Underrated artist: Nina Simone

[Henrik]

'Nuff Said!

[babydoll]

At least she's gaining love in this forum. I sincerely hope she gets into the top 100 artists this year and next year have Wild Is the Wind, Pastel Blues and Little Girl Blue enter the top 500. It's a wild hope.

[bootsy]

Her anthology is a very good listen as well. If you are into that kind of thing for artists. She's getting a lot more recognition now with a couple of documentaries and a movie even though there is a little controversy about that.

[Rob]

The weird thing about Simone is that she actually seems to be highly regarded, but somehow doesn't show up in lists. Nobody seems to deny her stature and the greatness of her body of work. It's weird that she doesn't appear on more lists.

[Dexter]

The weird thing about Simone is that she actually seems to be highly regarded, but somehow doesn't show up in lists. Nobody seems to deny her stature and the greatness of her body of work. It's weird that she doesn't appear on more lists.

I agree. When current artists and guys trying to impress their dates name-checks you, you're definitely not underrated. I think the reason for her relatively low ranking in AM is that she's not "rock" enough. The thing about most music lists is that it's rock-centric or rock in the general sense (including R&B, hip-hop, blues, some country). This excludes traditional pop and vocal jazz which encompasses Simone's main work (though she also delved into rock-jazz fusion, blues and gospel). That's the reason why no song of hers was included in Rolling Stone's Greatest 500 songs and that she's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (even in the early influences category). However, I noticed recent lists have broadened their choices to include non-rock songs and Simone in particular benefits from this the most.

[Henrik]

I agree too and we have had this discussion before. But I had to start this thread, like that. It just came to me!

Anyone who knows what I'm talking about?

[BleuPanda]

I definitely need to check out more Nina Simone. Looking through her acclaimed music list I only recognize three songs. I'm assuming she has more than 11 good songs; anyone want to make a playlist to check out?

[EmilienDelRey]

I love this one!

[Listyguy]

"Sinnerman" is an experience.

Anyway, I think one of the reasons she might not be that well represented here is because her albums aren't at the level of, say, Aretha Franklin (I'm sure some of you will disagree with me here).

[babydoll]

Bleu, I'd recommend you listen to her classic three albums (Little Girl Blue, Pastel Blues, Wild Is the Wind) then I would move on through her discography.

[DaveC]

I agree too and we have had this discussion before. But I had to start this thread, like that. It just came to me!

Anyone who knows what I'm talking about?

Well. 'Nuff Said is a recurring theme of dialogue free Marvel comics, and Zoe Saldana was told to shut up.....

[Henrik]

I agree too and we have had this discussion before. But I had to start this thread, like that. It just came to me!

Anyone who knows what I'm talking about?

Well. 'Nuff Said is a recurring theme of dialogue free Marvel comics, and Zoe Saldana was told to shut up.....

Nope, that was not what I was thinking of.

'Nuff Said is a live album by Nina from 1968. It has been included in a couple of critics' lists I think, so it might very well be added to AM some day.

[babydoll]

If it helps, Henrik, I actually got the joke from the direct beginning. Probably should have said something though. I just want ahead and wanted people to know the amazing priestess known as Nina.

[bonnielaurel]

I became interested in Nina Simone because she was metioned in the Fugees' Ready or Not:

So while you're imitating Al Capone, I'll be Nina Simone
And defecating on your microphone

I first discovered her funny song My Baby Just Cares for Me. In spite of her humor she hardly ever smiled. In Mississippi Goddam she combined that humor with a serious message as a civil right activist. One of her best songs is Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. You can hear that she was trained as a classical pianist, e.g. in the long version of Wild Is the Wind (1966). She gave piano lessons during the day under her real name Eunice Waymon, and performed in night clubs under her pseudonym, because she didn't want her pupils' parents to knew that she played jazz.

[Jackson]

I've been wanting to listen to something beyond Pastel Blues for a while but was intimidated by her discography. Looks like I need to hear Wild as the Wind and Little Girl Blue.

I agree that she seems to get more love than the lists reflect. I feel like I've been hearing Feeling Good a lot recently in commercials or restaurants so I wonder if that song will move substantially higher.

[Dan]

As others have said, I'm sure she'll just become more and more acclaimed each year (rightfully so, of course). It will be interesting to see where she'll end up on our upcoming artists poll.

anyone want to make a playlist to check out?

