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Amy Winehouse - Back To BlackAmy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or 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 around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted Kord... Read More »
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Average User Rating: 80% (1 Reviews) | |
| 4 / 5 | Genuinely soulful
Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - 17 October 2007 From the opening track Rehab I knew this was going to be a great album. Winehouse has a genuinely soulful voice that expresses all the different moods of the genre. Besides Rehab, my favorite track is called Love Is A Losing Game, a gem of a song with a beautiful melody in the lost love tradition. Another great one is You Know I'm No Good with its powerful sax. And Me & Mr Jones is a stunner. The music gains a distinctive flavor through the use of samples from classic 1960s pop songs, while the lyrics are intelligent and mature. There is a certain authenticity to this seamless blend of funk, torch, R&B and pop grooves that reaches the heart and soul. It's rare to find an album these days where every single track is memorable; Back To Black has thus been a very pleasant surprise. Judging by this excellent CD, Winehouse will prove to be a major force in the years to come.... Read Full Review » |
RRP
£23.99
Release Date
19 December 2006
Price Range
£5.99 - £20.49