#271: Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind (1966)

Zack: I could talk about the epic title track here, but I won’t. Instead, I’m going to focus in on Lilac Wine, a song we saw a couple hundred albums ago on Grace by Jeff Buckley that I had, at the time, no idea was a cover. I’ve listened to Grace roughly a billion times since then and Lilac Wine remains a song that I sort of like. It’s part of a three-track break between the powerful intro of Mojo Pin and Grace and the mid-album tear-makers of Hallelujah and Lover, You Should’ve Come Over that lulls you into just the right headspace. On Grace, it’s more a placeholder than a powerful, album-defining song. Not here. Not for Nina Simone. Lilac Wine was the first song that made my brain draw parallels to Jeff Buckley. But once I had finally made the connection, I just couldn’t stop hearing it. Honestly, I’m kind of disappointed it took me so long. They have almost identical singing voices (gender be damned!) and the music is almost identical in composition. I’ll admit to liking Grace more. But it was still cool to hear where that all came from and it was fantastic hearing someone perform Lilac Wine in such a way that was so similar, and yet so different, from the way I had initially heard it.

Favorite Tracks: Lilac Wine; Wild is the Wind; If I Should Lose You

Emily: What's crazy to me about this album is that it's made up of leftover songs from previous recording sessions. If these are the leftovers, the choice cuts must be absolutely amazing. Wild is the Wind is excellent exhibition of Nina Simone's talents. Her voice combines the musicality of jazz with the heart-wrenching emotion of soul and blues, creating music that pulls in both the listener's mind and heart. Some of the tracks have an upbeat Motown feel as well, adding in another element to reflect the music of the times but which didn't really fit in with the rest of the album. Where the album really shines is on the ballads. With a little bit of music and a lot of Simone's voice, these songs will fill a room with emotion and soul.
Favorite Tracks: Four Women; Either Way I Lose; I Love Your Lovin' Ways