Customer Reviews

Strange Fruit

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First off, this album is amazing. It has such soul and rhythm. But what I would really like to tell you about is the song for which this album is named: Strange Fruit.


This is a sensitive subject for many people, especially those whose ancestors suffered. But you can't just deny that it happened. People have to have the courage to realize that horrible things go on in the world. Don't be a coward. Listen. People have to understand. You can't just pretend it didn't happen because you don't want to hear about it or think that your ancestors might have done it.

I first heard this song on "Touched by an Angel". It made me want to cry, to scream. A Jewish teacher wrote this song as a poem and gave it to Billie Holiday. She was so touched by it that she had music written for it and decided to sing it. It was a very touchy subject so at first no one clapped, no one dared to make a sound. But finally there was a lone clap somewhere in the audience and suddenly there was a thunderous ovation.

I greatly admire both the teacher and Holiday for having the courage to stand up in defiance of the horrors. The teacher's words penetrate, cutting deep. They don't beg you to listen, they command you.

Some may think that this subject doesn't involve because, hell, they weren't there, they didn't participate. But they are wrong. This is about what people just like you and me allowed, even encouraged to happen.

This isn't just a song about death. It's about the ignorance, the hate, the lives, the souls, the people.

If you're looking for Billie in her prime, look elsewhere. All the music on this CD was recorded between '45 and '47 after she had lost her voice. Look for the classic recording of Strange Fruit from '39 on one of the other CDs available.

A great recording with strange fruit absent from so many of her recordings. Why is that? This will appeal to any lover of Billie Holliday and her music. Listen to " strange fruit ".