Gently (album)

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Gently
Studio album by
Liza Minnelli
ReleasedMarch 19, 1996
Recorded1996
GenreJazz, vocal, traditional
Length42:12
LabelAngel
ProducerBrooks Arthur
Liza Minnelli chronology
Paris — Palais des Congrès: Intégrale du spectacle
(1995) 		Gently
(1996) 		Minnelli on Minnelli: Live at the Palace
(1999)
Singles from Gently
  1. "Does He Love You?"
    Released: February 1996

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[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Chicago Reader(positive)[11]
The Guardian[12]

Reviews from music critics were favorable.

Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave it three out of five stars.[12]

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[edit]

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.[13] In the UK, it reached number 58 on the Official Charts Company's list of best-selling albums.[14]

According to a Billboard magazine article, Gently sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.[7]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Chances Are" (feat. Johnny Mathis)Al Stillman, Robert Allen3:16
2."You Stepped Out of a Dream"Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown3:39
3."Embraceable You"George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin4:29
4."Close Your Eyes"Bernice Petkere3:35
5."Some Cats Know"Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller3:47
6."Lost in You"Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller4:02
7."I Got Lost in His Arms"Irving Berlin3:12
8."It Had to Be You"Isham Jones, Gus Kahn3:32
9."Never Let Me Go"Jay Livingston, Ray Evans3:15
10."Does He Love You?" (feat. Donna Summer)Sandy Knox, Billy Stritch4:58
11."In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"David Mann, Bob Hilliard4:18
Total length:42:12

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart[edit]

Chart (1996) Position
UK Albums Chart[15] 58
Billboard 200[16] 156

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Gently - Liza Minnelli". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Liza Minnelli - Results Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Allmusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  4. ^ "Allmusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Sparks, Rennie (August 1, 1996). "Liza Minelli/Gently/(Angel)". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Piatkowski, Peter (March 22, 2023). "Liza Minnelli Hung Up Her Feather Boa & Sequins for 'Gently'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Paoletta, Michael (February 12, 2000). "Liza's 'Minnelli on Minnelli' on Angel". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 7. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 12, 16. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "Babyface, Celine Dion Dominate Grammy Nominations". E!. January 7, 1997. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  9. ^ "Winners of the 1997 Grammy Awards". NY Times. February 28, 1997. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  10. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Liza Minnelli - Gently (AllMusic Review)". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  11. ^ Sparks, Rennie. "Liza Minnelli - Gently (Chicago Reader Review)". Chicago Reader. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Sullivan, Caroline (July 5, 1996). "Music: This Week's Pop CD Releases". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Liza Minnelli - Awards - Allmusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  14. ^ "Chart Stats: UK Charts". Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  15. ^ "Charts: Liza Minnelli (Gently)". OCC. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  16. ^ "Liza Minnelli - Gently (Awards)". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
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