Liza Minnelli (album)

Liza Minnelli is a self-titled studio album by Liza Minnelli. Released on February 26, 1968, by A&M Records in the United States, it contains her interpretations of pop/rock and singer/songwriters' songs.

The production is by Larry Marks, and unlike her previous albums, this is the first one to depart from her typical Broadway sound and delve more into the contemporary pop genre of the 1960s and the works of singer-songwriters.

The main inspiration for this change was her recent marriage to composer Peter Allen, who had a strong affinity for Randy Newman, whose songs are most prominent on this album.

The reception from music critics was favorable. Overall, they noted that the album was light, relaxed, and featured an effervescent performance by the singer, with many considering it Minnelli's best work up to that point.

Commercially, it performed poorly, becoming her third consecutive album not to enter the Billboard 200 chart.

HiFi Stereo Review magazine named it the best album of 1968. Minnelli received the award from editor William Anderson and critic Red Reed.

Like her subsequent albums released by A&M Records, this album was never released on its own on the CD format, but all tracks, in their original order, are on the compilation The Complete A&M Recordings from 2008.

Background
Despite critical acclaim for her albums, her releases on Capitol Records, with the exception of Liza! Liza!, were not commercially successful. Her contract with the label was not renewed, and at that time, Minnelli was not yet the superstar she would become later. In the summer of 1967, she signed a contract with A&M Records and would release her first album in 1968.

Recording and production
The recordings took place between October 14 and December 1967. The album was produced by Larry Marks and arranged by Peter Matz, Nick de Caro, Bob Thompson, and J. Hill. The sound engineer was Ray Gerhardt, Donald Hahn, and Peter Matz. The album's graphic design is by Corporate Head, the art director is Tom Wilkes, and the photography is by Guy Webster.

For the new repertoire, Minnelli would record songs by contemporary artists and set aside the songs from the Great American Songbook for which she was known. Besides being the label's desire, the main inspiration for this change was Marks and composer Peter Allen, both of whom were impressed by the works of Randy Newman, with whom Allen had a strong affinity.

Among the songs that were recorded during the Liza Minnelli sessions but did not appear on the final release are: "Snow," "No One Ever Hurt So Bad," and "Hong Kong Blues." Four tracks were found on an A&M tape labeled "1968," namely: "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover," "Alicinha," "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," and "This Girl's In Love With You," and they were included in the compilation The Complete A&M Recordings.

Release and promotion
Before the album's release, the singer gave interviews and performed at various events and TV shows. According to the editor of Billboard, Aaron Stenfield, the singer performed at the Waldorf-Astoria's Empire Room, singing three songs from Liza Minnelli: "The Debutante's Ball," You Better Sit Down Kids, and "The Happy Time." The editor was impressed by the singer's performance, writing that "if the album can capture any part of the excitement Miss Minnelli generates personally, A&M will have a valuable property."

Billboard announced the album's release for March in its March 9, 1968 issue. In Sydney, Australia, the record label planned the release to coincide with Minnelli's shows in the city at the Chequers club.

During the promotion, she appeared on various American TV shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show,(It aired on March 10, 1968, Minnelli performed the songs "You’d Better Sit Down Kids," "The Life Of The Party," and "It’s Today") The Tonight Show, The Hollywood Palace, and The Carol Burnett Show (It aired on February 5, 1968, Minnelli performed the songs "Butterfly McHeart," "The Happy Time," and "Big Beautiful Ball").

Critical reception

Reviews from music critics were mostly favorable. The critic from Record World magazine wrote that "Liza has adopted the easy, relaxed style of the label's summer, showing herself smooth and fresh rather than bold." He considered the songs "The Happy Time" and "The Look of Love" wonderful.

JT Griffith, from the website AllMusic, gave it three out of five stars and wrote that the album is an energetic collection that captures a lively artist in a solid set of songs. He noted that the repertoire mixes Broadway numbers with material from contemporary singer-songwriters of the time.

The critic from Billboard wrote that Minnelli sounded like her mother, singer and actress Judy Garland, and that was a good thing. He stated that three songs stood out on the album: "The Look of Love," "(The Tragedy Of) Butterfly McHeart," and "The Happy Time."

Rex Reed from HiFi Stereo Review gave a favorable review in which he wrote that the album "is a lesson in sensitive lyricism" and "simply wonderful." He stated that Minnelli's voice on the recording "is better than ever—full of joy and soft splendor, melancholy innocence, and touches of mature woman's sarcasm and elegance."

Cashbox magazine gave a favorable review and declared that Minnelli's first A&M album was a victorious entry. They picked out "The Debutante's Ball," "The Look Of Love," "You'd Better Sit Down, Kids," and "The Happy Time" as the album's standout moments.

Morgan Ames, from High Fidelity magazine, wrote that the album is a pleasant surprise, especially due to Minnelli's gentle singing. He noted that many critics believed that the artist's voice would not last long due to her deplorable condition and disastrous off-pitch performances throughout her career, but the album proved otherwise. He concluded by saying that Minnelli seemed to be finding a better focus on what she wanted to sing, and her vocals were great, except when she "screams" in the songs.

Commercial performance
Commercially, the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200.

Track listing
"The Debutante's Ball" (Randy Newman)
"Happyland" (Randy Newman)
"The Look of Love" from the film Casino Royale (Hal David, Burt Bacharach)
"(The Tragedy of) Butterfly McHeart" (Peter Allen, Chris Allen)
"Waiting for My Friend" from the film Smashing Time (John Addison, George Melly)
"Married" from the musical Cabaret / "You Better Sit Down Kids" (Fred Ebb, John Kander)/(Sonny Bono)
"So Long Dad" (Randy Newman)
"For No One" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
"My Mammy" (Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Walter Donaldson)
"The Happy Time" (Fred Ebb, John Kander)

Personnel
 Produced by Larry Marks
 Arranged by Peter Matz (tracks 3, 5–8, 10), Nick De Caro (tracks 1, 2, 11), Bob Thompson (track 9), J. Hill (track 4)
 Original album engineers: Ray Gerhardt, Don Hahn, Peter Matz 
 Album design: Corporate Head
 Art director: Tom Wilkes
 Photography: Guy Webster

References

Liza Minnelli: When It Comes Down to It.......1968–1977 liner notes by Glenn A. Baker, 2003
Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings liner notes by Scott Schechter, 2008
Liza Minnelli: The Complete Capitol Collection liner notes by Scott Schechter, 2006

Liza Minnelli albums
1968 albums
Albums arranged by Peter Matz
Albums arranged by Bob Thompson (musician)
A&M Records albums