Frank

Oh, Amy… 'Frank,' Amy Winehouse’s debut album, refers partly to the quintessential crooner Frank Sinatra, one of Amy’s earliest influences. A couple of tracks in I heard more jazz/blues singer Billie Holiday than Sinatra. Although I would not title Amy’s LP 'Billie' because Ms. Holiday, despite her own problems with men and drugs, had so much more depth (where would one drop ‘Strange Fruit’ among the collection of songs on 'Frank'?), both in voice and lyrics, a multi-dimensional artist in comparison to Amy Winehouse and her singular lyrical focus: hooking up with the bad boys. Every single song on 'Frank' (save one about the death of her pet bird, Ava- ‘October Song’) is about Amy’s desperate and shallow pursuit of masculine affection. Comedian Chris Rock once commented that a father’s main goal in raising a daughter is to keep her off the (stripper) pole. Amy’s mother and brother are briefly mentioned on 'Frank,' but no reference to her father, so who knows what went on there? I have no information nor do I even want to pronounce any kind of judgment on their relationship. Just wondering. I happen to like strong, independent women. And that bleeds over into my musical preference. One of my favorite female artists is Liz Phair, who has made a career out of unashamedly affirming and asserting her own sexuality. One gets the impression from her songs that her family origin might have had its own dysfunction that affected, for example, her ability to choose healthier relationships with men. But Amy is damaged in a way well beyond Liz. On the opener, she cruelly says to her man, ‘You always wanna talk it through, I don’t care… You always wanna talk it through, I’m ok. I always have to comfort you every day. But that’s what I need to do, are you gay?’ Other songs have her sleeping with married men, boasting about it even (‘What Is It About Men’), and then brutally criticizing slutty girls who just want to score a good looking sugar daddy (‘Fuck Me Pumps.’) On ‘I Heard Love Is Blind‘ she excuses (blames, even) her own cheating on her man by asking what did you expect, I was drunk, and he looked like you! But hey, at least ‘I was thinking of you when I came (with the other guy).’ Amy Amy Amy’ features the background singers in chorus pleading with her to get her shit together, but to no avail. Amy is cursed with her attraction to the kinds of dudes who apparently are great in bed but rotten elsewhere. And then there’s the hints of alcohol and substance abuse. Several of the songs have Amy hungover, so the drinking has already begun. The drug abuse, of course, was not far behind, and eventually took her life. Despite the competent jazz players who earn at least a star themselves on 'Frank,' Amy’s sickness just taints the whole thing, at least for this listener. I’m no stranger to the blues, musically or otherwise, but the sadness I feel for Amy is even more pronounced by what could have been. It’s very clear on this LP where she’s headed and the consequences that catch up with all who stumble down her path. ‘I can’t help you if you won’t help yourself,’ she sings to one of her ‘bad boy’ lovers, unknowingly prophesying her own demise. Would that Amy had listened to her own advice.

Frank by Amy Winehouse (2003) In this debut jazz/pop album, sassy 19-year-old British vocalist Amy Winehouse sings songs revealing that in relationships with men, she expects to get what she wants. And what she wants is perversely oversexed, as if she thinks she’s discovered the right tool to fix what’s broken inside. It’s embarrassing. Lyrics are characterized by demanding, controlling, manipulating, objectifying, wallowing in splenetic superficiality, reducing the man to a mere instrumental cause for her deluded sense of happiness, slutsplaining her way through a closed labyrinth of contradictions and non-sequiturs. As a songwriter, she comes across like a tiny princess who does her ego shopping at the Big & Tall Men’s store. All this is really too bad, because the musical arrangements are excellent, and she has an appealing, good-but-not-great voice. If you’re 1,000 albums into the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and this is the only one remaining, you could just as well go ahead and die. 1/5

The first (only?) artist on @1001_albums_gen i'd met and being a Camdenite of course know Frank inside out. And what an incredible voice Amy had. I know there is idolisation of stars that die too early - but not here, what a huge, massive loss.

This album is more of a sign of things to come for Amy, as she wouldn’t hit her, unfortunately very short, peak until back to black. But I still love this album, it’s a raw look at the life of a 19 year old who doesn’t know much about the world other than her relationships with the men in her life. It’s honest (hence Frank), and that’s all it needs to be

Not usually into jazz but honestly it doesn't matter when you hear Amy's voice.

To my surprise I enjoyed this a lot more than Back to Black (which I quite enjoyed), which has such a strong reputation and I've always assumed is *the* polished work to look towards when it comes to Winehouse's discography. Rather, the classic jazz influence is more charming with less polish/production, the humor actually caught me off guard (I always found Rehab depressing and over-obvious), and is more emotionally acute if not as raw as BIB.

