One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent. Most of the songs feature dramatic, swinging large-band orchestration, with the accent on the brass and strings.
Simone
didn't write any of the material, turning to popular European songsmiths
Charles Aznavour
,
Jacques Brel
, and
Anthony Newley
, as well as her husband,
Andy Stroud
, and her guitarist,
Rudy Stevenson
, for bluesier fare. There are really fine tunes and interpretations, on which
gives an edge to the potentially fey pop songs, taking a sudden (but not uncharacteristic) break for a straight jazz instrumental with "Blues on Purpose." The title track, a jazzy string ballad version of the
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
classic, gave
the Beatles
the inspiration for the phrasing on the bridge of "Michelle." ~ Richie Unterberger