To Love Somebody [Limited Edition, Original recording remastered, Import]

Nina Simone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 26, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: RCA Victor Europe
• ASIN: B0001ZXMCC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,989 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Remastered reissue of 1969 album. BMG. 2004.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Priestess Of Soul., October 13, 2003

By 

F. Gentile (Lake Worth, Florida, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Love Somebody (Audio CD)

I don't necessarily mean "soul", as in, category of music. I am referring to the relative handfull of singers who sing from their "soul", that indefinable, intangible place where art is born. I bought this recording as an album, in around 1973 or so, on the advice of none other than "The Happy Hooker", Xaviera Hollander. She had praised this recording as one of her most favorite, and, based on her good taste, I purchased it! I was not disappointed. At the time, I had barely heard of Nina Simone. But, also at that time, I was suffering from saccharine overdose due to the trend in music towards singers like Karen Carpenter and Helen Reddy. They were talented ladies, but, so....whitebread! I HATED their songs! I wanted something SEXY! and this recording reeked of it. Nina Simone's smooth, mysterious vocals evoked images of an other worldly Lorelei, whose dark, islandy phrasings could lead the powerless listener to sweet doom! She had such a true and natural instinct as far as phrasing and stylizing a song. She could take a simple song and weave a spell with her voice and talent. You either have it, or you don't. Ms. Simone did. I was especially hypnotized by the first track on this recording, the hauntingly beautiful "Suzanne." This song has remained one of my favorites through the years, listening to her sing it actually taught me alot about singing. Though I have heard other artists perform this song, it is Miss Simone's version that remains the definitive version. I enjoy all the songs on this album, they range from ballad to all-out hell bent protest, as in "Revolution." Miss Simone, though not exactly a household name, enjoyed a long, respected career, with a very loyal following. She was known as one of the first "Divas", and, according to the trumpet player I knew years ago who had performed with her, this label was putting it kindly, as he swore he'd never work with her again. I imagine it was more likely just the case of a very strong artist knowing exactly what she wanted and needed to put forth her magic. She was also very vocally active in the civil rights movement. I don't know exactly where Miss Simone was born, I believe it was the U.S., and I know her real name was something more common, and not very exotic. She was the one who christened herself "Nina Simone" originally, as the story goes, so her mother wouldn't find out about her desire to pursue a music career. But, her sound, style, and overall look brought forth an image more resembling a powerful VooDoo Goddess than someone from a humble American backround. With her recent passing, I re-listened to this recording, which was not only very nostalgic, but made me realize that the world of music had lost one of its most talented, original artists. Nina Simone was one of a kind, and her music deserves to live on. Do yourself a favor, and, if you are not familiar with her artistry, become so. Though there are possibly better collections of her work available, this recording was my first exposure to her beautiful talent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent and a half, June 11, 2010

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: To Love Somebody (Audio CD)

A confession: I have very mixed feelings about Nina Simone. I have always been a little afraid of her dead seriousness. I feel at times that the constant vibrato in her voice lends a grave nuance to material where it just does not fit. Though at times it does and if you ever want the utter hell scared out of you, check out her rendition of Kurt Wile's "Pirate Jenny,"

But you can't question two things about Nina Simone: her courage in tackling race when it was a truly pussy American wound.

And her career instincts. Simone realized she could appeal to late 1960s youth culture, and started to sing rock. I have a 1969 Time Magazine that has a great piece on Nina at the Filmore East. There is a reason Nina was and Leslie Gore was not.

Maybe the reason, or part of it, is To Love Somebody. The material on this album is actually pretty predictable. "The Times They Are A Chagin'," the title track, "Suzanne,": all songs that any artist crossing over during the counterculture era would cover to be considered, well, let's just use the damn term, "relevant,"

But Simone already had ten people's worth of street cred going into counterculture rock given her stance and guts tackling racial issues when it was truly dangerous--if you did not live in those times, yes, bigot goons would kill you. She was truly fearless

Maybe more important, she makes several brilliant moves: she hires an electric band on To Love Somebody. She also gets conventional but fantastic female backup vocals to buffer her voice. On one number, "Revolution." (it is not the Beatles song,) there is even a totally unexpected free form freakout in the mid section, and it works, perfectly. It sounds dated and does not need to be there, but sounds fantastic and I am so glad it IS there.

If you're new to Nina, this actually might be a great start. Those pre-rock albums are from a totally different era, and given her voice, take a lot of work to penetrate. If you relate more to any part of rock, you'll warm quickly to this album, if standing on its own or as a departure point into Nina Simone.

'

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Old school Sensitivity, May 17, 2008

By 

MBM news "M-B-M" (dk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Love Somebody (Audio CD)

Nina Simone, what to say...cannot avoid to create an atmoshere. If u don't like it, it will make an emotionel statement, different from yours, for u to mirrow in. If u like it, u can talk, live make love and create in it.

Nine Simone have an old school sensitivity, that carries time and circumstances, that only belongs to the future, to a degree, we integrate it. What I am saying is, i don't think we are about to create circumstances for a new Nina Simone.

Enjoy.