Judy in Love -- WOW!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MaxinLV, Apr 15, 2002.

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  1. MaxinLV

    MaxinLV New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Hi Steve,

    Thanks so much for the advance copy of JUDY IN LOVE/ALONE (in stores April 23). I'm listening to it for the second time (and it just arrived a while ago!), covered in goosebumps because this CD sounds as if Judy is right in my living room. A (typically) brilliant remastering job!

    Now I know why I never cared for Capitol's stereo LP (or the recent EMI/U.K. CD reissue, which used the stereo LP tape). I'm old enough to remember when we bought the mono versions first, because sometimes the stereo ones didn't show up until months later. The first time I played the stereo album it didn't seem to have the warmth or immediacy I had become accustomed to in listening to the mono LP, a result of the reverb Capitol "built in" for the stereo version. By getting rid of this, you have given me the album I never heard before -- at last, I *love* hearing JUDY IN LOVE in stereo, because she is so "there." Even the orchestra sounds better balanced on your CD.

    ALONE is a perfect companion to JUDY IN LOVE -- for me, these *are* her two best studio albums, so it's great having them "side by side." It, too, sounds a lot better -- I hear things in the orchestrations I never heard before -- and Judy did a great job on these "I'm so blue"-songs. I know the album was only recorded in mono, so presume the slight "echo chamber" effect was "built in" to the session tapes? It isn't annoying, just obvious because it's "there."

    So...what's next? Read there's a "Complete Edition" of JUDY & LIZA AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM coming, are you doing this? If not, too bad!!!

    Any possibility you might take on THE LETTER? Gordon Jenkins' MANHATTAN TOWER-like song-cycle is kinda "soapy," but Judy is in fine form vocally and it would be great to have "the Hoffman version."

    All the best,
    Max

    Max O. Preeo, Editor
    Show Music
     
  2. Angel

    Angel New Member

    Location:
    Hollywood, Ca.
    We got to hear a manufacturing sample of Steve's new Judy as well.

    Breath of life and dynamic range, beautiful tonality, and Judy front and center. Like she is in the room.

    BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!! MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
     
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

  4. Ronflugelguy

    Ronflugelguy Resident Trumpet Geek

    Location:
    Modesto,Ca
    THE 23RD?

    That's the day I go back to work after my vacation !:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
     
  5. feinstein

    feinstein Member

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    I had the pleasure of listening to my new copy of S&P Record's/Capitol remastering of "Judy In Love" and "Alone" this evening (got the CD for $12.99 at Tower's sale on Sunday). I was able to A/B one track "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" between the S&P CD and a Judy Garland box set from 1991. Here are the results....

    First of all, considering that the Garland box set was done in 1991, the job on it was EXCEPTIONAL. They used the 3 track session masters, put through Capitol's basement reverb chamber as they were mixed to two track for CD mastering. The job was done by Kevin Reeves at Capitol Mastering studios. I don't know how Steve Hoffman added the necessary reverb to S&P's release. The original source tapes, according to the box-set liner notes were totally recorded without any reverb.

    That said, the S&P release is noticably different, and to my ears, preferable. Although both are essentially very "dry" sounding, the S&P mastering has a much more "airy" sound to it.

    The 1991 mastering had only one characteristic that I liked better. Judy's voice seemed to be "smaller" in relation to the orchestra, that is, less obviously prominent. The S&P mastering kind of smothered me with the prominence of Judy's voice.

    Both masterings were very conservative in terms of reverb, but the S&P was somewhat cleaner.

    In addition, the S&P, when listened to from start to finish, gave me no listener fatigue. It had a vacuum tube sound to it (which I rarely hear on CD, only my LP's ever seem to reveal the vacuum tube "fullness"). The 1991 mastering had my inner ear hurting by the time "Zing" was over!!! This may be due to the CD mastering equipment that were available in 1991 versus today. In all fairness, DCC issues on CD from the early-90's era give me the same earache as I heard on the 1991 mastering (although DCC LP's from that same era do NOT exhibit this problem).

    All-in-all, these are exceptional albums, and S&P's mastering job on it is well worth having.
     
  6. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I also scored the S&P Judy at Tower for $12.99. A very enjoyable disc indeed.

    My small contribution to this thread is I noticed that there seemed to be just a touch of sibilance in Judy's voice on the first part of the CD (from the first album, "Judy In Love"), while this was completely absent on the second part (from "Alone").

    Now I can attribute this to a myriad of things - a very modest Redbook player in the Sony SCD-C333ES, slightly tipped-up DIY pure silver interconnects that may need a little more breaking in - but I did notice that half-way through the CD, the slight sibilance I had previously been aware of had totally vanished.

    Just an observation of course.

    Regards,
    Geoff
     
  7. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Just bought the S&P Judy twofer. "Judy In Love" is great! Judy's in wonderful form, the Nelson Riddle arrangements are, of course, delightful, and, Steve, your mastering work is superb! My only complaint is that it is makes me painfully aware of the fact that many of Frank Sinatra's Capitol masters must sound this good, too, and, of course, how what is currently available falls very short of that mark!

    I'll do my best to focus on the half-full cup!

    Thanks!

    JD

    PS: I loved hearing Judy announcing the master and take number along with the engineer at the start of one of the tracks. Thanks for including it!
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    You're welcome. Glad you liked it.

    Capitol had great sounding studios. Too bad they felt the need to mask that sound with drenching echo on their mixes.
     
  9. Gary Freed

    Gary Freed Forum Resident

    JUDY AT HER BEST with SPECTACULAR SOUND JUDY IN LOVE is perhaps Garland's greatest studio album. A superb collaboration with Judy in wonderful voice, and arranger Nelson Riddle at the top of his form. Inexplicably, this album is only now making its CD debut in the U.S. Capitol Records seemingly had no interest in releasing it themselves, so they've sublicensed it to S&P Records, who have done a terrific mixing and remastering job. Comparing the sound to a recent UK import is overwhelmingly impressive. The UK release sounds mediocre, and this new issue belies its having been recorded 44 years ago.
    JUDY IN LOVE is paired with her monaural ballad album ALONE, which was arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. The two albums together are a distinct contrast and yet only show the versatility and mastery of Garland. The highlight of the ALONE tracks is Jenkins' schmaltzy, yet irresistable I'VE GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES. ALONE was previously issued on CD by Capitol years ago, but has been long out of print, so this collection is a dream come true for Garland fans.
     

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  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Makes me want to go play the thing....
     
  11. Gary Freed

    Gary Freed Forum Resident

    Hi Steve,

    I'm right behind you!:thumbsup:

    Great job!
     
  12. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Love that cover, too!
     
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