Reviews (page 2 of 13)
Nina Simone is a true legend and I love that she was overtly political and wasn't afraid to sing her truth. Four Women gave me goosebumps. A powerful and beautiful album.
Nina is undeniable, but a full album is a little too much for me all at once. Its not easy listening, nor is it trying to be!
Well, what a breath of fresh air after the horrors of the Bee Gees! Nina Simone is smoky as ever - I just love her so much. This album is sprawling with twinkling piano, blues guitar, soulful upright bass, and what could only be described as pure poetry. "Four Women" is easily one of the most bone-chilling songs ever written, and it's so simple yet so sobering, telling the story of four archetypal figures of African-American women in society, ending with the riotous and declarative exultation: "I am Peaches!" I love this album, I love Nina Simone, I love days where I get to give 5 stars to an album without second thought.
Even a slightly lower tier Nina Simone album is some of the best music ever recorded.
just top to bottom earthshaking! It's Nina Simone!
Listened to this album on a very hot June evening—it’s absolutely beautiful.
Great for the summer day at home
Nina Simone is a versatile powerhouse here, breezing through jazz, pop, blues, R&B, and whatever else she feels like conquering at the moment. Her voice is both powerful and soothing, packing so much emotion into every song that you can feel the heartbreak, sorrow, joy, and every complicated feeling in between. And of course, her piano playing is fantastic too. The title track is the clear standout for me: a hypnotic ballad where the piano feels like it is slowly building into its own little windstorm. Love it. Yes, since these tracks come from different recording sessions, the album can feel a little disjointed at times, but that is a small thing to look past when the performances are this strong. If anything, it just proves how easily Nina could move between styles and still sound like a legend. Total score is a 4.5 rounded up to a 5!
What a gorgeous record. This album is so warm and combines so brilliantly different sounds and elements that really is outstanding. It is very varied and yet cohesive, so wonderfully sung and performed. I've loved it so so much. Nina Simone really is a fantastic singer, and this album is such a sweet and lovely record to listen to.
What a voice. Soulful beauty.
Wow. 5 "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times." - Nina Simone
One of those albums that will dominate your attention the whole time.
Gorgeous
OMG. This is just great. Cohesive front to back, it is hard for me to believe that this was cobbled together from leftovers from previous sessions. She is mostly accompanied by small combos, and often just her piano and a bass. Her amazing voice shines through, breathing life into these songs. Just an amazing performance.
Favorite track(s): Four Women, What More Can I Say, Lilac Wine, That's All I Ask, Break Down and Let It All Out, Wild Is the Wind, Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair An album that wrenches the need to sing out of you. But don't try to match her, you'll make a fool of yourself. Heard before Previous rating: 8/10
9/10
Her voice is so mournful and so joyful at the same time. God damn. I didn't know a single one of these songs (though I enjoyed the Black Is the Color remix) but I was entranced by every one.
repeat album but i will happily listen 100000 times
Wow this was good! "Four Women" hits like a truck and "Lilac Wine" is also great. "Break Down And Let It All Out" and "Either Way I Lose" were standouts as well. I did like her version of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" but I do think I prefer Tia Blake's version maybe a smidge more
Undeniably one of the best albums ever. Nina Simone is a gem in about every single way an artist can be a gem - expressive vocals, intimate and heart-tugging piano playing, and song-writing that's striking, evocative, and haunting. And this album really is haunting - there's something so un-easing about the stark contrast between the poppy, catchy opener 'I Love Your Lovin' Ways' and the slow, tragic 'Four Women', a testament to Nina's writing ability. The song contains the realistic, ugly depictions of early 20th-century racism of a song like 'Strange Fruit' that Nina has covered before, but it's treated with so much elegance, like being performed in a small lounge, backed against purple curtains. It's a strange contrast, and the swelling, emotional final chorus remains one of the most powerful moments in pretty much any song I've ever heard. After this, the album continues to dish out some of the best singer-songwriter tracks of the '60s, proving that Nina was operating at a level that no other artist of her time was. There's a lightness to the playing and singing here; the whole thing feels so delicate and fragile, and again, haunting and cold in some of these songs. 'Lilac Wine' is one of those songs that starts cold and bitter, but very gently warms up as the rhythm is established and the chorus hovers in. Just such an elegant and beautifully paced ballad, never doing too much, just existing in such a perfect space. The title track is another one of these precarious songs, a tightrope walk between romance and desperation. This is maybe the closest song on this album to traditional vocal jazz; there's just so much going on with the intense piano playing, and it's another piece that crescendos perfectly. The journey this title-track takes me on every single time is indescribable; my soul feels so whole by the end of it. 'Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair' has maybe my favorite piano playing here; it's so empty and spacious and has an almost ambient feel to it. Every single chord here is enough to break me, and the nature of the playing really allows Nina's vocals to soar. 'What More Can I Say?' and 'That's All I Ask' are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum when compared to the tracks I just mentioned; they break into these amazing big band bits about halfway through, like the love Nina is feeling in these songs is too strong to be left caged in a slower piano ballad. 'Break Down And Let It All Out' I've always thought was super underrated. It's such a change in pace instrumentally with these horn leads and a more prominent drum-kit-driven beat. It's ruthlessly catchy and has some of Nina's most punchy depictions of heartbreak. And "Why do you toy with my dreams? They're depending on you to come true" on 'Why Keep On Breaking My Heart' is such an amazing line on this wall-of-sound-styled pop-song that I also think is super underrated. An album you can weep to because of just how much emotion is radiating from every single song and note. So much talent on display, so much warmth in the vocals and playing. An album I'd live in if I could, but I can't; I'm stuck out here 60 years later in this cold, ugly future. Oh well.
Nina Simone – Wild Is the Wind (1966) This was a decent listen and a decent LP overall. She possesses an incredibly hypnotic, deep voice that blends absolutely beautifully with the piano arrangements, just wow. The vocal and instrumental fusion creates a truly captivating atmosphere throughout. Looking at the highlights, "Four Women" stands out significantly, a track I originally knew mostly because of the iconic sample used on Jay-Z's "The Story of O.J." from his 4:44 album; it was incredibly refreshing to revisit the original piece in the context of this full LP. Other major standouts that hit the mark include "I Love Your Lovin' Ways," "What More Can I Say?," "Lilac Wine," "That's All I Ask," "Wild Is The Wind," "If I Should Lose You" (listed as "If I Should Lose You" on the tracklist), and the closing track "Either Way I Lose." The cohesive, hypnotic quality of the entire project carries it all the way to the top. 5/5
5 de 5 Grandiosa pieza de jazz y soul que, aunque es una compilación de anteriores sesiones, encuentra coherencia y se mantiene cohesionado por la gran interpretación de Simone y esa voz que es brillante como desgarradora a la vez, acompañada por un minimalismo instrumental muy efectivo y preciso. Un trabajo aclamado por su autenticidad, profundidad emocional y la capacidad de Simone para transmitir vulnerabilidad y poder al mismo tiempo.
Simone is one of a kind. She’s so disarming in a way I can’t help but admire.
four women--damn. Damn. the arrangement is impeccably sparse. only exactly what it needs. what more can i say--i mean... what more can i say? lilac wine-- that's all i ask-- why keep on breaking my heart--love the vibrato; almost operatic. the transition from wild is the wind into black is the color of my true love's hair----flawless either way i lose--the a cappella bass is exceedingly '60s. the only thing this whole album that i don't love. i am left speechless. 5/5. 6/5, really. she keeps it real.
С каждым годом только лучше.
loved it
An absolutely amazing record and to think that these are like B sides… She’s probably one of the best singers ever. I was almost crying to most of these songs while walking. She’s just amazing at portraying a feeling and just giving it to you. She wouldnt even have to sing words. Amazed, and honored to have been able to listen to this one.
A jazz vocalist who belongs in the same conversation as Ella and Billie.
