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Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
1958
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Maybe it's the liberal Jewish media. Or the patriarchy. Hell, it could be the lizard people. But, this just isn't my jam. Every song sounds the same to me and it all reminds of Disney princess movies. Or that scene in Clueless when he asks Cher if she likes Billie Holiday, and she says, "I love him". I feel like uncultured swine.
Pour comprendre cet album, il est nécessaire d'avoir quelques éléments de contexte. Bien que le film Star Wars : Un Nouvel Espoir ne sortira qu'en 1977, la comédie musicale dont le film est inspiré rencontre en 1958 un succès critique à Broadway. Billie Holiday y incarne le rôle de Maître Yoda par le biais d'une peluche de ventriloque aux traits du personnage vert et donne la réplique à Luke Skywalker alors interprété par Charles de Gaule. Les représentations doivent s'interrompre en 1959 car Billie Holiday décède au mois de juillet et le Général de Gaule voit son temps libre limité par ses travaux de rédaction de ce qui deviendra la constitution de la Cinquième République. George Lucas racheta plus tard les droits du spectacle et connaîtra le succès avec son adaptation sur grand écran.
I always see Billie Holiday on people's lists as one of the best singers of all time but I don't hear it (obviously only based on this album) she sounds nice enough but the songs are boring and not her own.
She's very good at what she did. The instrumentation is... honest. There's no subtlety here, and there need not be. There's no need to cloak anything in metaphor. These are across-the-plate songs about love and loss of love.
10 stars!! Billie Holiday is no doubt my favorite voice. Ever since I was a child and her records put me to sleep. Classic album, Lady in Satin is the best thing I’ve heard so far on this album trip!!
I liked this more than the Ella / Gershwin album. I found the orchestration less interruptive. I understand that her voice was no longer hitting the range it did earlier but it is still mighty fine. So my obvious question: Why were these later orchestration versions of Billie (and Ella) included in the 1001. I would much rather listen to Billie with Oscar Peterson tapping the 88 keys.
A l'ouverture du générateur aujourd'hui, mes yeux defilèrent horizontalement sur le nom de l'artiste: Billie Holliday. Un album de country donc, ça faisait quelque temps que nous n'en avions pas eu. Seulement, a l'ecoute, ce fut une catastrophe. Au dela de l'aspect visuel completement absent, les chapeaux de paille ayant été remplacés par des robes élégantes. Ensuite, aucune référence au Texas natal, mais plutot a des amants passés, on est bien loins des standards ayant forgé ce style musical legendaire. Par politesse je ne ferai même pas allusion à la nasalité misérable proposée par Billie. A vite oublier.
I'm a terrible person - I know "Lady Day" is celebrated as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Who am I to argue? Very distinctive, no question. I just really don't properly appreciate vocal jazz at all. Or to be fully honest I don't like it. So my rating is purely subjective (aren't they all?) and if you're inclined to like this genre just ignore me. 3/10 2 stars.
oh yesss. am i going to listen to a billie holiday album and not give it 5 stars? i dont think so. its just perfect. he casual mastery of her instrument is incredible. the orchestration does just enough.
So so beautiful! Probably the first album in this project, that transcends to the level of art.
Her voice is so good. It’s raspy, but beautiful. I can’t believe that this is the first time I’ve heard her. She deserves every bit of praise and respect that she gets, and then some
Unusual voice atop lovely lyrics. I am enjoying it a lot. Will listen again (and again)
Phenomenal. Precursor to Ronstadt's "What's New", beautiful reserved arrangements/accompaniment, the focus always on her voice and the song.
This album just brings a crackling fireplace wherever you go. Very lovely album, mostly because her voice is very pleasant.
It is perfect. The orchestration is heavenly and robust, but the singing is so intricate. The OG lady crooner singing standards and making them classics.
In 1958, one of the greatest singers of the 20th century released her last album before her death. A memorable masterpiece on which she once again delivered a record that stands through time. She may have lost much of her upper range due to heroin addiction, but her delivery is infused with her experience both tragic with its abusive relationships, prison stints and drug addiction, and triumphant with her musical success. Everyone need this record in their collection
Well the lush orchestrations were an unexpected feature. Not quite what I'm used to from Billie Holiday but glad to have been introduced. Happy to float along on the sound of the strings and flutes and her incredible voice.
I made the mistake of playing this while I ate lunch alone today. I didn't have much time to linger, but I completely forgot where I was, when it was, who I was... I was completely drawn into it, floating along with this beautiful heartache, feeling feeling feeling.
This album was really interesting to me. It's amazing how much emotion she was able to portray with just her tone of voice. The instrumentation was beautiful and it fit Holliday's voice perfectly. Overall this album was very wistful and melancholy, with a touch of romance.
Beautiful voice but it all started to sound very same same after a while. Just made it to a four.
Her voice is so unique, beautiful, expressive, haunting, warm, rich, textured - a real force, and showcased so well by these songs and the orchestral backdrop.
Really enjoyed doing some odds and ends around the house with this on. Incredible voice and every song told a story.
This album is just beautiful. The arrangements are amazing. The strings on songs like For Heaven's Sake are so lush and beautiful and the horn and flute parts are also very nice. Holiday's vocals aren't the best apparently because of her heroin addiction but they are unqiue and fit the songs well. There's a lot of emotion and, although it's not a perfect album, it is a very good one. But. SPOTIFY sucks because they decide to add random bonus tracks to the end of the album. There is another deluxe edition and this isn't it so there's just no way to listen to the album without a bunch of annoying outtakes of the same 2 songs tagged on at the end. That's not relevant to my thoughts on the album really, it's just a rant that I needed to include at some point. Favorite Songs: I'm A Fool To Want You, For Heaven's Sake, You Don't Know What Love Is, I Get Along Without You Very Well, It's Easy To Remember, But Beautiful Least Favorite Songs: The End of a Love Affair - The Audio Story Strong 8/10
This album is basically "All the Things Love Can Make You Feel 101." I'm a Fool to Want You and Glad to Be Unhappy stood out on first listen. The End of a Love Affair is the perfect track to end it. Can't imagine being a heartbroken teenage girl when this first came out.
If for some reason there was ever any question about the power of Holiday's voice this record floats in like one of her sultry songs. Harkening back to the golden-age of big bands and jazz singers, it is easy to see what sets her apart as a timeless voice.
I've always respected Billie Holiday and enjoyed hearing her work whenever someone happens to put it on, but have never really reached for one of her albums to listen to on my own. Methinks that should change. Right off the bat you can tell there is going to be a theme for this record...sultry strings, lyrics with themes of love and love lost, and that unmistakable voice. I don't know that I ended up listening to this record in the best headspace to properly enjoy it, but it's definitely a good one that will likely be revisited at a more appropriate time.
Very classy and romantic. Not the type of music I would usually listen to but it makes me feel like I should lay on a hill with a lover.
Jazz is always a challenge for me, but I truly enjoyed this album. Her voice is unique and beautiful.
I appreciate how the music lets her voice remain the star, but you can really hear the weariness by this point in her life. Still good, not great.
i never know what to say about billie. her voice is incredible, and it annoys me. her vocal melodies are intriguing, and i get bored with them after a while. one thing i'm definitely sure about: i do not like that orchestral thing happening on this album. i'm sure there was a time when it was just the thing, but to me, those flutes just sound like they're supposed to be bluebirds in an overly-sweetened cartoon. the strings are supposed to be a velvety backdrop, but they just end up feeling, to my ear, like they're filling time until the brass comes back from break. it all just feels too over the top. that said, this is billie freakin' holiday. we don't say bad things about billy freakin' holiday. there's never been a voice like hers since. even if it bothers me after a while.
Vocal jazz albums have never particularly been my thing, but you have to give credit where it's due. There is just something about Billie Holiday and her voice. There are many ways to be a great singer, and one of them is to have an angelic voice that carries an incredible burden of sadness without sagging under the weight 4/5
If I worked at a place that played nothing but Billie Holiday all day, every day, I wonder how long it would take for me to get tired of it? I felt soothed by having this record on. Don’t you dare ask me to name a single song! Shame on you! But it was soothing.
Not sure I could take too much of this. Not sure I prefer the lush, delicate Holiday to the earlier, swinging incarnation. But she couldn't sing like that any more, instead pouring every ounce of emotion into her broken voice and creating this heartbreaking collection. Best experienced with lights down low, right?
Toller klassischer Orchester-Jazz, wie aus Disney Filmen. Kein Swing, sehr free, thematisch fast Blues.
Songs from the Great American Songbook. Billie Holidays frail voice and the orchestral arrangements do justice to these selections, but they could be a little more varied. Still a very nice listen. 3.5/5.
