Love Songs (Legacy) Review

07/13/2005 5:05 AM, AMG


Billie Holiday sang plenty of love songs throughout her career, yet it still seems a little odd to have a Holiday collection entitled Love Songs, mainly because her love songs were never quite so simple. And that's part of the problem here -- Holiday's art may be too rich for audiences who just want a collection of love songs like this. It's better to hear her in the context of her original sessions, but this remains a pretty good sampler of love songs from her Columbia recordings. If you want just a taste of her work, or are looking for a sultry, romantic album from Holiday, this isn't a bad bet -- just be forewarned that this is designed with casual fans in mind. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide