The Best of Nina Simone presents 12 tracks taken from the many recordings Simone did for Phillips in the '60s. As is often noted, Simone is a dynamic and powerful vocal interpreter who often brought her social consciousness directly into her artistry. Some of the material on this record would have been considered topical for the period when it was first issued. 20 years later (1985) much of it still retains the emotional power of its original time. Ignore the liner note hyperbole; this is in fact certainly some of the BEST of Simone. There's a universality to the emotion and text of this theatrical music - any doubts, just substitute the name "South Africa" for "Mississippi" in "...Goddamn." Too removed? Try your own locale.