Billie Holiday does not pull any punches here. The venerable crooner sings very personally. Often, solo artists may rely on their talent or technical prowess to sing songs for the sake of singing them well. Most listeners can 'see' through that, and appreciate that as a courtesy. The real test of a solo artist though, is how much can they convince the listener that their songs are personal, perhaps drawn from personal experience, or a piece of their autobiography. The true performer can sing a song everyone knows, and create doubt as whether or not the actual author knew what they were doing at all. Billie Holiday would have you believe she wrote these songs herself, that she is the subject of her own lyrics. She owns her performances fully, and for that reason this album is great for reasons of being genuine. Her raspy, Louis Armstrong-esque delivery that was indicative of her age, gave her performance an authority so to speak, the kind that says without room for negotiation that 'she sings and you listen'. This is a fine album. It is mellow and unexciting, but it is smooth and enjoyable. She sings, you listen, and that is it.
This album is all about the vocals. Some have written that Billie’s voice had been ruined by this time due to years of drug and alcohol abuse. It certainly was not as vibrant as it was at her peak, but I wholeheartedly disagree that her voice was ruined. Her voice has a steely resolve, a hardiness representative of her life. A life growing up with an often absentee mother, nearly being raped at 11, being on the road in a transient life, suffering racial abuse, and the long slog through substance abuse. Despite, maybe because of all, this I hear a stark beauty in her voice, and my is it intoxicating. I feel the struggle and the pain, and I am lured in. Pulled by the rip current, the gravelly siren call of Billie’s “ruined” voice. Ruined it is not.
So many songs about love lost, it could have been a country album 😉. Her voice is a bit faded this late in her career but she could still bring out the sadness in the songs. Knowing the pain and difficulties she went through in her personal life helps, I suppose. The orchestral arrangements don't get in the way and provide a nice cushion for her voice. Her singing style is more recognizable than just about anyone else in jazz history, okay maybe not Louis Armstrong, but could he really sing?
I didn’t realize until listening to this that David Sedaris has almost ruined my ability to listen to a Billie Holiday album, as he was really my first exposure to this artist, but after a few songs I managed to get him out of my head and stop expecting a joke… This is the first Billie Holiday album, and it was as I expected: lovely and classy and cool. I quite like her unique voice.
A very elegant album and a lovely listen. The voice of Billie Holiday is very distinctive and I enjoyed attending the Church of Billie on my walk today.
This pains me to listen to. I love Billie Holliday and listening to this final record released while she was alive leaves me uneasy. Her voice is not what it was on her best record 'Lady Sings the Blues'. She is a ghost of herself, wracked in addiction and mostly likely terminal when she recorded these tracks. The orchestration by Irving Townsend is too Lawrence Welk-like and doesn't compliment what could be a more bluesy, torch-song like recording. Holiday sings some of my favorites from the Great American Songbook and nothing on here challenges what are my favorite versions. Bonus to her for trying to put her spin on these treasures, but she should have gone to Nelson Riddle who was working wonders with Frank Sinatra during this period. 3.5/5.
Here is an album which shows its age in arrangements but not in recording, and is aged - two syllables - in the voice. There's nothing here I haven't heard before, but Billie's phrasing sublimates the familiar bittersweet. It's a mature album, the completeness of love brought into shattering focus as she sings "you've changed".
Beautifully wrecked voice in these dreamy, pretty settings is almost too precise a metaphor for Holiday so close here to the end of her life.
klassiker. Jeg elsker alle sangene her. har hørt mye på dette albumet før. Har det faktisk på CD. Høstmusikk. Mørkt ute - regn og vind, sitte inne og drikke kaffe eller conjack. oooh lord.
Billie <3 Kan ikke være upartisk her. Jeg er fan. Jeg ønsker meg å bo i en liten toppleilighet i Paris og leve et mer drama-fylt liv. Synes nok at Chet Baker sin "I get along without you very well" er hakket sårere og ikke kan overgås. Dette er musikk man hører på vinyl alene om kvelden, og for dette er det 100%. I'm a fool to want you - foreløpig favoritt
Ms. Billie Holiday is more than just 'in' satin; she’s 'of' satin, with it’s glossy, lustrous surface but underneath a dull back. These collection of songs are all about that dull back of romantic love, the losing of love, as well as the pain of unrequited love. “I’m a Fool to Want You’ – ‘to want a love that can’t be true.’ ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ – ‘until you’ve loved a love you’ve had to lose.’ ‘It’s Easy to Remember’ – ‘but so hard to forget.’ You get the picture. It’s not particularly pleasant. But, oh, Billie Holiday’s voice sure takes some of the sting out of the hurt. Backed by Ray Ellis’ tasteful conducting of Claus Ogerman’s arrangements, 'Lady In Satin' is all about Ms. Holiday’s extraordinarily unique timbre, in particular her sultry vibrato and distinctive pronunciation. For example, when she sings about how foolish it is to ‘seek a kiss not mine alone, to share a kiss the Devil has known,’ she delivers the simple word kiss in such a way as to give it depths of significance most other artists are not able to convey. It’s coming from a very deep place of its own, a painful place, somewhere embedded in the dull back, underneath all that silky front we enjoy. 'Lady In Satin' shares a dozen good songs that become even better under Ms. Holiday’s interpretation. Shame she never wrote any of her own. I can only imagine what fabric they would’ve worn- perhaps Chiffon, a sheer and plainwoven cloth made from a twisted yarn that gives it a slightly rough feel.
I love Billies voice. So soothing, regardless of the accompanying music. In this album we get a very chill background instrumentals to accompany the stories she sings. Beautiful
This sounds super dated in 2021 and tbh the "jazz singer does other people's songs" thing never really sat well with me... but this has some kind of charm to it. I was bored on the first song, but as it went on I just kept listening and listening. I can see why she's regarded as a classic singer. It's captivating in a weird way. 3/5, but it's a high 3.
Tapped into some stuff I'm going through so was a bit of a heartsore listen. Overall still a bit bland for my taste
I can't claim to be a connoisseur of Billie Holiday music, but this album sounded different than what I was expecting. Turns out it's because they recorded this after her voice broke down. It's rougher and more seasoned than how she sounds on her more famous works. I wish the producer would have thrown some more varied songs at her. It sounds like 12 variations on a theme, which is probably what they were going for, but not necessarily the most interesting choice they could have made. Best track: But Beautiful
Like walking back in time to a rainy night in the 40s. Smooth and classic--but not something I'd listen to in my own free time (unless it was Christmas). Makes me think of Esther, which is nice.
This is apparently her last album? You can hear the years worn on her, but that adds a kind of beautiful-tragicness to it. I like the 1st song the best. Really makes me want to go to a Jazz bar and just sit and take it all in. 3.5 to 3 since it's a bit one-dimensional.
Iconic woman in a terrible time. Voice is a little harsh but very easy to listen to this album. 3.5/5
Nice rainy day music. Not my taste but I like the mood it instills. The songs feel like they they should play over the opening credits of a movie set in Paris. The more albums I listen to the more I see the importance of song order. There needs to be an ebb and flow to stop songs from feeling redundant. Lady in Satin doesn't really do that.
Beautiful vocals that I could listen to forever. Everything was pretty samey throughout. This is Sunday music.
The events leading to the recording of this album were interesting to read about before listening. Helped me appreciate the tone and setting Billie and Ray were going for.
not my music but its good in the background. i understand the appeal; billie holiday was a heck of a vocalist
A perfectly fine, pleasant album, but for some reason I just never connect as well to Billie Holiday as I do to her contemporaries, like Nina Simone or Ella Fitzgerald. A lot of the songs I’ve heard done by other artists that I prefer, but it was still a perfectly nice listen.
Not an album to listen to whilst working, at least not for me. Its very good, her voice is incredible. I just don't know when/where I'll listen to it again.
In which Billie Holiday does Frank Sinatra's 'In The Wee Small Hours'. Her voice is cooked after years of alcohol and drug abuse, but the arrangements complement what's left of her voice, and the result manages to be harrowing yet triumphant at the same time.
I hesitate to disparage Billie Holliday but these songs are almost all the same. Tempo, dynamics. The melodies vary and obviously her voice rises above it all. Still, there's something staid about this that disengages me.
I enjoy the album as a stark departure from the normal djent/metal that I listen to. I don’t know that I necessarily like how she leans into the vibrato on every held note but I think that’s more a product of the time/genre.
If you listen to recordings from the 30's or 40's she had a beautiful voice but here she sounds like an old lady, even though she was only 42 years old at the time. But I do think the soft and romantic orchestra presents an interesting contrast to her voice and it gives a sense of nostalgia which matches the tone of the lyrics quite well
Such a rich full voice The 50’s vibes are amazing Brass is so nice, slow guitar Kinda sounds like a Disney soundtrack For all we know is a highlight
I don't have a lot to say about this album. It's a nice time capsule of music from the 50s
Buena música, buena voz... Pero es el segundo disco consecutivo del estilo que me sale y son estilos que tienes que escuchar en cierto estado de ánimo y momento del día para que te guste de verdad.
