The Capitol Years

About

"The Capitol Years" (reissued in 2003 as "The Essential") is a music compilation by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli. It was released in 2001 by the EMI record label and contains a selection of tracks from Minnelli's recordings during her contract with Capitol Record. Liza Minnelli made her debut in the world of recordings in 1961 when she recorded three songs at Dick Charles Recording Studio in New York under the production of Marvin Hamlisch. These tracks were not intended for commercial purposes; they were recorded as a Christmas gift for her mother, the actress and singer Judy Garland. During the fall of 1962, Minnelli recorded songs for the soundtrack of the animated film "Journey Back to Oz" and continued with recordings for the musical "Best Foot Forward." Her first commercially released single was a 45 RPM record featuring the songs "You are for Loving" and "What do you think I am?" released by Cadence Records in 1963. This single became one of the biggest successes of Minnelli's career, selling over 500,000 copies and catching the attention of Capitol Record, which signed her in the same year. Minnelli recorded three albums and some singles for Capitol between 1963 and 1966 when she was between 17 and 20 years old. Although her first released album, "Liza! Liza!" from 1964, achieved considerable succe, reaching #115 on the Billboard 200 and selling 500,000 copie, the other two album, "It Amazes Me" from 1965 and "There Is A Time" from 1966, failed to chart despite being well-received by critic. All the songs on the album are arranged by Peter Matz. The tracklist includes the entire "Liza! Liza!" album (although the original order has been altered) and five additional tracks from each of the subsequent albums ("It Amazes Me" and "There Is A Time"). In 2003, the album was reissued with a new title, "The Essential," along with changes to the album cover and liner note. However, the complete tracklist and original order were retained. Music critics' reviews were favorable. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave it three out of five stars and wrote that the collection "presents some excellent early Minnelli recording." However, he stated that "as a single-CD compilation of her Capitol Records recording, it could have been better selected and organized." The critic from Jornal do Brasil, Claudio Botelho, wrote that although signs of Minnelli's youth, such as the nasality of adolescence and the still-mild pronunciation without the excess of consonants that would become her trademark, are noticeable in the track, her interpretations are exquisite, and the artist puts her heart into every word. He highlighted the songs "Maybe This Time" and "Together Wherever We Go (Gypsy)." .

via Last.fm

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