Wild Is The Wind

You can't go wrong with Nina Simone. I've loved her since I first heard Sinnerman so many years ago. She has such a soulful voice and the lyrics to match. Really great at having you feel the story she's singing to you. The music on this album is really great as well. It might not be my favorite of her albums but it such a damn good album everyone should give it a listen.

Nina Simone’s vocals are faultless and other an interesting counterpoint to the lyrical content of this album. The story telling of racial equality is impactful without detracting from the enjoyment on a musical level. I love Jeff Buckley’s version of Lilac Wine and Nina’s version definitely holds its own with that.

Sweet, introspective, raw, Nina Simone's vocals are out of the world

Wow, such a powerful and soulful voice. With the intonations and vocal range used she really treats her own voice as an instrument more than most singers on this list. Far and above the highlight of this album for me, I could only wish some of the other elements were a little stronger to elevate my rating higher, the structure for a lot of these songs get into a monotony that feels like a disservice to the vocal delivery of Simone. I can’t stress enough how much she carrys this album on her back

Heard a different album from Nina before. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous 4/5

Dark, heavy, haunting and at the same time effortlessly beautiful. It’s an incredible record that highlights Nina’s raw skill as a musician and writer. Just a wonderful expression of emotion.

Really great classic album

Nice. Bluesy singer that makes you feel the emotion in her words and voice.

A very, very solid album. Remarkable performance throughout - and a clear inspiration for so many artists who came after her. My first time listening to it through, but I’m hooked. Brilliant.

Quality album, listening to Nina puts me in a great mood.

Que presencia y que bien suena el álbum. Muy buena muestra de lo que fue Nina, con la voz, con el piano y dejando el alma.

Having a Nina Simone album on a list of albums to listen to before you die makes sense, given her powerful voice and wide influence on jazz, soul, and R&B. I remember analyzing her original composition "Four Women" back in college, as the song explored the various livelihoods and struggles of black women in American society in the 1960s. I appreciate the album with that track made it onto the list, but how does the rest of Wild Is the Wind hold up? Well, Nina ran the gamut of covers and renditions with her commanding voice and elegant piano play, reasonably backed by the session musicians. Some truly transformative takes stand tall in her catalog, including "What More Can I Say", "Lilac Wine", "Break Down and Let It All Out", and especially the slow and drawn-out delivery of the title track. Honestly, my only complaint is that it is evident this album is a compilation of recordings from previous sessions, lacking cohesive flow from one track to the next. The pacing and tone were uneven in places, which made the listening experience feel a tad disjointed. Still, it is a solid collection of songs from a generational voice, one who had such reach beyond the arts.

Beautiful! I had always wanted to listen to Nina but never got around to it, this is why I am part of this.

Haunting minimalist arrangements and powerful vocals.

Though one for me to rate because I love her voice but none of the songs jumped out and grabbed me.

Minimalist, but in a good way that leaves a mark on you.

nina can SANG

Excellent album 4.5 stars.

Nina is my favourite soul singer, might not technically have the voice of the other greats but only Billie Holiday matches her for raw emotion. Not a fan of the first track otherwise this would 5 stars

What an amazing voice Nina Simone has. She effortlessly navigates between genres and never fails to inspire. I loved the jaunty “why keep on breaking my heart” and “lilac wine”.

Lovely music and a first-class voice. Nice album to be exposed to.

A voice and words that command respect. Beautiful.

This one took me off-guard. Not the type of music I listen to often, but I loved the charged vocals and raw feeling behind the lyrics.

Powerful stuff. The ambiance on this is unlike anything else, with an intense, almost excorciating vocal performance playing off (usually) barebones instrumentals. The signature blend comes in track 2 with Four Women and its striking, looping piano melody - famously sampled in Jay Zs The Story of OJ (and by extension one of the best diss tracks ever in The Story of Addidon by Pusha T). How could so much sugary shitbop be getting worldwide attention at the same time Nina Simone is putting out stuff like this?

Few listening experiences on this list so far have stopped me in my tracks and actually demanded me to stop what I’m doing and listen. This is the first I’ve really heard of Nina Simone, and it kind of floored me. The clear highlight here is Wild is the Wind. I was familiar with the Bowie version, but I never realised his was a cover. How shocked I was to discover the original version of a song I loved - and to also find it vastly superior! Simone has a stunning voice; unnerving at times in its power, but always gorgeous. This isn’t the kind of music I’d listen to if I’m trying to relax or zone out. But if I’m feeling especially broody one night, this album will be my first port of call. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice album. A bit the same throughout but makes it easy to listen to.

Good Lord, I feel everything through this woman's voice.

Nina Simone is cool Fav Track: Either Way I Lose

A truly amazing voice that peals the layers beneath every possible emotion.

Stor positiv överraskning! Riktigt härligt sound. En sån där artist jag bara hört talats om.

I enjoyed this almost as much as In Utero so 4 stars

This was very pretty, Nina's voice is spectacular and she put it on display on some beautiful songs. I think it aged extremely well for an album from the 60's too, the mixing and production are still great.

Spannende Musik mit viel Atmosphäre. Man merkt das Alter der Musik, trotzdem schön zu hören. Isch schwanke zwischen 3-4/5.

Fantastic, love the production

What a voice! Beautiful, and liked the experience of the album. Sunday listening for sure.

Nina is always powerful and emotionally resonant. On tracks luke Four Women, you FEEL every emotion she conveys. Listening to this start to finish, I was also captivated by how beautiful the lowest points in Ms. Simone's vocal range are. Some personal favorites are I Love Your Loving Ways, What More Can I Say, and That's All I Ask.

Good

++: I Love Your Lovin' Ways, What More I Can Say, Lilac Wine, Break Down and Let It All Out, Why Keep On Breaking My Heart, Wild Is the Wind, Black Is the Color of My True Lover's Hair, If I Should Lose You, Either Way I Lose +: Four Women, That's All I Ask 9,4/10

Wonderful album. Four Women incredibly powerful, Lilac Wine lovely. Nina's voice is so unique. 8/10

The cover has it right - Four Women is unforgettable, and the stand-out track here.

Full of soul and emotion. Great listen

very nice - liked the openness

Soulful, masterful and loveable.

Her sixth album. Four Women is an absolutely mesmerising and haunting track. The vocals are beautiful and the lyrics haunting. Lorde and Lana Del Rey, THIS is how you do it. Dramatic, passionate, soulful, real unfiltered music sung by an intense artist with something to say. Fuck off Taylor Swift! The range of emotion and that voice is magical.

The use of instrumental swells and dynamics here is incredible. It’s just not quite consistent enough to push it to a 5/5. Four Women is an incredible song that I can’t help but hear Pusha T tell the world Drake is hiding a child over. Favorites were Four Women, What More Can I Say?, Lilac Wine, and Wild Is The Wind.

Obviously excellent. Is it my favourite Simone? No, but what a voice.

3.75

always beautiful

It’s a beautiful thing. Four women is obviously the stand out but lilac wine RULES. I would listen to anything on this album if someone else put it on with no complaints. The piano playing is beautiful, whoever that may be I don’t know because there is no personnel listing. I gotta get on my high horse of “she didn’t write anything other than four women of which from what I can tell is also the only song that isn’t a cover” but they’re so beautiful covers. It seems to be a recurring thing so maybe I need to get over it.

Enjoyed this album. Nina can have such a soft but powerful voice. She has insane vocal control. Very impressive. Very beautiful. Much wow. Good 4

361/1001

Wild Is the Wind is an overall great listen, it's elegant, powerful, and emotionally rich. The album starts off with more of a punch, drawing you in immediately, and then slowly eases into a more subdued, introspective space. That gradual fade works, though, because Nina Simone’s voice carries the entire record effortlessly. Her vocal delivery is magnetic, tender one moment, defiant the next, and it gives each track its weight. There isn’t a bad song on the album, and it’s a testament to Simone’s ability to make every lyric feel deeply personal and lived-in. A timeless, soulful listen from start to finish.

Excellent album. I really enjoyed her unique voice. The music is a bit jazzy but more rhythmic and engaging. Favorites: Four Women, Wild is the Wind

Yeah amazing ofc

That's not my taste in music, but pleasant music - brilliant voice

4.2/i enjoyed that!

Nina Simone can sing. Her countralto vocals are so powerful and wonderful. She's an incredible singer. This album was very enjoyable to me.

4.5/5

lovely album. songs 2-4 had me so ready to give this album a five but not every song on here is bonafide best of the best. thats not to say they're bad by any means i made a soul playlist just to put some of these songs somewhere. wonderful

Devastating. No one had an instrument like Nina. This is such a powerful album that it’s hard to listen to some of these songs more than once in quick succession. True Art by a True Artist. Four Women is a seminal song, I cannot believe that she was able to make it and put it on a widely released album at the time (and name the alb after the track). Timeless, ever-relevant. It’s a song that hits like a nuclear bomb. Break Down And Let It All Out is maybe the best song about freaking the fuck out. Simone’s vocal range on Wild Is the Wind is absurd. She was a master poet. Her lyrics are spare but immense.

Loved it such soulful music

Dunno if I have a ton to say about this. One of those albums that while I don't think I'll playlist anything, its one of those albums that just "feels" great. "I don't need to pay attention to the lyrics to know they're great" kinda music. Side note, how the hell is Pastel Blues not on the list?

What more can I say - soft and sweet, like relaxing yet heartbreaking, yet I feel I could happily listen to this thinking of a love or sob to this alone, thinking also of a love. very short but to the point... like what more can I say Ilac wine - very somber. I don't love the way she sings in this one. Not as much of a fan of this single That's all I ask - immediately captivated, the mix of her voice with the instruments is beautiful. Break Down and Let it all out - Powerful. Why Keep on Breaking My Heart- I like how the start is just her, and it's so beautiful, calm, and sad. Then the instruments and backup vocals start so perfectly. She sounds so different in this very '50s pop, but I enjoy it

Lilac Wine 👌

Great voice, great songs, but calling the love interest 'Daddy' is rough.

This is lovely.

Damn that’s beautiful

makes me see what i wanna see and be what i want to be <3

A true delight. Enjoyed this and want to keep listening.

Incredible. I think it might be a 5 but probably need to listen to it more to appreciate this record to its fullest.

A few songs I thought were very good 4 women is fantastic. It isn't great front to back but overall it certainly earned it's spot.

Feels like the soundtrack to a smoky black-and-white mystery where someone is inevitably discovered slumped over a piano.

Haunting

I don't remember the last time a song hit me as hard as Four Women just did. Holy shit.

Didn't get much of a chance to listen to the whole thing but I thought the songs thta I did hear were great. Nina Simone is classic and such a gem.

Feeling like in a field of flowers

Deep and soulful

Great musician. Enjoyed the album.

idk didnt have time to litsen to it its prob good i guess

Classic oldies. R&B I guess? Good album. Feels very genuine.

Good

Nina always hits hard. What a voice. what musical talent. what lyrics. She's got it all and then some. I love listening to her. Her emotion shoots right through to you.

3.5?

What a woman, what a voice. Powerful stuff. Unfortunately a little bit repetitive in the second half, but has bangers that hit me in the heart. 4 stars.

A beautiful album, surprisingly made from unused tracks from old recording sessions. There are a few memorable tracks among an overall solid album.

Love me some women with powerful voices. Not surprised to see Nina Simone on here, considering her catalogue. Feel like I pretty much know what I'm getting into here, even though this album in particular wasn't known to me before today. Expecting to hear a great vocal performance. Love how I've already reviewed covers of two of the tracks on here (Wild Is The Wind, David Bowie) , (Lilac Wine, Jeff Buckley) both of those are on albums I scored 5 stars, hoping for more amazing tracks like that. I Love Your Lovin' Ways It's a very uplifting song, enjoy how positive and sweet it is. The vocals are sung with a lot of confidence and naturality. Really like how the backing vocals contrast with Nina Simone's voice. The instrumental feels pretty typical for the era, doesn't take a lot of space and focus away from the main performer while adding a decent amount of texture to the track. Good. 4/5 Four Women Feminist sentiment is strong in this one. Relates with and celebrates women of colour while bringing attention to the stories of these women. There's a lot of tragedy in this tale where the common theme is the discrimination and dehumanization that women in minority groups have been facing all across the world. The final verse details someone who's world view has been particularly soured because of generational trauma caused by these injustices. As the piano darkens and tenses up, you feel her anger and bitterness, before the final line in the song releases the tension with an explosion of sound. Insightful. 5/5 What More Can I Say? Has a really classy vibe to it, while still showing a longing emotional core with a hint of frustration in there too. Love the grandiosity of the track. Has a lot of payoff to the buildup. Remains soulful throughout. While it relies heavily on the large and powerful instrumentation, it works great in tandem with the vocals to create some really powerful emotional moments. Great. 4.5/5 Lilac Wine A great piece of storytelling, love the metaphor. Has a really interesting structure. The piano is very emotive. The vocal performance is really balanced, never too subtle, never too bombastic. Remains understated enough to feel genuine. The ending is really sweet. Great. 4.5/5 That's All I Ask A great piece of soul with a jazzy little instumental. Has some decent sounding horns and a lot of subtle but impactful percussion. Feels like parts of the instrumental gets a bit in the way of the vocal performance. At times they compete for the same real estate causing it to sound a bit messy. The vocals are great, but never really doing anything out of the ordinary to differentiate it from similar songs of the era. Don't like how it fades out, it's too quick, too sudden, leaving the song with no real ending. Ends up sounding a bit unfinished. Fine. 3/5 Break Down And Let It All Out Empowering with a splash of colour. Love the slight bitterness and confrontational nature present in the vocal performance. The main hook is kinda cathartic. Still not loving the fade out. Decent. 3.5/5 Why Keep Breaking My Heart A nice change of pace instrumentally, with some more folky energy. Pleasant enough, but not particularly inspiring. The backing vocals feel a bit weak, and the main vocal performance is fairly standard. The chorus has a decent melody. Fine. 3/5 Wild Is The Wind Stunning. The background piano really gives the song some high stakes beauty. Buttery smooth and passionate vocal performance, with a hint of somber contemptation. Has this epic almost cinematic buildup that just keeps adding tension to the track, building layers on top of layers. One of the greats. Romantic powerhouse. 5/5 Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair Sweet and sentimental. Has a very good vocal performance, and is written very passionately and beliveably. Decent. 3.5/5 If I Should Lose You That piano intro is just so incredibly beautiful, wow. Sleepy and calming vibe. Love the interplay between voice and piano, it really reflects the emotion in her voice. Really like how it cascades and escalates through the track, played with a lot of depth. Never takes away the focus from the vocals, which work excellently in their own right. It's gotten to that point where her brilliance has become par for the course, as she's so incredibly consistent. Great. 4.5/5 Either Way I Lose You Kinda don't like the "dum dum dum"s. Feels a bit distracting. The horns are also kinda unneccesary. Soulful and mournful, has that quiet acceptance which makes it that much richer and more flavourful. Decent. 3.5/5 That was some upper shelf quality stuff. Oozes with class and skill, unburdened with the cliches that are often found in other 60's soul albums. She's such an amazing vocalist, showing so much control while also delivering in the areas where restraint is needed. Giving the performances just the right amount of push the song requires. Powerful, unique, and also incredibly sweet at times. Genuine sounding love songs, showing gratitude, longing, despair and even bitterness. Even has an amazing concious piece with the stunning "Four Women" written with incredibly thoughtfulness and awareness. Instrumentally the part that impressed me the most was the incredibly smooth and able piano playing which had some great technical moments, while always being an amazing supporting companion to the vocals. Would also shout out the percussion at times. A really consistent album where the weaker tracks are only hurt by production choices I don't agree with, or just lacking a bit of extra polish. A great listen with plenty to love. 4/5. Fave track. Four Women Least fave track. Why Keep Breaking My Heart

good music, shes really cool too

I liked it a lot. I listened to this while making coconut macaroons on Easter. Something about the condensed milk made this feel more appropriate. The sweet, thick and smooth nature of it paired well with Ms. Simone's style. Almost every song felt like, apart from just a song, it had been steeped in something else. Call it emotion, call it something at the same time contemplative and primal (maybe call it soul), I don't know. Every track seemed like you were being wrapped with a different blanket. A lot of the songs made me wish they were written/sung for me, that someone could love me with what it felt like she was loving with. Rating could go up but not down.

Listened to this once through as background music, went back to some of the songs and I think I will probably be going back for more in the future. Torn between a 3 and a 4, but since it's my first time listening to a full Nina Simone album, I think it deserves to be elevated.

Incredible, versatile vocal performance with many moods. Excellent.

Voice beautiful enough to calm a raging bull.

jazzy

Love Nina Simone. A decent selection of tunes and as always incredibly soulful. I do think Pastel Blue is her greatest work.

Four Women I know from the Jay-Z sample on 4:44's The Story of OJ. Loved it used as an instrumental on that track -- love it even more as a standalone. The sparse instrumentation is so powerful in framing Simone's exposed vocals. I absolutely love Wild Is The Wind. Pretty sure I've heard the sample here in a Pretty Lights song before, but it was in such a very different context. Super dooper high 4 for me. High quality jazzy vibes throughout. Simone's vocals are on point and mixed well with tasteful instrumentals. I can get down with this.

A soulful jazzy album. Nina Simone’s voice is a true alto giving the most purple of purple and blends beautifully with the music to create an emotional experience.

Listened May 2021. Her voice is unlike anything else in music.

Nina Simone has one of my favorite voices of any singer ever. This album was fantastic. Really high 4 or low 5

The second listen bumped it up to 4 stars

Captured in first notes. Love her voice and piano . Passionate

I'm actually not sure I've ever heard Nina Simone's voice before today. Pretty unique and deep, yet soulful. Apt for the melancholic nature of some of her song's content, and more so here. I don't know if this specific record is considered her "magnum opus", but it certainly has the makings to be considered. "Four Women" is pretty damn profound for one.

Great vibe and vocals. Appreciate the subject matter as well. A solid album for just listening.

This is one sophisticated lady. Glad to learn about this album.

Just lovely.

slay i love nina simone

Nina's voice is very emotive; you can feel her emotions as she powers through these numbers. I am a fan of her work, but never listened to this album before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Even by Nina's standards, this was dark. Listened to: at Trader Joe's. Favorite tracks: Lilac Wine, Four Women, Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair

liked songs: Four Women, What More Can I Say?, That's All I Ask, Wild Is The Wind, If I Should Lose You Very good. 4

so many hip hop samples

Beautiful album. Nina was such a powerful singer, performer and activist. This album is very moving. Love it.

Cooles, wechselhaftes Jazz-Album. Interessant falls ich mal einen Film drehe.

Listened to the entirety of this album while stuck in standstill traffic on the M8 coming out of Glasgow. Still enjoyed it. Bit disconnected in places but as a whole a good album Fav song - I love your lovin ways Least fav - Black is the Color of my true love’s hair Specific rating - 3.9

chill vibes! also my deadlines are done!

She's just got such a gorgeous and powerful voice and she puts so much emotion into the music. The album itself doesn't feel super cohesive (the transition between the last two songs is particularly jarring) but that's to be expected of an album made of leftovers from other albums. I'd love to know why this particular Nina Simone album was the one chosen for the list. Favourite song: Break Down And Let It All Out Least: Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair

It's like Koko Taylor did a crooning album. I really vibed with the beginning tracks, but kind of got bored with it once the songs without band accompaniment began, at "Wild Is The Wind." Finished alright with "Either Way I Lose", though. Overall the music was good, but the later songs weren't my cup of tea.

She's just great isn't she

It takes a bit to warm up to her voice which is different, but man this is really nice. Best Song: Lilac Wine Rating: 7.5/10 Stars: 4/10

Good art is all about emotion. There is so much emotion here. The word evocative comes to mind but I'm not sure it applies. 8/10 A worthy listen

This is maybe the distinctive singing voice I have ever heard. Took a little getting used to but by spin 2 I am a believer. Didn't listen to it 3 times but it might have been a 5 if I did.

I liked the feel of this more than I thought I would. This was somehow less strict than her other records.

Very calming music. Reminds me of Billie Holiday

Pet fav: Either Way I Lose Liliac Wine: covered by J. Buckley-- Grace Four Women - banned for lyrics, written by Simone Wild is the Wind: covered D. Bowie Black is the Color... - standard American folk Leftovers compilation from previous studio albums. Interesting stuff; not samey-samey

Härligt jazzig, med stundvis underbara pianostycken. Påminner mig lite både om Amy Winehouse och Anthony and the Jacksons. Vill lära mig sjunga titelspåret!

Easy listening classic Nina

very beautiful, i don’t listen to a lot of jazz records so this was a nice change of pace

What am incredible talent! I'm hoping there is more from her on this list!

peak

not a major album so dont think I’d heard many of these before. Fantastic range on display here and definitely one i’ll listen to again

Powerful. A beautiful and moving piece with incredible influence. 9/10

most beautiful album on this list without a doubt

This was a pretty good soundtrack for a stressful morning spent trying to cancel my broadband, which is obviously what Nina Simone had in mind when she was recording it.

3,75

What a wonderful record. Every track is a masterpiece on its own, carried by her tremendous voice.

Great album, lilac whine is a great song, along with so many political lyrics.

After an upbeat electric misdirection to open with, something grand unfolds here. There's fire and darkness, wisdom and poetry throughout this sauntry album where no song outstays its welcome, and I felt myself hanging on wave after wave of swell-and-release for 38 minutes - sensual and powerful. Favourite tracks: Four Women, Lilac Wine, Wild Is The Wind, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair, If I Should Lose You (amazing three song run)

01) I Love Your Lovin' Ways - 7,0 02) Four Women - 9,0 03) What More Can I Say - 8,5 04) Lilac Wine - 8,5 05) That's All I Ask - 8,0 06) Break Down and Let It All Out - 8,0 07) Why Keep On Breaking My Heart - 8,5 08) Wild Is the Wind - 8,5 09) Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair - 7,0 10) If I Should Lose You - 7,0 11) Either Way I Lose - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,05 (81/100) Current ranking: 150/471

Uffff Madame Simone! Top 3 Musiker*inne woni gern mal uf es Kaffiichränzli treffe würd. Ihri Stimm und Piano skills sind ja s einte, aber ihre Aktivismus als Woman of Color ide 50er/60er Jahr sehr Inspirierend. Sehr schön das Album mal ganz glost z ha und vieli vo ihrne lieder wohni noni kennt han i minere Sentimentalitäts-Playlist hinzuezfüege. Gern meh vo dene wichtige Albe! Vier d bagge abekullerndi freudesträne für das Meisterwerk

kei ziit zum schriebe leider, aber sicki stimm sponti 4, maybe 3, also guet 4

"Goddamn!" ...the power and strength in her voice is amazing. Nina Simone was one of those artists that for whatever reason, was fully skipped while growing up. I had heard the name and only become familiar with her when my kid's learned about her in 6th grade. It seems so very much overdue, but nice to finally have an excuse to listen to Nina Simone.

Rare Things from My 1001 Experience for 1600, Ken: Jazz that I like

Rating: 8/10 What a unique voice, some nice variety here as well.

Extremely charismatic vocals all over this album. Nina's range is incredible, captivating on both the heart wrenching ballads and the more up tempo tracks. Favourite songs were I Love Your Lovin' Ways, Four Women, Why Keep On Breaking My Heart, Wild Is The Wind and Either Way I Lose. Really enjoyed. 4 Stars. Love the album cover as well.

Such a pretty album! Although I definitely need to be in a right mood to listen to this kind of music. 4 stars

Several gems in here. Need to listen to it again.

One of the great voices. I love some of the songs, but isn't sold on everything. 4 stars

There's definitely some great songs here, and Nina has a great voice. I do think it kind of sags a bit in the middle, but plenty of good stuff here including "Lilac Wine", "Four Women", "I Love Your Lovin' Ways", and the title track. 4 stars.

4.5

So rich and moody. What an amazing voice. Four Women is a pretty startling highlight where at the end she reveals that she is a 21st century Canadian electroclash singer. Plus some excellent David Bowie and Jeff Buckley covers on this one with the title song and Lilac Wine.

What an amazing and powerful voice. A true artistic talent. While I enjoyed the style of songs bouncing around, I feel it would have been best to stay with one style of music over multiple styles.

The first track sounded generic to me but then we get some much more sparse piano arrangements that compliment her voice and I'm enjoying it more. Lilac Wine might be the highlight, but there's other tracks I like where the backing band comes in and adds more texture. It's a very old school sound with the strings, theatrical, but not over the top. Wild Wind takes us back to just Nina and her piano - beautiful.

Definitely something I would listen to again, love a bit of Nina. My favourite song was break down and let it all out :) a pretty chill album with nice vibes.

It’s fine for Dinner music. Inoffensive. She’s also got that tortured voice that Chet Baker had.

Nina Simone is the greatest singer of all-time. Im so fucking serious

Stellar record where 'Four Women' makes you wonder how an album consisting of only original songs would have turned out.

Really good

Great voice

Good

A very beautiful album with a really palpable emotional energy to it. Nina is fantastic throughout, and her lyricism is always something to behold. This is a super mellow album that didn't quite keep me engaged through the whole thing, but the moments that grabbed my attention the most really pulled me in. Highlights: If I Should Lose You, Either Way I Lose, Lilac Wine, Black Is The Color of My True Love's Hair, Why Keep On Breaking My Heart, Four Women Least Favorites: Break Down And Let It All Out 8.5/10

B+ I Love Your Lovin' Ways 3 Four Women 4 What More Can I Say 4 Lilac Wine (From "Dance Me A Song") 4 That's All I Ask 3 Break Down And Let It All Out 5 Why Keep On Breakin My Heart 3 Wild Is The Wind 4 Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair 4 If I Should Lose You 3 Either Way I Lose 4 Very good album, fantastic cover art, and some timeless tracks. Sometimes 60s music can feel dated, but Nina Simone is ETERNAL.

An emotionally rich, passionate and dramatic and technically excellent vocal performance, with great songwriting and instrumentation to go with it. One or two songs feel like they could do with a bit more development though. Four Women is handily the standout track and is incredible. Easily a 4/5 could be a 4.5 on another day.

8/10. Not the sort of thing I'd usually listen to but thoroughly enjoyed. The vocals are obviously fantastic and Simone often does weird and unexpected things which make it even better imo. Big fan of the crescendos which pair her powerful voice with some dramatic piano. Fav songs are Four Women, for the hard hitting lyrics and intensity and That's All I Ask for the very satisfying jazzy riffs.

Well this was dope. The front half was basically all bangers, and while it faded in the second half, still a stellar album. The vocals were all over the place (in a good way), the lyrics hit even the first time through, and the moodiness of the backing was great. Super suave album.

Any album featuring Wild Is The Wind, Lilac Wine and Nina Simone is time well spent

So, when I first started this album, I wasn’t sure how it would go. The first song I Love Your Lovin’ Ways just felt like regular 60’s pop, complete with female backing vocals. I felt that this would end up something that wouldn’t leave an impression on me. That feeling was flung right out the window when Four Women came on right after. Nina grabbed my attention and refused to let go. She was in firm control as she took me through the gauntlet of emotions. She brings power through on Four Women, tackling racial stereotypes with authority. The ending where she boldly sings “My Name Is Peaches” gave me goosebumps. She brings passion to the love songs. The title track and What More Can I Say touched me in a way not many love songs have before. But most importantly, she brings raw emotion to the sad songs. In particular, Lilac Wine nearly broke me. The pain in her voice just hits differently. And I know that phrase gets tossed around a lot, but I can’t think of anything close to it. This is extremely close to a five for me. I feel the only thing that takes it a bit down are the more poppier tracks like I Love Your Lovin’ Ways. Other than that, this blew my expectations. What a remarkable talent. Favorite track: Lilac Wine Other hits: Wild is the Wind, Four Women, That’s All I Ask, What More Can I Say, If I Should Lose You

This isn’t what I normally sit down to listen to but her skill is undeniably massive. I can now say I’ve listened to Nina Simone and I can appreciate her.

Sad, haunting and pretty

Vocal focused album with nice songs

Deep, textured, earthy voice. Every song she sings with conviction and takes her time to feel the emotions. Also easy to understand the words. Not sure I’d listen to it often so 4 stars

Great jazz vocal and lyrics. Not always super groovy, but most parts is.

Poco que decir acerca de la voz de Nina Simone. Un rango impresionante, una voz única que suena muy diferente según la canción. Las letras son muy dramáticas, y se nota el giro hacia temas más políticos que la artista iría tomando. La música es súper apasionada, como es típico de la época, y hecha con muy buen gusto. Un disco excelente.

Smooth, elegant and simple.

When I heard the 12 bar blues in "I love your loving ways", I knew I was in for a TREAT. Which might be a good time to say that 12 bar blues are more of the time boring (expect when jazzheads do em <3), but when they be an album opener OOOOOOOOOOOO goodness how much do they cook. so yeah, what more can I say? beautiful brass lines on the songs which have em, the piano is just drop dead GORGEOUS OMMGGGGGGG she is such a talented pianist as well, esp climaxing on If I Should Lose You. Either Way I Lose is such a clever idea of having bass vocals doing... bass hahah. what a wonderful way of ending the album little issues having her vocals sometimes not really hitting it tonely but that's prob due to experience compared to her 70's stuff. def deserves to be on not only a top 1001 but a top 201 albums :D fav song: That's All I Ask

The best way to describe this is as a Showcase of Utter Vocal Talent. I found myself enjoying the more uptempo groovy songs, but the storytelling on tracks like Four Women was impeccable. Overall, solid stuff. Fave Songs - I Love Your Lovin' Ways, Four Women, Break Down And Let It All Out,

This album conveys emotions that she has felt beautifully. Whilst not the type of music I would go back to, her music highlights struggle, joy, and despair being captured by her powerful but gentle voice. Representing the intricacies of her life and life in general for Black women. Favourite songs: What more can I say & That's all I can ask

Deeply soulful.

Loved the soul and depth of her voice. Good musicality.

Beautiful moments. Quiet, reflective, sad but some hope. This was a collection of Nina songs I wasn’t familiar with.

la jodida goat, es una genia. tuve que subir este álbum a musicboard porque no figuraba en su discografía

Whoa, her voice. Fantastic and powerful. There's a crooner vibe, but with more passion and pain. A bassier Billie Holiday (whom I prefer). Tracks 7 and 8 were beautiful. I can see why Wild is the Wind is the title. I will definitely be listening to this one again. 4 here.

Favorite Track: Four Women

It's a great album, I love her voice, but it is a little too depressing for an everyday kind of listen.

Great, really emotional. Really surprised to hear black is the color on there

So many songs that fill my cup, and such an emotion filled album - Lilac Wine always leaves me with a tear, Wild is the Wind I heard courtesy of Bowie and somehow I hear the same level of passion by both Simone and him. I love this album dearly.

Wowza! Sultry and moody in all the right ways. I want an entire album of “I Love Your Lovin Ways”.

Nina gives good voice

Unexpectedly varied and interesting if in that mood.

Loved this, would come back for mpre

Wow. Soulful, beautiful, awesome.

dope.

Really good album, fantastic vocals, powerful lyrics, definitely relistenable

Stand out tracks: "Four Women" (powerful with great vibe), "Lilac Wine," "If I Should Lose You," and "Either Way I Lose." I haven't listened to a lot of Nina Simone before, but enough that I shouldn't have been surprised by how amazing her voice was. I was still blown away. The instrumentations were so interesting and had a lot more variety than I expected in terms of style. I particularly enjoyed the use of male voices as a sort of bass line in "Either Way I Lose"

Nina always hits the right spots.

Nina Simone is the musical embodiment of the pain and sorrow of the African-American community. Her deep voice and tortured arrangements bruise even the sweeter songs she sings. Her’s can be challenging emotional albums to deal with. But they give clarity and feeling to the tortured reality of being a second-class citizen and dealing with the mental health challenges that plagued her life. Saved Songs: - Four Women - Why Keep Breaking my Heart - Either Way I Lose

This makes me want to drink a martini and have a cigarette in a smoky jazz bar

Nina Simone’s music never gets old. She’s a powerhouse and this album is a proof of that. It’s amazing how rich and enchanting this album is. Song after song, it brings warmth and emotion. I love it.

Fantastic album, my #1 out of ten that I've listened to thus far. My favorites are What More Can I Say?, That's All I Ask, and Wild Is The Wind. Simone's voice is incredible, plus I'm a sucker for piano.