The playlist below has 35 songs in it. It's a combination of personal favourites and songs that appeared on individual lists in our last all-time songs poll. Might be useful.

[Honorio]

Hey, Dan, I'm listening right now to your Spotify list and I'm enjoying it a whole lot. Fantastic selection, thank you very much! But let me point to a song that is missing on it, Nina Simone's cover of "My Way." Her cover is mythical for the people of my age in Valencia, my hometown, because for many years during the 1980s the DJs used the song to close the sessions on the clubs, in order to end the night on a high note. When they turned on the lights and Nina defiantly sounded on the speakers we all knew that it was time to move on, sometimes to go home but sometimes to continue the party somewhere else. If you listen to the song right now without that background you may think that it's too easy-listening or too overblown but, believe me, these incredibly fast bongos, the passionate vocal delivery of Nina and, especially, those last two minutes with the explosion of the strings put me in a state of pure bliss.

The studio version:


A live version on a TV show from the same year (1971)

Now the problem is: which song should be removed from Dan' list to include "My Way"? The 35 songs are fantastic!!!

I'll come back later to this thread with some comments about some Nina albums but I got to do some additional listening before.

[Henrik]

Great recommendations, Dan, Emilien and Honorio. Special kudos for the inclusion of "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter". Her peak was definitely in the 60s, but this is a real masterpiece from the 70s.

My favorites not mentioned:
Plain Gold Ring
That's All I Ask
Where Can I Go Without You
Be My Husband
It's Be That Way Sometime
Don't Explain
What More Can I Say?

[Dan]

Nice story about Nina's cover of "My Way", Honorio. If it were me living in Valencia at the time, I probably would've sung the song all the way home / to the next party. I've included the song in the playlist. Naturally, I also included the songs that Henrik mentioned, without hesitation (as well as a couple of other songs to take the total number of songs to 45). I'm falling in love with her music all over again.

[sonofsamiam]

I was going to respond and mention "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" and the "If I Knew/Let It Be Me" medley, but you got 'em!

I also, from a novelty perspective, quite irrationally like her cover of "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates. Slightly bizarre, oddly intriguing.

Anyway, she's a titan, and is rarely treated as such. As for her underrated nature, besides the good points about her not being "rock" enough, is the point that she's awfully tough to categorize. Jazz lists might not include her because she delves into soul, pop, and standards, and vice versa. I think that sometimes keep her off of lists that are genre-oriented. Of course, this is part of what makes her so great -- she felt totally unrestrained by convention (both musical and, often, social).

[Dan]

I also, from a novelty perspective, quite irrationally like her cover of "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates. Slightly bizarre, oddly intriguing.

Fun! And another example of how she refused to restrict herself to just one genre (this is certainly not her particular brand of vocal jazz - or as she put it, "black classical music" - that she started off with). For what it's worth, I've added it to the playlist. 46 was not a number I felt comfortable with, so I expanded the playlist to 50 songs.

[Honorio]

Here it is, just what you were expecting, the
Top 10 albums of Nina Simone
using the RYM ratings as a template:




1. Pastel Blues
Year of release: 1965
Label: Philips
RYM rating: 3,95
Song highlights: Be My Husband, Strange Fruit, Sinnerman

The best Nina Simone album according to RYM is one of her most cohesive works, with blues being the unifying concept/sound, but "blues in the Billie Holiday sense, not the Muddy Waters one" (Richie Unterberger for AMG). But what about pastel? "According to Mr. Webster, pastel means "a pale and light shade of color." There is nothing very pale or light about this extraordinary Philips Records LP performance from the incomparable Nina Simone" (Doug McClelland on the liner notes). Anyway, and despite the overall brilliance of the album, one cannot help but feel that "Pastel Blues = 8 songs for introducing the outstanding Sinnerman" (3rw4n for RYM). But please don't skip her sublime take on "Strange Fruit," almost equalling Billie Holiday's original.



