The recent documentary, 'Amy', prompted this and it's really well worth a look. It's an excellent view on the sad, tragedy of Amy Winehouse.
Talented? Not just vocally but as a lyricist and everything comes from her own experiences so when it's sung, it has meaning and that comes across. Just listen to the lyrics on the title song 'Back to Black' or indeed, 'Rehab'.
'Love is a losing game' for Streamabout, is the stand-out track but it's all so strong. Beautiful in fact.
It was of course only her second (and ultimately, final) Album from 2006 with 'Rehab' being the best known track. 'Frank' was her first Album.
The production is superb too from the really terrific Mark Ronson (Bruno Mars 'Uptown Funk', Adele's '19' and 'Valerie') and he was able to walk the line of not 'overproducing' it. However, we've never seen a record with so many musicians credited so that's the extraordinary ability of Ronson. They're on there, but they don't interfere.
This is a terrific insight into that Album recording.
'Back to Black' is the UK's second best selling Album of all time.
Amy has been compared to Sarah Vaughan because of her smoky, jazz vocals but that's unfair, she was out on her own albeit with an R&B sound likened to Ray Charles.
Alcohol (she was booed whilst touring with this record on stage), the collapse of her marriage to the love of her life and of course drugs, caused the pain, inflicted the damage. She died in July 2011.
She was actually a really great, relatively shy, person who had bucket full's of talent. There's no doubt she'd have gone on to even more extraordinary things. Just it's all too tragic to contemplate.
Here's the title track.
Previous "listen to's" you'll also find on this blog.......Police 'Outlandos D'Mour'; Michael Jackson Off the Wall; Carole King Tapestry; Beatles Red Album; Sex Pistols Never mind the Bollocks; Sam Cooke Live at Harlem Square; The Doors LA Woman; Thin Lizzy Live & Dangerous; Kendrick Lamarr Butterfly; Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace; Clapton 461; Massive Attack Blue Lines; The Clash London Calling; Chris Isaak At The Filmore; Bob Dylan Street Legal; Bad Company Straight Shooter; Jackson Browne Love is Strange; Lou Reed Transformer; Steely Dan AJA; Stones Black+Blue; Stephen Bishop Careless; Nils Lofgren Night after Night; Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells; Neil Young Harvest; Led Zep 4; David Bowie David Live; Van Morrison It's too late to stop now; Wings Band on the run; Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing; Ryan Adams Heartbreaker; Santana Essential; Bob Dylan Desire; Roxy Music For your pleasure; Bob Marley Legend; Stephen Fretwell Magpie; James Taylor Sweet Baby James; Deep Purple Machine Head; Springsteen Darkness on the edge of town; Leon Bridges Coming Home; Eagles Hotel California; Jungle; Aretha Soul Queen; Neil Young After the Goldrush + Harvest; Zappa Overnite Sensation; Fleetwood Mac Rumours; Keith Jarrett Koln Concert; Doobies Southbound; Stevie Earle I feel Alright; Tom Waits Closing Time; Pink Floyd Dark Side; Van Morrison Moondance; Eric Church Caught in the Act; Randy Newman Little Criminals; Elton John Madman across the water; Patti Smith Horses; Doobies Captain and Me; Steely Dan Can't Buy a Thrill.
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