Customer Reviews

Minnelli on Minnelli: Live at the Palace

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

After several years of publicized substance abuse, botched vocal chord surgery, weight gain, and some painfully inadequate live concerts, Liza Minnelli came back to NYC's Palace Theater for a limited run late last year. And what the new, live-recorded CD of this concert shows is that talent is relative to experience. The show was a long-time dream of Ms. Minnelli's, one in which she would showcase the genius of her father by performing songs from his many musical films. No "Cabaret", no "Theme from 'New York, New York'", no "But the World Goes 'Round." Instead we get classics such as "Love", "Limehouse Blues", "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan", "What Did I Have I Don't Have Now", among many others. These knock-out arrangements (many using the original film arrangements as a platform) are performed with varying degrees of vocal success by Minnelli. Her diction is slightly slurred, her sustained notes have an enormous vibrato, and there are times when you wait in suspense to see if she can navigate the demands of the song. But then, she hurls a note to the rafters and hangs on to it for dear life, and we experience once again the Liza that we have known and loved for nearly 30 years. Talent is relative to experience; our experiences as an audience, our experiences with Liza, the undeniable fact that part of her greatness has to do with her own life experiences.

This recording, for all of the vocal shortcomings of the star, is a powerhouse emotional experience in itself. Liza is fearless, proud, and very happy to be performing, that's obvious. And she brings it all together - music, sentiment, experiential memory - in her "11 o'clock number", "The Trolley Song." Backed by the soundtrack vocal from the second half of the famous number from "Meet Me in St. Louis", Minnelli duets with her mother, Judy Garland, to tremendous effect. In the encore for this astonishingly powerful trick, Liza sings the last part of the song again, backed by her five man chorus, and stretches out the climax in a wham-bang, all-stops-out finale wherein she holds the last note for a seemingly impossible length. Wow. She'll probably never again be the supremely in-shape performer that commanded the stage at Radio City Music Hall in the early 1990s, but she still has the drive, the desire, and the lineage to make her a rare one-of-a-kind.

In today's popular music world, having any sort of talent is generally a liability. Happily however, Liza has talent galore...a full, robust, warm, powerful voice that is truly exceptional. It is amazing that her voice came back to this remarkable state after that botched vocal surgery a few years back. It is also obvious she worked very hard to get in shape for this show. Some of the notes she hits are truly amazing. The final powerful note of "The Trolley Song" goes on for sixteen seconds. Incredible versions of "What Did I Have", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Limehouse Blues", "If I Had You", and "Love" are other highlights. The whole show is really a joy!

Liza is truly the greatest living singer! Buy this CD, and send a message to the record companies that talent is indeed appreciated.

No, it's not Carnegie Hall Liza. It's something else, a superstar finally at peace with herself and her legacy. If you have been a fan of this performer for any length of time, you won't be able to get through the brilliant "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" without reaching for the Kleenex.

Other high points: "I Got Rhythm", "The Trolley Song", "Love", "I Thank You" and the lovely opener "If I Had You."

I highly recommend this CD.

Look up "Comeback" in the dictionary and you will find a picture of the unsinkable Liza Minnelli. I travelled from Boston to NYC and paid $125 to see the Minnelli on Minnelli on the very first night of previews. So...I am a Fan.

This will never be my favorite live recording that Ms. Minnelli has done, but it is a wonderfully produced piece of art. Backed by Marvin Hamlisch's lush musical arrangements and directed and conducted by old friends Liza soars. The first act is weaker than the second but "Taking a chance on Love" is moving and well sung. I got a good case of goosebumps when Liza sang "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas. The mood translates well on the CD. Act one closes with "Shine on your shoes" which I like better on the recording than in person.

Act 2 is a GRAND SLAM HOMERUN for Liza. That she is singing at all is amazing. That she sings so beautifully is no less than a miracle. "Baubles Bangles and Beads" is hypnotic and she makes "I got Rythm" all her own. The clear stand-out of the entire show and recording is "What did I have that I don't have". This song will follow her for as long as she performs. It is the moment closest to "Classic Liza" of the night.

"The Trolley Song" is the moment that Liza and Judy fans have been waiting for since they sang together at the Palladium in 1965. For just a moment they sing together. It is hard to comprehend that at 54 years old, Liza is twice the age Judy was in "Meet me in St. Louis". It is a moment to be treasured.

The night closes with "I Thank You". It is a touching tribute to a father from a daughter who is mature enough to understand how much she owes him.

