Lady in Satin is an album by the jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is the penultimate album completed by the singer and last released in her lifetime (her final album, Last Recording, being recorded in March 1959 and released just after her death). The original album was produced by Irving Townsend and engineered by Fred Plaut.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
smooth nice strings "notes of chocolate, black pepper and blueberries"
I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS I LIVE INSIDE YOUR WALLS
Every time I get one of these 50s albums I feel like the biggest, most heartless douchebag for not enjoying any of them at all. All of them feel like listening to one monotonous 40 minute long song and this one is probably the biggest offender so far. I didn't even notice the songs beginning or ending most of the time. It all blended together way too much.
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!!
Truly the best
The sound of longing.
Phenomenal. Precursor to Ronstadt's "What's New", beautiful reserved arrangements/accompaniment, the focus always on her voice and the song.
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.
Bearing witness to a dying of the light can be a strangely illuminating experience. On the one hand, the knowledge of a generational talent having wasted away her body and, most importantly, her voice when it could have been one of the many vehicles on the road to greener pastures must have been a saddening black cloud to be under. On the other hand, seeing that talent give whatever remained to steer songs from a functional level to the kind of level that inspires awe and admiration as though she weren't guaranteed tomorrow is what reminds those involved why they are in the business of music. Lady in Satin may not have been intended as the last album released in Billie Holiday's lifetime but it's got all the hallmarks of a farewell; a glimpse of a life truly lived through hell and beyond and who could still belt out as though she hadn't lost a step, even if the voice sounded otherwise. It's poetically tragic in a way. The audio story of The End of a Love Affair exemplifies this perfectly, nine minutes of do-overs, orchestral dealings and Billie singing in a capella. This is a fascinating document worthy of time and space. Favorites: I'm a Fool to Want You, For Heaven's Sake, I Get Along Without You Very Well, You've Changed, It's Easy to Remember, But Beautiful, Glad to Be Unhappy, The End of a Love Affair (Mono Take 4 and The Audio Story).
Beautiful singing in a traditional way. Compared to what I'm used to from modern artists it did drag by somewhat, not helped by the fact the album was over an hour long. The journey was nice in parts but otherwise I was waiting for it to end.
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.
Outstanding
So so beautiful! Probably the first album in this project, that transcends to the level of art.
Billie Holiday's voice 😍😭
¡Excelente!
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
false
Unusual voice atop lovely lyrics. I am enjoying it a lot. Will listen again (and again)
Magnificent voice. I'm not into jazz yet, but it's a good starting point.
Absolutely stunning.
Heel rustgevend, prachtige stem, met veel gevoel gezongen
It just sounds nice. 9/10
The title is right - it's so smooth!
Masterpiece
This album just brings a crackling fireplace wherever you go. Very lovely album, mostly because her voice is very pleasant.
perfection
Dásamlega plata!
Love sucks
Stunning phrasing, beautiful arrangements. Spellbinding talent.
Beautiful, incandescent, glorious.
I like it a lot
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.
Beautiful
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.
Billie Holiday....... good shit
Like being wrapped in a blanket. Wonderful.
5 I just love these songs. "In The Wee Small Hours" was amazing, so of course this is too.
Loved Billie Holiday long before this, but finally got a chance to appreciate to album in its entirety. Absolutely amazing, I love it!!
I dont even know what words could review this album. Billie's voice is one of the greatest enjoyments available to humans. 5/5
This is clearly iconic and also sad as fuck. Billie's voice is everything and I'm thinking about how important she's been for gay men over the decades- there's Frank O'Hara's "The Day Lady Died" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42657/the-day-lady-died) or the Magnetic Fields -- My Only Friend (https://genius.com/The-magnetic-fields-my-only-friend-lyrics) She's miserable and beautiful and the gays have been eating since the 50's. Sop it up!
Amazing
nice
I have mixed feelings about this late recording of Billie Holiday ... I prefer her earlier recordings, when her voice was more dynamic and the instrumentation less heavy. This album is heartbreaking, a picture of Billie at the end of her life, beaten down by drug and alcohol abuse and life circumstances. She sounds so beaten, tired, and sad ... Yet, I'd rather listen to my least favorite Billie Holiday album than 98% of music out there. It is not possible for me to give her less than 5 stars, ever. And listening to this again, I'm wondering if I should give it more of a shot. There is something so poignantly powerful in this effort.
