Liza's Back

Liza's Back
Live album by
Liza Minnelli
ReleasedOctober 29, 2002
RecordedApril 2, 2002
Beacon Theatre, New York City, New York[1]
GenreTraditional pop, jazz
Length73:20
LabelJ
ProducerDavid Gest
Liza Minnelli chronology
Minnelli on Minnelli
(2000) 		Liza's Back
(2002) 		Liza's at The Palace....
(2009)

Liza's Back is the ninth live album by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli, released by J Records in 2002.[2]

After her performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London and her nationally televised rendition of "New York, New York" at the Yankee Stadium following the September 11 attacks in the United States, Liza Minnelli embarked on a series of comeback concerts.[3] These comeback shows were conceived and produced by her husband, David Gest, marking the end of a two-year hiatus she took due to a diagnosis of viral encephalitis, a potentially fatal illness.[4][5][6]

The album's recordings took place on April 2, 2002, at the beginning of summer, during a week of sold-out shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York.[3] Minnelli performed many songs associated with her and introduced Liza's Back, written by her long-time collaborators John Kander and Fred Ebb.[3]

The album was produced by Phil Ramone and marked Minnelli's reunion with Clive Davis, the president of J Records, who had signed her to Columbia Records in the early 1970s.[7][8] The tracklist includes 18 songs such as "Cabaret," "Don't Smoke in Bed," "Something Wonderful," and "New York, New York."[3] Minnelli and Ramone had previously worked together on her 1972 album Liza with a Z.[3] The television special of the same name directed by Bob Fosse that year earned the artist and the director an Emmy award.[9]

Among the new songs is Liza's Back, which was described by some sections of the press as an anthem of triumph.[10] The lyrics of the song go: "I took my pill bottles and threw them away / I emptied the alcohol, went back to AA / Hey, Broadway... Liza's back!".[10]

The release was preceded by a party held at the Equitable Auditorium in New York, organized by Clive Davis.[11]

  1. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 31, 2002). "Liza's Back, and the Beacon's Got Her". Playbill. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Diskograpie". Liza May Minnelli - Official German Homepage. Archived from the original on February 12, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "'Liza's Back' With Live Album". Billboard. October 1, 2002. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ Bairos, Ricardo (July 26, 2002). "Liza Minnelli abre sua vida para a TV". Folha de Londrina. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "Liza Minnelli tem alta de hospital após encefalite". Folha de S.Paulo. UOL HOST. October 31, 2000. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Presse, France (October 23, 2000). "Liza Minnelli teve encefalite viral, diz hospital, e se recupera bem". Folha de S.Paulo. UOL HOST. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  7. ^ "'Liza's Back' With Live Album". Billboard. October 1, 2002. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  8. ^ Wolf, Matt (April 3, 2002). "Review: 'Liza's Back…'". Variety. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Singer Presents Liza with a "Z"". Emmy Awards. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Harrington, Richard. "Liza Minnelli "Liza's Back"". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  11. ^ "Update". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 45. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 9, 2002. p. 65. Retrieved August 25, 2023.