Such a true artist! I love Nina's sensitivity to the small musical decisions. I love her mastery of how the tension builds. A couple of the ballads here are some of the absolute finest (for me) of their particular kind of ballads. I'm not crazy for compilations in general and I do feel like this is a tiny bit disparate in approach and the sequencing doesn't quite flow. But track for track there is so much beauty.
Dramatic and magnificent. Dodgy opening track explained by this being a collection of leftovers but some incredible performances and a 5*.
Wonderful
Awesome album. Live song was incredible. Favorite song was ‘Either Way I Lose’.
Nina Simone innit
4.5/5
60's big do wop first track. A song for the ages "Four Women". Slides into a sultry following track. Another love forlorn - "Lilac Wine". Break Down and Let it All Out is a nice surprise. Nina has a really unique vibratto which is heard throughout. It's raw and raspy. I can hear the Billie Holiday influence. Tortured songs of lament.
4.5. Nina may not have the largest range, but she has the rawness, the honesty, and emotion to elevate these songs.
Absolut fantastisk album!!! Jeg hørte dette album for første gang for nogle måneder siden, og bliver ved med at vende tilbage til det. Albummet er rå emotion og er dybt bevægende. trilogien af What Mor Can I Say, Lilac Wine og That's All I Ask er absurd smuk. Har anbefalet dette album til flere venner allerede, og tænker ikke jeg stopper!
straight gas
Nina Simone est un nom que je connais depuis longtemps et si j'ai eu l'occasion d'écouter quelques titres çà et là, je ne m'étais jamais penché sur un de ses albums dans sa globalité. Et pour une fois, Robert Dimery fait bien les choses, puisqu'il m'offre enfin une occasion de le faire. Et je dois dire que c'était une très bonne écoute. Nina Simone a une voix très profonde, elle a une interprétation toujours très intense. Les accompagnements étaient très divers, sans doute du fait qu'il s'agit de différents enregistrements qui n'étaient pas censés sortir à la base. Et évidemment, difficile de ne pas parler de Four Women, aux paroles qui évoquent le destin de 4 femmes afro-américaines et le poids du racisme et de la misogynie dans la société. Le texte est puissant, marquant, porté par Nina Simone qui vit son texte. Vraiment, un très bon album que je suis très content d'avoir entendu. Pas forcément le type de musique que j'écouterais personnellement tous les jours, mais c'était vraiment quelque chose. J'hésite encore entre le 4 et le 5, mais il est probable que je me dirige vers ce dernier.
HOLY CANNOLI SHE DOES NOT MISS MY GOAT 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🐐🐐
Amazing
Soulful. Engaging. Heartfelt.
блин ну вот это ОНО. чистый кайф. После постоянного ебучего британского рока как сказка. как же она чувствовала
It’s amazing how much feeling and emotion Nina can bring out of a simple melody. Vocal power. Unbelievable.
Geweldig album. Soul en emotie, veel themas uit die tijd. 6 uit 5 sterren
This album is an exceptional! "Black is the color of my true Love's Hair" is just a chef-d’oeuvre!!
great albums with some great songs. Nina Simone will always have a special place in my heart, such a unique and lovely voice and lyrics.
absolutely amazing album. classic. my favourite tracks are wild is the wind, either way i lose, that’s all i ask, lilac wine, four women, and i love your loving ways. (so half the album but i’m sorry i couldn’t pick!) in my opinion, wild is the wind is the best track on here and maybe in the world. my mom used to sing it to me. i’m sure as i continue to listen to this album my favourites will change but one thing i know for sure is that it’ll always be on my roster.
Loved the range of sound and emotion in this album! Favourite track: Lilac Wine
words could never do justice to my grande dame…
Absolutely fantastic record. Lyrically, this perhaps does get a bit stale as it goes on with most of the songs here being about love or heartbreak (with one very notable exception), but that's literally the only complaint I have about this honestly. Instrumentally, this is quite sparse but that's by design as it allows for more focus on Nina and her incredible voice. There are few vocalists who I find to be as commanding of a presence as Nina and she provides some absolutely incredible performances all across this album but especially on tracks like Four Women and Wild Is The Wind. It crazy to think that this is as good as it is when it's mostly just made up of random leftovers from previous recording sessions. If that's not an indicator of just how immensely talented Nina Simone was then I don't know what is. This is an incredible album and now I can't wait to check out more of Nina's music. Favs: Wild Is The Wind, Four Women, What More Can I Say?, That's All I Ask Least Fav: If I Should Lose You (still a great song) 9.6/10
OMG! This album is phenomenal. Coming into it I wasn’t excited, and the first track was very ok but not engaging enough to me. But then “Four Women” started playing and it almost felt like a different album. The mood changed, the production was simple but evoked a lot of emotions and the writing and Nina’s performance is nothing short of perfect. Let’s just say I was touched by this song. THE rest of the album is just as good. The piano! How can I forget it? This tracklist is filled with some of the most gorgeous piano playing I’ve ever heard. The production is simple but you can’t help not getting invested. Nina’s voice is the cherry on top. It’s magical, she can literally sing about anything and I would still get emotional. I cried from pretty much every song here. What a beautiful album.
Gorgeous is the word that comes to mind. This is an album to make love to. An album to cry to. An album to reflect to. An album to feel alive to! It's hard to believe this album was compiled from several recordings that were left over from sessions for previous albums. It sounds so thought out and unified.
Four women is a smooth but heavy song, i love it!
Very social album. Nina has been a blues goddess but this takes the cake for some of her best work. Aside from Nina Simone Sings the Blues, this might be her best work.
Krásne...
Epic voice. Very emotional. Great variety of jazz.
So, I first discovered Nina Simone at the end of Before Sunset, with Celine dancing in her apartment, telling Jesse he was going to miss his plane. Anyway, I dove into her catalog from there, but had never heard this particular album. Love it.
Muy buen son Melodías y voz Algunas me recordaron en in the mood for love.
This appears to be the only Nina Simone album on this list which is crazy. There are probably three other Nina Simone albums which are better and more essential than at least 900 of the albums on this list.
This album has such incredible range. Some songs make me want to cry, some make me want to dance, some make me want to sing along, others just make me want to be still and silent. They come in different textures and colors yet they are all carved from the same stone. The sequence of “What More Can I Say?” > “Lilac Wine” > “That’s All I Ask” in particular is impeccable.
Music.
loved. lilac wine maybe my fave? want to listen to it under a tree in the sun.
A MULHER DO BLUES, A MULHER DO SOUL Ela tem uma voz muito característica, uma interpretação que te leva a algum bar nessa década categórica de 60, enquanto todos estão bebericando seu whiskey barato, ela está lá, sendo tão formosa e melódica quanto sempre foi. HIGHLIGHTS: FOUR WOMEN, WHAT MORE CAN I SAY, Lilac Wine, 10/10
9/10 Favorites: Four Women What More Can I Say? Lilac Wine
Shake on me for not listening to much nina simone. I know the covers by Jeff Buckley and the czars but these originals are gorgeous as well. Beautifully sparse, incredible voice, and you can feel the smoky jazz bar she's singing in. Wish I could have been there!
fav: four women, lilac wine, that's all i ask, why keep on breaking my heart, wild is the wind four women is visceralll
Loved this. I get the criticism regarding the flow due to how it was compiled, but honestly minor to me. The positives eclipse it tenfold.
Топовий альбом. Чудові пісні, чудові виконання. Four Women - феноменальна.
I went into listeting to this album with no idea who Nina Simon was to now being obsessed with this album. I first listend to the song That's All I Ask and loved it I listend to that over and over again before actually listening to the whole album. After listening I was amazed that I have never heard of Nina before with her very unique vocals that I had a rough time getting into but now love. This album is incredible with all the emotion she puts into the songs. The song What More Can I Say is just gorgeous the build up around the end is just incedible and so beautiful. I give this 5 stars amazing listening experience would definitely recommend Best Tracks What More Can I Say? Why Keep On Breaking My Heart Lilac Wine Thats All I Ask
Stopped me in my tracks???? Are you joking???
This is a style of music that I would love to hear make a come back. I mean it kind of did with Amy Winehouse, but the Jazz singer sound is so great and Nina Simone does it better than most.
He voice bro... it moves me. The music, her emotion. It is very good.
Wow I'm genuinely left with no words. This was my first ever Nina Simone listen and she did not disappoint. Her lyricism is insane and her voice was so raw and emotional and it just got me feeling a lot of things at once. Good album. Great even.
Beautiful
- The vocals on this album are beautiful, as well as the lyricsism was amazing - The first song already started really great, and it provided a strong introduction for the rest of the album. - no skips were needed - I will definitely be coming back to this album
I didn’t get to this one until late last night, but I feel that only added to the magic of Nina. It’s past time I listen to a full project from her and I’m so glad I finally did. The impact and boundary-pushing nature of what she’s doing here is immediately evident, along with it’s immortality. One of the most enjoyable moments for me when listening to music is catching a sample of a modern track I love or vice versa. Here it happened twice, with the iconic The Story of O.J. (Jay-Z), sampling Four Women, demonstrating Nina’s influence pushing all the way into the 2010’s and then, even further, one of my favorite recent The Weeknd tracks, Given Up On Me, beautifully sampling the title track just last year. This shines a lens into the lasting influence of her music, while listening to the album itself makes it clear how strongly it stands on it’s own, even today. Emotional, experimental, and brilliantly executed, this makes Nina sound like a godmother of soul itself. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Four Women, Wild is the Wind
It's Nina Simone. She could pour more emotion and feeling into song than almost anyone I can think of
Nina Simone has the ability to drive me to tears, but in the most elegant way with her classical/jazz piano and a voice that really has raw emotion, whether that is righteous anger, yearning, or a deep sadness. The fact that many of these songs survive throughout the decades, like "Lilac Wine" in Jeff Buckley's album, or "Wild is the Wind" in David Bowie, or "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" as a track that I go to when I feel down makes this album a cultural touchstone.
I've somehow never listened to this album, and what an incredible journey. On a tangential note, we've stumbled upon another 2 hip hop features - Four Women is sampled on The Story of O.J, and Wild Is the Wind is sampled on Logic's The Return. I'm sure Kanye sampled something off this album but I didn't catch it. Anyway, while I couldn't get past the rather unique vocals by Nina Simone on the last album we were assigned by her, I felt they strongly complimented this album with it's softer jazz and coarser lyrics. At times, she leans into the oddities of her timbre, but I see that almost as an analogue production effect, similar to how Tom Waits really tones it up for certain songs.
This is really good. I wish I had more commentary, because it's so perfect. but I was trying to get more work done, so I didn't write as I was listening. Nina Simone is top tier, but this is no surprise. We knew this.
The live recordings are a miss for this album for me. Her studio recordings however are near perfect enough to cover for those two songs making this an easy five-star for me that I'd come back to listen to, even after this project.
Loved this. Don't know why I was surprised, but it took me back a bit. So brutal and stark, but also sexy and cool. Packed with classics as well? Full marks.
low 5
Right at the start of my musical journey, a true masterpiece. Nina Simone was always an artist I should have known more about. This is powerful music with a political messagecand sadly, not much has changed: It's black, feminist, poetic, sublime. Particularly fascinating: ‘Lilac Wine’, 'Four Women', ‘Wild is the Wind’ and ‘Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair’.
Nina Simone is pure perfection, you feel every word she sings, and her piano playing is next to none. Truly one of the best performers of all time. She is woefully underrepresented in this list. I think she has better albums than this, but I just die for Nina singing any song really. Beautiful piece of music
Listened in the car. Was a bit disappointed to read that it was mostly unused recordings from previous sessions but this one really grew on me. Such powerful performances. Wish there was more of her on this list.
Nina Simone, 5 stars all the way
This album is incredibly powerful. It's so raw, emotional, and pure that it touches me every single time I listen to it; it’s one of my favorites!
She's amazing
Awesome with non-stop highlights
Nina Simone is one of the greatest to ever do it. A prodigiously talented singer, pianist and interpreter of other's music. She also had impeccable taste and an invigorating passion and politic. This album shows off her towering talents in a range of styles in the vocal jazz milieu, including hauntingly beautiful solo performances and swinging full band numbers. As with a lot of pre-late 60s albums it hangs together more as a collection of songs rather than a cohesive whole, but the songs are by and large magnificent, so it doesn't matter.
5 so far
Det var virkelig smukt og dejligt.
AHHHH AMAZING LIFE CHANGING FOUR WOMEN??? YES. I also LOVEDDD why keep on breaking my heart. Amazing
NINAAAAA
Damn. One brutally powerful song after another. Nina Simone fakes nothing.
Amazing
Esta mujer es música de la grande, de la de recursos y originalidad. Este disco es una colección de joyas.
I'm already a fan of Simone from her "Sings the Blues" album, and this one also wowed me. Gold standard of 60s blues/R&B, absolutely in love with her voice and the arrangements on each song. "Four Women", her only self-written song on the tracklisting, is a definite standout here. 9/10.
9/10 My first time listening to a Nina Simone album, and I’m blown away. I’m really impressed by the range of her voice here. “Four Women” is such a powerful song, immediately made me stop everything and just listen when it started.
No notes. What a beautiful record.
This is an exceptional album. Nina Simone's voice is absolutely magical. It's hard to describe, it must be felt.
Incredibile
What a voice! Just that.
Álbum hermoso
Virkelig godt album.
Nina Simone's distinctive voice shines out. She could sing a shopping list and I'd still score her highly.
This was spectacular. I’m familiar with a few tracks from this, but even the ones I didn’t know, while perhaps not as iconic as tracks like Four Women, bring a level of variety and eclecticism that takes the album to another level entirely. I can’t believe some of these tracks are actually off-cuts from Simone’s previous albums.
Great
Amazing
What a voice. First real exposure to Nina Simone and it was incredible. Standouts: I Love Your Lovin Ways, Four Women, Break Down and Let It All Out
One of the most recognizable female voices of the modern era of popular music, Nina Simone was a legendary singer and civil rights activist as well. Her legacy cannot be denied. Each and every song here is great, some times painful, some times amorous. The standout song for me is Four Women, describing in first person four archetypes of black women. Their paths through life arduous in different ways, together they are aspects of every black woman. Truly eye opening and poignant. This album truly belongs on the list of albums everyone should listen to. 5 stars
This is just so beautiful that it makes me want to cry.
I've heard Nina Simones popular songs as background noise but never considered listening to them by choice. Wild is the wind left an impression on me and found myself listening to the album many times on my commutes and sharing them with my wife.
9/10 gorgeous piano compliments deep powerful voice
Sin palabras
richtig gut
Omg, just ger voice and the piano almost brought me to tears. This goes crazy!
Exceptional
I felt like I was floating in the sky and those intros changed my life but I also cant tell if they are a woman or an man
•Four Women •What more can I say •Lilac Wine(loved it from before, but more now) •That's all that I ask. Wow!! •Why Keep breaking my heart: What a way to transmit sadness with her voice changes •WILD IS THE WIND!!! •If I should lose you: With you beside me A rose would bloom in the snow I gave you, my love But I was living a dream And living would seem in vain If I lost you... Demasiado hermoso ( ytriste) Un album donde se va del produndo enamoramiento a la tristeza de la perdida y todo se puede sentir a traves de la magnifica voz de Miss Simone. Album perfecto
Oh yeah. This is something. She's hitting that. I don't know that I've ever heard Nina Simone but I've definitely heard of her and she's definitely goated. Hello Aunt Sarah?? What are we doing?? Hmm I see this is a portrait of four women. I see. Oh Nina Simone. Nina cried power. Oh man. What more can you say. Not much evidently. She's lowk doing whatever but in an actual good way big fan. Fuck man that wind is wild. Hold shit. That wind is fucking insane. You think you're done the album and then here comes the scary beat bruh. No notes goated Favourite: Wild Is The Wind Least favourite: Break Down And Let It All Out
5/5 First album on my list, a classic. Nina is a powerhouse vocally and musically, and you can't discount the significance of her as an artist. I've never intentionally sat down to listen to Nina Simone's music before so I appreciated having an excuse to listen through this album. I've heard songs off this album before, but after listening through the whole thing, it's indisputable the impact her music has had on the direction of modern music and composition, even now 60-some-odd years later.