2. Nina Simone Sings the Blues
Year of release: 1967
Label: RCA
RYM rating: 3,92
Song highlights: Do I Move You?, Backlash Blues, I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl

Not enough blues? Well, you should definitely listen to Nina's first album for RCA, backed by a blues band with two guitarists, bassist, drummer, organist and harmonica/sax player, "accurately reproducing native blues in a most compelling fashion. There are no mannerisms. Affectation never enters the picture. (…) Miss Simone simply sings with heart at all times, with guts on certain tunes and with abandon on everything. She has wisely kept accompaniment to the small unit (…) These tunes are not (…) sung by the dilettante jazz singer who does a novelty blues album. They are songs of the soil, of the people and of their troubles" (Sid McCoy on the liner notes). Yes, Nina, you move me.



3. Little Girl Blue
Year of release: 1959
Label: Bethlehem
RYM rating: 3,91
Song highlights: He Needs Me, Love Me or Leave Me, My Baby Just Cares for Me

After those two blues albums let's go with jazz. Yes, jazz as played in an exclusive side street club, like the album subtitle (the title "Little Girl Blue" was omitted from the front cover but it is shown on the back cover and the record label). This is Nina Simone's discographical debut but "while this was her first recording, the record's grooves evidence an artist who arrives fully formed; many of the traits Simone displayed throughout her career as not only a vocalist and pianist but as an arranger are put on first notice here" (Thom Jurek for AMG). Recorded with a spare format of jazz trio, the album showcases the versatility of Nina, her blues/gospel/jazz roots but also her classical training (there's a piano solo on "Love Me or Leave Me" where "Bach meets Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons" according to Thom Jurek).



4. Nina Simone in Concert
Year of release: 1964
Label: Philips
RYM rating: 3,91
Song highlights: Plain Gold Ring, Pirate Jenny, Mississippi Goddam

The first of three live albums on this list, the stage was the natural state for Nina Simone, she was a beast on stage. "Every Nina Simone performance is completely different from any other that she has ever given. Every audience is different and every day is different, and Nina tonight is the sum of Nina last night plus twenty-four hours of living" (Nat Shapiro on the liner notes). In this Carnegie Hall concert we find Nina as a protest singer, "some of the songs rank among her most socially conscious declarations of African-American pride: "Old Jim Crow," "Pirate Jenny," "Go Limp," and, especially, "Mississippi Goddam" were some of the most forthright musical reflections of the Civil Rights movement to be found at the time" (Richie Unterberger for AMG).



5. Wild Is the Wind
Year of release: 1966
Label: Philips
RYM rating: 3,87
Song highlights: Four Women, Lilac Wine, Wild Is the Wind

The eclecticism of Nina Simone made her albums sometimes uneven. "This album was apparently a bit of a pastiche of leftovers from sessions for Nina Simone's four previous albums on Philips. But you'd never guess from listening; the material is certainly as strong and consistent as it is on her other mid-'60s LPs. As is the case with most of her albums of the time, the selections are almost unnervingly diverse" (Richie Unterberger for AMG). But amidst this (refreshing in my opinion) diversity, three songs shine like jewels, the impassioned "Four Women," "Lilac Wine" and "Wild Is the Wind," the latter two brilliantly covered by the much missed Jeff Buckley and David Bowie.



6. Nina Simone at Town Hall
Year of release: 1959
Label: Colpix
RYM rating: 3,87
Song highlights: Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair, The Other Woman, Summertime

A mix of live and studio songs (with overdubbed applause) showcasing Nina's confidence, naturalness and eclecticism from the early stages of her career but especially her emotional delivery (this set was heavy on ballads). "On Sept. 12, 1959, Nina Simone appeared at New York's Town Hall - and all else followed. The simple truth is that she was simply magnificent. She ranged fluidly from blues to ballads, from jazz to folk songs, and ran an emotional gamut that left her audience gasping" (Don Ross and Howard Berk on the liner notes).



7. Nina at the Village Gate
Year of release: 1962
Label: Colpix
RYM rating: 3,83
Song highlights: Just in Time, House of the Rising Sun, Zungo

If stage was the natural state of Nina, a small smoky jazz club was the perfect environment for her. And no less that the mythical Village Gate on Greenwich Village, sanctuary of the jazz, folk and Latin scenes on the early 1960s. "There is a natural and inevitable chemistry working… the elements are Nina herself and a lower Manhattan cafe called The Village Gate. Nina calls it her "home club," and certainly, as this album testifies, she wears it as comfortably as old clothing" (from the liner notes).



