The Complete Original American Decca Recordings, 2cd
MCA Records Inc, 1991

reupload 15 May 2010
flac (log + cue), 396 Mb
mp3 320 kbps, 335 Mb
artwork (booklet+covers), 78 Mb

Holiday recorded for Decca between 1944 and 1950, a period in which she was at the heights of both her popularity and her vocal powers. The music is less jazz-oriented in its backing than were the earlier Columbia and Commodore or later Verve recordings, but these are superb vocal performances, including matchless renderings of "Lover Man," "Don't Explain," and "Solitude." Holiday achieved the highest level that torch singing has ever known, creating consummately expressive, almost etched renditions that are richly nuanced, often enhanced by tasteful string arrangements. Holiday's deepest musical sources are strongly evident in songs associated with Bessie Smith, including the earthy "Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer)," and two spirited duets with Louis Armstrong.
~Stuart Broomer, Amazon

This box set truly captures Billie Holliday at the peak of her craft. Her voice never sounds better. Secondly, the arrangements are fantastic and rarely have I heard musical accompaniment that so masterfully compliments and highlights a singer's voice. Finally, the tracks are impeccably mastered and recorded. The original recordings are wonderful and they don't use modern sound technology to clean up the recordings to the point they sound stale and sanitized. The sound quality is rich and truthful; yet no annoying hiss or other imperfections.
I believe Billie was at the height of her popularity during the Decca era and she never gets better musicians to work with or a better selection of songs to "interpret." This is after the "tin pan alley" era and before Billie gets strung out and jazzed out with sparse arrangements and accompaniments.
Simply put, this is the best music ever recorded, by one of the 20th Century's greatest artists.
~Bill Mydo, customer's review on Amazon

Tracklist

CD1
01 - Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)
02 - No More
03 - No More (Alternate)
04 - That Ole Devil Called Love
05 - Don't Explain (First Version)
06 - Big Stuff (First Version)
07 - Don't Explain
08 - Big Stuff (Second Version)
09 - You Better Go Now
10 - What Is This Thing Called Love
11 - Good Morning Heartache
12 - No Good Man (Previously Unissued Alternate)
13 - No Good Man
14 - Big Stuff (Previously Unissued Breakdown And Chatter)
15 - Big Stuff (Previously Unissued Third Version)
16 - Big Stuff
17 - Baby, I Don't Cry Over You (Previously Unissued Alternate)
18 - Baby, I Don't Cry Over You
19 - I'll Look Around (Previously Unissued Alternate)
20 - I'll Look Around
21 - The Blues Are Brewin'
22 - Guilty (Previously Unissued Alternate)
23 - Guilty (Previously Unissued Breakdown And Chatter)
24 - Guilty
25 - Deep Song
26 - There Is No Greater Love

CD 2
01 - Easy Living
02 - Solitude (Previously Unissued Alternate)
03 - Solitude
04 - Weep No More
05 - Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys
06 - I Loves You Porgy
07 - My Man (Mon Homme)(Previously Unissued Alternate)
08 - My Man (Mon Homme)
09 - 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do (Previously Unissued Alternate)
10 - 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do
11 - Baby Get Lost
12 - Keeps An A-Rainin'
13 - Them There Eyes
14 - Do Your Duty
15 - Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer)
16 - You Can't Lose A Broken Heart (With Louis Armstrong)
17 - My Sweet Hunk O' Trash (With Louis Armstrong)
18 - Now Or Never
19 - You're My Thrill
20 - Crazy He Calls Me
21 - Please Tell Me Now
22 - Somebody's On My Mind
23 - God Bless The Child
24 - This Is Heaven To Me

Links:
http://rapidshare.com/files/351922776/tcoadr_Artwork.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/351944191/tcoadr_flac.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/351965153/tcoadr_flac.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/351900212/tcoadr_320.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/351913890/tcoadr_320.part2.rar
Mirror:
http://narod.ru/disk/18259086000/tcoadr_Artwork.rar.html
http://narod.ru/disk/18235952000/tcoadr_flac.part1.rar.html
http://narod.ru/disk/18207942000/tcoadr_flac.part2.rar.html
http://narod.ru/disk/18248282000/tcoadr_320.part1.rar.html
http://narod.ru/disk/18259027000/tcoadr_320.part2.rar.html