Nina shows her excellence by nailing a wide variety of genres and emotions throughout this record. If that wasn't enough, there are things that only she could ever write and deliver, such as 'Four Women', an early moment in the tracklist that already made me want to give it 5 stars.
Nina is SO incredibly good! Powerful. Beautiful. ❤️
Wow, wow, wow!
Incomparable voice. Soulful to the max
Seminal artist in all ways, every song bangs. 40ish minutes of beautiful performance that makes you either want to cry, dance or understand the story being told.
I did not know, before I first heard this album, that this album was made with leftovers from previous recording sessions. Artists wish their leftovers sounded this good! The power in her voice is astounding and captivating. The variety in the songs is great and she executes them to perfection. Easy 5/5
Nina Simone is one of the greatest singers ever. An exemplary album featuring some of her best performances with a decent variety of genres she sings in. Rest in power
epic
9/10 Best songs: I Love Your Lovin' Ways, Four Women Now THIS is what I call an album. At times fun, affective, passionate, socially conscious - just good stuff. This isn't ordinarily my type of music but it's genuinely just good, from the very beginning.
nina i’m not nothing but when you lie on the piano i am reminded i am stupid
It’s Nina Simone. Do I have to say anything else?
Didnt like the first song, rest is gold.
Loved the song variety, authentic performance and amazing virtuosity from start to finish.
Sublime.
If you don’t like this you don’t like music
I've never listened to Nina Simone purposefully before this. I'm going to be controversial and say I think this is amazing. 9.2 Fav Track: Wild is the Wind Least fav: I Love Your Lovin Ways
incredible album.
"Four Women" is without a doubt the standout song on this album; just incredible. The rest of the album great too, though and Simone's voice is captivating.
Very cool and diverse
This is a first listen....I've never really been exposed to Nina Simone, other than her reissues in the 80s onwards. Turns out I also know some of the songs from their cover versions. And also turns out (as is often the case) that the originals are the best....Lilac Wine - just wow. Its simply divine. There is an effortless cool to it and the vocals just give you chills. Am stunned these were the cast offs from other albums...I need to dig further into her albums for sure. 5
Fav tracks: that’s all I ask, wild is the wind, black is the color of my true love’s hair, if I should lose you Her voice is unmistakable and unforgettable. This album is so special and it’s apparently complications of leftover recordings from other albums. Given the fluidity of this album, I would’ve never guessed that. She’s an icon forever
This was a nice breath of fresh air after a few bad albums. Nina Simone is great and truly one of the greatest artists ever
Loved every song. There are somethings that come to you at the right time and this album was that. I can't even describe the experience listening to this album. I will def give it another lisen while doing nothing to get the full essence.
Where has Nina Simone been all my life. This is incredible, beautiful composition backing Simone's gorgeous Vocals. With lyrical depth to boot! Im normally not a fan of compilations, I feel that albums need an "arc" that arises from an album being planned. This may be the one of the two exceptions to that rule of mine that I know of. This is really good stuff 5/5 (only my second one)!!!
Raw nerves, velvet smoke, and emotional truth with no safety net. Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: This album feels like someone singing straight from their scars. Intimate, powerful, and quietly overwhelming, it moves between tenderness and fury without warning. Favorite Track: Wild Is the Wind. Pure ache. No defenses. No escape.
La voz de nina y las partes del piano me encantaron.
I could go on about how monstrously important Nina Simone was for so many aspects of music. I could use any number of words to try and sum up the emotion her music so uniquely captures. I think her music deserves a much deeper analysis than I can provide, at least in a casual written format. Instead, I just want to appreciate how demandingly evocative she was as a performer. I have found so few artists that could harness emotion through vocals anywhere near as effectively as Nina Simone did consistently for years, and I think Wild is the Wind is a prime example of this. She has an uncanny ability to redefine songs and make them uniquely hers. The album emanates a solemn, sentimental sadness that can't be concocted, only earned from experience. I know I'm just tip-toeing around the actual content of this record but I genuinely can't put into words just how beautiful this album is. Go listen to it, you'll know what I mean.
Excellent
There were a few tracks I didn’t care for, but all in all this was a very solid and soulful listen.
This album coasted to 5 stars. I initially listened as background music and was interested but unsure. On a second listen with lyrics, I was won over instantly and strongly. Beautiful lyrics, beautifully sung, lovely minimal backing. There isn't enough I can say about this. - Lost my notes. Decided I needed a closer lyrical listen for 2nd go through. Taking notes on that - Four Women is an incredible song. Musically, lyrically, nails all of it (Also covered by Jay-Z is an extra twist) - Lyrics are only improving the experience. This is a 5 contender. Such freedom in the lyrics and such emotion in the singing - Lilac Wine is another hit! It would take a major misstep to drop under 5 stars now - Every song is making the playlists! No album has done this before... - Waning side of the album is haunting and beautiful, though not songs I need as singles in the playlists.
Nina Simone kan het hele scala van menselijke emotie zingen en ik geloof elk woord. Eén van de beste zangers ooit. 10/10
What. A. Voice.
Masterpiece. One of the most powerful and moving voices I've heard. Four Women is phenomenal. Easy 5 stars.
Excellent singer and timeless voice.
Great messages in the songs, great music, great lyrics
Beautiful and moving, what a sound!
A phenomenal singer and lyricist. I will be listening to this one again. 9/10
Wow! I could immediately tell that this is something big, something important. I spent the rest of the day listening to other albums and songs of Nina Simone. WOW
A classic soul jazz, R&B album. it deserves to be on this list.
Incredible singular voice. Pure emotion and beauty.
Always had mixed feelings about this album. Its a bit more esoteric than his bop stuff but there is such clarity in the trumpet that sings out among the esoteric wandering of everything else. And the build, the shades and light, the drummer and bass lead the cacophany on top of which Miles imposes himself. On the one hand, the ego of the man. On the other hand, the ego of the man! And the musicians on this, as is the way with a Miles album, are soloist famous all by themselves. Look up the skaker dude on track one if you dont believe me. This album reminds menof the beginning of Monkey Magic where they tell the story of the stone wgg on the mountain top and from the egg out of the primordial chaos there was born jazz fusion! Like all births this one is a little traumatic, a bit messy, very painful and rae but ultimately beautiful. Five stars based on star power alone.
