Search - Liza Minnelli :: Liza Minnelli at Carnegie Hall

Liza Triumphant, TelArc ought to be ashamed...

Review Lover | At a place... | 11/24/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Liza Minnelli is old-school showbiz. Her live performances are legendary for their energy, pizzazz and powerful vocals. She consistently packs 'em in, and rarely disappoints, and this compilation of one of the most successful Carnegie Hall runs in history proves that she is all of the above.Included here are some real treats for Liza fans - rarities like If You Hadn't, But You Did and a medley of Married/You Better Sit Down, Kids (the former being an english adaptation of the German original, sung by Greta Keller on the 'Cabaret' soundtrack, the latter being a nice rearrangement of a Sonny & Cher classic) pop and sparkle every bit as much as her standards - and all the standards are here. Some People, Here I'll Stay/Our Love Is Here to Stay, and a 20-minute series of Kander & Ebb medleys are all equally remarkable, if for no other reason than the energy with which Liza keeps churning them out. Surely, hers is the definitive New York, New York. Liza's genius and mastery of her Genre lies in two things: She's got a very unusual voice, and she turns songs into little epics. Her deep, bass-like bellowing alternates with her trembling, whispery vibratto to make even the more mundane songs like 'Somewhere Out There' (from Sullivan-Bleuth's animated classic 'An American Tale') into triumphant, positive affirmations of hope and human spirit. And this is Liza at her most basic - she dazzles us until we're good and happy, and have no more room for sadness.This album is worth owning for her renditions of 'Ring Them Bells' (read the EXCELLENT liner notes on this one to appreciate the jokes!). New York and the subline 'But the World Goes Round'.I can't give it five stars, however, and I really want to give it five stars. The reason is that, on the night, TelArc obviously decided not to bother with enough microphones to capture the entire show, and we are left with a live album, that, in places, is muffled and sloppy. Nothing to do with Liza or her performance, this is the sole fault of a lousy production team. It mars what is otherwise a defining moment in Ms. Minnelli's career, and a worthwhile addition to any music collection."

The definitive declaration

alfredhitch | 09/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Considering her present form,people should not worry wheather they have heard her, at her peak,it has all been captured here, and i have never heard anything recorded like this, "telrac" should have recieved some kind of award, just for this alone,it is outstanding,She was on sparkling form herself, her voice was in excellent shape,the sound engineers lovingly balanced it,she sang a song to suit everyone!from the big roof raisers,to the slow plaintive,to the riproaring pow wows, that are so associated with her,and the energy was there right to the last note,i bought this in 1987,as a tape, and then upped it to a c.d.,everytime i play it i find something new to like, a must have."

LIZA IS PERFECT!

Review Lover | 03/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD set is the one that sold me on Liza Minnelli as one of the best vocalists/performers I know! I recently saw her "Minnelli on Minnelli" show and got interested in her other recordings. It makes me wish I could have been part of that Carnegie Hall audience so many years ago! This recording is a masterpiece that I'll always cherish!"