Easy listening with warbly vocals. Bit of a miss for me, but this is easy to listen to.
I wasn't sure about the vocal style at first, but I think I like it. It sounds to me like a trumpet soloist. Enjoyed this one
Nice, pleasant album. Billie Holiday's voice is full of emotion and feeling and the songs are all sad in their own subtly different ways. That said, the songs do blend together and are hard to distinguish from each other. Can't really imagine listening to this to just enjoy it and I think that's what music is really about.
every song filled with feeling and great technique, altough not my style makes for a great performance
Very old timey music; lady singing really slowly about love to an orchestral backing. My grandparents would have thought this was the bee's knees.
It will never be my desert island Billie Holiday album, partly the choice of material, partly because her voice has lost much of its power. That said, it has many beautiful and poignant moments. The delicate orchestration supports and caresses Billie's fragility rather than overwhelming her voice.
was okay in my opinion. billie holiday has a special voice and yet its not for me lots of classics, 3/5
Такая камерная музыка с томным и вязким женским вокалом. Если бы я послушал это, не посмотрев дату альбома, подумал бы что это записано в 1920-х .. Подошло бы для мультика Диснея или же для какого нибудь нуарного фильма! Послушав дольше, погрузился в некую атмосферу спокойствия, как будто перенесся в фильм в роли с самим собой. Взаимодействие голоса и такого количества инструментов удивительно.
I like some of her stuff but her voice really doesn't do it for me. Bonus point for growing up a few blocks away
What a voice!! Like many other artists that are listed on here Billie Holiday is another I have never listened to. Such a lovely rich voice that sings with so much emotion, was really impressed with this.
Where am I at with this one? It's Billie Holiday and I love a lot of her songs. This is good and all, but there's something in her voice that sounds tired to me and I couldn't get that out of my head. It's nice to listen to but I don't think I'd go back to it.
Qué voz. Saber sentir una canción que no has escrito tú e interpretarla de esa forma me parece un superpoder. No podía dejar de pensar en cómo hubiera sonado su voz diez años después, con una producción. El constante arreglo de cuerdas me ha cansado. Trascendencia:8 Género:7. Jazz? Muy easy listening para ser jazz. Opinión:8. Los dos puntos se los quito por las ganas que me han quedado de escucharla sin tanta puta cuerda
Such are the baselines that we messure against.... Presence, style, wrapping in the warmth... Enjoying this quite a bit
Holiday's stylized vocals don't match my tastes, though she is still a great singer and everything else is jazzy bliss.
There's no denying she has an incredible voice, and this is an effortless listen. It's not to my personal taste but I absolutely appreciate the craft and orchestration.
Great voice and delivery. Such an icon! I never did establish an ear for the kind or orchestration that was used for this album, though.
I feel like I want to like this more than I actually like it. There is no question that she's a great singer, and some of these songs are really beautiful, but overall they do sound very much the same.
Music has come a long way. This was pleasant, but boring. I've heard countless female artists list Billie as a major influence, but I was underwhelmed.
Mi piace molto l'accompagnamento orchestrale e penso sia musica molto piacevole, però non mi piace molto la sua voce né il suo stile, tipo louis armstrong, troppo vibrato...
не ну наврено прикольно да, но я прям не слушаю чот такое все. Хотя на скока я знаю она крутая, но типо ваще нет никогда настроя на такую музыку
Track 01 - 3.25/5 Track 02 - 2.5/5 Track 03 -2.75/5 Track 04 - 2.25/5 Track 05 - 2.5/5 Track 06 - 2.75/5 Track 07 - 3.5/5 Track 08 - 2.25/5 Track 09 - 2.75/5 Track 10 - 2.25/5 Track 11 - 2.5/5 Track 12 - 2.5/5 Track 13 - 3.25/5 Track 14 - 3.5/5 Track 15 - 2.25/5 Track 16 - 2.5/5 Overall: 3.25/5 Album Art: 3/5
Amb la veu rasposa i esguinçada per les drogues, Holiday dona llum al seu testament, un mes abans de morir. Els arranjaments són excelsos i tapen la feblesa de l'abans mejestuosa veu. Posat en el seu context, és un disc a admirar i celebrar. Escoltat sense context, és un disc pesumbrós, trist i dur
I hadn't really heard Billy Holiday before and expected this to be easy to enjoy. The pace is certainly slow, though I think her voice isn't as warm (and a little warbly) as i thought it would be and isn't something i really fell into. Interesting to listen to.