Nina Simone's lyrics and the yearning and heartbreak in this album are just so compelling. What More Can I say, Wild is the Wind, and If I Should Lose You, have been my favourites, just incredible piano playing and singing
A voice that exclusively belongs to Nina Simone
Nina Simone is another artist that I found through her being sampled in hip-hop songs. In fact, the second song on this record "Four Women" can easily be recognized by younger people (me) as the basis for The Story of O.J. by Jay Z. There's also Famous by Kanye (which I'm only mentioning cause it's fire). Anyways, it took me a while to learn that Nina Simone was actually more than a singer. She had insane talent for her time; talent that causes an emotional reaction from myself. If there's a personification of a songbird, it's Nina Simone. The way her voice operates and how she uses dynamics to aid the performance is game-changing. One must hear the near 7 minute title track to get what I'm saying here. She masters quiet and loud while at the same time being able to play proficient jazz piano. Is Nina Simone one of the original female piano singer-songwriters? I'm sure she wasn't the first but I feel like she was one of the most famous examples to come out before people like Roberta Flack, Fiona Apple and Alicia Keys, etc. Nina Simone takes a standard and makes it her own. She lights up a song simply by being in it and I think that's enough to warrant my rating. Though it's not a 9 just yet because not every song hits for me, but fuck it, she's still great. Who knows, I might update it in the future. (8/10, 5/5 on this scale)
Nina Simone's voice is so special - it exudes an incredible strength, and I hang on her every word. Four Women gave me full body goosebumps
Listen up everyone. This is my second Nina Simone album and as a guy myself this is such a classic piece first listen. this album just reminds me of grandmas cookies or something like that, it’s warm and comforting and i like that in an album. this is a perfect album to put on to dance with ur wife/husband in your comfort of your own house while it’s raining outside and the kids are playing in the rain. husd having a perfect family… okay let me lock in to the actual album. it’s good i love her vocals and i really do love the song lilac wine, wild is the wind and if i should love you. so so good her vocals are amazing and it’s old timey. 9/10
Nina Simone does not require my opinion.
Four Women is so incredibly good, I loved it
what can i say it's a good album not a fan of jazz and stuff but maybe it'll come to me with age
Nina Simone, the woman you are. She starts the album off in a song that is more rock and roll than most of her catalogue. Immediately following the rock and roll she goes into four women, a song with so much meaning. Simone then moves from this powerful song of black archetypes of the America's pre-civil rights era to a mellow ballad of love, a theme that sticks throughout the album. Passion is the primary theme through this album. passion for civil rights, passion for love.
Nina is one of the greatest voices of her and any generation. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 5, if not a little higher. This is the only Nina Simone album on the list, which feels like a real shame, because I absolutely adored this. Yes, it’s a little bit one-note in terms of most of the tracks being sad love songs with a slightly clingy atmosphere to them, but Nina Simone’s voice shines as brightly as the sun here. I can’t remember the last time someone’s vocals struck me so nicely; the closest analog I have is Aretha Franklin, and that’s really high praise. Her vocals are melded beautifully by the instrumentals here, ranging from orchestral backing, to intimate nightclub vibes, & occasionally, nothing more than a piano to texture her voice further. Every track has the right tone & mood to it, and when they work in a perfect harmony, like on “What More Can I Say” or “Wild is the Wind”, it feels otherworldly. As far as the lyrics go, Nina Simone pulls about every ounce of emotion she can get out of them; occasionally, she overdoes the vibrato on her held notes in a way that feels a little overdramatic, but those moments are quickly bandaged by some glittery piano or string work. There’s not a single “bad” moment here. The only reason I’m not at a full 10 here is because I don’t think the tracks fully flow together as an album experience; there are some tracks where their fadeouts feel unsatisfying after nailing it 90% of the way, which wouldn’t stick out as much if not for the other tracks with big flourishing finishes nailing them with a surgical precision. I felt really cheated by the last track having a fadeout; if it were me, I would’ve swapped the last two, since “If I Should Lose You” just felt really lovely to my ears, and it would’ve been a great bookend to the opening track. That said, it’s still easily a 5, and probably higher. It’s 39 minutes you need to hear before you die, with its influence feeling immeasurable. I felt like I heard the entire future of female-led soul music come to fruition while listening to this album, and the tree of influences spreading from that has to be huge. There’s moments where Nina Simone somehow sounds like both Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston & Amy Winehouse at the same time, and I have no idea how the hell she did it. It’s really a shame this is her only album here, because it feels like she needs at least one more. If this is the best one though, I’m certainly glad to have heard it before I died. A super easy 5.
At turns soaring and searing. A mix of romance and protest, but not disjointed.
Hauntingly beautiful. Simone's voice and writing convey a degree of yearning I've never heard before. The message and performance on Four Women also stand out, as the anger Simone's voice carries without compromising her sound is impressive.
I’ve struggled today to say whether this is a four- or five-star album. It’s probably somewhere in between those ratings, but this is a round-number game. The album doesn’t *entirely* set a mood. There’s some variety in themes, I suppose. But would I even want a whole album of romantic song? Or songs of protest and righteous anger? There’s also some variation in sound (e.g., “Either Way I Lose”) to consider. But, damn, the songs are just so, so good. There’s “Four Women,” of course, but there’s also “Lilac Wine,” “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” and the title track. And that’s not all. At the end of the day, maybe the rating isn’t so hard to figure.
It was amazing, my favourites are I love lovin' your ways Why keep on breaking my heart Either way I lose I'm getting more into music like jazz (or jazz) and I love it so much, it's very soothing and almost romantically in a way
one of the best blue jazz albums ever, one of my goats, nina forever
Me encantó! Amor, pasión y ganas de bailar como lo hacían antes, como mi abuelita me platica.
I don't even really like jazz, and this is one of the best fucking albums I've ever heard. Jesus it's good. Feeling Good being the last song on this album is insane. It's so good.
95/100. Wild Is the Wind by Nina Simone is a deeply emotional and soul-crushing jazz-soul record. Simone’s voice is simply breathtaking, filled with passion, raw intensity, and unmatched depth. Every note carries a weight that makes you feel every ounce of emotion she pours into the music. This album is a masterclass in artistry, further proving why she is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time. Beautifully devastating and utterly timeless.
perfect album no notes
Calm, elegant and empowering in a very surprising way.
YOU ALTEADY KNOWW MY GOAT NINA SIMONE YESS
Didn't take notes as I was listening this time; I'm taking these after the fact. I think I liked the first half of this album better than the second, but it was really strong overall! I think some of the latter half will grow on me. Top Songs: Four Women, What More I Can Say, Lilac Wine, Break Down & Let It All Out I made multiple playlists just to put Four Women on them! I can immediately tell Nina Simone influenced MANY current artists. Outstanding!
Such a calming album, Nina Simonés voice is everything
Loved it
perfection
Iconic 5/5
Super cool. Ik had nog nooit naar nina simone geluisterd maar je kan gwn horen dat zo veel bekende artiesten inspiratie van haar nemen.
“Four Women” is already stunning, I love it. “Lilac Wine” is breathtaking, as in you get so invested in where the music is pushing you to that not you, but your body forgets its routine and functioning, because its pushed all your senses to absorbing this song. The ending song, oh my gosh. You can just tell how music has changed over time. I feel like I can hear every instrument, oh my lord. This album was a 10/10, my God.
Today I learned that Jeff Buckley's Lilac Wine was a cover. I now have another reason to dislike that song. This version is way better. Granted, hers is also a cover, which makes Jeff Buckley's version a cover-cover. Nina Simone has the best version. Nina Simone also has the best everything. The album cover doesn't lie, Four Women is unforgettable, along with What More Can I Say, Break Down and Let It All Out, and really any song on this album. It's all magical and I wish every song was twice as long. Damn you, early fade-outs.
For the feels
Nina Simone - Amazing
Always knew the name, and knew some of the big hits, but none of these songs. I'm not sure I can think of someone who has so much control over their voice. Was delighted to learn she's on the piano too - and Julliard trained - just an insane amount of talent. Some beautiful and interesting piano harmonies, and song structure kept me on my toes. Lilac Wine and Either Way I Lose are some of my favorites. Very happy this was a weekend album - may have blown past it, which would have been a real shame! Was laying in bed after a Christmas party last night, and went down a rabbit hole watching live performances until way past my bed time. The dynamic control and the little scooping she does in the chorus are just stunning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sEP0-8VAow Looking at her greatest hits lists, this seems like an odd choice for the one Nina album to include, but I'm excited to hear more of her on my own time.
Everything from Nina Simone is 5 Stars... Her melodies are too good
A new discovery for me., I really liked this one.
