#212 Nina Simone, 'Wild Is the Wind' (1966)

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Nina Simone’s sixth studio album was compiled from songs that were left over from other sessions. What. How were these songs leftovers? The album starts with the sexy RnB song, ‘I Love Your Lovin’ Ways.’ It set the tone, or so I thought. Song 2 stopped me in my tracks. Seriously. ‘Four Women,’ is, as the title suggests, about four African American women, four different stereotypical African American women. The song structure is fairly simple. Bass driving the verse, with a simple turnaround leading to the next woman. It’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard.

Track 4 is the familiar ‘Lilac Wine.’ I’ve never actually heard this version, but I’m very familiar with Jeff Buckley’s version. Her smoky vocals give the song more gravitas than Buckley’s version. Her vocal delivery is amazing. The title track was later covered by Bowie on ‘Station To Station’ 10 years later. This is a complex, Jazzy album buoyed by Simone’s tortured vocal. I’d never listened to this one before, but I’ll definitely be revisiting in future. It’s actually quite superb.

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