Loses one star just for not being Back to Black.

When she said "you know that I'm no good" I didn't realize she was talking about this album! Damn!

I struggled through this album. There were times I absolutely just wantes her to stop singing. Her voice just got more annoying as it went on. There aren't really any redeeming songs on this album.

Most of the time, when I’m looking for a retrograde album to illustrate how much gender politics have evolved in music over the last few years, I think of The Rolling Stones or Aerosmith. I do not think of Amy Winehouse. And yet, in this album’s opening song “Stronger than Me” we have an ear-grabbing reinforcement of terrible gender stereotypes. Winehouse tells her man that he’s 7 years older than her so should be strong, but he’s overly emotional and she has to comfort him so much, she wonders if he might be gay? It’s a jarring note on an album which dives headfirst into thorny relationships with relish (“Fuck Me Pumps” is a takedown of material women, “I Heard Love Is Blind” takes a defensive stance after a one-night affair). “Frank” launched Winehouse’s career and brought her miraculous voice into public consciousness, but it’s a million miles from the refined songwriting she’d display just a few years later on “Back to Black”. The music is flighty and restless, sometimes settling in a comfortable place: rooted in jazz-pop, flirting with soul, bossa-nova (“Know You Now”), sampled hip-hop beats (“In My Bed”, “What Is It About Men”). It’s a little scattered, sometimes snoozy, and definitely overlong: at various points, “Frank” feels a bit confused over its identity. There are a couple of standouts, though: “October Song” is a crisp and wistful ode to Eva Cassidy, and the cover of the jazz standard “There Is No Greater Love” is a real breath of fresh, dignified air. “Amy, Amy, Amy” is a fun, rickety mine-cart ride into self destruction. While Winehouse’s songwriting was still under development here, her voice emerges fully formed on “Frank” (at just 19 years old!) Thankfully, her vocals are miraculous enough to steal the attention from any questionable content: it’s honey, whiskey and poison. She has stunning depth, control and character which is utilised across every track. If nothing else will sell you on her music, the voice surely will.

Nice one to listen once. Do not added smth to my playlist.

This wasn’t good. I felt it droned on to be honest. I know she’s got pipes but it was well below average for me.

Annoying

such a voice

The sassiest and most satisfying sort of soul. An astonishing debut on multiple levels, the conifdent delivery and assuredness, her versatile singing style, from belting to vamping. The lyrics are great, too, with many funny bits ("Fuck Me Pumps," "I Heard Love Is Blind") and empowered feminist (and post-feminist) proclamations ("Stronger Than Me," "What Is It About Men"). A big-time talent strutting her stuff for the first time. One loves the overall vibe and feel of the record, too – the retro instrumentation and song selection, backed by modern beats and 'tudes – "Mr. Magic" is a great exemplar of how this respectfully and intelligently freshens up a classic genre. Excellent all the way around.

It's hard not to be sad when one thinks of what Amy Winehouse could have been. Had she not been caught up in the whirlwind of the sleazy and seedy underbellies that bellies stardom and fame. Had she not been pigeonholed into a idealism that celebrated debauchery and decadence and a downward path towards death. Seeing this album cover, and the music contained within it, is a reminder of who she was and what she was; a disciple of the jazz and hip-hop woven tapestry that enabled her to express herself in ways that felt real, that felt unencumbered by media expectations and fuckery, that felt... well, frank. A stark example of not knowing what we had until it was gone and not knowing what to do with it when we had it. She was an incredible talent who should still be making music today, who should still be alive today.

I can’t say I’ve heard an album do a better job blending modern and vintage sounds. Amy Winehouse nods to Ella Fitzgerald and Ronnie Spector but adds something entirely her own, making for a timeless delight.

I miss her dearly; she was taken too soon from this world. I wish her life had been easier. Not just for her endless talent, but also because she deserved to live so much more.

Le cadavre d'Amy Winehouse nous propose une performance certes moins fringante qu'à l'accoutumée, mais néammoins très convaincante.

Je suis désolé pour Amy qui nous avait autrefois sauvés d'une entame de générateur catastrophique, mais cet album m'a un peu laissé sur ma grosse dalle.

Never really understood what the big deal was with Winehouse. She became a celebrity who often appeared in tabloids and "entertainment news", due to her off stage addictions and indulgences, but really what was the fascination? The story of a talented singer, lost in a sea of drugs and booze isn't an uncommon tale, but somehow she had the look and tragic story. She was an above average jazz singer who had a good voice that was years beyond her age with a persona as a diva from beginning to an end that came way too soon. The songs are okay, her music brought the jazz genre into to the pop mainstream and she was an amazing performer. I still think she was a tad overrated and not as essential as we might think.

