Customer Reviews

Best of Liza Minnelli

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Liner notes by the late and great Fred Ebb say it all when he states "when you see Liza live, you know as you leave that you've just experienced something incredible that can never be repeated. A moment in time. Herein lies the joy of recordings..." From the top opening with the Kander/Ebb classic "Cabaret" which won Liza the Oscar for Best Actress then flowing into a stunning "Some People" from Gypsy, it is clear that Liza Minnelli is at the peak of her incredible powers in this collection and there is nothing finer. A triumphant live performance of "There Is A Time" is stunning and a trilogy of definitive performances from the musical "Chicago" make it clear that it was a sad loss that Liza didn't star in the movie as it would have been a blazing masterpiece for sure!!!! Lost treasures abound and "Quite Thing" from the Tony Winning "Liza Live At The Winter Garden" is a haunting ballad from a great concert that should be released on Compact Disc as it is one of Liza's greatest ever recordings. Studio recordings like the Pet Shop Boys produced "Losing My Mind" which topped the British charts show how American Radio has foolishly overlooked this great singer and another lost opportunity for a mega-hit is the magnificent "The Singer" which would have been a huge hit if given any airplay at all!!! "The Singer" was produced and arranged by the same team who did Cher's 70's hit singles and has the same infectious "Hit" sound yet it is totally original and completely engrossing. Epic performances of "New York, New York" and "Stepping Out" close out this collection of legendary performances and Liza continues to this day to thrill audiences wherever she appears!!! In San Diego by the Sea in August 2004, Liza gave a magnificent performance and received numerous standing ovations from a sold out audience who were all mesmerized by this legendary talent who remains peerless...Thank You LiZa!!!!!

This is probally the best Liza compilation to date. The other one to look at is "The Ultimate Collection". The songs on this CD are some of Liza's best. I was glad to see "Stepping Out" and "A quiet thing" as they are almsot always overlooked. This will also appeal to long time fans for the unrealeased tracks, "Me an My Baby" and "There is a Time". There are some things missing though. How can you leave out "Mein Herr" from Cabaret in a Best of album? It is Liza's most iconic image with the chair and bowler hat. Also what about "City Lights" from THE ACT? Perhaps her best song, and one of the better known ones, "But the world goes 'round" is also missing. Another gripe is the song "Old Friends". They take it from The "Live From Radio City" album... not the complete song, and only about 30 seconds long. WHile there is a full version on Three Weeks at Carnegie Hall. There are just too many songs identified with Liza Minnelli to fit on one CD. I am still waiting for a double CD compilation, or a well deserved Liza box set. If you really want an ultimate album, try Liza, Live AT Carnegie Hall (Three weeks at Carnegie Hall). It is a double album that showcases all of Liza's best songs up until 1987. It also has songs she had never sung before as well. It is expensive though, being a double album. @0-27 dollars. But it is Live and Liza is always at her best Live. She has more Live albums than most any other artist. If you have a chance to actually see her live to not pass it up! If you are just looking for a $12 compilation, just to get a taste of the great Liza Minnelli, this album may be for you.

Billy

Track Listing:
1. Cabaret. ( from the original "Cabaret" soundtrack album)
2. Some People. (from "Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall")
3. There Is A Time. (from "Liza Minnelli Live At The Winter Garden")
4. Me And My Baby. (previously unreleased 1975 track from the musical
" Chicago")
5. My Own Best Friend. ( 1975 single from the musical "Chicago")
6. Old Friend. (from "Liza Minnelli Live From Radio City Music Hall")
7. The Singer. (from the album "The Singer")
8. Ring Them Bells. ( from the soundtrack album "Liza With A "Z" )
9. All That Jazz.( 1975 single from the musical "Chicago")
10.A Quiet Thing. (from "Liza Minnelli Live At The Winter Garden")
11.Losing My Mind. (from the album "Results")
12.Maybe This Time. (from the original "Cabaret" soundtrack album)
13.Say Liza With A "Z". (from the soundtrack album "Liza With A "Z")
14.Stepping Out. (from"Liza Minnelli Live From Radio City Music Hall")
15.The Theme From New York,New York. (from the original soundtrack album)
Producer: Phil Ramone. Liner Notes by Fred Ebb
This album will be worth having for the rare tracks issued for the very first time ever on CD, "Me And My Baby" (from the vaults) and "There Is A Time"from "Liza Minnelli Live At The Winter Garden"


While it was great to finally hear Me And My Baby after 32 years ,Sony Legacy needs a fact checker and a proof reader:

They could have said from her Tony winning Flora The Red Menace to her Oscar winning Cabaret.

They could have said from her Oscar winning Cabaret to her Tony winning Live At The Winter Garden show.

They could even have said from her Oscar winning Cabaret to her Tony winning The Act (although there are no songs from The Act in the compilation) and still been accurate.

So what did they do? They site The Rink (another show not represented in the compilation) for which Liza although nominated graciously lost the Tony to her co-star Chita Rivera.


On the other hand Fred Ebb's words were heartfelt and are even more touching read after his recent passing.



An addendum was made to my original review after seeing the packaging.

I agree with the reviewer who writes that this CD is worth having for the previously unreleased songs "Me And My Baby," and "There Is A Time." However, because this CD does have many other songs already released, this CD might appeal more to the more involved Liza fan. Alternatively, it would also be a great introduction to a special lady's work.

