Back To Black - Amy Winehouse > Reviews > Back to the Beehive

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Excellent songs, cheap now its been out a while
Disadvantages:	Too much of a good thing?  Nah

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

'Back to Black'

Amy Winehouse was quietly lurking in the shadows for a bit before she hit the big time. I remember a mate returning from a gig for a different band and saying there was this 'Amy Winehouse' girl supporting and that she had a pretty amazing voice. Well then she disappeared off the radar for a bit before returning stunningly with the release of her debut album 'Back to Black' and the single 'Rehab'.

This year she hit the headline for a good reason. 2007 had been all about her problems and her social life rather than her music, but when the Grammies came around in 2008 she managed to grab 5 of them! One of these Grammies was for her fantastic 'Back to Black' album and now I'm going to tell you exactly why it deserved it.

The Songs

'Rehab' is the strong and punchy opening to 'Back to Black' - an album that was originally released in 2006, but which has proved its quality in its enduring success. The backing to the track is certainly Motown-esque and very 60s - something that her now iconic beehive hair also pays testament too - but Amy twists the potential straightness of the track with the very modern lyrics. They're trying to make her go to rehab but she said "No, No, No!". You can't help but sing along with this catchy opener even if the lyrics are rather irrelevant to you.

This great track is followed up on the album with 'You Know I'm No Good' and Amy's version of 'Me and Mrs Jones', which has undertaken a bit of a gender role swapping and has been changed to 'Mr Jones'. The bad-girl 'You Know I'm No Good' has received a similar success to 'Rehab' and sets the standard for the rest of the album. There is no filler on this CD - Amy just goes from strength to strength.

The fantastic 'Tears Dry on Their Own' is another hit on this splendid album. Amy projects her strong and uniquely husky voice confidently throughout the track and never lets the temp drop. With a good sing-along chorus that I've never entirely worked out the words to, and some feel-good gospel backing, you'll wonder why this song has been bumped so far down the album… but then you remember - there IS no filler on this album. This is just song after song over excellent songwriting and timeless melodies.

I can listen to the whole of this album without getting bored of Amy's voice - she constantly surprises with little vocal licks throughout the strong melody. The majority of the album is pretty upbeat, but 'Love is a Losing Game' (perhaps unsurprisingly if you consider the title) is much slower and takes a sombre tone. Somehow Amy pulls this off too though.

My Criticisms?

I've been trying to think of anything that I can criticise about this album, but it really is an instant classic. You might be a bit bored of 'Rehab' when its been played behind every TV clips show imaginable, but unfortunately that is the fate of the best of songs. Perhaps the closing track 'Addicted' is a bit too similar to some of the earlier tracks, and sometimes Amy's voice sounds a bit strained (and almost squeaky) on it, but even this one takes a different tact with the more pervasive percussion.

"I don't like Motown music - will I like Amy?"

I really didn't have that much of a love of Motown music before I heard Amy either, but she turns the genre into something really applicable to the new century with fresh lyrics and individual vocals.

"I love Motown - will Amy ruin it?"

Amy's music isn't Motown, it just sounds reminiscent of it. I hope her take on it doesn't spoil people's appreciation of the 60s groups who made it big. On the whole the people I know who like gospel and Motown also like Ms Winehouse, but as with any music it's all about personal taste - give it a listen and see what you think!

Price & Availability

You can get hold of this CD really cheaply now that it's been out for a while and I advise that you listen to it once even if you don't purchase it. Amazon lists it in various formats for anything between £6 - £18. The recent versions of the album have different final tracks, but I think I'd be perfectly happy with the cheap 2006 version when it's so much of a difference price wise. This is a really easy album to get hold of, especially since the Grammy award, and hopefully it'll stay in the shops for a few years to come.

©tac20