Great artist. Great voice.

Not the best Nina Simone album out there but you won’t be disappointed listening to this and chilling out

4 stars for 4 women

Either Way I Lose is actually my dad

Hauntingly beautiful.

This is the kind of music the Squid Game Elites listen to This is the kind of music you need Spotify Premium to listen to This is the kind of music that I listen to on a polyvinyl chloride record when smoking a high-quality very large Cuban cigar with Cuban hero and subject of my IB History HL Historical Investigation Fidel Castro and/or when getting Tipsy with Shaboozey, my favourite country artist!!!!! Starting a song with "my skin is black" is a next-level maneuver, also what is with the album covering having what I presume to be sponsors, but also glazing the "unforgettable" Four Womenl; they got that part right. Artistry is pretty good though. gotta love the wine from the lie-lock tree. This album is really good, I have no serious qualms with it, I thought that it would be 3, but it picks up after the first 2 songs, leaning more into delicate vocals with a masterfully played light and aflight piano. My pre-dispositions against this album made me reluctant to give it a 4, mainly because everything gets a 4 nowadays, but it felt like a disservice giving it anything lower, truly a piece of media of a time. Tangent crashout: it might just be me but why does every Black Women from the 60s/70s on this tracker sound like a man? Crazy premise, but it happened with this album when I first listened to it, and with Joan Armatrading as well. Starting with Armatrading, from the name I thought she was a woman, then I saw the album cover and thought she was a black teenage boy, and her vocals supported this hypothesis. Then I saw her spotify profile, and couldn't draw a solid conclusion. A google search settled it, and I didn't think anything of it until this album. The first song has Simone's deeper vocals contrasted with more feminine background singers within a back-and-forth love song, creating the illusion of a male vocalist. Knowing that both Simone and Armatrading are female breaks the illusion, but you can still picture a man behind the microphone in certain songs. Is it just coincidence that all black women(?) (sample size = 2) from the 1960s are somewhat androgynous in name, voice, and appearance? Is this what republicans feel like when they see a trans person?? Valid crashout? (most certainly not) And on the topic of Joan Armatrading that album should have been a 3

Overall her best album, consistent all the way through and with some of her most haunting performances ever.

good, easy listings album

很喜歡女聲的唱腔和聲線給我的感覺，可以很多變卻仍保有非裔歌手的那種渾厚。尤其是聽到「Four women」的時候，就被她多變聲音的情感吸引，讓我更好奇這首歌。看了可詞後就更喜歡這一首。講述故事的口吻，配上四個奴隸制度框架下的四個角色，有溫柔、無奈、無辜、憤怒，特別在最後一段的最後一句讓我印象深刻。

When you lie on the piano I am reminded I am stupid

Nina Simone has such a unique voice, it's captivating. And it's her voice that carries it, it being an album largely of covers. The one song she penned here, "Four Women", is far and away the best. It's a harrowing song, where you can feel the pain in her voice, ending in a massive crescendo. It's these mournful tracks where I think she shines. Fav tracks: Four Women, What Can I Say?, Wild Is the Wind

Nina is an all time great, but this particular record leaves a feeling of being an incomplete package. Understandable given that its tracks are from the cutting room floor.

Nina Simone has one of those voices that could move you even if she was reading out a recipe for beans on toast - I've never sat and listened to a full album of hers before, and I'm now very glad I did - well worth the listen.

too peace, too swing

Great vibe. Great vocals. Fantastic album

Nina Simone is to my ears the greatest vocalist to have ever done it and this album is a prime example of that.

Fav song: Four Women Beautiful, powerful voice with some amazing and important messages in the 60's. This is my first time listening to a Nina Simone album from start to finish and I see now why she is considered to be legendary.

Never really listened to Nina Simone a whole lot. Definitely a mistake on my part as I really liked this.

Nina Simone is a National treasure.

I was flabbergasted when I found out this album was made out of tracks recorded but left over from Nina's previous four albums. It doesn't feel like it is. It may mostly be covers but that doesnt matter; she makes the songs hers. There isn't a bad song in the bunch, with every note packed with clarity, passion and emotional heft. Four Women was a huge hit, but most of them could've been if they'd been picked instead. Lilac Wine made me cry. What else can I add? Tangent: The app needs to stop closing itself when I tab out to check things. I've lost an entire review to it several times. Fave: Lilac Wine Least Fave: Can't pick one, they're all to such good consistent standard. Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0

I already loved Nina Simone. Now I have more to love.

Great

Nina had that skill where she could sing to accurately reflect the lyrics and arrangement to fit the mood and emotions be that pain, anger, sorrow, joy or love she nails it every time. I have never heard the track Four Women before : a very powerful, shocking, sad but incredible piece of music.

Nina Simone is a great singer/songwriter, some of the songs feel too short for how good they are. Mid 4.

Amazing voice. Only really know a few of the hits before this one. Solid album.

This lady has such an interesting vocal tone, and the songs are great blues/jazz songs. Very creative for those times. I liked this a lot.

Wild Is the Wind by Nina Simone is raw, soulful, and haunting. Her voice draws you in, making each song feel deeply personal and unforgettable.

While not my style, her emotion and voice are stunning...

Good :) amazing voice

Unique voice, its 50/50 feminine and masculine, its beautiful

Smooth, sometimes haunting, vocals. Nice mellow soul.

Not really into music today so I'll try to keep my thoughts short (though Nina deserves eulogizing far more than I'm capable of right now). It's entirely possible "Four Women" will be the best song I discuss on this whole journey. I've always been arrested by its sultry atmosphere, describing the struggles of womanhood from the perspectives of four women. It was famously sampled in Jay-Z's Story of O.J. by No I.D., which helped expose a new generation (me) to the music of Nina. For that I am forever grateful, as it's an incredible piece of music from an unmatched performer in the world of soul music. The rest of the album doesn't slouch either: it may not be as high profile as Pastel Blues, but I think I prefer it. As much as I love Jeff Buckley's Grace (which is hopefully on this list as well), Nina's version of Lilac Wine is so much better. 8/10

Easy listen

enchanting

8/10

Her piano playing is incredible and the mix of genres, keeps things interesting. There were a few times when I was ready for the song to end, but all in all, great stuff. Will be in rotation and looking to purchase on vinyl.

Brava, ha spaccato

Enjoyed this one a lot! Listened to it on my way back to Webb from NJ.

- Passionate and enthralling, with incredibly relevant lyrics and almost painful expression. - Wanted to rate this even higher, but some of the tracks eventually begin to sound like a singular, non-distict mass.

Really good.

