Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
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Free Music Notes for Back to Black
Free Music Review: Just Great
Hit: 5 Stars
I'd avoided this early on due to the hype over Amy Winehouse, but when I saw her perform "Rehab" on The Brit Awards on BBC America, that did it for me. I loved her voice immediately, and figured the album couldn't be bad, but I was more surprised at how solid the album is all the way through, and have played it more than any other disc this year.
I know a bunch of reviewers really dislike her voice, but I love it. Her delivery seems effortless, and not at all affected to my ears. You can certainly say she has listened to her share of Billie Holiday or any number of the greatest soul singers, but it never comes across to me as some bad or outright imitation - she sounds absolutely genuine. And you can basically make a case for any successful artist/band as having ripped off someone else. Didn't The Beatles themselves admit flat out they took ideas off Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly? Don't worry, I'm not trying to set her up as an equal to The Beatles in any way! But everybody is influenced by someone else to some degree and that's my point. From there, you have to give it something of your own, which I believe Ms. Winehouse has done here (her vocal delivery and lyrics bear this out in my opinion). If you don't, the hype machine can only carry you so far before sales start to slide dramatically.
Anyway, the whole album is so enjoyable to me (and the production by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson is a perfect fit), but some favorites are "Rehab", "You Know I'm No Good", "Me and Mr. Jones", and "Love Is A Losing Game". But the best of the bunch for me are "Just Friends", with her especially gorgeous delivery ("And no I'm not ashamed but the guilt will kill you...If she don't first"); and best of all is "Tears Dry On Their Own". Even though its base melody is lifted from (and duly credited to) "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Amy makes this hers, and when she launches into the chorus, "He walks away...the sun goes down..." it's spine tingling stuff.
Again, judging by many of the reviews here, she's a "like her or not" proposition and that's fine - you can't please everyone. I'll take her any day over any number of self-styled "divas" who over-emote simply to show off their alleged vocal prowess, which always rings false to me. For me, Amy is a true talent, sings with real emotion and power, and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.
Free Music Review: If You Thought the Ronettes Never Sang Enough About Sex and Drugs
Hit: 5 Stars
If you ever thought that the Shangri'La's and the Supremes never sang enough about sex and drugs, then Amy Winehouse might be for you. Her second album, Back to Black is filled with modern songs about drinking, smoking, and having sex, set to a decidedly retro backdrop. Winehouse combines modern subject matter with retro music that sounds straight out of the vaults of Motown
Modern R&B seems to have a hard time controlling itself. As a result, we get 20 song, 78 minute albums by Kelis, and bloated double albums by Christina Aguilera with way too much filler. Back to Black doesn't have this problem. The album is surprisingly brief, with 11 songs clocking in around 35 minutes. All of the songs are soulful and emotional without any real nods to commercial radio.
The opening track, and the main reason I was motivated to pick this album up is the undeniable Rehab, a catchy little number about refusing her labels request to go to Rehab. The swinging melody makes me think that I'm in church, but then I remember what the songs about. The hook is insanely catchy, even though I feel a little dirty after listening to it.
In fact, the rest of the songs make you feel a little dirty too. Winehouse has an alluring personality. She's intriguing in a bad girl who smokes in the bathroom kind of way who makes you feel kind of grimy just being around her.
You Know I'm No Good is an excellent tune which tells the story of Winehouse cheating on her boyfriend. She gets found out by the carpet burn on her leg. If you're a man and don't love the naked honesty of this song then there is something wrong with you.
The best song and the emotional apex of the whole album is Back to Black. Back to Black is a woozy breakup song that just drips with emotion. You can really feel the heartache in every word that she sings.
The only real mistep, and it's definitely a minor one, is the tacked on version You Know I'm No Good at the end of the album. Ghostface Killah, probably my all time favorite rapper, spits a verse in the middle of the song, but it sounds like it was added on much later. I'm not saying that a Ghostface guest spot is a bad thing; it just seems like an afterthought.
This album is highly recommended for fans of R&B. Winehouse has a great voice, and she really shows it off on this album.
Free Music Review: Album of the Year
Hit: 5 Stars
In my opinion, the Grammy race begins with Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black." This should be nominated for Album of the Year. It's just too good. It's such a classic. This album reaffirms my belief that when R&B/Soul/Jazz is done well, it can be brilliant. The album starts out with probably one of the most politically incorrect and somewhat reckless songs in years, "Rehab." But that's part of its charm and ingenuity. Winehouse says, "They tried to make me go to rehab I said no no no." Let's face it, the idea of rehab in America has become both a celebrity cliché and right of passage. That's why it's awesome to hear a singer completely rebuff the whole idea to such an infections beat. Winehouse makes her rebuke sound so empowering. It's such a signature song. Many artists try for years to put that stamp of originality on their work, but Amy Winehouse makes it look easy. For once in a lifetime, the hype is actually merited and then some.
