Verve Reissues 1985 Nina Simone Album

Cover of the album being discussed (courtesy of Crossover Media)

Nina’s Back is an album that Nina Simone released in 1985, after taking some “break time” living first in Barbados and then in Liberia. Verve Records recently reissued the album, which is now available on both CD and vinyl through an Amazon.com Web page. While some of the tracks reflect back on the 1982 Fodder On My Wings album, the 1985 session involved a larger instrumental ensemble that included both horns and backup vocals by The Waters Family. In other words, the production team was determined to keep up with the changing times! Simone was responsible for all of the arrangements; and, as in the past, she sang while accompanying herself at the piano.

Where my own tastes are concerned, I have a relatively strong preference for the earlier recordings. With the piano as the primary instrument, Simone could be far more expressive than she was on the later release, where that richer accompaniment is simply not to my own personal tastes. Even if she was in charge of the arrangements, there was just too much of the banal, if not the insipid. Nevertheless, I certainly appreciate the context in which this album was created and its historical context. So I am willing to take what I get!