Customer Reviews

Nina Simone's Finest Hour

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an absolutely fabulous CD--however one of the songs on the cd isn't listed and thus the track order as listed on this site as well as on the cd case itself is off. Now that I've figured this out--thought I'd share it with you...

1. Love Me Or Leave Me;
2. Wild Is The Wind;
3. I Put A Spell On You;
4. Work Song;
5. Don't Explain;
6. The Other Women (NOT LISTED AS BEING ON THIS CD!);
7. Mississippi Goddam;
8. Four Women;
9. Pirate Jenny;
10. I Loves You, Porgy;
11. This Year's Kisses;
12. Little Girl Blue;
13. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood;
14. Ne Me Quitte Pas; and
15. Don't Smoke In Bed

In some ways, I envy those of you who haven't yet discovered Nina Simone. You are about to hear a truly authentic virtuoso perform songs that will slowly, irrevocably creep into your soul.

Regarding this item:

Nina Simone's Finest Hour does lack many wonderful tracks, but it is an excellent primer. This is the album I give to skeptics when I want to introduce them to Nina. It is polished enough to appeal to people who are not traditionally fans of the genre.

If you already own a Nina Simone CD, I recommend skipping this disc and putting the money towards either the Colpix or Philips box set. To my knowledge, this disc doesn't contain any unique songs; it is just a good sampler.

Regarding Nina Simone:

For years I occasionally listened to powerful jazz/blues vocalists like Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and Etta James. I enjoyed their work, with some individual songs greatly affecting me, but my appreciation changed when I stumbled across Nina Simone. As I listened to her tracks, I realized that I enjoyed each and every song. Her music combines incredibly soulful vocals with a classical tightness in the melodies.

For me, Simone possesses a quality that is becoming increasingly rare: a raw authenticity. This quality is difficult to define verbally; instead, imagine a favorite painting that you have actually seen in person. Now think of the differences between seeing a paper print of the piece and seeing the original work up close, inches from your eyes. In person, you can see the subtlety of the brushstrokes, and the masterful blending of colors takes on an entirely new and wonderful vibrancy. For me, discovering Nina Simone was like finally seeing my favorite print in person. My mind was blown open; I could actually feel my musical sensibilities maturing. Similar experiences happened to me when I encountered Ray Charles, John Lennon, Bob Marley, and suprisingly Hank Williams Sr.

Prickly with a voice that grates, there's nothing pretty about the music of Nina Simone. But her phrasing and the all consuming emotion that she gives to the songs makes her own them. Pour yourself a Scotch or two and this album will envelop you like smoke in an old bar when it's cold and dark outside.

The choice of songs here has been made by a singer, and if you like art in your interpretations of standards, then this album is meant for you. It's meant for detailed listening. It's moody as moody can be and definitely not for those who get their thrills from the easy smooth sounds of Norah Jones. But if you like singing with emotion and attitude, well it doesn't get any better than Nina. And this collection is very representative of all that Nina could do.

......and takes residence in my music collection.

I cannot remember ever being so pleased with a

purchase. This CD not only lives up to

its title, but it also adds further splendor and

dignity to the musical legacy of Nina Simone. Prior

to this CD, I was only remotely familiar with

Simone; mainly by virtue of commercial allusions

or literary accounts of her contributions. Also,

I had been listening to this very recording at work

through computer speakers. HOWEVER, once I heard it at

home, out loud and in surround sound, it left me with

no doubt that Nina Simone added irrefutable substance

to the trite expression: "musical genius."

One could write volumes about the voice alone. In my

opinion it was not a beautiful voice, but rather

an essential tool used toward the construction of

a solid, multi-layered musical palace. Simone's

voice is comparable to that of Maria Callas in

the opera realm: not necessarily the most beautiful,

but by far, the most capable of conveying the

emotional stance of the character/composer.

Both singers were highly aware of their

vocal instrument; proficiently utilizing

it to display the dynamics

of love/hate/joy/despair (et al.) with a frank,

virtuoso flair that not only fell pleasantly on

the ears, but also resounded brilliantly with emotional authenticity.

In the jazz realm, Nina Simone, with her majestically

agile contralto, was unsurpassable in terms of

providing color and life to a song.

In perfect conjunction with the voice is

Simone's amazing musicianship. Her classical

piano training envelopes each composition

and sells it, Donald Trump-style. The arrangements

are intelligent, never overpowering, and replete

with a unique jazz/classical hybrid. From the

opening bars of any given composition, the

listener knows that a masterwork is in the making.

I found myself alternately listening to just

the music or the voice alone. Either way,

the result is the same. Simone's style

adds that subtle element of "cool" that makes

jazz so unspeakably enjoyable.

I could also comment on her life as an activist

or as a staunch supporter of artistic freedom,

but I'll concentrate on the music for now.

Nina Simone's "Finest Hour" is a perfect addition

for longtime fans as well as a bright point of

departure for newfound admirers. A five star

rating doesn't measure even a tenth of the

greatness of this CD. Thank you, Amazon.com for

the availability of this recording

and thank you, God, for Nina Simone.