If you are expecting "Liza at Carnegie Hall" (either '79 or '87) you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a brilliant treatment of a Great American Songbook by a bona fide superstar you will not be sorry.

No, not the Minnelli story, but this album.

Longevity does not equal greatness. Sometimes the brightest, most unique and most important stars blaze the shortest - think Louise Brooks. It does not affect their cultural and iconic status.

In 1978/79, my parents took me to see Liza at the London Palladium just after New York New York and The Act on Broadway. I had and haven't seen anything like it. She was fantastic - the best live performance I have ever seen whether pop, rock, classical or MOR. She set London alight.

But now, no wonder she hasn't appeared in London in years. Only those who are in love with the ghoulish Garland/Minnelli issue would like this album. She cannot reach the notes, her vibrato is out of control, she gasps for breath and rasps like an old Sylvester the Cat. It is very sad. As a major fan it is heartbreaking.

The album is unlistenable, and I wonder what sort of audience enjoys hearing a great legend disintegrate in public - very odd and disturbing. Liza should have retired at her peak and stuck to personal appearances. How come Bassey et al have maintained some decorum but Liza just hasn't been able to?

PLEASE DON'T BUY THIS ALBUM. THE RAVE REVIEWS - sobsisters and grave watchers itching for the final drama when they can wring their hands and point to this album as the last nail - ARE TOTALLY MISLEADING.

Buy the earlier recordings and remember Liza as she was meant to be - one of the 20th Century's most unique and greatest stars.

I was in the audience at the Palace Theatre on New Year's Day to witness the long awaited return of the incandescent Liza Minnelli to the Broadway stage. I was doubly excited as Ms. Minnelli was performing a priceless collection of songs all associated with her father, director Vincente Minnelli, the undisputed king of the movie musical. Angel Records has preserved this enchanting experience on a new CD which captures the warmth, electricity and showmanship of Liza (and Vincente) at their best. The emotional highlight of the live performance was Liza's show stopping rendition of the haunting "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" from Vincente's underrated 1970 masterpiece, "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever," which is given a lush, dramatically intense treatment by Liza and her arrangers. Another standout moment is Liza sharing the high notes with her mother (supernova Judy Garland) on the Oscar nominated hit, "The Trolley Song." Plunking down the money for this CD is a wise and winning investment - Two Minnellis, one Palace and a Guardian Angel Equals Showbusiness History. Bravo, everyone!

Ok, so her voice is not what it was 25 years ago. Who's is? So she put on a little weight. Soooo what. Is she still Liza? Yes she is, and the reason we love her? Because she keeps on entertaining us. But if you would like to hear a recording by a woman who has over come her demons, and is ready to tell the world of the love she feels for her parents, by all means buy this cd. I don't know about the rest of the world, but if an entertainer does not evovle why would we ever want to follow their career.

I saw "Minnelli On Minnelli" at the Palace and I have listened to the CD many times over and I can tell you that Liza is definitely back! No, her voice, look, and act are not the same as in her younger days, but whose are? I found her voice still strong, powerful, and full of emotion. She totally connects with the audience and takes them to another level. Remember, this CD is supposed to encompass the sound and style of the old MGM musicals, not Liza's old nightclub act. Liza is a real singer who knows how to put a song over on the sheer strength of her talent, energy, and personality. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who wants to experience a true performer and legend.

Finally, the CD! I was one of the fortunate ones, yes, even at $125 a ticket I was fortunate, to see Liza at the Palace on December 11, 1999. The depth of emotion and the strength (both inner and vocal) she delivers is astounding.. I left the theater with my heart in my throat and a huge knot in my stomach. I could have done without the backup singers/dancers for the most part, except in certain numbers (e.g. "I Hate My Parents"). This CD is a MUST HAVE for Liza devotees and for those who still appreciate the real talent and hard work and ELEGANCE of someone like Liza.

If you are reading this, Liza, all I can say, to quote the title of my favorite selection of the whole evening, is:

I THANK YOU

I wish the self-appointed music mavens on this page would disappear and let people enjoy this superb recording. It's the best thing Liza Minnelli has done yet. What is it with critics? The New York Times, for example, lamented that Minnelli mentioned her father by name but not her mother, so that some might wonder who her mother was. Come on. Anyone who knows Minnelli knows her mother! There are too few really great entertainers in the world. Don't put this one down; she deserves much, much more. I am amazed at her comeback, her range, her powerful voice, and the drama with which each number is infused. Wow.