Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
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Music Reviews of Back to Black
Music Review: THIS WHITE GIRL CAN SANG
Rating: 5 Stars
Like a time machine back to the 50s and early 60s, Amy Winehouse's stunning second CD "Back To Black" takes us back to the black music of that time, soul, before Motown perfected the formula to emasculate it for mass consumption. This is the soul of Dinah Washington, Lavern Baker, Betty Everett and Bettye LaVette (to name a few), raw emotion with depth, the pain and disappointment of relationships not glossed over and the inner strength that comes from being born a woman. And she's got soul in spades, always authentic and never sounding imitative or ironic.
Any CD that starts with the line "They wanted me to go to rehab, I said "No, no no," let's you know that a strong woman is in control and Amy Winehouse has the strength of personality, clarity of vision and sheer vocal prowess to grab your ears and heart from that first line and hold it all the way through 11 brilliant songs. My personal favorites are "Wake Up Alone," "You Know I'm No Good," "Addicted," "Love Is A Losing Game" and the classic title song "Back To Black" sung by The Other Woman as her man prepares to go home once and for all.
I must take special notice of the arrangements for they are simultaneously nostalgic and thoroughly modern at the same time (are those tubular bells I hear?) and always engage while never overwhelming the singer as so much that masquerades as soul these days does. Not that Amy Winehouse could possibly be overwhelmed - her vocal chops are finely honed and totally evocative and moving.
A great CD. With Joss Stone preparing to take her soul into the 21st Century with next week's new release, we needed a new champion of real soul and I believe that Amy Winehouse will still being listened to in 50 years just as we are listening to her musical foremothers today, 50 years on.
Music Review: Soulful, innovative, strong, unique but pleasantly familiar
Rating: 5 Stars
I found "Back to Black" by accident. I expected something else, enjoying the whimsical and funny "Rehab" track. But once I listened to the rest of the tracks, I found that the cd is much more. It is detailed, innovative, sophisticated, and incredibly hard to place with other vocal-heavy artists.
Perhaps the best illustration is that I attempted to describe the sound to a friend who hadn't heard of her or connected "Rehab" to her voice. I tried to compare her voice and lyrics to the likes of Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Lauren Hill and even Tammy Wynette... It's that unique and different that this cd compares well to any of those artists but is so onto itself that most comparisons fail.
Winehouse's voice is deep and strong, lyrics powerful and clever, and the music behind it all ranges from simple to elaborate.
Each time I listen to the cd on my iPod, in my car and on iTunes I hear some element that I missed before or never tire of. The best tracks on the cd must include "Cry on my Own," "Love is a Losing Game," "Back to Black," and "I told you I was Trouble." Noting that "Rehab" is NOT the defining song on the cd.
Mark Ronson did a masterful job at production and it is amazing that Winehouse wrote most of it. Her pain and strength come through in every track, fitting nicely with those of us who have ever felt the pain of a disrupted relationship and all the emotions that come with it.
This cd is a must for anyone who enjoys a strong, soulful female voice along the lines of Lauren Hills "Miseducation..." and some of the early 60's work of Aretha Franklin, Miss Ross during the early Supremes days, or Mary J. during the painful days of "My Life."
Music Review: Back to the 50's.
Rating: 5 Stars
Amy is one of those singers or persons that calls the attention. Her voice and style are unique.
This album from my point of view, is a piece of music that everybody should have, it's a gem because it can fit any style. It's classic and trendy, fun and blue at the same time and that's something very difficult to make. You could think that you're listening a very good remastered album from the 50's. She makes me remember Della Reese.
This is Amy's second album, her first one is "FRANK" from 2003. It was a hit in the U.K but wasn't released in America until 2007. (That one is also very good).
Amy's explosion came with the international massive hit "REHAB". I think that I don't have to comment it because I Think that everybody knows the song. The impact of the hit was enough to make her a winner of 5 Grammy awards and reaching #1 in Europe and #2 in the U.S plus getting her album to the Multi-platinum status.
In overall the album is mellow and rough (actually it's not easy to make a review of this album). The most beat-up songs in the album besides "REHAB" are. "YOU KNOW THAT I'M NO GOOD" (there are 2 version of this song on this edition. The original which is track 2 and track 11, that is a remix. I find track 2 better than 11), "BACK TO BLACK", "JUST FRIENDS", that has a reggae touch and "TEARS DRY ON THEIR OWN". The other are softer songs specially "LOVE IS A LOSING GAME", which is the softest one.
If you haven't heard much of Amy's music, give this one a try. You may not like it very much in the beginning but after a couple of times, you start to really like it. That heppened to me. I would start listening first to me songs that I mentioned before "Love is a Losing game".
Music Review: Different Does Not Make a Classic
Rating: 3 Stars
Wow. When a CD receives so much praise both from the US and UK proclaiming "a star is born", I expected to be won over by Amy Winehouse.
To be fair, I had heard her last album "Frank", which sounded very much like a Jewel-Sarah McLachlan record (in a good way, I might add).
However, "Back to Black" is an "experiment" record. Its as if they went back to the 1960s, took some of the girl-group choruses from the era, and then smoothed it all up in some 1990s R&B - and VOILA - you have the flavor of the year for 2007!
I am not sure this is a good thing. Granted, first single "Rehab" has repeat value (and which ones of us does NOT like a singalong chorus), but the thing that ruins this record is Amy's especially whiny and nasal voice. Don't get me wrong, you might end up loving this, but to me, her voice is just a little too nasal and highstrung to appreciate for a thorough album sitting.
I am reminded of Christina Aguilera for some strange reason when I listen to Amy Winehouse. This album suffers from the same problems that plagued Aguilera's recent 2-disc album - the VOICE.
I must say that there is some pretty instrumentation here and there on this record, and the production is TIGHT. But is it the find of the year? Or the month, for that matter? No. By no means is this a revelation.
Over-hyped albums like these make me wish for years like 1997 when true classics like "Tidal" by Fiona Apple were slowly being discovered.
Amy Winehouse has talent, but please don't get this based on all the marketing and hype. It certainly is no big deal, and five years from now, no one will really remember this record.
Music Review: Oh My (insert word here)-ing God! I am an Amy Winehouse convert.....
Rating: 5 Stars
People, if you haven't bought this album yet, go buy it today. There is a reason that people love this woman. Yes, she is unapologetically blunt (when it comes to sex, drugs and everything in between), yes, she dabbles with drugs in real life, and yes, her sound is authentic and DAMN good. I think I'm in love with that voice. I'll tell you why.....
Amy's voice is at once sexy, sensuous, expressive and seductive, and her band is seamless (great horn and percussive section!). What's more, her lyrics are fantastic and unabashedly honest (at times lewd, yes, and allude to her addiction to blow AKA cocaine). She is probably best known for "ReHab," "You Know I'm No Good" and "Back to Black." I feel like I am back in 1960, listening to soul, and then the expletives come pouring out....but, smooth as silk. You can't blame the girl for being angry. I don't know if Amy has just had some tough luck with men, or whether they just take delight in treating her like trash. At any rate, this woman totally channels the rush of emotions that comes with broken relationships, as well as the rush of drug addiction. If you want to hear a good example of the broken-ness, I reccomend "Me & Mr. Jones." (or most of the other tracks!)
This woman is amazing. I just hope (and I say this with sincerity), that she doesn't overdose before her remarkable career truly fluorishes worldwide. Note: As I said before, this album is explicit and has references to sex and drugs (quite graphic sex, at times). Still, this is one of the best soul albums I have heard. She puts Christina Aguilera and all of those wannabees to shame......Praise the lord, soul has returned!