The quality of the sound is excellent and the liner notes are well done although you don't get the lyrics. There are wonderful photos of Liza as well.

I recommend this CD both for diehard fans because of the new material on CD format as well as people who want to try a Liza CD to see how wonderful she performs!

Liza Minnelli is without doubt one of the dynamos in music history, daughter of legendary entertainer (Judy Garland) and film director (Vincent Minnelli) Liza Minnelli was destined to follow in her famous parents shoes. At first Minnelli had to release herself from her mother and find her own platform, and boy, she did indeed. The legend began in 1963 when she got casted in an off-Broadway show called "Best Food Forward" but achieved real fame as her performance as Flora in the Broadway show, Flora the Red Menace. The show was the beginning of a collaboration between Minnelli and Fred Ebb and John Kander (who would go on and write many of her signature tunes). For the first time Sony music has managed to compile many of Minnelli's signature cuts. From her glory "Cabaret" to her high-strung days of "New York, New York" Sony has compiled the original versions. Minnelli's legend is based on her powerful vocal chords, her amazing, bubbly character and her incredible driving force. In recent years she's been better than she has in years, a friend of mine caught Minnelli in concert in Cannes, France, in the summer of 2005 it was a show she would never forget. Regretfully Minnelli was never able to convert as well to the recording studio, "Losing My Mind" is a bold, but daring electro-dance version of Sondheim's classic and "The Singer" reveals Minnelli's powerful voice, but unfortunately falls flat to the ground as nothing more than a simple tune. In retrospect, if Liza had found the right producers she might have been able to create something along the lines of the stuff that's on her 1996 album "Gentle" she would indeed have been able to sell a lot more records than she has. Her power was always her live performances, when it comes to performing live, no one's her equal. She has an amazing driving force and she never gives in. She always gives 100% even if she's not feeling well. Minnelli knows that this is her platform and when it comes to rank, she's always a step or two above her rivals. When all is good, Sony manages to pull together some of the songs most associated with Liza Minnelli, from "All That Jazz" to "Liza With a Z" sit back and enjoy one of the world most beloved entertainers.

Although by no means complete, this run-through of Liza Minnelli's greatest hits is a fine testament to the popularity of a much-loved showbiz veteran. Things get off to a brilliant start with "Cabaret", Liza's great anthem from the classic movie musical. A live recording of "Some People" from GYPSY follows (many believe that Minnelli should have played Mama Rose during some point in her career; it's a shame that it has never happened).

I'm always amazed by the sheer velocity and raw ferociousness that Minnelli attacks her songs with, never more apparent than in songs like "There is a Time (Le Temps)" and "The Singer". "Old Friends" is a charming number that suit's Minnelli's style; and a slow, intimate "A Quiet Thing" (echoing her Tony-winning Broadway debut in FLORA THE RED MENACE) goes down like the rarest of treats.

In 1978, with only five days of rehearsal, Minnelli stunned everyone when she secretly replaced an ailing Gwen Verdon as merry murderess Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO. Minnelli later recorded well-received covers of her numbers "My Own Best Friend" and "Me and My Baby" (the latter is receiving it's CD premiere with this release).

Minnelli also dazzles with a rock-driven version of Sondheim's "Losing My Mind"; "Stepping Out" is a tour de force number which sadly loses some of it's impact on disc, as most is a tap routine (taken from Minnelli's 1992 Radio City Music Hall concert). The disc ends with Liza at her peak, with the theme from "New York, New York". No one has yet to touch her here.

This smartly-priced disc will be a great way to kick-start a Liza collection. Highly-recommended. [COLUMBIA/LEGACY CK 92690]

Liza Minnelli at her best although there are some popular songs that are not present on this CD. If you do not enjoy "live" performances on CD then this is not the CD to buy. The "live" recordings are of a very high standard however.

Liza definitely delivers on this CD with lots of favorites. I like her bigger than life performance. Not an everday listen to but certainly fun when you're in the mood for "jazz-hands" type music.

This is an excellent selection of Liza's best songs. I am listening to the CD in my car and thoroughly enjoying it. It is much better than the radio!

A cute (15) track collection of some of Liza's finest and all good versions of the songs.

This doesn't include what would be ALL the hits but it includes some of what is considered to be "The Best..." in her catalog. I've learned that "The Hits" and "The Best" (What "They" feel is the best, anyway) are two completely different things. Took me a while to catch on to that.

I' was turned out to LIZA through my job, I was not around during her peak (Not born yet), I needed something to start with and this package caught my attention.

When this was released it was the latest collection at that time. After hearing these songs I would now consider myself a follower, She's fun and quirky, Must be an Italian thing (Bette Midler, Madonna, Lady Gaga etc).

I'd been looking for a collection of these songs in their best performance and here it is.

I sampled a large bit of what I could find from many other collections available and those versions aren't as great in my opinion, I noticed they're either not all her greatest work or Liza live in the 2000's (Spare me).

So when I stumbled upon this release I was all for it and everything turned out bright. "Ring Them Bells" and "Some People" are the better versions of those numbers only found on this collection (From what I could fine).

"Caberet" "New York, New York", "The Singer", "Say Liza..." and "My Own Best Friend" are my favorites, But of course they all do the trick.

You must remember, While this collection is 15 tracks long and have some of her greatest, This does not contain all of her stuff. You have to get "The Money Song" and "Mein Heir" and so many others.