2/13/2022 Today's Album: "Lady In Satin" by Billie Holiday - This record is very similar to the softer slow dance moments on the last record. This sounds like if Nina Simone was plucked out of 1966 and put into 1958 and was told to make music that sounded like Louie Armstrong. Her vocals are very raspy and I don't think I'm a huge fan of them, but joined with the orchestral backdrop that feels like it belongs in a musical makes the general vibe feel whimsical and angelic. All of the songs are quite slow and have a similar beat to them, but I think it would be perfect for having family over and having something simple going on in the background. It feels classic and it would probably match most holiday vibes. It's not something I would listen to on a regular basis and it does much less than the Nina Simone record to innovate the sound that was all over this record. Not terrible to listen to but might put you to sleep. Score: 6 A bit boring Highlights: Any/None
Bio sam upoznat ovim imenom, ali nikad nisam ništa njeno slušao. Definitivno ima poseban glas, nije savršen, nije predivan, ali ima svoj glas. Melankolija vlada albumom, i slušajuć ovo se nalazim u prostoriji gdje gori kamin, vani je hladno, mrak je, moguć snijeg, a ja sjedim u fotelji čitajuć knjigu uživajuć uz jednu čašu finog vina. Moglo bi se reći da je u nekom osjećajnom debaklu, ljubavnom klinču gdje vodu okreće na svoj mlin. Orkestralno je popraćena sa kombinacijom jazza i to mi se jako sviđa. *3.5*
Malo mi je album ko album dosadnjikav. Mislim da je Billie bila zena za singlove. Al inace big fan, big, big fan.
Gotta say I’m a little unmoved or underwhelmed by this (given how I would have expected to react and my excitement at first hearing your music decades ago). I think these recordings with overly formal arrangements, mannerly phrasing and lush and syrupy strings are not aging well to my ears. Still, one of the most distinctive voices ever.
The crossover from jazz to the traditional love tunes did not rock my world. I wanted to see more experimentation which was clearly not the objective of the producer.
Lush arrangements and Billie's voice is as emotional as ever. Bit subdued and one-paced for my taste.
C'est fou de penser qu'avec cette voix, elle a seulement autour de 40 ans. C'est une artiste incontournable qui a influencé plein d'autres chanteuses. Sa voix est plus agréable sur l'album Velvet Mood, mais cet album est très important dans sa discographie.
It's lovely but the jazzy lounge sound does get a little boring after a while. Lovely dinner sou Daypack but I probably wouldn't revisit it otherwise
Reminds Shannah of Christmas. (2/5) Bill felt it was a little samey. Felt like B-sides. (2.5/5) Jane didn't hear it. Conor thought there were some great melodies, though not a lot of variety throughout. (3/5) 2.5/5
Billie Holiday is lovely but this album is quite repetitive - it’s a nice long song - as a whole it’s great but it’s hard to pick individual songs.
It's okay, but not really my preferred style. Everything sounded quite alike. Nice to listen to though.
Again, an album on the list because the artist didn't release many records int he form we would consider the album format as currently understood. Billie Holiday's best years were well past by the time she recorded this, the year before she died. Alcoholic, drug addicted, and broke, she did convince Columbia to sign her, give her an unlimited recording budget, and access to her arranger of choice and great material from the American songbook (although sings she had not recorded before. With a lush, rich, middle-of-the-road orchestral backing, her voice is cracked and creaking, but still with her timing, emotion and intimacy intact. That amount of vocal fry was, at the time, unheard of, but has become almost normal now. Even when barely singing, she still casts a long shadow today in her phrasing, the way she moves around a melody, and in the dry, croaking tone that is now common. She certainly lives in the songs, and the emotional truth is extraordinary.
¡Qué manera de sufrir esta mujeeeeeeeeeer! Muy sentido y triste todo lo que cantó. Me dejé llevar y lo sentí con ella.
Magea ääni, mutta neidosta taidettiin repiä kaikki aikanaan irti kun levyjä julkastiin 3v aikana 13?! Määrä korvaa laadun?
C'est cool hein, mais la concurence est rude, et c'est trop ambiant pour giga scorer :-p
These all sound the same to me? It's pleasant to listen to, but I'm falling asleep here.
