That Old Devil Called Love - Billie Holiday

Advantages: Fun, upbeat pop that brings back fabulous memories!
Disadvantages: A few fillers near the end

...routines and anthemic choruses, accompanied by Billie’s inane, ever-present grin oozed cheese from every pore. Yet, back in the 90s (ah, don’t you miss them!), nobody was so concerned with being “cool” as they are today. Girls didn’t concern themselves with wearing black and caked on eyeliner, boys didn’t dream of growing long greasy hair and forming a band, instead, back when pop was cool, before the rise of the ubiquitous sweaty boy band, people were free to embrace their inner pop prince or princess, and embrace it they did. Billie quickly became, in 1998, the youngest ever artist to debut at number one, with her smash hit single ‘Because We Want To’. All was well in the world of Pop Princesses and fifteen year old Billie went on to score a further number one with ‘Girlfriend’ and two number three hits with ‘She Wants You’ and ‘Honey... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Very good songs
Disadvantages: Not as strangely attractive as Supernanny

...getting divorced and arguing about who gets to keep the carpet. Starts off with Billy and the piano, goes a bit rock 'n' roll in the middle with wild sax solos and ends up back where it started with Billy promising "I'll meet you any time you want, in our Italian restaurant". This strikes me as a little too open-ended an inviation which doesn't account for the opening hours of said Italian restaurant, but this is a great song anyway, and BJ fans seem to love it when he does it in concert. VIENNA Not to be confused with the Ultravox song of the same name, this is one of Billy's finest moments. The lyrics are particularly great: reflecting on the relaxed pace of life in the Austrian capital, the song's narrator muses: "You know that when the truth is told, that you can get what you want, or you can just get old". Complete with accordion solo... Read review

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Advantages: Smart tunes with a jazz undercurrent
Disadvantages: Too "modern" for jazz purists?

...'s sounding scarily like Billie Holiday. Never going to be released as single! Song: 3/5 Jazziness: 4/5 6. Moody's Mood For Love (4:10) --------------------------------------------- Upon first hearing this, it sounds like Amy singing this in a scat-style over a double bass whilst someone throws empty lemonade bottles down a lift shaft. The perussion is weird, far out and works superbly. This can't be the same woman that just sung on I Heard Love Is Blind because the range and tone of the vocals lose their inhibitions and she almost sounds like Lauryn Hill. A bizarre but accessible track. Song: 3/5 Jazziness: 4/5 7. (There Is) No Greater Love (2:08) ------------------------------------------------- It's back to BIllie Holiday territory for this short track. Her hushed, elongated vocals measure up impressively with the merest... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful