Back To Black [Explicit]

I absolutely adore this album. I am not too crazy about Amy Winehouse herself and her real-life rehab experiences but this album is just amazing. All the songs are so heart felt, so real, so full of emotion. I prefer some of the less popular songs to the ones that had huge commercial success.

I have grown so weary of people dissecting this album for flaws, repetitive beats, retro-ness, and the like. And I am especially sick and tired of people confusing this amazing artist's life with her art. Is Van Gogh's work any less important, or is it in any sense less amazing, because he had such bad emotional problems that he cut off his ear and shot himself in the chest twice--killing himself at 36? NO, NO, NO!

I don't care how the artist, producers, button pushers, chalkboard scrapers, or anyone else involved in the making of the recording achieved the sound when it is this amazing. In my estimation, what really matters at the end of the day, is the way an album sounds, and this one is off the charts!

The songs on this album run the gamut from suicidal to exhilarated, playful to provocative, old school to new school, fawning to tempting, without ever skipping a beat. And then there is that voice--like Etta James, Billie Holliday, Bettye LaVette, and all The Supremes rolled into one beautiful ear candy confection---chased with a shot of tequila. And did I mention that she has the swagger and in-your-face attitude of another uniquely original artist--Madonna. I realize they are worlds apart musically, but the presence and panache that they both exhibit are what makes me draw the parallel. For better or worse, Amy has the f-you attitude that Madonna had when she was starting out. Say what you will about this woman, but there is no one else like her, and this album proves it in spades!

This is a great CD. I received it over a year ago and still listen to it. What makes this CD all the more interesting is the troubles that Amy is going through. When I first got the CD as a gift, I didn't know who she was or what she was about. But as soon as I heard the first few notes from her voice...WOW! She is incredible!

Unfortunately, Amy is going through a lot of issues. When a singer goes through what she is, most people want to toss the CD aside and figure, "yeah, I ripped it for my iPod, it'll go to craigslist soon." But with this CD, you want to keep it. You want to listen to it; not for messages or any of that psychology stuff, but because it may truly be the last real recording she does. And even if it isn't, the music is fantastic. Don't ignore this, it's a classic sound brought into the modern day.

I have recently discovered Amy. Yes, she's in the tabloids and I've heard of her, but I've recently discovered her MUSIC.
The first thought that I had when I heard the title song, "Back to Black," was, "That sounds like an old Motown song from around 1967!" This whole disc has that old school sound, and to tell you the truth, I was impressed by the rhythm section and how they laid down a stone cold groove. The next thing I noticed was Amy's voice, and how much she sounded like one of the old time singers. You can tell that she's studied and learned to emulate not only the Motown sound but also reaches much further back into original Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, and Blues. "Me and Mr. Jones" is a prime example of this; the background singers' vocal harmony is reminiscent of a style popular in the 1930's and through the 40's.
I was blown away by Amy's voice. Not only does she have great power, but also has fantastic control. Some of her vocal acrobatics really are top notch, without being too showy. She can sing an entire lifetime of grief, loss, and desire into one phrase. Raw emotion comes through in songs like, "Love is a Losing Game," and "You Know I'm No Good."
Having retroactively listened to some of "Frank," I would say that her songwriting skills really improved on "Back To Black." There's not a bad song on this disc, and these days, that's saying something. I highly recommend this CD to anyone that's open to listening some some old school music, with a touch of some modern naughtiness.

What a wonderful CD. I absolutely adore Amy Winehouse's voice. Her songs have so much meaning (although a bit brutal at times...hmmmm like life is I guess). If you love jazz, then you will LOVE this CD. I cannot wait until she writes more songs. All of her songs are so heartfelt...you can almost FEEL the pain and emotion coming from her. You will NOT be sorry when you purchase her songs and her DVD "Live from London".