Liza Minnelli - Results/Visible Results

13-track album includes mixes plus a 3-track DVD (Pal/ Code 0) with 3 videos 'Losing My Mind', 'Don't Drop Bombs' & 'So Sorry I Said'. Columbia. 2005. Album Description

Pet (Shop) Sounds

I recall reading an article about Liza Minnelli shortly after this album was released. The author claims to have left her puzzled when he compared one of the tracks to Nico. She apparently had no idea who the heck said reporter was talking about. Guess Andy never brought up his factory denizens in conversation when he changed venues to Studio 54 in the 70s.

But I'm at an even greater loss to figure out just WHICH track on this recording is even remotely comparable to Nico's work. Maybe Liza HAD heard of Nico after all and was similarly baffled by the comparison. About the only thing the two singers shared (aside from their acquaintance with Warhol) was their identification with (a--for some--alluringly decadent Berlin of whatever era).

Which brings up the topic of Liza's overall career, at least indirectly. Around the time of CABARET, I starting thinking that maybe Hollywood had figured out a way to do intelligent, artistically successful musicals and would be able to preserve the form--and ensure careers for outsized musical talents like Liza's. It was a reasonable guess, given the daring spirit of that film. But at best, I was only half-right. We continue to see cinematic musicals, however sporadically, to this very day. (Think MAMMA MIA.) But it was soon evident that Liza's onscreen career would be a limited one and would by no means mirror that of her mother.

Even in her concert and recording career, Liza has always suffered to some extent from the "born in the wrong era" syndrome. Like Barbra and even Bette, she had to somehow find ways of updating her image. Working on a project with the Pet Shop Boys in '89 no doubt seemed an appealing way of re-packaging or--as Madonna might have it--"reinventing" herself. And overall, it worked pretty well. This is a pretty cool record, in all senses of the word. Call it "post-modern Liza."

Strategically, it's a mix of songs that Liza might typically do ("Losing My Mind") and stuff that Neil and Chris must have recommended for her ("Rent," "Twist In My Sobriety"). What's striking is that it pretty much all works, even at moments when it seems most contrived. The big, bold, electronic arrangements sometimes work at odds with Liza's big brassy Broadway voice--and sometimes they complement it. And in this setting, she seems to find that she doesn't ALWAYS have to sing so "big" in any event. Sometimes she yields her power to the arrangements, other times to the background singers. Kind of refreshing actually.

Of course, around the same time as she was dabbling in this vaguely "avant garde" project, she was also also hobnobbing with Frank and Sammy in the nostalgia tinged "Main Event" project. A contradiction? Well, maybe. But maybe she also just knew what side of the music biz her bread was buttered on. RESULTS did turn out to be a one-shot, and as many others have opined, it's a shame she didn't explore this musical avenue a bit further. This girl's stay in the West End was all too brief.

(The added tracks and videos are a welcome addition, if not exactly groundbreaking. Of the three videos included, only "Losing My Mind" was an obvious selection. "Sorry I Said" is the simplest and most straightforward of the three, and by post-MTV standards, the most effective.) August 7, 2008

Excellent

What a great collaboration this was! The Pet Shop Boys did a masterful job working with Minelli on this. The album is so dreamy and sexy and dancey. Great arrangements, great vocals, great song choices from PSB, Tanita Tikarem, Yvonne Elliman... This is a real winner and must have! June 24, 2008

Loving Liza &. The Pet Shop Boys

I originally bought this when it came out in the 80's on cassette. Cd makes a world of differance sound wise. And living in a bumkin small town with no MTV, I never saw the video's for this project.
I thank God for two things, growning up and the internet. This is a wonderful album. Showcasing Liza's talents to the hilt. The booklet inclosed give you great background on what was going during the taping of the album. And the video's (though dated) are spectacular to watch.
This is a great gift for any fan of Liza, the 80's, or lover of good music. Three snaps up!
April 5, 2008

Classy, not campy

I had long resisted purchasing this CD because of unproven assumptions that I'd maintained about the production details: I always imagined that the proceedings probably amounted to `The Liza Show' with the Pet Shop Boys at the diva's beck and call. Reading Chris Heath's period observations in the liner notes not only shattered this presumption, it proved it entirely to the contrary. Much to my surprise, the British duo was in charge; Liza entrusted them completely with the project, which consequently became a big comeback album for her in Europe.

My main encouragement for this purchase was the involvement of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Not that I don't admire and respect the talents of Ms. Minnelli - it is an extremely rare breed of entertainer that may claim Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, AND Tony awards to their credit. However, this is really a Pet Shop Boys album with Minnelli on lead vocals. From the percolating percussion to the Mark Farrow design to the single word title, "Results" has the PSB imprint all over it.

A not-so-hidden gem in the catalogs of both Liza Minnelli and the Pet Shop Boys, "Results" captured both artists at impressive peaks in their respective careers. Tennant's excellent songwriting lends itself to versatile arrangements and vocal interpretation - in short, a good song is a good song. Four singles were lifted from the LP, and every one's a winner. The Boys have an unrivaled ability to transform any tune into a "disco stomper," as Chris Lowe puts it. For "Results," Stephen Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" is made a high-energy workout and became Liza's first hit single in years. Although Liza's vocal style doesn't always ideally mesh with the Boys' trademark Eurodisco, the end results are remarkably pleasing, with "Love Pains" being a commendable highlight. Other contributors who deserve acknowledgement are co-producer Julian Mendelsohn, a frequent PSB collaborator and often overlooked studio wizard, and Anne Dudley, former Art of Noise-maker and current orchestrator extraordinaire.

Although I've never heard an original issue from 1989 for comparison, the re-mastered sound is excellent and the inclusion of three remixes is a welcome bonus. Also included is a digitally upgraded version of the "Visible Results" release, featuring three promotional videos (NOTE: it's a Region 0 PAL format DVD, which won't play on U.S. players, but may be viewed on a PC). Another enhancement worthy of mention is the special packaging - all media (CD, DVD, and printed materials) are presented in a mini hardbound book with a new forward from Neil and Chris.

After "Results", Tennant and Lowe went on to write and produce material for other artists, including Dusty Springfield, Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, David Bowie, and most recently, Robbie Williams. However no subsequent projects measured up to this classy collaboration with Liza. Bravo. November 21, 2007

another team-up that was great

wow liza & petshop boys = results wish they do another one again.love pains,don't drop bombs,losing my mind,etc.if you weren't a fan of them u will be once u hear the cd. August 9, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...