Английская Википедия:Gently (album)
Шаблон:Infobox album Gently is a studio album by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli. Released in 1996, it is her first album under the Angel Records/EMI label.[1]
The release came seven years after her last studio album, "Results," from 1989.[2] During that time, she released the live albums "Liza: Live from Radio City Music Hall" in 1992[3] and "Aznavour Minnelli: Paris, Palais des Congrès" in 1995.[4]
Gently is a jazz-infused album that also includes romantic ballads and lounge music numbers with arrangements featuring vibraphone, piano, and muted trumpet.[5] Its title and theme reference moments in Minnelli's love life, starting from her adolescence when she had crushes on handsome schoolboys.[6]
During the album's promotion, she referred to the work as her "make-out album" due to the irredeemably sentimental themes behind the song choices.[6] She summed up the inspiration behind the album on The Rosie O'Donnell Show when she explained, "There wasn't a romance section [in the record store]. So, I thought, well, maybe I'll make an album that people can kiss to. Remember kissing? Wasn't it great to kiss? That's what this album is about."[6]
As part of the album's promotion, the singer appeared on the UK shopping channel QVC.[7] According to Gilbert Hetherwick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Angel Records, her appearance on the channel was positive: "She sold thousands of her CD 'Gently' on the network. It's a great way to create awareness, especially for people who live in small towns."[7]
In 1997, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[8] The award went to the album "Here's to the Ladies" by singer Tony Bennett.[9]
Critical reception
Шаблон:Music ratings Reviews from music critics were favorable.
Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave it three out of five stars.[10]
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave it four and a half out of five stars and wrote that Minnelli managed to blend her musical heritage with the trends of her generation.[1]
Rennie Sparks of the Chicago Reader[5] gave a favorable review, stating that at 50 years old, Liza Minnelli had finally decided to shed the role of a cheerful and optimistic superstar, delivering somber and profound songs, sung with a solitary and sentimental voice, full of fragility and sadness.[5]
Commercial performance
Commercially, it became one of Minnelli's most successful albums on the charts during the 1990s. It reached number 156 on the Billboard magazine's list of best-selling albums, known as the Billboard 200.[11] In the UK, it reached number 58 on the Official Charts Company's list of best-selling albums.[12]
According to a Billboard magazine article, Gently sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.[7]
Track listing
Personnel
- Liza Minnelli – vocals
- Chuck Berghofer – bass guitar
- Terry Gibbs – vibraphone
- Albie Berk – drums
- John Tropea – electric guitar
- Chuck Findley – trumpet
- Tim May – guitar
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion, congas
- John Guerin – drums
- Bob Magnusson – bass guitar
- Mike Renzi – piano
- Emil Richards – vibraphone
- Jack Cavari – acoustic guitar
- Gary Foster – saxophone
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards
- Randy Brecker – trumpet
- Jim Hughart – bass guitar
- Billy Stritch – piano, backing vocals
- Grant Geissman – guitar
- Lenny Castro – percussion, congas, timpani
- Roger Kellaway – piano
- Will Lee – bass guitar
- John Robinson – drums
- Nino Tempo – saxophone
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Pete Jolly – piano
- Melissa Manchester – backing vocals
- Brenda Russell – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly chart
| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[13] | 58 |
| Billboard 200[14] | 156 |
References
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 5,0 5,1 5,2 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 6,2 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 7,0 7,1 7,2 Шаблон:Cite magazine
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (July 5, 1996). "Music: This Week's Pop CD Releases". The Guardian.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
