Judy Garland may have reached more ears via her movie roles than with any other medium, and this 23-track anthology assembles some of her most noteworthy performances from 1936 to 1963. All of these are the original soundtrack versions, not re-recordings, which means that while the fidelity on some cuts isn't as good as what you might be used to from renditions you've heard elsewhere, these are the real deal, not re-creations. A bunch of familiar standards are here: "Over the Rainbow," "The Trolley Song" (from Meet Me in St. Louis), "Dear Mr. Gable," "The Texas Tornado," "I'm Nobody's Baby," "I Could Go on Singing," and two cuts from A Star Is Born, "Gotta Have Me Go With You" and "The Man That Got Away." As a retrospective of her musical career, this serves almost as well as a standard greatest-hits collection, with scrupulously detailed liner notes and photos in the enclosed booklet. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
