Listen Up! Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black
I’d rather be at home with Ray (Charles)
I ain’t got seventy days
‘Cause there’s nothing you can teach me
That I can’t learn from Mr. Hathaway (Donny)
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Amy Winehouse’s 2006 UK release Back To Black (released in the US in early 2007) has put the North London songstress on the map in North America. After 2003’s debut Frank, Winehouse disappeared for a bit, only to reappear with what many on Epinions are hailing as one of the best releases of the year. Winehouse’s soulful throwback vocals channel old era singers and the Motown-like sound is handled by producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, more known for their hip hop workings.
Reviewer Cletta1201 describes Winehouse as a once in a lifetime artist. She says, “Once in a great while an artist comes along that makes you sit up and listen. And not a tap your foot, nod your head listen to some flash in the pan artist who’s destined for obscurity - but something that stirs the soul a little and makes you happy that music is capable of evoking such sentiment.“. Chiliqueen adds, “If you love 1960s soul, Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” feels like a long-lost friend. “
Winehouse’s honest and at times, jaw dropping lyrics try to steal the show, but you can’t mistake that voice for anything other than one of the more powerful instruments in music today. The production by Remi and Ronson also compliments her raw talents so well. Kookytree says that with the title track (Back To Black), you have “a song dripping with menace” and “you won’t hear a finer single in 2007″. Producer Mark Ronson excels himself with an opulent pallet of sound, incorporating ethereal choirs of ooing Amys, sinister touches of spaghetti western guitar and what sounds like a full orchestra, whilst maintaining an elegant control.
Speeddemon531 loves the “swelling melody” on Tears Dry On Their Own. He adds, “Using a tasty sample of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, Winehouse creates a triumphant breakup anthem that you just have to sing along to.“
With six reviews on Epinions, Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black achieves a 5 star rating.
CR says:
What?? Another white artist making Black music palatable and acceptable to whites is not new. Elvis, Paul Whiteman, Janis Joplin, Al Jolson etc. got attention from the “wow factor” of a white person doing what different skinned people had created and perfected. In my opinion, England especially promotes this by popularizing many white artists with a “Black” sound. It’s all about appearances, for if Ms. Winehouse had a brown face, she would probably be acknowleged for sounding good, but lumped in with every other Soul (read Black) artist.
Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop, RnB etc. are African-American cultural music. It’s too bad that the world claims music genres- especially when it comes to Black music. King of Jazz, King of Swing were self-proclaimed titles of white artists while lesser titles of Godfather, Duke and Count were left for black artist (until MJ proclaimed himself “King of Pop”- thereby momentarily flipping the trend when a Black artist claims a white genre as his own).
White Reggae and Rap artsists as well as good Pro Boxers and Pro Basketball players are considered anomalies and often treated with more media respect than an equally or more talented person of color. It’s too bad, as people loved to hear Ella Fitzgerald or Shirley Horn, but would pay much bigger bucks to go see Diana Krall. Ms. Winehouse producers’ musical offering is just more of the same: very common musical ability (for the genre) but in a different wrapping paper.
June 17th, 2007
Garrett M. Gonzales says:
Hey,
Thanks for the comment.
Honestly, if Amy were Black, I’m not sure it would matter, mostly because I don’t see her success as being completely based on her skin color. I think her success is because she has a big voice and a big sound. She’s selling decently in the US, but what they’re saying about her is that she’s different, and I think that’s where you have an issue. She’s not really different. She’s just new at least to the US.
I can see what you’re getting at, but I’m not so sure that I agree with all of it.
But thanks for commenting.
GG
June 19th, 2007