Listening to this record is like ordering a delicious head trip. You have to experience it in order to believe it. Winehouse deftly combines Retro Soul, Jazz, and scattered Hip-Hop flourishes with such finesse that some of her contemporaries will undoubtedly find both envy and admiration on a beautiful collision course. And "Back to Black" has to be one of the best title tracks that I've heard in years. It has such a rich, bold, dynamic sound. It's just flawless. But you've also got to love "Me & Mr Jones" when Amy says, "What kind of f**kery is this? You made me miss the Slick Rick gig." That's just pure genius because she sounds so serious, yet it feels so real and vintage. And I love that she sampled the Ashford and Simpson classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" for the song "Tears Dry on their Own." I just love the imagery during the chorus. This is one of my favorite songs from the album.
There will be a lot of good CD's this year, but only a few will earn the right to call themselves a masterpiece. Luckily for "Back to Black," it's earned that right. This is the kind of record that ALL up and coming R&B/Soul singers need to hear. It's still surprising that a girl from the U.K. brought the goods like she lived back in the day. Amy's voice is just so expressive and on point throughout the entire record. It's truly remarkable. This album is an achievement by any recording standard. "Back to Black" is a must-have!!!
Free Music Review: ACID JAZZ, SAY HELLO TO R&B. BOTH OF YOU, HAVE FUN!
Hit: 5 Stars
If comparing a musician to another is unfair, this review is pure blasphemy. I experienced the same kind of joy discovering this sinfully talented singer from the UK (quick, act surprised) as I did with, say, Jem or Macy Gray or Zero 7. Or, in fact, all of them meshed together, because Winehouse's eclectic taste seems to take its cues from both jazz and some delicious R&B.
Which is heartening. On the acid jazz front, I am jaded by all the tinkering 'lounge' drivel that's popping up masquerading as serious music, while the R&B camp is treading slowly down a path of least resistance where every second song on an album sounds notoriously similar to the one before it (there's bad math in there somewhere, but not as bad as the music packaging it describes). So taking stock of Amy Winehouse, we see that she comes out on top in every department:
- VOICE: smoky, husky, nearly inebriated in that sexy way, reminiscent of the original Morcheeba, but with enough Macy Gray type passion to pull through the thumpy numbers such as You Know I'm No Good.
- LYRICS: An almost Aimee Mann feel for the poetic that suggests that as her mighty pen slides on paper, the paper goes weak in the knees and murmurs words of devotion. Take a gander at the sweet melancholy of Love is a Losing Game, or savor this excerpt here from the heart-wrenching Wake Up Alone..."his face in my dreams, seasoned my thoughts/He floors me with dread/Soaked in soul/He swims in my eyes by the bed/Pour myself over him/Moon spilling in/And I wake up alone"....yum!
- ARRANGEMENTS (SPECIFICALLY DRUMS): it's refreshing to have such sheer variety on an album, because if a majority of cuts on the market are any indication, especially from the R&B camp, artists these days seem to think that the same beat strewn about with a couple of varied lines is enough to entice audiences. Winehouse sports a colorful flair for good beats and speckles of bass guitar. Her spectrum is wide, from the reggae of Just Friends to the sugar candy pop of Rehab.
To cut to the chase, this one's a delightful find. Turns out she has an album in 2005 so I guess I'm a little late to the party, but Winehouse's hot-penny raw flavor is the kind of music that hooks you to the musician, not just a couple of her capers. A highly recommended purchase, and an artist that should be on your watch list.
Free Music Review: Motown's jazz stylings.
Hit: 5 Stars
The sassy 23 year old Londoner delivers the goods with swagger and panache. 2003s single "Stronger Than Me" and album "Frank" weren't exactly great sellers, despite being hits with the critics. This time it's a totally different situation, because she's appealed to fans and critics alike. Winehouse has a new-found confidence, having slimmed down four dress sizes with more aggressive make-up; she's turning into the UK's most promising talent in years.
" Back To Black" is a masterstroke of contemporary Jazz-crossover material, all delivered with supreme style. Her razor-sharp singing is a major highlight, however, this album is all about truly brilliant songs, all written by Winehouse herself, with some collaborations.
Using Robbie Williams' and lily Allen's studio wizard Mark Ronson, Amy is going into a totally different stratosphere with this one, leaving Katie Melua and Norah Jones in her wake.
Amy said, "I didn't want to play that jazz thing up too much again. I was bored of complicated chord structures and needed something more direct". That said, Jazz is very much a prime element, though this time.
Jam-packed with superb songs and impressive production, she's breaking new ground, though the past plays a big part. Delving, in places, into Tamla Motown and The Specials' musical ideas ("You Know I'm No Good"), she's proved to be a top class songwriter.
"Rehab" is an out and out classic, with many shades of Motown with modern twists. "Me And Mr.Jones" is textbook 60s swing, which other singers like Christina Aguilera are adopting. There's no question where the title track came from - right out of the Motown school of classic pop - you could just see the Funk Brothers doing their inimitable thing on this - brilliant.
The stunning Soul ballad "Loving Is A Losing Game" could again be a Motown classic, taking Diana Ross head on, possibly her finest moment, as is the sprightly "Tears Dry On Their Own" : a (slight) remix could well be the next single - and another hit for sure. The triumvirate run-in has ballads using R'n'B beats, and yes, even more Motown stylings on the addictively punchy "Addicted".
For one so young, "Back To Back" is truly remarkable, invigorating, and genuinely sensational. She's not only a diva, but a phenomenal talent, with her best years to come.