Baltimore is a mellow, melancholy Nina Simone and the songs are indelible. This must be the 5th or 6th copy I've owned - the others have either worn out or been pinched. I bought it on impulse because I decided I couldn't bear another day without a copy.
February 18, 2006With 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.
November 28, 2004Although Ms. Simone is quoted as saying that she had no say whatsoever in the selection of these songs and that the material was not her personal choice, this group of songs is still amazingly beautiful. "Baltimore" remains one of my favorite CD's by this consumate artist. First, there is the title song by Randy Newman with its reggae beat. Some of the others I cherish are "Everything Must Change", "My Father", "Music For Lovers", "Rich Girl", and the beautiful hymn "Balm in Gilead." Ms. Simone accompanies herself on many of these cuts. On "My Father", the beautiful tribute Judy Collins wrote for her father, the piano literally cascades. (The orchestra was added later and at times almost drowns out both Ms. Simone's voice and her piano. Some arranger should have done better on that one.) Anyone who has ever listened to this great singer knows there is literally nothing she cannot do as no style or form is too difficult for her. Here she is upbeat, soulful and then so beautifully tender and soothing in the grand hymn about there being a balm in Gilead that comforts the sinsick soul.
More beautiful Simone!
August 1, 2004Nina has the ability to transform any lyric into a poem. Here again she proves her worth as a highly skilled interpreter of many different styles of music: ballads, gospel, folk, pop and soul. My favorites include the funky but heartbreaking The Family, the rousing Balm in Gilead and the uplifting ballad That's All I Want From You with its haunting lyrics: "A sunny day/with hopes up to the sky/Not a day that comes and dies/That's all I want from you". Her version of My Father is elegant and atmospheric, with a particularly brilliant arrangement. 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.
September 11, 2002Of all my Nina recordings, Baltimore remains my favorite. However, it joins the ranks of Teena Marie's "Emerald City", Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Illuminations" and Joni Mitchell's "Mingus" for controversy. There is no middle ground here. Fans either love or hate these albums. Unlike these other albums, where the artists had total control, Nina evidently had none for Baltimore and apparently does not like the album. Despite the circumstances, she unwittingly created another classic. This is the album that made me enough of a fan to buy 60 other Nina recordings, so I DO know what she is capable of.
I was hooked for life upon hearing the title track on the radio about 20 years ago. I was certainly not disappointed when I got the whole album. The recording here of Everything Must Change (though recorded by half the singers in the recording business) has only been equalled by the likes of Randy Crawford. The touching Judy Collins testimonial "My Father" is heartwrenching in Nina's hands. Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl" can be forgiven, or at least skipped. "Balm in Gilead" is a fine arrangement that she continued to use in concerts for years.
I really hope that Ms. Simone knows how she has touched people with this album. For those that just don't "get it" with "Baltimore", there are dozens of others to choose from. I don't think she lost any fans with this one the way the bulimic white girls abandoned Joni over "Mingus", and the hippies and moldy figs freaked over Buffy's "Illuminations" and even Teena herself disowned her own "Emerald City" fusion of Funk, Soul, Metal and World Beat.
Simply put, "Baltimore" is good music. It is among my prize possessions. March 27, 2002
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