Nina Simone - Anthology

From amazon.com
In her introduction to "Who Knows Where The Times Goes" on this fantastic CD, Nina Simone says that time transcends race. Sadly, we are reminded that racism in this country practically drove this great singer mad. I purchased this CD for this cut alone. As always Ms. Simone takes a song that we think we know or that somone else has sung what we think is the definitive version and makes it her own all over again. That is precisely what happens here. It's as if you have never heard this music before. With a simple accompaniment, Simone sings this sad, haunting ballad. I have been loving this woman's albums for over thirty years and didn't know she recorded this beauty in 1970. In the recent movie "The Dancer Upstairs," the movie ends with a young girl dancing while Ms. Simone sings this song. I knew I had to own Ms. Simone's version of this Sandy Denny lyric.

There are many other wonderful songs as well on this 2 CD set. "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,""To Love Somebody," "Here Comes The Sun," "Just Like A Woman." I had not heard this arrangement of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" before. Finally "Everyone's Going To The Moon" has Ms. Simone playing piano. You can imagine what a great concert pianist she would have been. But we would have been the losers, not to have witnessed her magnificant voice.

From wikipedia.org
Nina Simone Biography