The following are reviews of Liza's sixth album, New Feelin', written for fans, by fans. If you would like to contribute a review of the album yourself, feel free to submit it to me at Beatle_Babe32@hotmail.com and I will be sure to add it to the page ASAP! You will receive full credit to your name with your review.
New Feelin'...oh, what can I say about this album? Well...unique would definitely be a good word to describe it?
Somewhere in between all the requests that Liza do an album that sounded more like that of her contemporaries and her relationship with Rex Kramer, she somehow got the idea in her head that this album would be a good idea. As much as it pains me to have to say this, the union was NOT a good one by any means.
This is a style that Liza just isn't suited for, and her vocals here say it all. It's almost as though she felt some sense of rivalry with the music in a bid for being the center of attention and so she juts kept singing louder and harder to ensure that nobody would forget, for even a second, just WHO they were meant to be listening to. This is even evident on some of the more bluesy tracks, when she'd lose sight of just what tone she was supposed to be going for and would instead come off as almost screamy-sounding.
It is a very conflicting feeling for myself as a listener, as I absolutely adore Liza (she's my favorite person on this planet), and in addition, I'm also a fan of the genre styles presented on this album itself - so, with that in mind, why does this album just NOT work?
To be fair, the album isn't completely unlistenable or anything. Far from it. I've heard plenty worse from other performers. I guess a better term to describe this album would be "unmemorable". Despite the fact taht quite a few of the songs on this album regularly creep their way into Liza greatest hits compilations, I always disagreed with those selections' inclusions, but because New Feelin' was one of Liza's only early albums to chart at all (a fact that continues to boggle the mind), by default they make the cut.
Now, just because I don't feel the album was very *good*, make no mistake - I occasionally do still listen to it, and there are a handful of fun songs here ("Lazy Bones", anyone? "Easy Rider"?) that I do enjoy listening to.
I think I'd only recommend this album to the hardcore Minnelli afficianados. It might turn off otherwise 'would-be' fans if they were to assume all of Liza's albums sound like this.
-- Jennifer Abraham
