Liza with a "Z" is the soundtrack album accompanying the 1972 televised concert special of the same name, starring Liza Minnelli. The special was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, produced by Fred Ebb, and featured music by Kander and Ebb, along with selections from the American Songbook. Recorded live at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City on May 31, 1972, the album was released later that year by Columbia Records in multiple formats.
The soundtrack received positive critical attention upon release, with reviewers highlighting Minnelli's performances of "Ring them Bells", "God Bless the Child" and the extended "Cabaret Medley". Commercially, it became Minnelli's highest-charting album in the United States, peaking at number 19 on the Billboard 200. The recording has since been reissued several times, including a CD edition in 1993 and a remastered release in 2006 alongside the restored DVD of the television special.
Background
The special Liza with a "Z" was produced by Fred Ebb, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, and featured music by John Kander and Fred Ebb alongside selections from the American songbook. The concert was originally broadcast on NBC in September 1972 and the soundtrack LP was released by Columbia Records the same year; the special and its recording earned widespread critical praise and contributed to Minnelli's profile as a leading cabaret and stage performer.[1]
The audio for Liza with a Z was recorded live on May 31, 1972, at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City, during the filming of the television special. The recording was supervised by producer Phil Ramone, who captured the concert using multitrack equipment in addition to the mono mix that was standard for broadcast at the time. This allowed the individual components of the performance, including Minnelli's vocals and the orchestra, to be preserved separately, providing a source for later remastering.[2]
In 1993, the album was re-released on CD in Europe by Columbia under the catalog number 982994 2, as part of the Columbia Collectors Choice series. The reissue took place twenty years after the original release, a period during which the album had been out of print.[3] In 2003, Sony International released the album together with The Singer (1973) on a two-disc set. AllMusic rated the compilation three out of five stars.[4]
There are two differences between the 1972 original and the reissue; the first is that "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Ring Them Bells" were placed in the correct performance order for the reissue. The original release had the two songs in reverse order. The second difference is that the original had a twelfth track, entitled "Bows". For the reissue, this track was mixed into the end of the previous track. A CD of the stereo soundtrack was simultaneously released alongside the film's 2006 DVD release (catalog no. 82876 78812 2).
In its September 23, 1972 issue, Billboard noted that the Liza with a "Z" soundtrack "totally captures the electricity and the bundle of talent" of Minnelli's television special. The review highlighted songs such as "Ring Them Bells", "God Bless the Child", and the "Cabaret" medley, describing them as standout performances that made the release a "blockbuster".[6]
In its May 1973 issue, Gramophone remarked that the album was not just a cabaret performance but a "properly constructed revue" with special material by Fred Ebb and John Kander. The critic wrote that they were "overwhelmed by its excellence", praising the comedy number "Ring Them Bells" as "one of the classic recorded performances of all time". The review also highlighted Minnelli's individual interpretations of "Bye Bye Blackbird", "My Mammy", and Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child", which it described as "more moving even than Billie's own famous version", concluding that the album was "one of the finest" of its occasion and evidence of Minnelli's uniqueness.[7]
Record World's review considered Liza with a "Z" a fabulous recording of her televised concert. The praise focused on the quality of the singing, described as simply "fabulous", and highlighted specific performances: the Cabaret medley was deemed "brilliant", while the renditions of "God Bless the Child" and "It Was A Good Time" were considered "stunning", solidifying the notion that it was the work of a true superstar.[8]
In a contemporary reviews, Richie Unterberger of AllMusic noted that the 1972's soundtrack was by far her most popular album. He observed that much of the impact of such a dynamic performer was inevitably lost in an audio-only format, leading some fans to prefer the DVD. The review stated that the musical selections showcased her versatility, ranging from standards to contemporary covers like "Son of a Preacher Man" and "I Gotcha," though he opined that she wouldn't make anyone forget the original artists of those songs. Ultimately, he concluded that she was far more at home with showtunes, and that the ten-minute "Cabaret Medley" was the track that worked best.[9]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 86 on the Billboard 200 on September 30, 1972,[10] and reached its peak position at number 19 on the November 25, 1972 issue,[11] spending a total of 23 weeks on the chart.[12] The album debuted on the Cash Box chart on September 30, 1972, at position number 132. In the following weeks, it gradually climbed to higher positions, reaching its peak on December 2, 1972, when it placed at number 29. After this performance, it steadily declined on the chart, making its final appearance on February 10, 1973, at position 168, after a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[13] On the Record World chart, it reached position number 17 in its tenth week, on the chart dated December 9, 1972.[14] It maintained this peak for the following week.[15]
By May 1973, the album had sold 30,000 copies in the UK, selling 1,000 copies a day.[16]
↑ "Keeping Track - Stage and Screen". Gramophone. Vol.L, no.600. May 1973. p.2126.
↑ "Hits of the Week"(PDF). Record World. Vol.27, no.1317. September 16, 1972. p.1. Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
1 2 "The Album Chart"(PDF). Record World. Vol.27, no.1329. December 9, 1972. p.38. Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
↑ "The Album Chart"(PDF). Record World. Vol.27, no.1330. December 16, 1972. p.36. Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
↑ "Top 100 Albums"(PDF). Cashbox. Vol.XXXIV, no.24. December 2, 1972. p.35. Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
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