This one of those where my rating system makes me look a dick. She has an incredible voice, but the songs were passing me by apart from a few that I knew. Too dated for me to enjoy
I thought I liked Billie Holiday more than this. It's okay, and it does feel like I'm listening to something important, something that should be heard. Her voice is really strange though. I think the problem mmight be the songs on this album, they're all very light and I like her when she's all intense and emotional.
Billie Holiday is in unusually fine form for such a late-period release. Her voice might crack now and then (she lived life really hard), but her pitch, phrasing and interpretation skills are as immaculate as ever. Trouble arrives with the charts by arranger/conductor Ray Ellis, which are utterly conventional, without an ounce of soul, and dated as hell, stamping this irrevocably as a late 50s product. Every bit of grit and worldliness has to come from Billie, and even if she's up to the task, there's zero musical interest in these tunes, apart from Billie and the songs themselves, which are classic tin pan alley. If not for Billie, this would be an instantly disposable snooze, and that's putting it kindly. 2 1/2 stars out of 5.
A strange album. Restrained vocals with an excellent orchestra. The orchestral pieces lift this album, as Holiday's voice sounds increasingly tired. No surprise that this was her last album before she died. The subject matter is pretty grim. Holiday basically sings about the abuse she has endured as a woman and many many experiences of unrequited/abusive love. The content becomes very samey and is ultimately pretty miserable. I guess that's why they call it the blues.
A bit torn on this one. It doesn't sound bad as such, but it aged really badly, unfortunately and in the end it just went on for way too long, considering that it simply isn't very interesting musically. While it was good background music for a while, it started getting on my nerves before it was over.
Nicely crafted and beautiful orchestration but doesn't really do anything or go anywhere.
This album is all vocal jazz from a great singer, but it's not my type of music, and honestly the age of Billie Holiday during this album had started taking a toll on her voice. In conclusion, songs were too long, too slow, and not broad enough in tonal range.
Lady in Satin was a dip into the soulful and quite mournful sounds of Billie Holiday. She has such a gorgeous voice, however this album just didn't grab me. It was a little too heavy on the "You have to have felt loss to love" vibe for me. Best: But Beautiful Worst: You Don't Know What Love Is
Jag brukar vanligtvis inte lyssna på musik av denna typ, men det var förvånansvärt bra faktiskt. Väldigt fint sjunget och musiken gav mig en lugnande känsla. Ett ganska lättlyssnat album. Den största nackdelen är att många låtar låter väldigt lika varann. Alla dessa observationer kommer dock från endast en lyssning så ta det med en nypa salt.
Not for me, at all. Bored me to sleep unfortunately. Almost every song seemed to drag. BuT! It has old Disney soundtrack vibes? The orchestral parts and the flutes/woodwinds dancing in the background of the song resembles faeries or other mythical creatures of a Disney film. Could see potential as a soundtrack, but not music to listen to for pleasure imo. Not a huge fan of the vocals either. Giving it 2 stars though because 1) I can imagine there will be 'much worse' albums coming up 2) there's 'worse' music 3) the potential for soundtrack and it's Disney-esque
For whatever reason I never connected with Billie Holiday's voice and the arrangements on this set leaves me bored. 2 🌟
She has a great voice, no doubt. But cover singing jsut doesn't float my boat, and I would never sit and listen to this again.
Billie holliday. You finally know she is a woman. Great 'sad' songs, very jazzy bluesy, some freestyle lyrics I feel (last track) and feels insightful, but not a daily listen. More if you have the blues
It's a nice album and she is a good singer, but I am rating it low because I am simply not a fan of that type of music. No recognized songs
Yes, Billie's voice is croaky, but she has good use of it even if it is past its best. The music is lush, but slow. Too gentle and slow. So I didn't it enjoy it.
Much as I hate to give the album this rating, as I absolutely love Billie Holiday's voice - it's not really an album as much as it is a bunch of songs on a record. Many of those songs sound the same, and it's a bit of a dreary listen to fight the whole way through them. I'm a fool to want you and you don't know what love is are both good songs, but in my opinion the rest of the album is just sub-par from that point on.
Background music to some high class department store. Easy listening, but not cream muzak for lifts. Not my thing though.
Sooo soulful and smooth. But it lacks so much emotion. She's very classically approaching this that it just lacks a punch. Most likely won't be reaching for it again soon.
Nice and the orchestral backdrop is beautiful. A little boring... and it all sounds the same. Sorry!
