *

17. APRIL SHOWERS (Capitol Records, Judy) *

18. MAYBE I’LL COME BACK (Capitol Records, Judy) *

19. I’M OLD FASHIONED (Capitol Records, Judy) *

20. MEMORIES OF YOU (Capitol Records, Judy) *

21. LUCKY DAY (Capitol Records, Judy) *

22. LAST NIGHT WHEN WE WERE YOUNG (Capitol Records, Judy) *

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LP TRACK LIST – VOLUME 1 (Volume 2 to be released at a later date):

* Stereo remix
† Repitched, first release

Side A

1 IT’S LOVE I’M AFTER (Soundtrack, Pigskin Parade) *

2 (DEAR MR. GABLE) YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU (Soundtrack, Broadway Melody of 1938)

3 OVER THE RAINBOW (Soundtrack, The Wizard of Oz) *

4 COMES LOVE (Radio) *†

5 HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) *

6 THE TROLLEY SONG (Hybrid – Decca Records – MGM Soundtrack) *

7 I MAY BE WRONG (BUT I THINK YOU’RE WONDERFUL) (V-Disc)

8 ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA, AND THE SANTA FE (Decca Records)

Side B

1 FRIENDLY STAR (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) *

2 GET HAPPY (Soundtrack, Summer Stock) *

3 THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY (Soundtrack, A Star Is Born)

4 ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART (Capitol Records, Judy in Love)

5 THE FARAWAY PART OF TOWN (Soundtrack, Pepe) †

6 COME RAIN OR COME SHINE (Capitol Records, Judy at Carnegie Hall)

The set is produced by Trapeze Music & Entertainment Limited/Acrobat Music and will be released on July 5, 2024, on both CD and a single disc LP.  It was curated by Lawrence Schulman and restored and remastered by Nick Dellow (and apparently other unnamed audio engineers).  Brian Lee provided the stereo remixes “on a number of tracks.”