Judy Garland remains one of the enduring icons of show business, retaining a mystique and a huge fan following half a century after her death in 1969, an anniversary which prompted the release not only of this collection, but also of a companion set on Acrobat The Judy Garland Collection 1936-48 (ACTRCD9087), the two anthologies providing a thorough overview of the first quarter-century of her career. Also released at this time, of course, is a new film devoted to the legendary star Judy, a biopic focusing on her visit to London to perform at The Talk Of The Town, just a few months before her death. Her appeal as an artist was multi-faceted, encompassing her screen appearances, her many fine albums, and her intensely dramatic live performances.

This great-value 122-track 6-CD set addresses the second phase of her recording career which began in the early 50s, after a hiatus since the end of her time with Decca in 1947. It comprises the few singles she made for Columbia, which included the hit Without A Memory, the A Star Is Born soundtrack on Columbia, from which came the hit The Man That Got Away, and all the titles from the 10 albums she released on Capitol over the next decade - Miss Show Business, Judy, Alone, Judy In Love, Judy Garland At The Grove, The Letter, That's Entertainment, The Garland Touch and the Grammy Award-winning Judy At Carnegie Hall. It is a substantial and thoroughly enthralling showcase for her unique talent.

REVIEWS

“50 years after her untimely death and coinciding with the release of the biopic Judy, this is a very timely batch of new releases which certainly in the case of the two Acrobat sets bids fair to being the definitive issue of Garland studio recordings, containing as they do nearly 200 tracks between them... Great credit to Acrobat for the thoroughly diligent way they have assembled this impressive tribute project. It's always heartening to see such care lavished upon a project such as this. ”  –  Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 335)