I was a little shocked by her voice, might be something that grows on me with repeated listens but I just couldn’t get into it today
Fails to reconcile the heartbreaking vocals and joyful orchestral score, thus left with a confused mixture of both. Again, somewhat repetitive, some hits but mostly filler
i know she is a very influential person but something about her voice just irked me. it sounded very throaty and it just bothered me. the album was also just boring and lengthy and sounded very similar.
Probably my least leaked Billie Holiday album. It quickly fades into background music for me.
2.5/5 She has something in her voice that makes you want to listen. It’s not my favourite style and genre, but still enjoyed some songs. Wouldn’t return to this album probably.
I assume that in the 50’s this orchestral jazz would be considered pop to appeal to the masses. Personally I find that every song sounds the same and I prefer the more edgy sound of the Be-bop or Hard bop era. Holiday’s voice is also an acquired taste, and apparently I haven’t acquired it yet.
Not a big fan of jazz. I like the sounds, the instrumental. Her voice sounds at some pointsa bit moany if yknow what i mean; not in a bad way, just kinda irritating. Lots of the songs sound similar.
Her voice is nice and all but the music is *really* dull. I walked away from my PC at one point and when I came back a couple of minutes later I genuinely had no idea whether it was the same song or the next one, that's how much they all sound the same
Sadly this album reminds me a bit of a creepy restaurant I worked at that hardly anyone ever visited. One night chef didn't have the ingredients for orange chicken so he used hot concentrated OJ, the kind you get in a carton. So I associate this kind of music with a grey haired old woman with a tight perm thrusting a plate of shredded chicken floating in orange juice at me in disgust. There was no fooling her! Billie's soothing notes did nothing to diffuse the situation.
I thought I liked Billie Holiday more than this. It's okay, and it does feel like I'm listening to something important, something that should be heard. Her voice is really strange though. I think the problem might be the songs on this album, they're all very light and I like her when she's all intense and emotional.
Lmao at what the dude said about the uncultured swine. I'll give it a 2 because it's objectively beautiful but yeah, not for me. 2
One note throughout; take a gentle orchestral backing and sing about love. If the band hadn't stopped playing between songs then I don't think I would've noticed if it was one long 45 minute song. Great voice though. Best track: The End of a Love Affair
Clairement pas mon style. C'était sympa à écouter en travaillant mais rien de prenant. Ambiance très très Disney.
6. Lady In Satin - Billie Holiday. 17 tracks. Sultry and Bluesy, but completely wasted on me. I couldn't wait for each song to end. If I could have given it 0 stars I would have. It really just isn't for me. 1/5.
really hard to get through this. Hard to imagine how anyone would have ever wanted to listen to this album.
Offensively dull. Every song sounds the same. Same dull music. Same ticking drum beat reminding you life is finite and you're wasting listening to some woman croak
The only kind of jazz I listen to recordings of, this still didn't quite find way into me. Sorry Billie!
Another "penultimate" album from a female singer? Well, I guess I knew what's to expect despite that suspicious genre name of "vocal jazz". Aaaaaand it sucks, even for a '50s pop-jazz album. Her voice is like a whistling drone, it's somewhere between irritating and boring. Yeah, this is her "penultimate" album and it's her voice's last performance after years of alcohol and drugs. But... does it matter? I doubt if this is included in the list as a do-not-do-drugs-or-you'll-sound-like-a-chicken-trying-to-sing-like-a-songbird campaign or something. I also doubt if this is included for us to experience and appreciate Billie Holiday's voice. It's far from her best performance, I think. The orchestra is also mediocre. But I guess it captures the '50s sound well. Overall, I'd rather listen to three hours of Ella Fitzgerald (or even Billie Holiday herself before her voice succumbed) instead of forty minutes of this. At least Ella's voice is at full power and passion when I listened to her in the ridiculously long "The Gershwin Songbook". What I'm trying to say is that I don't really hate the orchestra pop songs released when my grandparents are in elementary or high school. As long as I feel the smooth flow and the gentle yet powerful voices of the era, I'm in.
Normally, I'm in for this sort of album; Especially with one of the greats, such as Billie Holiday! But this album just felt like a complete production miss. The orchestral arrangements strike me as overly glossy and schmaltzy. On the other hand, Billie's vocals sound strained, especially during the line punctuating vibratos (of which there is one on nearly every single line). Honestly, I expected something great, but after 3 attempts, I just couldn't sit through the full length album.