Josef Woodard, Entertainment Weekly, Sept 17, 1993
At 60, the almost mystically charismatic Nina Simone still has the deep, musky, androgynous sound that can enchant material as diverse as Rod McKuen's title cut, the svelte standard "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," and the cafe-side exoticism of "Il n'y a Pas d'Amour Heureux." A true original reaches the point of inevitable return.
Nelson George, Playboy, Sept 1993
For nearly four decades, Nina Simone's work has defied categorization. With her versatile vocal style and eclectic taste in material, Simone has charted her own idiosyncratic course. Her husky, dark-toned voice is as comfortable with Gershwin as it is with the blues, and it's associated both with feminine independence and worldly sophistication. In addition, she's a top-notch pianist.
This expatriate's first album in more than five years is appropriately titled A Single Woman (Elektra). Often in the ten songs, Simone meditates on the joys and sadness of a woman alone. The title song, with its orchestral backing, sets an introspective tone. Lonesome Cities, with its playful flute arrangement and witty lyrics, puts Simone in the role of restless lover. She ably supports herself on the song with a stylish piano solo. Marry Me has a similar tongue-in-cheek quality and a swinging piano coda. More bluesy in delivery is If I Should Lose You, and her version of the chestnut The Folks Who Live on the Hill is beautifully controlled.
Roy Wynn, All Music Guide
Vocalist, composer and pianist Nina Simone returned from a lengthy self-imposed exile in 1993 with an autobiography and outstanding CD highlighting her still impressive singing and interpretative skills in an intriguing context, surrounded by strings and guitars. While the backdrops were lush and occasionally corny, Simone's deep, penetrating voice, careful pacing and dramatic delivery kept the songs from becoming sappy. She was inspiring on "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," dedicated to the deceased Prime Minister of Barbados, and she demonstrated her facility with French on "Il N'Y A Pas D'Amour Heureux." While she's always been a great protest and political singers, Simone's also a superb romantic/love song stylist, as she shows on "Just Say I Love Him," "The More I See You," and "Marry Me." Her phrasing and piercing enunication weren't hurt by her lengthy absence. Nina Simone remains among America's premier performers, and this CD was a welcome addition to her sparkling legacy.
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