| Gently | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 19, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Jazz,vocal,traditional | |||
| Length | 42:12 | |||
| Label | Angel | |||
| Producer | Brooks Arthur | |||
| Liza Minnelli chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Gently | ||||
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Gently is astudio album byAmericansinger andactressLiza Minnelli. Released in 1996, it is her first album under the Angel Records/EMI label and her first studio release in seven years. The jazz-infused album features romantic ballads and lounge music, with arrangements that include vibraphone, piano, and muted trumpet. Its thematic focus revolves around moments in Minnelli's love life.
The album was promoted as a "make-out album" and its release was supported by an appearance on the UK shopping channel QVC. It became one of Minnelli's most successful albums of the decade, reaching number 156 on theBillboard 200 and number 58 on theUK Albums Chart. In 1997, the album was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Gently is ajazz-infused album that also includes romantic ballads and lounge music numbers with arrangements featuring vibraphone, piano, and muted trumpet.[1] Its title and theme reference moments in Minnelli's love life, starting from her adolescence when she had crushes on handsome schoolboys.[2]
The release came seven years after her last studio album,Results, from 1989.[3] During that time, she released the live albumsLive from Radio City Music Hall in 1992[4] andParis – Palais des Congrès: Intégrale du spectacle in 1995.[5]
During the album's promotion, she referred to the work as her "make-out album" due to the irredeemably sentimental themes behind the song choices. She summed up the inspiration behind the album onThe Rosie O'Donnell Show when she explained, "There was no romance section [in the record store]. So, I thought, well, maybe I’ll make a record that people can neck to. Remember kissing? Wasn’t kissing great? That’s what this record is about".[2]
As part of the album's promotion, the singer appeared on the UK shopping channelQVC. According to Gilbert Hetherwick, Senior Vice President and General Manager ofAngel Records, her appearance on the channel was positive: "She sold thousands of her CD 'Gently' on the network. It's a great way to create awareness, especially for people who live in small towns".[6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The Guardian |  [8] |
Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian gave it three out of five stars.[8]
William Ruhlmann ofAllMusic wrote that Minnelli managed to blend her musical heritage with the trends of her generation.[9]
Rennie Sparks of theChicago Reader gave a favorable review, stating that at 50 years old, Liza Minnelli had finally decided to shed the role of a cheerful and optimistic superstar, delivering somber and profound songs, sung with a solitary and sentimental voice, full of fragility and sadness.[1]
In 1997, the album was nominated for aGrammy Award in the category ofBest Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[10] The award went to the albumHere's to the Ladies by singerTony Bennett.[11]
Gently was one of Minnelli's most successful albums on the charts during the 1990s. It reached number 156 on theBillboard magazine's list of best-selling albums, theBillboard 200.[12] In the UK, it reached number 58 on theOfficial Charts Company's list of best-selling albums.[13]
Gently sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.[6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chances Are" (feat.Johnny Mathis) | Al Stillman,Robert Allen | 3:16 |
| 2. | "You Stepped Out of a Dream" | Gus Kahn,Nacio Herb Brown | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Embraceable You" | George Gershwin,Ira Gershwin | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Close Your Eyes" | Bernice Petkere | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Some Cats Know" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Lost in You" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 4:02 |
| 7. | "I Got Lost in His Arms" | Irving Berlin | 3:12 |
| 8. | "It Had to Be You" | Isham Jones,Gus Kahn | 3:32 |
| 9. | "Never Let Me Go" | Jay Livingston,Ray Evans | 3:15 |
| 10. | "Does He Love You?" (feat.Donna Summer) | Sandy Knox,Billy Stritch | 4:58 |
| 11. | "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" | David Mann,Bob Hilliard | 4:18 |
| Total length: | 42:12 | ||
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[14] | 58 |
| USBillboard 200[15] | 156 |