Nina Simone is a singer for the ages.She's sorely underrated and gets overshadowed by the likes of Billie Holiday,Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn.Well,these ladies are brilliant, no ones gonna deny that, but no matter how good they get, Nina will always run rings around them.No one has Nina's staggering versatility, and ability to sing ANY type of music whatsoever.No one makes a song "theirs" like Nina can do it.No one has Nina's eclectic and solely orginal style when it comes to production and instrumentation.

And can I just say that Nina's piano skills are on a virtuoso level, and have the capacity to send shivers down your spine.Her piano playing isn't just an accompaniment for the music,it almost has a voice of its own.

Which brings me to THE VOICE.There are great voices, amazing voices,refined ,strong voices, and then there are voices like Nina's, that don't even seem to try to project emotion through their voice, because the emotion, IS a part of their voice.All the life,pain,joy,anger,love,tenderness ever found in life can be found in just a single of Nina's songs.And that timbre, so deep and rich that at times, when you hear her voice tremble, its like it overwhelms even her.

Not a single one of Nina's collections is "the definite", because there are so many dimnensions to her, but I promise that whatever you buy, you cant' go wrong.All the songs are fabulous, but the standouts are Four Women(the climax will ALWAYS send shivers down my spine)Wild Is The Wind(Sensual,fragile,and her piano playing is breathtaking).I Put A Spell On You (absolutely smoldering,a masterpiece),Ne Me Qutte Pas(heartbraking)and the closer, Don't Smoke In Bed,which will quietly send shivers down your spine.

Nina Simone is the best singer that ever lived, at least that goes for me.Her music works for any mood, for any day, for any lifetime.It has the capacity to lift, to touch,to make you weep,to make you love,to inspire you.And if someone one more time calls Billie Holiday the best singer ever, why doesn't that someone get ahold of Nina's cover of Strange Fruit.Then you can talk. Nina Simone was my first experience with REAL music, and my first turned out to be my best.She's a God.

While no extensive record collection is complete without Simone's definitive Tomato Collection, this shimmering Verve set is easily the most well-engineered sampling of Nina's great performances. While the muffled, grainy tracks on Tomato are a better testament to Nina's unpredictable sonic palette and her unique subversive interpretations, this small collection of Verve gems beautifully captures her command of contemporary standards and the emotional depth she brings into each song.

No one has ever carried "Wild is the Wind" into such swirling, magical ecstasy, and no one else could so convincingly bring such dry theatrical malice into the wonderful "Pirate Jenny." For listeners who are just discovering Nina Simone, several of her staple tracks ("Mississippi Goddamn," "I Loves You Porgy") are remastered in all their glory; this is not an erudite collection but a remarkably accessible entry point. Almost all of the songs chosen are ones Simone has recorded multiple times in her career, but they tend to highlight the best arrangements here, especially in "Ne Me Quitte Pas" and "Four Women."

Unfortunately, taken out of the context of Simone's other work, this collection could leave the impression that the High Priestess has spent her career trying to appeal to mainstream white audiences. It is best taken alongside (rather than in lieu of) some of her more eclectic works.

I began searching for Nina Simone's music after hearing her version of "Here Comes The Sun" in the movie, 'Point of No Return' and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" in the movie, 'Disappearing Acts'. The thing that drew me to her initially is & always will be her voice. It is like no others in the music industry. The first time I heard one of her songs, I literally stopped in my tracks, closed my eyes and listened.

This disc is a really excellent starting point for those unfamiliar yet curious about this one of a kind artist and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

The standout tracks to me are those songs that have become my favorites: Wild Is The Wind (her piano playing is breath taking!), I Loves You Porgy, Don't Explain, Four Women, Mississippi Goddam & Ne Me Quitte Pas.

I have been a huge Nina Simone fan for years, but this lovely mix is one of my favorite collections. Her sultry voice and moving lyrics make you want to stay in all day and hit the repeat button!A great addition! Wild is the Wind is a must sample!

Normally I am not a Nina Simone fan, and I cannot say that I am a music critique. My knowledge of music is limited to my personal appreciation. I am an audiophile and speaker builder, first and foremost. Once in a while, however, there is a CD that captivates me. This is one such item. The intensity and beauty portrayed in these performances is very personal to Nina Simone, in my opinion. The people involved in this selection have captured both her essence and range. Well done Verve. A new gem, one of about ten, in a thousand items I own.

Nina Simone is not an easy listen. Especially her 1950s and early 60s work. Simone, admerably, dealt in brass knuckle honest terms with racism in her music, when people were being beaten for trying to access buses, cafe counters and bathrooms.

Simone has a pungent, heavy voice, and this works miricles on material like "I Put A Spell On You, or "I Love You Porky." But even the blues and ballads have a dark subtext--you can hear her anger.

And hear it ten fold on tracks like "Pirate Jenny," where the protaganist slaughters the crew of a ship, licking her chops. When she sings about a ship, a black freighter, and says "ain't no one gonna sleep here, tonight," you know exactly what Jenny is going to do. It is chilling: an innsurection on the seas, but I would be suprised if she was not thinking of George Wallace or Lester Maddox while singing it. Creepy sentiments but completely understandable given the segragated times.

"Two Sisters" is about r-a---pe among slave and master. Frank for the era it was recorded.

This work is essential, but extremely emotionally taxing. Still, you cannot do better in understanding race in those times--how bad it truely was--than hearing this part of Simone's work.