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Lady in Satin Centennial


jazzbo

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So, 2 cds-worth of what, alternate takes? Studio chatter? songs that didn't make it on to the original album? The description is more than a little ambiguous, but, thanks for the heads-up, Lon. What can you tell us based on the Japanese edition you have?

gregmo

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She was born in 1915.

It took me a minute or two to feel Lady In Satin, but once felt, never unfelt, even though it starts at the peak and evens out from there.

No idea what outtakes from the session would be like, the proposition is scary, but who knows?

But this...

Hello. Never can say goodbye.

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No idea what outtakes from the session would be like, the proposition is scary, but who knows?

But this...

impossible to believe this will be anything but filler and garbage; and "they" waited so long to exacavate why again? because the quality of Satan was so high and there were so many unanswered questions the first time round?

7/4, a week long WKCR Billie festival is lame-- the discography doesn't sustain that level of immersion; compare to the week (or was it two?) they did the Duke centennial (i think it was two), which was never less than thrilling. And even a fucking "Mary Poppins" box set has more potential than three CDs of Satan even if each comes packaged in a custom monogrammed BH Sateen sleeve. Maybe if rumors about the string section breaking out to jam on Korngold's transcription of the Hadyn kazoo quartet prove to be true it might be worth a novelty listen.

get behind me satin

satin in high heels

Edited by MomsMobley
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I dunno, ask yourself (or at least the near-broken woman therein, wherever that might be) how you'd have felt about Columbia putting you on the cover as an attractive, still romantically viable woman after years of Verve putting you on the cover as a brokensaddespairing loser of a tragedy, and then ask yourself if Satan would really be that kind before cashing the check, euthanasia or public execution? Wouldn't you for maybe once like what you saw other people seeing you as, one last wish, just a pretty song-record with a pretty cover before I go?

As well also, would this not be the first legitimate CD (or any?) issue of that "Fine and Mellow" after 57 years after the fact, hello talk to Satan about THAT, that one's easily attributed there?

I's still very SatanSucpicousMinded about two CDs worth of alternates, still not feeling that one, but the original album itself I have come to believe to somewhat understand what it must have meant to Billie to make that kind of a record at that point in her life, not just musically, but as a person who, like most all people, sometimes need to escape from the escape from the reality which seems to offer no escape. Billie Holiday as some kind of a sick cult-of-victimology icon may indeed be the road to hell, literally, but remember, there's a fork in that road somewhere, and it's probably an exercise in character building to stand there for a while more than a second or two before clucking about the mortality of foolishness and all that such.

Now having said that, All Or Nothing At All = great record, great music, Lady In Satin = sad/touching curiosity, but yeah, ok, what else, hello that's so lame to only go there with it, if all that was needed was great music, sell all your records and go forth into the world to don't believe it until it happens in your immediate presence in the realest of times, obviously no camel going through that needle (whatever else might), nor not too many aye-ayecers either.

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Now having said that, All Or Nothing At All = great record, great music, Lady In Satin = sad/touching curiosity, but yeah, ok, what else, hello that's so lame to only go there with it, if all that was needed was great music, sell all your records and go forth into the world to don't believe it until it happens in your immediate presence in the realest of times, obviously no camel going through that needle (whatever else might), nor not too many aye-ayecers either.

Oh, I agree "Lady In Satin" the original album is very interesting-- and a worthwhile listen in terms of biography-- musical & otherwise-- & the biz she worked with, struggled within.

Skepticism born of obvious fact that how/why are two discs of outtakes only now emerging one of thee icons 20th c. American music, one with substantial non-jazz audience.. It seems highly unlikely this material wasn't looked at previously, though it's not like much was learned-- not like much could be learned-- from all those Commodore alternate takes, save that third take of "He's Funny That Way" when Eddie Heywood quotes the Chico Marx version of "On The Beach at Bali Bali"--

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Now having said that, All Or Nothing At All = great record, great music, Lady In Satin = sad/touching curiosity, but yeah, ok

I don't own any of these Verve and Columbia records, but where would you say Body and Soul and Songs for Distingué Lovers rank compared to the two you mentioned. One big draw for me would be the presence of Ben Webster.

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As a huge Billie Holiday fan, I will get this out of curiosity, although I certainly share the worries expressed here. I didn't think that the sessions and studio talk issued on the complete Verve box did Billie Holiday's legacy or memory much good. In Billie's shoes, I wouldn't have wanted it to be released commercially. This material here is probably similar, maybe even more problematic given the time in her career that it comes from.

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Record companies never struggle with 'Complete' sets that are incomplete so a 60 yr old Centennial should be no problem. On that logic I should get a telegram (maybe she sends e-mails now...or tweets?) from the Queen in the summer.

Anyway, nearly everybody likely to want this will be at the great jam session in the sky by 2055 ('Frayed and Yellow'). Makes sense to bring it forward.

Edited by A Lark Ascending
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Will "Fine and Mellow" be the TV show recording or the Columbia LP recording? The former might be a slight incentive to buy this (although I'd rather watch it and take in the visual drama that comes with the music). Otherwise, I'll pass.

Both Prez solos are great but the one on the tv show is the one for me.

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Now having said that, All Or Nothing At All = great record, great music, Lady In Satin = sad/touching curiosity, but yeah, ok

I don't own any of these Verve and Columbia records, but where would you say Body and Soul and Songs for Distingué Lovers rank compared to the two you mentioned. One big draw for me would be the presence of Ben Webster.

All or Nothing At All was, for me, her best Verve album, and Bex Webster is all up in in it.

Those other two you mention are good too, but All Or Nothing a All is just better in every way,

IMO, of course.

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