I had been iffy about Amy Winehouse since I heard that song Rehab on MTV. Turned out, a lot of her stuff sent chills down my spine. She has the voice of a tested soul singer, which I find very impressive for a crack-smoking, Jewish chick from England. Still, I skip over “Rehab” and I can’t stand the Ghostface Killah rap on the last track. It nearly spoiled the album.

Because I can talk to them about it. If someone hasn’t listened to it, it’s not the end of the world, but many times I’ve mentioned her and her album, and all I get is a, “Who?” from them. Once I do find someone who’s heard of her, then we gab for about 5 minutes and that’s it. Granted, it’s at work so we can’t gab too much, but I love this album. At first, when I saw her video, “You Know I’m No Good”, I thought, “Who the hell is this?” and she didn’t affect me. It took a listening to at a music store for me to be taken in by her voice and background tunes for me to buy and enjoy it. I couldn’t figure out why it was so cheap, until I found out the deluxe edition was released and that THAT was the one I’d have wanted instead. Anyway, I can go to YouTube and watch the videos of the deluxe editions.

I bought this album as a result of all the fuzz in media about miss Winehouse. Friends told me they liked it, and encouraged me to get it too.

And so I did. But: definately not my style! To me, the tracks sound too much the same – there’s not enough variety for me.

Perhaps this kind of soul just isn’t me. Too bad, because it is a world-class artist!

My father and I were hauling trash in my truck, and I put this CD on as something he might tolerate. When the first track, Rehab, started he said, “I love this song.” Apparently he’d seen the video on TV and it’s been stuck in his head ever since. This from a man whose music timeline ends somewhere around CCR.

The album feels both old and new. “Instant classic” applies here. Everyone I know loves it, as they should. But I’m still dumbstruck that my father and I both like an artist I first heard on NPR. Inconceivable. Highly illogical. Does not compute.

I really like the fact that The Dap-Kings have been making the sweet music here. Their work with Sharon Jones is brilliant as well, though more funky, much in the same vein as the work of Marva Whitney and James Brown!

Read my review here:
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

Back to Black (the song) is the best. “She” (if she is indeed a lady) has a fabulous voice. I really like the 60s type jazz drums sound. All of her songs are suspiciously familiar – like they have been out for years already. Maybe the songs have just picked up heavy influences from elsewhere.
Again, she has a great voice – her songs helped me get through my Uni exams and I can play her songs endlessly without getting bored of them!!