List | N | Nina Simone | 'The Wonderful Music Of...' CD 1996

Track:	Name:	Time:
1.	My Baby Just Cares For Me	3:36
2.	I Loves You Porgy	4:08
3.	Don't Smoke In Bed	3:09
4.	Mood Indigo	4:01
5.	For All We Know	3:58
6.	Central Park Blues	3:04
7.	You'll Never Walk Alone	3:44
8.	Plain Gold Ring	3:52
9.	Little Girl Blue	4:16
10.	Four Women	4:24
11.	Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood	2:44
12.	Ain't Got No - I Got Life Live	6:12
13.	Backlash Blues Live	3:24
14.	No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed Live	4:27
15.	Ain't No Use Live	2:44
16.	To Be Young, Gifted And Black Live	6:21
	Total	64:35

Comments:

Cool swinging jazz music backing the marvelous voice of Nina Simone. Naturally, having grown up in the '80:s, I bought this CD exclusively for the first track, her 1959 hit song 'My Baby Just Cares For Me', as re-released in 1987 in conjunction with its misuse in some TV ad. This is the version I thought I was getting when I bought this CD two years before this one, but as that compilation had a sub-standard live version of the song I was consequently not satisfied and eventually bought this one instead (although not until first confirming it was in fact the good old studio version). Well, since both CD:s came pretty cheap ('50:s music often tend to do that nowadays, thank you very much), it was no big loss really.

An interesting track to hear is 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood', since I'm previously only familiar with the '80:s Elvis Costello version. As much respect as I have for Mr. McManus, I actually think I prefer this one to his. Those annoying marimba-type sounds in his version are here played by luscious strings, and her anguish-ridden voice does certainly bring another dimension to this song.

Some of the other tracks also feature this swinging style of 'My Baby...', albeit in slightly less pop-catchy tunes and less happy and carefree lyrics (which probably is a Good Thing), a style of music I have too little of in my CD shelf as it is. But, I suppose, you can't buy everything...

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