Aural Fixations

NINA SIMONE
Nina Simone Sings the Blues
Silk and Soul
Forever Young, Gifted and Black
(RCA/Legacy)
The late Nina Simone was, unfortunately, little more than a cult figure by the time she died in 2003, known more for her strong political stances and expatriate status than for her music. But since her death, reissues have become to creep out to remind us why she was considered a major artist in the first place. Legacy accidentally sabotaged this effort a couple of years ago with the release of Baltimore, the misguided disco diva album recorded for schlockmeister Creed Taylor's CTI label. But now the company is doing right by Simone's history with remastered reissues of two of Simone's classics and a thematic compilation.

1967's Nina Simone Sings the Blues is exactly what the title says it is. Moving between classic tunes and originals, Simone takes her distinctive husky vibrato down to the juke joints and mesmerizes all comers. Whether celebrating sex in "Buck," "Do I Move You?" (which appears in two versions) and "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," yearning for contact in "Since I Fell For You" and "In the Dark," tapping politics for "Backlash Blues" (co-written with poet Langston Hughes) or simply raising a ruckus with "The House of the Rising Sun," Simone channels the blues through her gospel and jazz lenses, without polishing the music's essential grit one whit. Her reading of Willie Dixon's "Whatever I Am (You Made Me)" lets her take the Chess sound for a spin, while her take on Gershwin's "My Man's Gone Now" (from Porgy and Bess) is the very definition of sublime. Amazing. [buy it]

Silk and Soul, also released in the Summer of Love, returns Simone to the more eclectic ground she pioneered on her infamous High Priestess of Soul a few years before. This is a more playful album than Sings the Blues, as indicated by a sardonic reading of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" and the jaunty middle finger ditty "Go to Hell." She also puts her stamp on classic 60s soul with the joyful "Some Say" and the bonus tracks "Why Must Your Love Be So Dry" and "Save Me." Simone turns more serious, however, on the orchestrated social commentary of "Turning Point," "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and the introspective "Consummation." Unfortunately, her cover of the Association's easy listening classic "Cherish" proves the truth of the old adage about silk purses and sow's ears. Still, it's another great record. [buy it]

Subtitled Songs of Freedom and Spirit, Forever Young, Gifted and Black collects Simone tunes of social commentary and political inspiration. Most of the tracks here come from live albums and are mostly presented in unedited form, with Simone's pre- and mid-song commentary. There are a couple of alternate takes as well. The motley nature of this collection somewhat ruptures any sense of flow, despite the thematic unity, but it's hard to argue with such sterling performances of "Why? (The King of Love is Dead)," "Backlash Blues" and her infamous "Mississippi Goddam." There are also interesting takes on "Turn! Turn! Turn!," which recaptures the spirit of Pete Seeger's original adaptation while still bending the tune to Simone's will, and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'," given a stately hymn-like read. Of course, the set leads off with her inspirational original "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" and closes with a concert version of same. Simone's legacy might be better served with reissues of the albums from which these tracks come, as the length and breadth of her eclecticism was as much a part of her artistry as her sociopolitical intentions. But at least Forever Young, Gifted and Black gives a portrait of an important American artist who strove to have her work reach beyond the confines of mere entertainment. Michael Toland [buy it]