Album #19 : Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

Amy Winehouse

Back to Black (2006)

There is a tendency (once captured in brilliantly satirical fashion by Andrew Hansen of The Chaser) to eulogise public figures in death. To overlook their glowing flaws or their just plain bastardry. In music, some could say there's a tendency to canonise high-profile musicians who have suffered untimely deaths, and perhaps ascribe an ethereal quality to their talent and output. This is understandable - in fairness, when I think about most of the high-profile musicians who have died before their time, they have all been extraordinarily talented, and even in some cases, remarkably influential.

For a long time I had put Amy Winehouse in the Jeff Buckley bracket of young dead musicians - talented, but just not my cup of tea. (I still don't get the Buckley thing and do still believe that his actual output is overrated by some because of his death, but each to their own). Like everyone with functioning ears I have heard Rehab (a number of times thanks to it being on Rock Band 3) but have been fairly dismissive. Yeah sure, she has a stunning voice but so what, has been my general (snobbish) mindset whenever the song comes on. 

Thankfully, The LOAD Project affords me the chance to go back and listen to things that I had previously written off (or not been interested in) with an open mind and as a more objective listener. So I decided to listen to Winehouse's last studio release (while she was alive, at any rate), the widely acclaimed Back to Black, and resolve once and for all whether this was a case of emotional eulogising or whether Amy Winehouse truly had the goods.

The Album

Back to Black is a time machine, transporting the listener back to the middle of 60s Motown soul. Everything that made Motown so distinctive is present on this album - the heavy use of horn sections to provide the sound, the prominence of the drums and bass...and of course, front and centre, sweet, smooth and soulful vocals, with the regular use of backing singers to provide supportive melodies and vocal phrases. For this reason it's nearly impossible to dislike this album. Each song (and I do mean each song) contains a listenable hook, even if some songs aren't perhaps as catchy or addictive as others. It certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel musically, but despite being incredibly derivative of 60s and 70s soul sounds, it manages to still sound contemporary - thanks mainly to the production of Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, who manage to make the drums and bass sound modern and the songs themselves clean and crisp.

There are highlights aplenty, and most of them emanate from the vocal cords of Amy Winehouse. Actually having the chance to sit and listen to her sing an entire album is a musical pleasure - she possessed an incredible voice that was perfect for singing soul. At different times it's smoky, smooth, sharp, passionate, tired, depressed and hopeful - I really was that impressed with her vocal ability. Back to Black, for instance, sees both music and voice combine to convey a mood of begrudgingly accepted defeatism and depression, and the piano sounds reminiscent of The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go". Rehab is defiant in tone, almost dismissive; Winehouse's vocal convincing you that she really didn't see the point in going to rehab. You Know I'm No Good is a superb slice of modern Motown revisionism.

Just Friends displays a different kind of sound, as Remi allows his reggae background to flow. It's pure reggae; you just have to listen to the drum sound and the use of horns to create rhythm to confirm it. Winehouse's love of Motown girl groups such as The Supremes and The Ronettes can be seen on the very swingy Me and Mr Jones, with the song featuring a very prominent use of all-girl backing harmonies, Motown style. Yet it's unmistakably modern, mainly because I don't ever remember Diana Ross ever singing "What kind of fuckery is this?" The song He Can Only Hold Her is also of interest; the song samples a 60s soul tune called She's a Fox by a group called The Icemen. The song features Jimi Hendrix on guitar.

HENDRIX IS ON THIS ALBUM.

HENDRIX.

THE HENDRIX.

Anyway, it's a bloody fantastic song.

Are there bad songs? Honestly....no. There are a couple of songs I didn't find particularly catchy or exciting, such as Addicted, Tears Dry On Their Own and Love Is A Losing Game, but in no way are they bad songs. They are brilliantly sung and continue to provide that Motown feel (except for Love Is A Losing Game, which owes more to R&B ballads than soul, and is close to Winehouse's best vocal on the album), but they didn't stand out for me as much as some other tracks. In my listening notes the word I used was 'pleasant' - I think that's fair. They are pleasant but not amazing.

If that's the worst thing I can say though...golly gee wowee oh boy.

The Verdict

This will probably make me unpopular with some of my friends who will think I've taken leave of my senses. I don't care, I'm going to say it anyway:

Back to Black is a fantastic album.

It is a testament to two things - firstly, the enduring power and legacy of Motown and all who contributed to it; and secondly, the wasted talent of Amy Winehouse. What makes it sadder is that her personal circumstances, her constant battles with substance abuse, were probably never going to be won; the first track of this album makes that abundantly clear. It was, sadly, a matter of time before she would destroy herself. 

Thankfully, we at least got this work from her before that happened.

Again, it's not perfect; some tracks aren't as strong as others, and it isn't a grand artistic statement or concept (and I sure as hell love those). What it is is a really enjoyable, listenable soul album, well written, composed and produced.

Coming from someone who doesn't really like this particular brand of 'girl soul', that's a big compliment.

My rating: ****

Standout Tracks

Back To Black

He Can Only Hold Her

You Know I'm No Good

Tomorrow a complete change of mood. I'm going to review an album that arguably stands as its creators' masterpiece, despite them releasing some truly amazing albums in their time. And it's a fair bet that many people have never heard of them....