Back To Black - Amy Winehouse 2LP
With producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back To Black has a similar sound to Frank but has much more flair and spark to it. Winehouse was inspired by the girl-group soul of the 60s and fortunately, Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic R&B producers active. As before, Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love. In a similar fashion to Frank, her eye for details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her case against rehab on the knockout first single with a great line: they tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the songs on Back To Black are universal - songs that anyone, even Joss Stone, could take to the top of the charts: Love Is a Losing Game and the title song (We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to black).
With producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back To Black has a similar sound to Frank but has much more flair and spark to it. Winehouse was inspired by the girl-group soul of the 60s and fortunately, Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic R&B producers active. As before, Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love. In a similar fashion to Frank, her eye for details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her case against rehab on the knockout first single with a great line: they tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the songs on Back To Black are universal - songs that anyone, even Joss Stone, could take to the top of the charts: Love Is a Losing Game and the title song (We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to black).
With producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back To Black has a similar sound to Frank but has much more flair and spark to it. Winehouse was inspired by the girl-group soul of the 60s and fortunately, Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic R&B producers active. As before, Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love. In a similar fashion to Frank, her eye for details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her case against rehab on the knockout first single with a great line: they tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the songs on Back To Black are universal - songs that anyone, even Joss Stone, could take to the top of the charts: Love Is a Losing Game and the title song (We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to black).
