Track Listing

1. Baltimore
2. Everything Must Change
3. The Family
4. My Father
5. Music For Lovers
6. Rich Girl
7. That's All I Want (From You)
8. Forget
9. Balm In Gilead
10. If You Pray Right

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25851 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Simone's performance on this album (originally recorded for the CTI label in 1978) is widely regarded to be one of her best. Producer and label owner Creed Taylor provided top musicians, including guitarists Jerry Friedman and Eric Gale, and bassist Will Lee, as well as an 18-piece string section. They create a funky, understated backing for her soulful rendition of the title track, a loping, reggae-influenced reading of Randy Newman's wry song about a city in crisis. Other stand-out tracks include the lush, meditative "My Father"; the world-weary yet magnificent "Everything Must Change"; and "The Family", recorded here with a quirky, upbeat Southern soul feel. --Lucy O'Brien

CD Description
The seeds for BALTIMORE were sown when producer Creed Taylor approached the legendary Nina Simone after her 1977 appearance at London's Drury Lane Theater with the idea of recording an album for his CTI record label. At this point Simone had ended her seven-year association with RCA Records and hadn't made a studio album in almost four years. The results ofthis 1978 release, mostly recorded in Brussels, are slightly production-heavy yet never less than charming; there's an 18-piece string section (overdubbed in New York), and a small choir, in addition to the band.
Though the choice of material is somewhat puzzling, including versions of Hall and Oates' "Rich Girl" and the country song "The Family" (Simoneclaimed to have little part in the selection), the album boasts a few spellbinding cuts, including a moving version of Judy Collins' nostalgic song "My Father". There's also a powerful performance of Bernard Ighner's "Everything Must Change", as well as an intense interpretation of the Randy Newmantitle song.

Customer Reviews

Achingly beautiful
With her mellifluous voice, Nina had the ability to transform any lyric into a moving poem. Here again she proves her worth as a highly skilled interpreter of many different styles of music: ballads, gospel, folk, pop and soul. The title track is fairly lightweight compared to what follows, like the brooding Everything Must Change. There is a funky beat to the heartbreaking The Family, a tale of tragedy and hope. My favourites include the rousing Balm in Gilead and the uplifting ballad That's All I Want From You with its simple and haunting lyrics. Her version of My Father is elegant and atmospheric, with a particularly brilliant arrangement, whilst Music For Lovers is dreamy and romantic. The album concludes with the buoyant gospel sounds of If You Pray Right. The varied material permits her unique voice to reveal more of its subtle hues. Baltimore is a gripping album of beautiful songs that will richly reward the listener.

Sublime & poetic
Nina has the ability to transform any lyric into a poem. Here again she proves her worth as a highly skilled interpreter of many different styles of music: ballads, gospel, folk, pop and soul. My favorites include the funky but heartbreaking The Family, the rousing Balm in Gilead and the uplifting ballad That’s All I Want From You with its haunting lyrics: “A sunny day/with hopes up to the sky/Not a day that comes and dies/That’s all I want from you”. Her version of My Father is elegant and atmospheric, with a particularly brilliant arrangement. The varied material permits her unique voice to reveal more of its subtle hues. Baltimore is a gripping album of beautiful songs that will richly reward the listener.

An album containing some of Simone's best vocals
This critically acclaimed album contains some of the best singing of Simone's career - hence the four star rating. There are some beautiful songs here, too: "Everything Must Change" is a clear highlight in my eyes and the CD is a must-have for that track alone. "My Father" is also beautifully delivered - seven years after Simone's aborted first attempt, eventually released on "Sugar In My Bowl" 2CD set by RCA.

If these are highlights, then what of the rest? Well, the last two numbers on the album are gospel tinged, but Simone has done better. They are not bad, but just important in comparison the two songs I have already described. Of the remaing six numbers, three are reggae influenced, and Simone's voice fits this material like a glove. They are remarkably well sung, although anyone used to hearing Simone's earlier recordings may bawk at the sudden change in style. In fact, nothing that Nina Simone had previously recorded prepares us for this album. It leads her into new directions, it's just a pity that there was no follow-up.

The whole is not a masterpiece, but some of the tracks are when standing alone from the more minor elements of the album.