"Wild Is the Wind" is the sixth studio album by American singer and pianist Nina Simone. Jazz, blues, folk and R&B are the Wiki-listed genres. Yep. The album was complied from several recordings that were leftover from her previous Philips (record label) 1964 and 1965 sessions. The album was produced by Hal Mooney. Commercially, the album reached #110 on the Billboard 200. A bluesy guitar intro begins "I Love Your Lovin' Ways." A piano and bluesy beat. Simone beltin' out the vocals celebrating the actions of her lover. Nice female backing vocals. "Four Women" starts subdued. A background piano, shuffling piano and jazzy with the flute. Simone with stark and emotional vocals in a self-penned protest song as she describes four female archetypes and themes of racism, sexism and slavery. The song was banned by a New York jazz radio station. A compelling song to say the least. Simone goes introspective in James Shelton's "Lilac Wine." A ballad with soft vocals. She drinks too much but needs to escape from her heartbreak. Simone takes us on a ride in her nearly seven-minute cover of the Johnny Mathis-sung "Wild Is the Wind." A lush balance which operates barely above silence, slowly builds and ends dramatically with the drums. A song comparing passionate love to the wildness of the wind. This album is all about Nina Simone taking us on a journey of her interpretation of ten songs with one incredible song of her own. Her vocals are emotional, raw, introspective and personal. The music is mostly led by her piano. The styles chane throughout including and covering jazz, ballads, blues, classical and gospel. I don't know her discography well enough to compare to another album, but this one did the job showcasing a true artist. Her delivery makes this album an excellent listen.
I love Nina Simone. I've yet to find anyone who pours her soul and sadness into their voice quite like her. Her cascades of piano are like waterfalls, and her use of block chords are almost Rachmaninoff-like. She touches on emotions deeper than I think I have felt. She is just incomparable, and thus I can't give this album any lower than 5 stars.
Stunning
Primera vez escuchando algo relacionado a jazz, la voz de la cantante es muy expresiva y llega a tonalidades muy fuertes, se escucha piola y todo el album tiene un toquer melancolico, mi cancion favorita fue ´´That´s all i ask´´ album cheverazo voy a escucharlo otra vez
Love, defiance, despair, heartbreak. All these have at least one thing in common: passion. And this album is all passion. I'm kinda blown away how well everything works, knowing how the album came about. Each track is gorgeous in it's own way, but together the whole thing is mesmerising. MY NAME IS PEACHES
Amazing album. I felt taken truly.
This is a really good album from front to back. I’m not super familiar with Nina Simone’s full discography, but I’ve known about her for a good 25 years now. I originally discovered her through those Verve remix albums where modern electronic and hip hop producers reworked classic jazz tracks. One of my favorites was the remix of “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” and that was the track that made me seek out the original version. After that, I started picking up Nina Simone records whenever I found them at thrift stores. Listening to this album now takes me straight back to that period of my life. There’s something nostalgic about revisiting her music, because this was around the time when I started stepping out of my comfort zone. Instead of only chasing cool modern music, I began researching backwards and diving into genres my parents never listened to. In a lot of ways, Nina Simone was one of the handful of artists who helped put me on my long term musical journey, to try and understand music more deeply and hear as much of it as I possibly can.
Stunning.
Everything Nina does contains true power. Even in the more quiet and reserved songs here, you can feel it. She is an artist with true greatness matched by few.
😮 you can’t fake that pain, it’s like audio history. At a time when America is trying to delete its past. It’s all right there. And more than that it’s really really good music 😮
I’m giving Wild is the Wind 5 ⭐️s, the opening track is misleading and the only track I don’t love, the rest of it plays with dynamics superbly both within songs and the wider structure and pacing of the album. It’s moved me close to tears both times I’ve listened to it, and the title track especially is astounding. This was a huge missing piece of vocal jazz for me, excited for more Nina.
Spectacular. One of the best voices in history.
Pretty great
WOW. This website has offered some clunkers lately, but this is something out of the blue. A wild emotional journey.
Yes, Miss Simone!
For time constraints didn’t make it through this but WOW I’ll be back. Luscious and powerful
absolutely fantastic when Nina Simone in on you’re just forced to listen an unstoppable force these are some of the greatest love songs ever written
Ten ten no notes
I love how much emotion she is able to convey through both the music and her singing.
Nina Simone's voice is timeless. The songs on here are excellent, and this is one of the rare albums that I truly loved listening to. Favorite Songs: Lilac Wine, What More Can I Say?, Black is The Color of My Lover's Hair
**Nina Simone – *Wild Is the Wind* (1966)** _In-depth review: lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, pros & cons_ --- ### 🎤 **Overview** Released in 1966, *Wild Is the Wind* is not a traditional studio album in the strictest sense—it’s a collection of tracks recorded across several sessions between 1964 and 1965. Despite its patchwork origins, it stands as one of Nina Simone’s most emotionally resonant and stylistically diverse works. The album blends jazz, blues, folk, soul, and pop, all unified by Simone’s commanding voice, piano, and interpretive genius. --- ### 🖋️ **Lyrics & Themes** The lyrical content of *Wild Is the Wind* spans heartbreak, racial identity, love, and existential longing. Simone didn’t write most of the songs, but her interpretive power makes them feel deeply personal. - **“Four Women”** is the album’s thematic and emotional centerpiece. Written by Simone herself, it’s a harrowing portrait of four Black women, each representing a different stereotype and historical experience. The song is a radical act of storytelling, confronting colorism, trauma, and resilience head-on. Its rawness and political urgency made it controversial—some radio stations banned it—but it has since become a civil rights anthem . - **“Lilac Wine”** and **“Wild Is the Wind”** explore intoxicating, almost surreal romantic longing. Simone’s delivery turns these covers into existential meditations on love and loneliness. - **“Break Down and Let It All Out”** and **“Either Way I Lose”** channel vulnerability and emotional surrender, with lyrics that reflect despair but also catharsis. --- ### 🎼 **Music & Arrangements** Musically, the album is a masterclass in restraint and dynamics. Simone’s piano playing is subtle yet emotionally charged, often providing the only harmonic support her voice needs. - **“Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”** is a haunting folk reinterpretation, stripped down to voice and minimal instrumentation. Her phrasing is deliberate, almost ceremonial, turning a simple folk tune into something sacred. - **“I Love Your Lovin’ Ways”** introduces a lighter, almost doo-wop soul vibe, showing her versatility and ability to shift emotional tones without losing cohesion. - The **title track** is a standout—Simone’s version is slower, more aching than Johnny Mathis’s original. Her vibrato and control make it feel like the wind itself is mourning. --- ### 🎛️ **Production** The production, handled by Hal Mooney, is sparse and intimate, often placing Simone’s voice and piano front and center. The album was recorded in a way that preserves the immediacy of her performances—there’s little studio gloss, which enhances the emotional rawness. - The **soundstage** on original vinyl pressings is wide and warm, with a natural midrange and deep bass that gives the music a lived-in feel . - Some tracks feel slightly unfinished or uneven, likely due to the album’s compilation nature. This has led to criticism that it lacks the cohesion of a “true” album . --- ### 🌍 **Influence & Legacy** *Wild Is the Wind* has left a deep imprint across genres and generations: - **Jeff Buckley** lifted Simone’s arrangement of **“Lilac Wine”** almost entirely for his own version on *Grace* . - **David Bowie** was so moved by her version of **“Wild Is the Wind”** that he covered it on *Station to Station* (1976), later releasing it as a single and performing it at his final concert in 2006 . - **Jay-Z** sampled **“Four Women”** on **“The Story of O.J.”**, drawing a direct line from Simone’s 1966 racial commentary to contemporary hip-hop activism . The album is now considered a cornerstone of **vocal jazz** and **civil rights-era music**, often cited as a gateway for new listeners discovering Simone’s broader catalog. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Emotional depth**: Simone’s interpretive power turns even standard material into something transcendent. - **Lyrical boldness**: “Four Women” is a landmark in protest music. - **Vocal performance**: Her contralto is rich, expressive, and controlled—arguably at its peak here. - **Genre versatility**: Seamlessly moves between jazz, blues, folk, and soul. - **Influence**: Inspired artists across rock, jazz, and hip-hop. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Lack of cohesion**: As a compilation of leftover tracks, the album can feel stylistically disjointed . - **Uneven pacing**: Some listeners find the slower, denser tracks hard to digest in one sitting. - **Not all originals**: Only one song (“Four Women”) is written by Simone, which may disappoint those seeking more of her compositional voice. - **Emotional weight**: The album’s intensity and darkness can be emotionally exhausting for some listeners. --- ### 🏁 **Final Verdict** *Wild Is the Wind* is not Nina Simone’s most polished or cohesive album, but it may be her most **emotionally potent**. It’s a patchwork that somehow feels whole, held together by her unmatched ability to channel pain, beauty, and truth into every note. For those willing to sit with its heaviness, it offers some of the most **haunting and influential performances** in 20th-century music. **Essential listening** for anyone exploring the intersection of **music, identity, and resistance**. A flawed masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Every once in a while, this experience brings me an album that I didn't previously know and that fully and aggressively grabs hold of me. There's so much life here.