8. I Put a Spell on You
Year of release: 1965
Label: Philips
RYM rating: 3,82
Song highlights: I Put a Spell on You, Feeling Good, Take Care of Business

Nina's pop album. "One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent. Most of the songs feature dramatic, swinging large-band orchestration, with the accent on the brass and strings" (Richie Unterberger for AMG). Possibly it was a move of the label to promote Nina to white audiences but, as expected, Nina's expressive voice is not buried by the orchestra and manages to sound even sexy (listen to the amazing "Feeling Good"). "It may be touching, it may be gay, it may build a searing flame of anger. But it is always a true emotion that her spell evokes. (…) When she sings a song, she means it. And you always know that she means it" (Roger Short on the liner notes).



9. Nina Simone and Piano!
Year of release: 1969
Label: RCA
RYM rating: 3,80
Song highlights: Another Spring, I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes), The Desperate Ones

"This Is "Pure" Nina. This album is a first for Nina Simone. It features Nina accompanying herself on the keyboard. There is one instance of overdubbing the organ and some others of dubbing her voice and of clapping and tambourines, but in this album everything is done solely by Nina Simone with no outside help. The product here is "pure" Nina. Always pertinent, persuasive and exciting" (Tom Reed on the liner notes). "In an era when Simone often veered from crossover to experimental, "Nina Simone and Piano!" is undeniably difficult, but frequently rewarding" (John Bush for AMG). I feel rewarded if only for the moment when the tambourine joyously bursts in the middle of "Another Spring."



10. High Priestess of Soul
Year of release: 1967
Label: Philips
RYM rating: 3,79
Song highlights: Don't You Pay Them No Mind, I'm Going Back Home, Come Ye

Believe it, this is the only Nina Simone album on Acclaimed Music Top 3000! Nina's soul album (well, along with "Silk & Soul" from the very same year). "Perhaps a bit more conscious of contemporary soul trends than her previous Philips albums, this is still very characteristic of her mid-'60s work in its eclectic mix of jazz, pop, soul, and some blues and gospel" (Richie Unterberger for AMG). ""For as an artist, I must give of myself wholly and completely to the expression of that which is within." Nina does this again and again. And again in this album, the "High Priestess of Soul" again gives" (Del Shields on the liner notes). Thanks Nina for giving so much.


The Spotify playlist with the complete Top 10 albums:


Well, so you already have the Top 50 songs of Nina Simone thanks to Dan and her Top 10 albums thanks to Rateyourmusic. In these 10 albums you can find the best Nina, the bluesy Nina, the jazzy Nina, the folky Nina, the melodramatic Nina, the emotional Nina, the intimate Nina, the poppy Nina, the pure Nina and the soul Nina. And these are not all the faces of Nina, if RYM had included more albums from the late 60s and early 70s we could have had the hippie Nina ("To Love Somebody," 1969), the crossover Nina ("Here Comes the Sun," 1971), the gospel Nina ("Emergency Ward," 1972) and even the afro-funk Nina ("It Is Finished," 1974). There's a Nina for everyone.

Two more things before ending:
a) If you are interested in go deep into Simone's discography you should definitely go to the Nina Simone Database, an absolute goldmine, many of the quotes I've included come from this page.
b) I strongly recommend you to watch the following YouTube clip, it's the last scene of Richard Linklater's "Before Sunset." Céline: "Baby ... you are gonna miss that plane." Jesse: "I Know."

[Honorio]

Just saw an excellent documentary about Nina Simone, "What Happened, Miss Simone?" directed in 2015 by Liz Garbus. Now I know why her music was so intense. I strongly recommend to all of you to see it. The only complete link I found got Portuguese subtitles (hope it's available to everyone):

[Rob]

In most countries that documentary should be available on Netflix.

[babydoll]

Just saw an excellent documentary about Nina Simone, "What Happened, Miss Simone?" directed in 2015 by Liz Garbus. Now I know why her music was so intense. I strongly recommend to all of you to see it. The only complete link I found got French subtitles (hope it's available to everyone):

I was browsing through Netflix the other night and I came across this documentary. I almost watched this, but didn't. However I watched the trailer and there was this one picture of Nina smiling, and she was gorgeous! Almost knocked me out.

BTW did anyone else know Out 1 is up on Netflix?!

[Dan]

I didn't know about that Nina Simone documentary, so thanks for making me aware of it, Honorio. I watched it last night, and oh boy, it certainly elicited a wide range of emotions in me. I knew that she had an isolated childhood because of her dedication to classical music, that she was exhausted because of being overworked when she became successful, and that she had an impactful involvement in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. But I didn't know about her bipolar disorder and her complex, volatile (and sometimes shocking) relationship with violence. When I listen to her music again, I will still listen out for the things I've always admired: the diversity of genres, her beautiful piano playing, her love for classical music, her unique voice that is both feminine and masculine, the romance of her tender songs, and the anger and intensity that sometimes come to the surface when she sings political songs. But after watching this documentary, from now on I will also pay closer attention to the pain and underlying depression in her music.

Thanks also for your post about those 10 Nina Simone albums, Honorio. Hopefully you know by now that if people don't respond to those insightful posts of yours it's because a) they are used to high standards from you, b) they have said 'thank you' a few times before and don't want to come across as a Honorio forum groupie, or c) both a and b.

[sonofsamiam]

I didn't know about that Nina Simone documentary, so thanks for making me aware of it, Honorio. I watched it last night, and oh boy, it certainly elicited a wide range of emotions in me. I knew that she had an isolated childhood because of her dedication to classical music, that she was exhausted because of being overworked when she became successful, and that she had an impactful involvement in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. But I didn't know about her bipolar disorder and her complex, volatile (and sometimes shocking) relationship with violence. When I listen to her music again, I will still listen out for the things I've always admired: the diversity of genres, her beautiful piano playing, her love for classical music, her unique voice that is both feminine and masculine, the romance of her tender songs, and the anger and intensity that sometimes come to the surface when she sings political songs. But after watching this documentary, from now on I will also pay closer attention to the pain and underlying depression in her music.

Thanks also for your post about those 10 Nina Simone albums, Honorio. Hopefully you know by now that if people don't respond to those insightful posts of yours it's because a) they are used to high standards from you, b) they have said 'thank you' a few times before and don't want to come across as a Honorio forum groupie, or c) both a and b.

a and b, thank you.

And more people need to listen to Nina!

[jamieW]

I didn't know about that Nina Simone documentary, so thanks for making me aware of it, Honorio. I watched it last night, and oh boy, it certainly elicited a wide range of emotions in me. I knew that she had an isolated childhood because of her dedication to classical music, that she was exhausted because of being overworked when she became successful, and that she had an impactful involvement in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. But I didn't know about her bipolar disorder and her complex, volatile (and sometimes shocking) relationship with violence. When I listen to her music again, I will still listen out for the things I've always admired: the diversity of genres, her beautiful piano playing, her love for classical music, her unique voice that is both feminine and masculine, the romance of her tender songs, and the anger and intensity that sometimes come to the surface when she sings political songs. But after watching this documentary, from now on I will also pay closer attention to the pain and underlying depression in her music.

Thanks also for your post about those 10 Nina Simone albums, Honorio. Hopefully you know by now that if people don't respond to those insightful posts of yours it's because a) they are used to high standards from you, b) they have said 'thank you' a few times before and don't want to come across as a Honorio forum groupie, or c) both a and b.

a and b, thank you.

And more people need to listen to Nina!

I agree with both. I think Dan speaks for all of us. I have thanked Honorio many times for his wonderful contributions to the forum, and he's always gracious enough to respond. I now usually post when I feel I have something I can add, but I always look forward to reading everything he posts. Thanks again, Honorio!

Also, I agree with sonofsamiam about Nina. I overlooked many artists for the last artist poll due to my last minute approach of the number of songs I had on my I-Pod. (Many artists I typically stream, so this was not a very reliable system.) That oversight of her and others will be corrected this time!

[Honorio]

Hey, many thanks, my dear friends, you're so kind. I simply ordered some quotes that I gathered on the Internet but many thanks anyway!
About the documentary I agree with Dan, I found deeply perturbing her ambivalent comments about the mistreating he suffered from her husband. Sentences as "He was brutal but I loved him," "Andrew hit me last night (swollen lip) of course it was what I needed after so many days of depression" or "I love physical violence, in love making or war" are undoubtedly disturbing…