New one for me, I may have heard Nina Simone in passing but didn’t recognize any of the top Spotify tracks.. I feel like I probably missed some civil rights masking in the lyrics but it was pretty enjoyable. 3.5/5 but rounding up

Great voice nice round

Well now then, this was a bit of a surprise. Not exactly what I expected, but then what did I expect? I don't really know. Certainly what I didn't expect was to like this as much as I did. And to hear some 'original'(?) versions of track I know quite well was really interesting. I can totally understand what drove Bowie and Elkie Brooks to want to cover the title track and the stunning 'Lilac Wine'. Though I do wish Ms Simone would stop singing 'Ly-lock wine'. Now then' the important bit. Would I buy it? As part of a multi-disc deal, probably. Points wise....... I believe it just, and only just, scrapes in as a 4.

Masterful. Not as showstopping as the previous year’s “Pastel Blues” but an incredible album nonetheless

what a fantastic way to start this challenge!! I have not listened to a lot of nina simone beyond her most well known songs, and I’m not a huge early jazz/soul listener in general, but WOW her voice is so gorgeously powerful and iconic, this record was a joy the whole way through. there’s a few tracks I didn’t save and I may not revisit on their own, but they’re all beautiful as a collective and a couple did make their way into some of my playlists. some stand-out tracks for me were “i love your lovin ways”, “that’s all i ask”, and “break down and let it all out” i also love the album cover - what a fab pink 🩷

She's got it 4.1

I cried...

A nice breath of fresh air from everything else. Smooth and chilled out. Good instrumentation and vocals.

Chad. A couple boring songs at the end but pretty great overall. Awesome voice.

Great album, great voice

powerful and beautiful! not my thing to listen to unfortunately. can appreciate the artistry

Powerful voice. Great sounding recording. Her voice is deeper and more masculine than I expected. Sounds good, just surprised.

What a hauntingly beautiful album. Nina’s voice is so unique and makes me feel like I’m sitting back watching a live performance at a speak easy. The piano, the vocals, just everything is beautiful.

Solid 4 4 women Wild is the wind I love your lovin ways

Love this album

Pretty great stuff. Love Bowie and his cover of Wild is The Wind always blows me away. I had actually never heard the original. So this was great.

4.5

nina simone não decepciona nunca

Um blues e um jazz nesse nível é gostosin do mai puta merda. Da até vontade de me apaixonar de novo celoko.

Some heart wrenching lyrics. Soulful, moving and everlasting.

Just a devastating voice. Imagine walking into a dark theater on a cold night and hearing something like this in person. Imagine if you were the only listener in the room. Your soul would leave your body.

Listening to Lilac Wine by Nina feels like hearing the universe sigh! Buckley just turned up the echo.

I have heard a few of these songs sampled before, it’d a very sad album

Nina Simone's voice takes a little getting used to, but once it hits, man, it really hits. One of the coolest, most soulful, and most distinctive singing vocals of the 60s. The lyrics in these songs are also great. The three-track run of Four Women, What More Can I Say?, and Lilac Wine is especially strong in terms of both lyrics and musical hooks to back them up. So, in a rare turn of events, the weak point in the album is actually the instrumental. There's a lot of piano, and it's all played in one particular register that gets a little stale after the first twenty minutes or so. (The piano on the track Four Women, though, is fantastic – partially for being beautiful/bluesy, and partly for just being near the beginning of the album.) The percussion is present, but never quite in satisfying quantities. I think the soul and drama in these compositions should be complemented by an equally dramatic instrumental section (think muted crashes, more strings, and so on) – but it's not *quite* there. 4/5 Key tracks: Four Women, What More Can I Say?, Lilac Wine, Wild Is The Wind

I mean, this is one of those albums that just makes you think, Wow. I enjoyed the atmosphere it created. The way it made me listen to its intent. A lot to like here. Benjamin Clementine must surely be a HUGE fan. How much power there is in honesty and pure emotion. Wild is the Wind. Great stuff, quite honestly.

She was a force of nature and a remarkable artist. Brilliant pianist, great songwriter across styles, great voice, and an outspoken activist. At times she seemed and sounds a bit crazy but nothing wrong with that! Not heard this album before but glad I have now. So many great songs and a lot of variety. To mix something so strong and important as 'Four Women' with beautiful jazz numbers and soulful r&b like the opening track and closer 'Either Way I Lose' is really cool. Will come back to this again. Such an enjoyable listen.

Wow I love moments like this! ‘Four Women’ is sampled in a Jay Z song from 2016 titled ‘The Story of OJ’. I highly credit Hip Hop for getting me into Soul music like this - and I love learning about the connections between the two. ‘What More Can I Say?’ is great, I bet Muse wish they wrote this. Really see inspiration from these soul singers in some of their slower songs. ‘Lilac Wine’! I love the Jeff Buckley version. This is good too. Overall I like the atmosphere and how it is recorded. The band is awesome and Nina Simone is even better. Something however does stop this from being something I see myself regularly returning to. This made me want to listen to Bridges by Gil Scott Heron.. can’t believe it’s not on Spotify anymore :(

Who doesn't like Nina Simone? What a voice. You sort of have to be in the right mood for this, but it really hits when you are. Lilac Wine is an absolute gem of a song. Beautiful and sad and well written and everything you could want. A great relaxing album to throw on in the background. Not completely mind blowing but it's definitely an album to play every so often. 3.5/5.

Nina Simone is amazing. I’m not sure this is my favourite album but it was a great listen.

Incredibly powerful… to also then read that these are leftovers from other sessions is astonishing. A essential listen.

On one level, this is a transcendent listen. There's so much beauty and pain in that vibrato of hers. Just perfect songs of longing and love. That said, it's almost TOO much. By the end, the vibe was almost too much for me to handle. I ended up pulling up on the last song because it was jangling my nerves and heart too much. But it's gorgeous just the same.

Don’t know where but I felt like I’ve heard her name before…..prolly in a song. But the album is actually pretty good, I really enjoyed it. I think my grandma probably knows who she is and listened to her too, I should ask her. The longer I listen to her the more she reminds me of this song “Just to Keep You Satisfied” by Marvin Gaye, I wonder if they worked together.

The only thing I knew about this album is the song "Lilac Wine", which I first heard as the Buckley cover. I quickly grew to like Nina's version more. And after a few listens I got into a few other songs: Four Women, That's All I Ask, Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair, Either Way I Lose. I can see a pretty straight shot from Nina to other artists I like, e.g. Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill.

Grading a bit on a curve, since it would be easy to argue her singular voice warrents a 5 alone. But, I didn't feel this is the best collection of song, leaning too much into slow ballads to really showcase her range.