Such a unique emotional voice. Outstanding as usual from Billie. Timeless.
Her voice is incredible. I don’t usually listen to this everyday but anytime Billie holiday gets out on I will listen to it all the way through. One of Americas all time greats.
So this is towards the end of her career, and I've seen some mention her voice was shot by then. But this album captures an amazing delicacy and sheer emotion. Really quite special.
Billie Holiday is a classic.
Whacked it on cleaning - felt very lovvy
Billie is a national treasure. Nothing but love for this album.
good but sad
Vraiment certaine chanson sur cet album on quelque chose de spéciale. Son sens d'expression, malgré son range qui n'Est pas très grand sur cette album amène une dimension qui est assez incroyable. Ce n'est pas poour tout les occasions ni pour toute les personnes. MAis on doit avoir écouté cet album. Beaucoup de melancolie et de beauté. 5
Arguably the greatest jazz singer. Later Billie Holiday has a rawness that her earlier work did not have. A ravaged, alcohol abused voice didn't help. It works (similar to Marianne Faithfull). This is a classic that every music fan should listen to (and own - I am old school).
Excellent
Weary and wishing. And WOW. Billie Holiday is a legend, but one I hadn't dedicated much focused listen toward. This album is a journey and her now-raspy voice reflects a well-worn life, full of wisdom and regret, but with hope remaining. And emotional listen that left me speechless. Many of the 1,001 can be debated. LADY IN SATIN cannot be debated. It is essential.
God, she's great. Her vocal tone is so interesting. I love this album so much. Such a mood.
Anything she‘s done is a 5, one of my favorite voices of all time. To be honest I don’t really love these records with the full orchestral arrangements and strings. I always prefer small group stuff in general but I think it sounds especially cheesy in a jazz setting. That said I totally understand the desire for her to make a record like this in her career, there are so many great raw jam session and small group recordings of her, it’s cool that she wanted to do something different.
Such a great singer. I liked the orchestral arrangements. Favorites are “End of a Love Affair” and “But Beautiful”
Billie Hoilday's voice <insert heart emoji>
The Original Queen
Own on Vnyl
One of the best voices ever.
Really dig Billie’s voice. Such a rich timbre with a lot of emotion. The arrangements don’t get in the way.
Love it
10/10 idk why people hate on Billie Holiday’s voice it’s so beautiful!
Billie freaking Holliday.
Bioshock Vibes, mag ich.
One of the best albums of all time
Wow, ok. So we're doing the Billie 'comeback'/swansong album instead of her peak I suppose. Though you can't really talk of albums as such going back to the 30s. Yeah that first track is a real punch in the guts. The contrast between her now frayed, heroin-ravaged voice and the somewhat twee orchestral backing. Almost feels like a precursor to that 80s Marianne Faithful record the other day in that sense. She's a legend and the ultimate.
Every note by every musician in this session is not just played, it's lived.
It's good to not even try to like this. It's not really Jazz in my view as the orchestration and her voice take the whole thing. I have heard ths before and t be honest her voice was wrecked by this time but I could listen to this all day and all night it's so smooth and subtle.
Forever album. Could listen to on any Sunday lazy morning. Her voice gets me every time
At the risk of sounding pretentious amongst the rest of the reviews here, I loved every song on this, great album. Very relaxing
beautiful
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 instrumentals and old school sounds. Although a little slow at times.
Respect, but it was hard to get through the album in this non modern style
Reminds me of Wall-E. Nice and calming.
Soulful!
muito chic ouvir billie holiday
lovely album. There's maybe a song or two i'd put on to feel sexy
Beautiful voice but it all started to sound very same same after a while. Just made it to a four.
I liked the live performances with the album I found online
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.
Heartbreaking.
Grand
Gut
It's good but all the songs sound the same
Really enjoyed doing some odds and ends around the house with this on. Incredible voice and every song told a story.
amazing voice and perfect compliment to the rainy monday morning.
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
Fantastic. Smooth and dreamy album. Honeyed, yet broken, sexy and wistful voice.
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.