billie holiday - lady in satin (1958)

billie holiday - lady in satin (1958)

01. Billie Holiday - I'm A Fool To Want You (Edited Master) (3:25)
02. Billie Holiday - For Heaven's Sake (3:29)
03. Billie Holiday - You Don't Know What Love Is (3:51)
04. Billie Holiday - I Get Along Without You Very Well (3:01)
05. Billie Holiday - For All We Know (2:55)
06. Billie Holiday - Violets For Your Furs (3:26)
07. Billie Holiday - You've Changed (3:20)
08. Billie Holiday - It's Easy To Remember (4:03)
09. Billie Holiday - But Beautiful (4:32)
10. Billie Holiday - Glad To Be Unhappy (4:09)
11. Billie Holiday - I'll Be Around (3:26)
12. Billie Holiday - The End Of A Love Affair (Mono) (4:52)
13. Billie Holiday - I'm A Fool To Want You (Take 3) (Bonus) (3:28)
14. Billie Holiday - I'm A Fool To Want You (Take 2 - Alternate Take) (Bonus) (3:26)
15. Billie Holiday - The End Of A Love Affair- The Audio Story (Bonus) (9:50)
16. Billie Holiday - The End Of A Love Affair (Stereo) (Bonus) (4:46)
17. Billie Holiday - Pause Track (0:06)

This is the most controversial of all Billie Holiday records. Lady Day herself said that this session (which finds her accompanied by Ray Ellis' string orchestra) was her personal favorite, and many listeners have found her emotional versions of such songs as "I'm a Fool to Want You," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Glad to Be Unhappy," and particularly "You've Changed" to be quite touching. But Holiday's voice was essentially gone by 1958, and although not yet 43, she could have passed for 73. Ellis' arrangements do not help, veering close to Muzak; most of this record is very difficult to listen to. Late in life, Holiday expressed the pain of life so effectively that her croaking voice had become almost unbearable to hear. There is certainly a wide range of opinion as to the value of this set. [The 1997 CD reissue adds two alternate takes of "I'm a Fool to Want You," part of which were used for the original released rendition, plus the stereo version of "The End of a Love Affair" (only previously released in mono) and examples of Lady Day rehearsing the latter song, including a long unaccompanied stretch.

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