Prank

Not really seeing what the big deal was with her

2.8 - I’ll stick to “Back to Black.” This lightweight neo-soul does nothing for me. I feel like I’m listening to Macy Gray with a dash of gratuitous cursing.

There's flashes there of the talent that would really come to the fore later, but it's all too few and far between on this album compared to Back To Black. The opening track has a lot of the bite that goes into her best work, but without the soul and the wit, and that's a common theme throughout the album - there are quite a few songs that are one missing ingredient away from being really good, but if you're being realistic only one or two of these songs would get close to anything on Back To Black. 2/5.

The vocals feel at various times like parody or caricature, the backing tracks are mostly insipid and boring, the lyrics are all forgettable mush.

This really pissed me off. I'm tired of 1001 albums recommending a crappy first album when there are terrific later albums. Yet here we are. In Frank, Ms. Winehouse has yet to find her groove though there are glimmers of greatness, especially in the side B songs, such as "What is it about men." Her songwriting skills are as immature as her singing, but she will eventually (though not here) get there. The music is equally underwhelming; I can practically feel the musicians wanting to bust out of their sad little cage.

A laborious record overall. The production is clean, dense and has just about all the qualities needed to make an \"easy listening\" album. However, the core problem is that it is difficult to get through because of the whingy, cursive, and nasal vocal performances. The project length also does not help matters because there is not enough lyrical variety to warrant an hour's runtime. The songs end up blurring into one monotonous moan. Score: 29/100

כמה רגש ויופי וסול מושלם ליום גשום

My girl

Gotta love Amy

Hey Amy!

i know every word, such a slay. fuck me pumps, double slay album art - deserved better, but good 7/10

Outstanding. No idea why I’ve never heard this before

Good stuff from Amy - more laid-back than I expected but none the worse for it

Top, bom pra banho e p fuder

I love everything about her voice! Her music is timeless and cherished

Turns out I love this

holy shit this is amazing? did she only have two albums?! I listened to both Frank and Back to Black, and the deluxe editions of both with the bonus content of course everything is a 10/10 super talented artist, gone way too soon, holy shit that’s depressing

Listen, Fuck me pumps will forever ring out in my house. Big fan of Amy, and this is one of my favorites.

GTFO. Absolute LEGEND of an artist, really just riffing from the depths of her soul, a little bit different every time. I love how jazzy and playful the tracks are, and I just freaking love her, OK?!

An amazing voice and presence on the album. Each track is great.

She's got such a great voice. Awesome album, lots of great songs!

Fantastic, she truly was

Didn't expect to like this but it had some great tunes and really funny lyrics

Banger

This album is peak Amy for me. She has some fun with the inevitable Erykah Badu comparisons, but this is a bright new talent, rather than the significantly retro retooled Mark Ronson stuff. I can barely listen to Back to Black due to its ubiquity and idolatry but this? Forever.

fav track: October song

A perfect Sunday morning album.

lovely

great album

very cool

Very good

Quite fucking swanky in my opinion. Kind of a darker, after-hours Norah Jones. I enjoyed this, maybe even more than Back to Black

Id listened before. Her voice was something special & it couldve been legendary

slay amy

Amy Winehouse was so talented. It was impressive that she could sound so much like singers such as Billie Holiday, but it doesn’t sound like it was a gimmick or an impersonation. Probably my favorite album to come up on here so far.

Very unique sound and voice, lots to pick up on upon repeat listens, classic album

5 star

So much Soul. Amy is so incredibly talented and this album hits in all the right places. Easy 5 stars

ok LO AMÉ. fue como poner un tiny desk y eso es decir un montón para mi onda los tiny desk lo son todo para mi(?) 9 / 10 colta

blew me away, did not expect that. i’m familiar with amy, but never got into her full albums, this was phenomenal.

This is awesome.

Original, beautiful voice. Loved it

Literally the best album so far

What a voice and what a sound! A call back to Jazz lounge singers in the 30s and 40s. So soulful. I loved her documentary AMY. A talent gone far too soon, but a legacy amplified by an early demise. RIP.

Amazing soul and jazz album. Her voice is beautiful.

Rest in Power, Amy.

Just Amy

This is my favorite album from this list in a long while. I will have to keep coming back to this album. Amy Winehouse bridges the gap from vocal jazz to neo-soul and trip-hop in such elegant ways throughout the album. Additionally, she has really beautiful lyrics. Highlights: All. Listen to this one front to back.

