Just been promoted, really over the moon but now the hard work starts
Just been promoted, really over the moon but now the hard work starts
Member since:26.12.2007
Reviews:41
Members who trust:5
Love her or hate her, I bet you have at least heard of Amy Winehouse, however how much of what you know is actually based on her music? Not much I bet unless you are a fan. 2007 should have been Amy Winehouse's golden year, instead it has been sullied by drugs, drink and a bad choice in men! As a person, I pity her because she has so much opportunity laid down in front of her but she has chosen to ignore it and be lead down a path to what appears to be certain destruction, and even as I write this, I wonder whether she will even survive 2008. Anyway, onto the music.
"Rehab" is what threw her back into the public spotlight, and it is the opening track on the album. When I first heard it, I was unsure whether anything else on the album would come close to this catchy and very likeable song, and her raspy vocals drive the message to the listener. She is no angel but won't be pushed around, and that message is carried
on into "You Know I'm No Good". This is the masterpiece of the album for me. The lyrics tell a gripping story of a young woman who is high maintenance and will follow her heart even if it causes trouble for her or others......."I told you I was trouble...you know that I'm no good" sums the song up perfectly.
The song with the most Motown influence is "Me and Mr Jones", although I cannot ever imagine Diana Ross getting away with the word "fuckery", nevermind making it sound so good! "Just Friends" is a beautiful sunny chill out track, with a hint of a reggae feel to it. This shows that she is not someone who is afraid to try and adapt styles to suit her voice and lyrics.
Title track, and mammoth song "Back To Black" is probably the song from the album that will stand the test of time. It was written when her now husband left her for another woman (in fact the whole album stemmed from the events around this). The pain she felt comes across in every word. "We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times...you go back to her and I go back to black". Beautiful song with exeptional vocals and it never fails to get my adrenalin going. When a song can affect you like that it has to be special.
"Love Is A Losing Game" & "Wake Up Alone", both make me envision a 60's dance hall with lots of couple draped across each other whilst Amy's voice covers them all.
"Tears Dry On Their Own" lifts the tempo and uses the music from "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", but rather than sounding like a remake, the song has a unique motown/noughties jazz sound.
"Some Unholy War" oozes desire and emotion, whilst "He Can Only Hold Her" reminds me so much of Smokey Robinson. It should be further up in the playlist as a lot of listeners don't hear the tracks towards the end of the CD as much as they should. Closing track "Addicted" is Amy's effort to shed light on her now very well known problems, showing once again that she shies away from no subject matter.
Throughout, the vocal performance is impressive, and Mark Ronson's golden touch can be felt. Back To Black is Amy's 2nd album, and the soul/jazz style each song encompasses makes it feel much more meaty than her debut album Frank. The change in image (see behive hairdo), was a deliberate one I am sure, as there is a definite Motown influence running through the songs, albeit brought up to date with the subject matter Amy has written about. She lays her heart open for everyone to hear, and makes no apologies for her choices and mistakes.
I love this album, and when this is the case I cannot wait to hear it performed live. However, this is not the case with Amy Winehouse, at least until she cleans up her act and shows her fans that her talent lies in singing and songwriting, not living out a real life soap opera.
I believe this album could be a classic, going by the content and genius behind it, then it should be.
##I am NikkiH on Dooyoo so please do not think this has been plagarised
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Amy Winehouse's second album,Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or ... more
otherwise, to come out for years.Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair;Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time arou...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or ... more
otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time a...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Dec 31st, 2007
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