Powerful and haunting
Beautiful, cannot believe this is isn't more widely reguarded. Her voice is so unique and moving, the emotions of every song are so masterfully and uniquely laid out.
Vibes: 5/5 Instruments: 4/5 Production: 4/5 Emotional Value: 5/5 Storytelling/Lyrics: 5/5 Stand Outs: Wild is the Wind, Four Women Overall Rating: 4.6
Powerful
Never heard before and didn't recognise any of the songs but so good to hear her genius and sadness of her pain.
What a talent, what a voice and this album does not even has her best work. What an indictment to this list, by the way, that this is the only Simone album on here. She deserves so much more.
Beautiful
Loved Four Women
Third classic jazz/soul album in a row after aretha franklin and otis redding :) Favorite track: four women other picks: lilac wine, wild is the wind, black is the color of my true love’s hair
A lovely album to start the day with - Nina Simone's voice is clear and strong. Cuts to your core. Lilac Wine is songwriting excellence, the song knows when to allow you to sit with the previous verse, letting Simone's vocals hang in the air. Takes you on an experience.
I was in the middle of Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair when I knew this was a five star album. I realized I knew of Nina Simone but hadn’t really listened to her, and her voice absolutely blew me away. Just some of the held notes absolutely sold me on her artistry and this album’s merit. I got the same feeling listening to this as I have listening to Bing Crosby: I’d listen just for the voice.
You just can't beat that voice!
This was really beautiful, no notes
5 Love Nina Simone’s voice, it is so powerful. The “bosa nova” beat with her voice is so rich, the rolling drums, coupled with the trill of her voice is a wake up call. She imagines a world full of cups of espresso, gentle winds, and the newness of spring buds emerging from a long frozen winter.
Such a beautiful and personal album. The storytelling is amazing, the instrumentation is perfect, and the singing the entire time is so soulful and powerful. Great album and one that people who really like/want to become more immersed in older music, this is a must listen.
Such a voice, a siren without peer.
Tremendous. Repeat listens, and the title track more than that.
Sung by her, every song becomes a stirring epic. One of the best to ever do it. What more is there to say?
Nina’s got one of those voices that is impossible to ignore. She goes in so many unexpected ways with these songs. I love Lilac Wine.
Nina! Simone! "Ain't Got No, I Got Life!" c
Gorgeous. I was unfortunately unfamiliar with her work outside of a few singles. Easy to see why she is one of the greats. Highlights include "what more can I say" "breakdown and let it all out" and the crushingly beautiful "either way I lose"
The storytelling and Simone’s voice are just stunning. Her vocals are so powerful yet seem effortless and almost casual. The songs are so simple in scope but every word pulls a lot of weight. Such an intentional album, I love it.
The incomparable Nina Simone. I could listen to hear sing the phone book, if phone books still existed.
What a strong voice.
One of the most iconic vocalists in history, but also an outspoken and grounded character whose presence carried into her music. Four Women stands as a striking example of her storytelling, a dramatic piece that escalates with purpose until its unforgettable ending. Lilac Wine is the opposite in tone, fragile and haunting, capable of giving goosebumps with every listen. Nina Simone’s music is timeless—these songs could be released in 2025 and still resonate with the same impact. 10/10.
This took me by surprise, I knew Nina Simone was talented, but I didn't expect to be so moved by this. On Wild Is The Wind, Nina Simone sounds like the warmest ghost in the jazz house. She is so human, but her presence manages to feel otherworldly and hypnotic and haunting at times. Her voice helps too, deep and intriguing. Her raw talent shows here as well, her control comes through across this record, and she hits some breathtaking runs. Also, at some point I realized the jazz piano here is also sublime: turns out, that's her too. And she wrote these arrangements (and one of the compositions) herself. Of all the records I have heard during this project that are largely interpretations, this may be my favorite. Nina Simone is just that good, she cannot be mistaken for anyone else, and I don't think anyone else could sing these like her. Check out the title track to hear what I mean. I was kind of in awe of this and I really wasn't expecting it, this is unbelievably good.
Entirely possible I was just ready to listen to some swoony vocal jazz music and this album landed on my lap at the right time, but I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish. I know that Nina Simone is often cited as one of the greats, but it's possible she doesn't get enough credit as is. I also think the musical instrumentation is pretty amazing, the piano arrangements were more complex than I expected, a song in their own. The social impact this album, and Nina Simone's career in general had on the USA and beyond are the deciding factor that this album warrants special status amongst the best.
My introduction to Nina Simone was through Warren Ellis' absolutely wonderful book "Nina Simone's Gum". The book is an exploration of the symbolism we can place in something through Ellis' life and his relationship with found objects. The focus is on a piece of gum that Nina Simone left on her piano following a performance as part of a festival organized by Nick Cave. After the show, in a state of awe, Ellis snuck onto the stage, wrapped the gum in Nina's stage towel, dropped it in a Tower Records bag, and then kept it there for 20 years as a sacred totem. Listening to Wild is the Wind now, I absolutely get the state the Warren must have been in following Nina's performance. Such powerful, captivating singing and piano playing! The two live tracks (Wild is the Wind and Black is the Colour of my True Love's Hair) and Four Women were the standout tracks for me. What a wonderful album!
High 4, cool to hear a big Jeff Buckley inspiration/some tracks he covered. Very enjoyable
Not my fav of her albums but still so good
Amazing. One of the best singing voices of all time and incredibly political songs. Such a strong and important performer. Might need to finally deep dive her whole discography. The Story of OJ sample and the Lilac Wine cover were fun to hear too
Equally beautiful and haunting, it feels like it covers the full range of emotions in a brisk 40 minutes. She sounds great, the piano sounds great, it’s perfect
great story telling
Nina Simone is one of those artistes who is just naturally gifted and just exudes class. This album is raw, eerie, sad and harrowing. Obviously 5*
This is a masterpiece - 10/10 record
Incredible vocal performance demonstrating total control over her voice, even as she pushes beyond comfort - dynamic, richly expressive, subtle when it needs to be, explosively dramatic when it needs to be. The music is ecclecctic, some schmaltzy ballads, some folk standards, but the best bits are the bluesy big band jazz tacks with lush arrangements led by her piano and fleshed out with a mini orchestra for a classic soul sound.
If God has a voice, it's that of Nina Simone.
Wonderful album, was already a fave so I don't have anything much more to say about it
sample find in the wild, good vibes
ALWAYS LOVE NINA. NOT MY FAVORITE, BUT MAYBE IT SPARKS INTREST FOR THE UNINITIATED.
One could argue that it is impossible to truly know who was the greatest singer to ever live, history is simply too long. One could also argue that it is Nine Simone, and they would be right.