Pretty nice, Amy's voice is quite powerful as they said, and the music went hand in hand with her voice.

Gritty and vibrant. Such a soulful voice.

The ultimate Saturday morning album

I think this was my first time really listening to Amy Winehouse; and she had a powerhouse of a voice

Brilliant and amazing album from a brilliant and amazing artist.

This came out when I was a teenager, so I totally missed it, and then I was out of the country when Back to Black came out, so I totally missed the Amy Winehouse boat altogether. I get it now.

THIS IS A FLAWLESS ALBUM. INCREDIBLE. BEAUTIFUL. JAZZY AND FUN.

Discazo

Amy's voice will always be so charming. Love the instrumentals, but it definitely wouldn't be anything without Amy herself. Amazing album, such a pleasant listen. Fave track(s): Stronger Than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, In My Bed

wow

Before she was Back in Black she introduced us to Frank. That seems to be the appropriate word…Frank. An uncompromising and classic sound seems at times throwback and others wholly what was missing for the time. A WONDERFUL record. The world could’ve used more Amy Winehouse.

Wow what a record. Stronger Than Me into You Sent ME Flying/Cherry is a ridiculous opening. I felt the tracks may have been a bit long but the soundcloud era has damaged my attention span. Long Live Amy

muito bom, fadinho agradabilíssimo

Great

It's an absolute belter, one of my favourite albums of all time. Just perfection.

Well it was a bloody 5 star before I even start. One of my favourite albums of all time - I don't know where to start! I just think it is a beautifully crafted album where you get a real sense of what Amy's life was like in London at the time. Her relationships, her nights out (taking the piss out of certain girls - but in a fond way! (Fuck me pumps))), her love for writing music on her guitar (Cherry), falling in love with crap men (Help Yourself) and her messy attitude to relationships (I Heard Love Is Blind). So many of the songs are so funny and include punchlines, like I heard love in blind. I love how to the point and unafraid she was to talk about certain shortcomings in her songs - FRANK as such. Other than knowing the obvious Amy Winehouse songs, it was Help Yourself that got into her properly. Someone I met travelling (Malaysia at the time I believe) told me how pure and beautiful she thought that song was - I just how on the nose it was. I listened and totally agreed - now my most favourite song. I've loved all the documentaries about Amy Winehouse and what I've learned about her song writing - like how she, before the music, is a poet and lyricist and that is SO the strength of these songs. But her love of jazz means these songs are musically complex and surprising but pleasing. Just big big love for this - a joy to write a review and sing along to EVERY WORD. I became a fan of Amy Winehouse she died, it was odd to go through the heartbreak of her death well after she actually died. I'm so struck by her talent and if only she'd grown older to write more music, and obviously enjoyed her life beyond 27. Her music was so wise and mature, knowing some of these songs were written as a teen! 5 bloody stars and I rarely give these

Ughhhhh just fucking insanely great and amazing. I used to see Amy Winehouse in her final years in a pub in Kentish Town when I was doing uni drinking and avoiding revision for vet school exams haha. Her story really touched me and I always really appreciated her music even while she was alive but maybe even more so since she passed. I have a lot of time for this kind of jazzy version of intense story-telling. Her lyrics are genius and the tunes she wrote are unbelievably catchy. I always love listening around the hits to some of her lesser known songs. This album certainly helped me deal with some tough things like grief and heartbreak at certain points in my life and I think it's incredible.

Erg relaxt, GOED

Amazing album. Left us too soon. 5/5

Wonderful. Had never listened to the full album. What a tragedy. So much talent.

Amazing from start to finish

Never in a thousand years would I think I would give this album a 5/5, but I liked it that much. Even listened through a second time. Every song is good.

My Amy Winehouse favorite album, no question about it. I love these songs because they bring back memories of hard days I was able to overcome and also because I love this Amy, the one before all the excess, the one before turning into Billie Holiday, singing playfully her songs. This is one of the albums I play when I need to cheer me up.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: You sent me flying, Fuck me pumps, In my bed, Take the box, Help yourself, Amy Amy Amy

great

awe :( Amy. There's something so sad about her death and hits me harder knowing addiction. She left us a lot of gold. And she was so pretty! What an amazing artist! Her style is beautiful. Old and jazzy and modern all in one. Lovin this album.

fantastic. absolutely genius of amy.

Phenomenal. She was a massive talent and—though beloved while alive—underrated.

Frábær frá upphafi til enda. Einstakur talent.

Lo ame todo. No sabía que Amy tenían un disco así. Lo disfrute mucho 10/10 lo guardamos.