lambchops's Full Review: Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits (Decca) by Billie H...
I would be lying if I approached a review of Billie Holiday’s Greatest Hits from any sort of a knowledgeable place. What I know of Holiday is limited to two dozen songs and a 1972 biopic (Lady Sings the Blues). What I do know is that Holiday’s popular take on jazz was widely renowned and that she is now regarded as having one of the best voices of the last century.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Eleanora Fagan Gough lived just forty-five years. Separating fact from fiction in Holiday’s life is something of a challenge. It was apparently peppered with controversy and the like; however none of this really matters. The music is rightfully the centerpiece of Holiday’s short life. From the beginning she admitted that she owed her inspiration to Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong though in the end Holiday brought jazz out of smoky clubs and the tired Tin Pan Alley tradition into the arms of the masses. Today, fifty years after her death, Holiday’s music still appeals to the masses and even to this rock and roll girl.
The stories Holiday sings about aren’t always happy, but it is easy to hear her conviction. It feels as if they are true, honest, and real pictures of her life even if in reality they are standards. She apparently wanted to sing like a horn sounds, and that beautiful and delicate musicality permeates every moment and note of the songs she so eloquently performed. However like I said, I am fully aware I am neither an expert in jazz nor a connoisseur of Billie Holiday. Rather I am like so many people in that I appreciate her voice and sound yet have not investigated it any further than what some so-called real fans may think is a myopic Greatest Hits album.
All unrelated maladies aside, this particular Greatest Hits collection brings together 19 of Holiday’s most popular songs all recorded for Decca. Despite admittedly not covering her whole career, there are still omissions—such is the case with all compendiums of truly great artists. That said, what is here is excellent and I can’t help but be drawn to every moment of the nearly one-hour disc. Sit back and relax…let Billie Holiday be the lady who sings you the blues.
While Greatest Hits is by no means for the collector or serious jazz fanatic, it suits my needs perfectly. From the beginning to the end it flows beautifully. My only complaint is that the tracks aren’t without the occasional crackle or “flat” sound—both products of the original recording methods. Outside of that, these are nineteen flawless tracks full of emotion and sensuality and honesty. I can think of no better and no more timeless chill out music.
My words scarcely do Holiday justice, but I do particularly enjoy a few of the tracks. Opener Easy Living is immaculate as is the thoughtful, lonely Solitude. Even as the album progresses it shimmers with life. It is hard for me to do anything but utter the titles and say they are “nice” with any authority but I will try.
The first upbeat jazz track is Them There Eyes which features Holiday swaggering with her typical throaty purr. It works beautifully and I love the combination of her voice with the big band horns and strings. God Bless The Child, a classic, is the next song that really touches me. The songstress actually wrote the poem and with the help of Arthur Herzog set it to music in 1941. It is her ode to self reliance and contains much insight into her childhood. It is often mistaken as a song about worldwide injustice when it is actually something much more personal and individualistic. This is certainly the reason why Holiday performed the song with such heart.
Despite enjoying the softer side of Holiday, I still think I’m most drawn to her bawdier side as with T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do. Once again tossing in a trumpet not to mention various other big band horns and strings it definitely is full of energy and sparkle. The fact that the singer-songwriter could be both soft and gentle at the same time as smirking and forward goes to show her musical diversity and probably helps explain why Holiday continues to be so respected.
As Greatest Hits comes to an end, I love the piano and string driven drama of Good Morning Heartache not to mention the simple yet striking I Loves You, Porgy. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) is outstanding with its winsome, sexual tones.
Throughout this collection, what becomes clear is that Holiday had a gift for arrangement and wielded an incredible vocal talent. Not just that, but she also seemed very truly sad. The songs here are outstanding and while they don’t encompass everything she did they are still worth checking out. I came upon this disc (oddly enough) in a used CD store. I knew it was worth having and for the $7 I paid it was a steal. Definitely classic tracks from Billie Holiday.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars (rounded down to discourage her “real” fans)
Track Listing:
01. Easy Living
02. What Is This Thing Called Love?
03. Solitude
04. You're My Thrill
05. Them There Eyes
06. No More
07. God Bless The Child
08. My Man
09. Don't Explain
10. There Is No Greater Love
11. T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
12. You Better Go Now
13. Big Stuff
14. Good Morning, Heartache
15. I Loves You Porgy (from "Porgy & Bess")
16. Guilty
17. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
18. Crazy He Calls Me
19. That Ole Devil Called Love
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.