There's a lot more Broadway and a lot more ballads than blues on this, which ranks as one of
Simone
's weaker mid-'60s albums. Almost half the record features Broadway tunes on the order of
Cole Porter
and
Rodgers & Hammerstein
; most of the rest was composed by
Bennie Benjamin
, author of her first-rate "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," which
the Animals
covered for a hit shortly afterwards (and which leads off this record). The other
Benjamin
tunes are modified uptown soul with string arrangements and backup vocals in the vein of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," but aren't in the same league, although "How Can I?" is an engaging cha-cha. Besides "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," the album is most notable for the great "SeeLine Woman," a percolating call-and-response number that ranks as one of her best tracks. ~ Richie Unterberger