Gorgeous stuff. Maybe a little too depressing at the end but hey, who the fuck am I to comment.

Highlights: Four Women, That’s All I Ask, Black Is The Colour of My True Love’s Hair. In a nutshell: thoughtfully arranged, diverse, powerful. I can understand why Warren Ellis was enchanted by Nina Simone. Brilliant pianist, warm yet gracefully commanding vocalist. Nina sounds like she’s giving it her all with each track, each take. The backing musicians (especially the horns) are excellent. There is an absence of flow to the tracking but it’s a small complaint. Regardless, it’s good. Overall: 7/10

Best lekker

Melancholia for its own sake is not for me, but these songs have purpose. Especially powerful are “Four Women,” “Lilac Wine,” and “Either Way I Lose.” These songs may have been castoffs from her other albums, but there is a respect given to each one that’s worth a listen.

Very good voice. Good album.

could i write poetry to this? n

Every time I listen to Nina Simone, I realize that I don’t listen to enough Nina Simone

Really enjoyed this album, just quality music. Ended up listening like 3x in a row. The piano was really a standout for me I was blown away on If I Should Lose You and Lilac Wine. Nina always brings really impactful music and lyrics that cut deep to the listener. I'm a big fan. Rating - 4.2.

Great album - not something I would naturally have sought out to listen. Some tracks are more interesting than others. Soulful singing and settings which perfectly encapsulate the '60s.

Beautiful and rich. The fact that it is so sampled speaks volumes. So good to hear.

Amazing voice, emotional vibes. What an icon.

Enchanting and oddly haunting. It feels like a vinyl found in the back of a bombed-out diner, coated in a thick layer of dust but still playable.

Really haunting. This draws me in and it's hard to drag myself away. Incredibly powerful, and like other great jazz singers of her era, a wild dynamic range. Moving from quiet to loud in the space of a couple syllables brings that majestic, epic feel. Like an ocean wave, you float in the warm sea, get lifted up, and as more and more turbulence spins up, you get pulled away against your own power and pulled onto the beach, slightly afraid but in awe at the same time. Her piano playing is something special. Lilac Wine is a killer, her voice and the piano combine to create something unusual, astonishing. I've never heard anything like this before. It was interesting, the day I heard this, Donald Trump was interviewed at the National Association of Black Journalists. He was trying to talk about how Kamala Harris identified as Indian, but all of a sudden she's Black. Trying to divide us all, again. Disgusting. Then I heard the song Four Women, the song about black women's identity, possibly the struggle of this. Something I know nothing about. Sorry that Trump's shitty little ideas still exist and I'm sorry Nina Simone didn't have more impact on American culture. It's telling that this is the first time I've really heard anything by her, a 20th century middle-class white guy.

Her voice is truly astounding and the lyrics and accompaniments really just knock this thing way out of the park

Always been in awe of this one, incredibly powerful stuff... this album has sadly become a bit tainted in my brain because of the Jay-Z song that samples Four Women but then subsequently the beat of that Jay-Z song being used for that Pusha T song where he exposes Drake for having a child...

I know her. Excited to listen to some Nina. Solid jazz music. She is legendary.

New to me, I really enjoyed this one. You can feel the emotion in every song. I thought the album was a little disjointed, but since this is a compilation of excess recordings that makes sense. For what it's worth, these songs are great on their own and I'm excited to hear more.

What a great album, really powerful and moving

nina’s vocal range is crazy. the accompanying jazz is also really good and compliments her singing as well. her vocals so powerful in most of these tracks as well. i knew nothing about four women prior to listening, but the build up to my name is peaches part was crazy. i only listened to sinnerman from nina so i already had an idea of how her vocals are but this album really takes it to a different level. i do think both sides are nice but there were still some weaker tracks that i didnt like as much. regardless, its a nice jazz album and i enjoyed the listen. 4 personal favs: what more can i say, thats all i ask, wild is the wind

Great vocals paired with great songwriting is a surefire recipe for success. And this record definitely succeeds.

Four stars for Four Women, which is an amazing song and actually coincidentally makes me think of my wife with some of the names mentioned in the song. She said it made her cry. It is an emotional song and the album on the whole has a lot of emotion behind it. Four Women had the best musical accompaniment. The jazzy sound is slow and moody in most songs. It's not something I think I will revisit as a whole that often, but I appreciated having the chance to listen to it.

Nina Simone is a legend and this is a classic album!

This was a great album! The lyrics were sad and sorrowful, but also romantic throughout, and Nina’s voice is extremely comforting in all of those emotions.

Kept me company

She’s has a very unique voice that suits this band well, lyrics are interesting and pungent. 3.9

An eloquently soothing voice. I appreciate her.

A really good album, I Love Your Lovin' Ways and Break Down And Let It All Out were my favorites in the album.

Nina’s voice holds the thrill, chill, and wonder of so much love, heartache, and pain. I find some of the arrangements too dense but now I find out that she was a piano virtuoso as well - those were her arrangements. The more you know…

Front loaded with easier, commercial stuff before giving way to the good stuff.

As much as jazz fills my heart with love and makes me happy, vocal jazz still remains as a bit of a grey area for me. I can deal with simpler jazz, but sometimes that genre is just too simple for me. Especially when the singers voice isn’t the strongest. I was ready to give this a lower score. But no. I just can’t. The more this went along, the more I became attached to it. I can’t pretend like this album isn’t beautiful. And easily the best vocal jazz album I’ve ever heard. But of course, who would receive that honor other than Nina Simone. I was not aware of this women’s excellence. But now that I am, I understand where the admiration comes from. She is an amazing vocalist and pianist. And one with far more vocal variety than I anticipated. And as a vocal jazz album, where the instrumentals tend to shine less and take the back seat, the band backing her is amazing as well. They are actually still very laid back, with it often just being Nina and the piano, with some bass and light guitar. But it’s always purposeful and effective. And sounds ahead of its time for 1966. Where the best this album has to offer lies is in Nina herself. She’s so cool it’s crazy. I can think of so many words to describe the emotions that are portrayed masterfully here. It’s so dramatic, and every song feels like an expression of pure love, infatuation, and desire. These are some of the most profound and powerful love songs I’ve heard in a very long time. Or how about my personal favorite song, Four Women, which confronts African-American stereotypes in a very powerful way. Or Lilac Wine. As much as I’m a huge fan of Jeff Buckley, I don’t think his cover compares to this version. For an album composed of mostly cut tracks from other albums, there is some fantastic songs here. Apparently Pastel Blues is even better, but unfortunately that isn’t on the list. Though for now, this works. Rating: 8/10

Wonderful