New Feelin'

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New Feelin'
Studio album by
Liza Minnelli
ReleasedOctober 19, 1970
RecordedSpring–Summer 1970, Muscle Shoals Alabama
GenreVocal, country-soul
LabelA&M
ProducerRex Kramer
Liza Minnelli chronology
Come Saturday Morning
(1969) 		New Feelin'
(1970) 		Live at the Olympia in Paris
(1972)
Singles from New Feelin'
  1. "(I Wonder Where My) Easy Rider's Gone"
    Released: January 1971

New Feelin' is the sixth studio album by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli, released on October 19, 1970, by A&M Records. It was her third and final studio album for the label, following Come Saturday Morning (1969).

In an effort to update her sound for the contemporary rock-dominated market, the album features Minnelli interpreting classic songs from the Great American Songbook—dating from 1917 to 1940—with modern, country-soul arrangements. Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and produced by Rex Kramer, the album's sound is characterized by its twangy guitars, energetic brass sections, and gospel-inspired backing vocals.

The album was met with favorable reviews and became one of her best-charting releases of the decade. Plans for a follow-up album were abandoned as Minnelli began preparing for her career-defining role in the film Cabaret. The album was not reissued on CD individually but was included in its entirety in the 2008 2-CD set The Complete A&M Recordings.

Production and recording

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Following the underperformance of her previous album, titled Come Saturday Morning, A&M Records sought an alternative way to make Minnelli a successful recording artist, considering her success in theater, film, and live shows. As rock music was on the rise, it was noted that her traditional music style was out of sync with the contemporary music scene. In this context, the idea emerged to record songs from the American Songbook that she liked but with modern arrangements in styles like country-soul.[1]

The recordings took place in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during the spring and summer of 1970. Mickey Buckins and Sonny Limbo were the recording engineers, and the art direction was handled by Tom Wilkes. The album was produced, arranged, and photographed (the cover and back cover) by Rex Kramer (lead vocalist of The Bojangles). The arrangements included twangy guitars, pulsating electric bass, organ, an energetic brass section, and female backing vocals with a gospel touch. The tracklist includes a selection of covers dating from 1917 to 1940.[1]

Release and promotion

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The album was released on October 19, 1970.[2] For promotional purposes, Minnelli appeared on various television shows such as This Is Tom Jones, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Johnny Cash Show.[3] Additionally, she performed at the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville.

Similar to previous albums from the A&M Records, this album was never released on its own in compact disc (CD) format, but all the tracks in the original order are included in the compilation The Complete A&M Recordings, released in 2008.[4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[5]

In the October 31, 1970 issue, Billboard wrote: "[in New Feelin'] she combines her charm and powerful voice with a sensitive feeling and achieves success". The magazine highlighted tracks like "Lazy Bones", "The Man I Love", and "Come Rain or Come Shine".[6]

Cash Box remarked that "Liza Minnelli, sounding more like mom every day, puts together a beautiful package of standards guaranteed to warm your heart". The review noted that "Liza belts them out from beginning to end", describing the album as "her most impressive". It listed classics such as "Stormy Weather", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "God Bless the Child" among the standout tracks.[7]

RPM presented a favorable review, directly addressing radio programmers by stating, "This is the one you class-hungry programmers have been waiting for". The critic praised the album's fresh approach to the material, noting that it contained "no favourites here", implying that each track was strong and reinvented. The review highlighted the album's distinctive sound, described as a "sweet and wild combination", and concluded that this blend was irresistible, asserting that it "can't help but please".[8]

Record World praised the album, considering it a brilliant and successful idea. The publication highlighted that Liza's characteristic energy and verve were the crucial elements for bringing the project's concept to life. The innovation, according to them, came from the new treatment given to American classics, such as "Love for Sale" and "Stormy Weather," which were revitalized by the soul and R&B arrangements of the renowned Muscle Shoals musicians.[9]

In a contemporary review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote that the album was the most contemporary Minnelli had ever recorded. He noted that she adopted a higher and more intense vocal approach than usual. However, he stated that "her effort to connect with the material, the emotional depth that this style required, was not her characteristic way of performing", and overall, the result of the album was an unsuccessful attempt by the artist and the record label.[1]

Chart performance

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The album became one of Minnelli's better-performing albums in the 1970s. It debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart at number 169 on November 28, 1970.[10] On December 5, 1970, it reached its peak position at number 158, and remaining on the chart for one more week.[11][12]

New Feelin' debuted on the Cash Box Top 100 Albums chart on November 28, 1970, at number 109.[13] The following week, it reached its peak position on the chart, climbing to number 105.[14] In total, the album remained on the chart for 7 weeks, with its final appearance recorded on January 9, 1971, at position 137.[15]

A fourth album to follow the relative success of New Feelin' was planned to be recorded in early 1971 but was scrapped as the singer was getting ready to give the performance that would put her on the map forever, the role of Sally Bowles in the movie adaptation of Kander and Ebb's musical Cabaret.

Track listing

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New Feelin'
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love for Sale"Cole Porter2:35
2."Stormy Weather"Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler2:40
3."Come Rain or Come Shine"Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer3:12
4."Lazy Bones"Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael2:32
5."Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine"Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern2:35
6."(I Wonder Where My) Easy Rider's Gone"Shelton Brooks3:00
7."The Man I Love"George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin2:45
8."How Long Has This Been Going On?"George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin3:00
9."God Bless the Child"Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog3:30
10."Maybe This Time"Fred Ebb, John Kander3:12

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of New Feelin' LP (A&M Records, catalog no. SP-4272).[16]

  • Produced and arranged by Rex Kramer
  • Original album engineers: Mickey Buckins, Sonny Limbo
  • Art director: Tom Wilkes
  • Photography: Rex Kramer

Charts

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Weekly chart for New Feelin'
Chart (1970) Peak
position
Billboard 200[17] 158
Top 100 Albums (Cash Box)[14] 105

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ruhlmann, William. "Liza Minnelli - New Feelin' Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "New Feelin' (Expanded Edition) by Liza Minnelli". Apple Music. October 19, 1970. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Liza Minnelli "If I Were In Your Shoes" on The Ed Sullivan Show". The Ed Sullivan Show. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Liza Minnelli - The Complete A&M Recordings Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. ^ AllMusic review
  6. ^ "Billboard Albums Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 31, 1970. p. 52. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXXII, no. 19. October 31, 1970. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2025. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  8. ^ "New Albums" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 14, no. 14. November 21, 1970. p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2025. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  9. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Record World. 25 (1221): 12. November 7, 1970. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  10. ^ "Billboard Top LP's". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 28, 1970. p. 42. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "Billboard Top LP's". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 5, 1970. p. 80. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  12. ^ "Billboard Top LP's". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 12, 1970. p. 76. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Albums". Cashbox. Vol. XXXII, no. 23. November 28, 1970. p. 48.
  14. ^ a b "Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cashbox. XXXII (24): 32. December 5, 1970. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  15. ^ "Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cashbox. XXXII (29): 22. January 9, 1971. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Liza Minnelli: New Feelin' (Media notes). United States: A&M Records. 1972. SP-4272.
  17. ^ "Liza Minnelli". AllMusic. March 12, 1946. Retrieved March 3, 2012.

Other sources

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  • Liza Minnelli: When It Comes Down to It.......1968–1977 liner notes by Glenn A. Baker, 2003
  • Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings liner notes by Scott Schechter, 2008
  • Liza Minnelli: The Complete Capitol Collection liner notes by Scott Schechter, 2006