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: #41261 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-15
• Number of discs: 1

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

Customer Reviews

Nina swamped with strings
Nina Simone was displaced by the mid-1970's,both as an artist and a poltical activist: Rejecting the USA, and living in Liberia, then Europe, spending years without management or agent, sometimes without a record deal, 1977 -1978 saw Nina at her lowest ebb. Then Jazz label CTI agreed a one off deal: Prime studio musicians, backing singers were drafted in. The result was this 1978 album 'Baltimore'. Even the CD sleeve notes concede that Nina didn't like the final result and later she claimed to have had no choice of the songs that were selected. Some fans however rate this release highly. Sadly the over-production -particularly the orchestral overdubs added later to the original work- nearly stifles the whole release.
Randy Newman's `Baltimore' opens the set, a fine version, with a slight reggae beat ; Nina's voice is great, draws out Newman's sharp lyrics, but string arrangements begin to dangerously encroach. `Everything Must Change' follows, Nina sounds on tip top form, and the orchestra has been kept at bay so one can hear Nina's intricate piano arrangement and poignant interpretation of this track. But sadly the lush string arrangements return with a vengeance to suffocate her version of Judy Collins' `My Father' and the old standard `Music for Lovers', and 'That's All I Want From You'. There a couple of quirky upbeat cuts ` The Family' and `Rich Girl' ( the Hall/Oates hit) which are a little odd. `Forget' is a Soul ballad with a subtle reggae tinge, then two uplifting Gospel numbers `Balm in Gilead' and `If You Pray Right' which really are charming. `Baltimore' has its moments but hardly ranks along side classic Nina. Its tracks haven't found their way on to the countless Nina Simone compilations, so worth checking out if you are after some lesser known material.

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.