An amazing album that transports so much soul of the singer and the player Nina Simone and the musicians that accompany her. It's romantic, but also dark and brooding with a deep political undertone about politics and power that even govern all the way into the private lives of people. The only fault I can find with the album is the short excursion into latin music (track 6 "Why Keep on Breaking My Heart") that feels displaced on this album. Still, I rank it 5 stars!
mi sono innamorata, completamente
I could listen to Nina's emotional voice swells every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it. Add some gorgeous and varied instrumentals in the mix and you've got a truly unforgettable classic album.
10/10 no notes
Magnificent music, adorable and class vocals. Couple songs I've added to playlist another part is great for easy listening during work or relax. I cannot find myself listening this album during the actual life. But It is really good. Five star to it.
I generally know Nina Simone for her moee springy numbers, this was slower and more reflective than I was Anticipating. I think her powerful voice and thought-provoking lyrics stand out even more in such a stripped back style. Four Women and Lilac Wine were transfixing .
A true gem
I did a deep dive into Nina Simone's music a few years back after watching a documentary about her life and art. I was mesmerized by her singing and playing, as well as her life in general. I'd heard of her prior to watching it, but knew nothing other than the people I knew who were really into her were REALLY INTO HER. I was excited to get one of her albums today, and I loved it. This is not generally a style of music I care for, as I recently gave Willie Nelson's Stardust a two star rating. But her voice. And her phrasing. And how she can put her emotion into every song, giving each performance exactly what it needs to make her feel what she's feeling. I will give a 5 to anything of hers.
This album is.. chefs kiss. I will be listening to it again. So romantic, intimate, and sultry. The four women song is thought provoking and greatly challenged the thoughts on women in the 1950s. I loved every second of this album and have suggested it to multiple people.
one of my favorite albums of all time.
Really enjoyed this one! Deep, somber, heavy sounds. Beautiful.
damn nina simone cooked
She has one of the most mesmerising voices, lyrically the album is so strong as well, will be playing this one back a few times.
Her unrivaled vocals are so well complemented by her piano playing. She makes great use of dynamic range to create an intimate yet powerful album.
Nina Simone's voice is so emotive. She brings so much subtlety and elegance and heart to each song and really tells a story. I love that she's a contralto too. Four Women is such a cool song that I've never heard before. That last line, "My name is Peaches!" is fucking great. I love Lilac Wine, but had only heard a Miley Cyrus cover of it (also great). Nina's version is lovely. It reminds me of my favourite Nina Simone song called Stars. 9.5/10.
80 I missed the opening track on the first listen and had to go find it afterward. In hindsight, "I love your loving ways" would have definitely brought me somewhere that I wasn't expecting for the rest of the album, because the rest was not nearly as upbeat and happy as the rest. "Four Women" and "Black is the color" definitely highlights.
Muy poderoso, lo disfruté bastante. Siento que me gustaría más si leyera las letras, eso es culpa mía.
That voice, that voice. Oh so rich, so expressive and so emotive. It's a lovely timbre where, if you didn't know beforehand, could be male or female (Chris Montez is similar in that respect, but in a higher register). Anyway, Simone had the perfect voice for this kind of (mostly melancholic) jazz/blues. I'd previously heard a couple of her albums that are equally great, so you could probably pick any of her sixties albums and have a similar enjoyment. The quality of the actual recording itself makes the album sound older than it's mid sixties recording date and this increases the intimate, live, old timey feeling throughout. Although obviously a highly respected and much loved artist, it's peculiar she doesn't have a higher standing in the history of popular music.
Outstanding, a truly captivating album. The sparse accompaniment highlights her awesome voice. Top class stuff
At last. I only had to wait 1.027 albums to get some Nina. Not even her best album in my opinion. Overly romantic for my taste. Such a fine singer, composer and pianist though.
Whoah, Nina is on top of her game here! Four Women is outstanding, gave me the chills! Bravo! 😚👌
Absolute gem of an album with very deep sad songs of protest stuff not even permitted back then for women even more for afro-american women. This is a beautifuly delivered album with passion and a great tone marking a social critique of a very obscure era for america. Go Nina. She should be studied at every single school in the USA preferably to all white christian who are clueless
My favorite from Nina with some of her most touching songs
I'm not a "vocal jazz" person, but this one hits different. One of the best of this genre for sure and a favorite of mine.
There will never be another Nina Simone. Amazing vocalist who put her heart and at times her life on the line. Her music was timely, stirring, risk taking and will never be forgotten. It is also sultry as hell.
Never heard of Nina Simone but I loved this album
The arrangements are well constructed throughout and Nina Simone's vocals are incredible. One of my top favorite albums.
Fucking hell.
All Nina Simone records in the list will get a 5 stars rate, if you like jazz, soul, blues, then this record is for you to try!
I don't even need to finish the album to give it 5 stars. Nina Simone is the best voice of all time.
The first song is a nice opener, but after It appears a series of absolute masterpieces. 2 just hit me in the face. Incredibly powerful song . 3 is an incredibly beautiful love song, the piano liks are phenomenal. Lilac wine is dark and powerful. 5 is another beautiful ballad, sung so gently by Nina. 6 is another rhymic one, even better than 1. 7 has this different Latin feel on it. A lighter moments in the Playlist. Wild is the Wind. Something about this moment in time, when nina sung this one, while playing some of the most beautiful background piano i heard in my life, just amazes me. Every single time. Just a remarkable musical moment. And it doesn't end there- 9 is just as good. Ridiculous. 10 begins with some lovely piano and Nina's perfect voice. Another great tune. Piano Is mesmerizing. Such an incredible record. I wonder if I should give this one a big big score. Maybe I should have. But I still feel it has a weeker first and last song. Still great ones but count this 4 as a 4.9999999999 Next morning- you know what? I don't care
Love this album. Wild is the wind was a lot to me in my early 20s.
Nina Simone is truly one of the greatest vocalists to ever live. Her tone is rich and deep, yet sweet and pretty at the same time, with her always alluring vibrato. She is able to communicate pain in songs about love lost and the hardships of black women in America, and adoration and yearning toward her lover, all in a way that feels so real. I had never heard a full album of hers before this, and I was surprised at how eclectic it was, going from folk to rock to blues to ballads, yet it never felt disconnected. The only song on here I knew previously was Lilac Wine, due to Jeff Buckley's cover of it, and listening to this album makes me realize what a deep influence she had on his music, particularly on his vocal style. All in all, an beautiful album with a voice you can get lost in. 5/5.
What a voice - amazing depth from her.
Absolute shame I haven't listened to Nina Simone before, incredible.
This is not the album that I was supposed to listen to, but the lign up is upsetting me so I'm gonna listen to something that I know I'll like. Sue me. Nina Simone is a legend. Everything she touches is gold. I worship the ground she walks on. I also already know multiple songs here. Just to set the stage for what to expect from this "review". Love Your Loving Ways is a great blues song, good start to the album, reminiscent of Nina Simone's earlier times. Four Women is heartbreaking and yet beautiful. Great storytelling, love each woman revealing more ways of discrimination. This song alone brings the album to a 4/5. Loooooove the build-up in What More Can I Say. Yet another great track. Lilac Wine is a beautiful piano track. Man what a performer. She's the goat. I'm not gonna keep naming every song I like because I don't have much to say besides that I like it :) Break Down And Let It All Out is too short :( Wild is the Wind is one of the best songs of all time. Like... this is actually ridiculous. I have a lot of feelings right now And guess what. The same thing can be said about Black is The Color of my True Love's Hair. Man she really was one of a kind. If I Should Love You manages to stand out as heartbreaking in an album full of heartbreaking songs. The closing song is a less sad note to end on, at least musically. My God, this woman is the best vocalist to have ever lived. So many emotions in every note, every syllable. I have nothing of value to add to the experience of this album, as listening to it should to the trick. Queen. Bye
Nina Simone is the greatest singer of all time. That is all.