General Article name: Broadway - Blues - Ballads
Genre: Jazz Product type: LP (Vinyl) Label: Verve Number of tracks: 12 Duration: 33:45 Tracklist LP - 1 1. Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood 2:45 2. Nina Simone - Night Song 3:04 3. Nina Simone - Laziest Gal in Town 2:17 4. Nina Simone - Something Wonderful 2:37 5. Nina Simone - Don't Take All Night 2:50 6. Nina Simone - Nobody 4:10 7. Nina Simone - I Am Blessed 2:52 8. Nina Simone - Of This I'm Sure 2:30 9. Nina Simone - See-Line Woman 2:36 10. Nina Simone - Our Love (Will See Us Through) 2:55 11. Nina Simone - How Can I? 2:05 12. Nina Simone - Last Rose of Summer 3:04   Description Description

There's a lot more Broadway and a lot more ballads than blues on this, which ranks as one of Simone's weaker mid-'60s albums. Almost half the record features Broadway tunes on the order of Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hammerstein; most of the rest was composed by Bennie Benjamin, author of her first-rate "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," which the Animals covered for a hit shortly afterwards (and which leads off this record). The other Benjamin tunes are modified uptown soul with string arrangements and backup vocals in the vein of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," but aren't in the same league, although "How Can I?" is an engaging cha-cha. Besides "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," the album is most notable for the great "SeeLine Woman," a percolating call-and-response number that ranks as one of her best tracks. ~ Richie Unterberger

Richie Unterberger

Contributors Artist: Nina Simone Record Label: Verve