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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This one is no longer on the list, but is a great album, obviously the work of a teenager but a truly gifted one. I do note the contradictions in the lyrics but some of these tracks are great just for the final form of music they’re as a whole. Fuck me Pumps and mainly, Help Yourself are songs for the ages. I bought this on vinyl from Europe just to get that song, and I will love it for the rest of my days and miss Amy and that side of her which she did not show that often every time I listen to it… I was going to give it 4 stars for it being so uneven, but I just love Help Yourself that much.

Loses one star just for not being Back to Black.

No. 237/1001 Intro/Stronger Than me 4/5 You Send Me Flying / Cherry 4/5 Know You Know 3/5 Fuck Me Pumps 3/5 I Heard Love Is Blind 4/5 Moody's Mood For Love / Teo Licks 3/5 No Greater Love 4/5 In My Bed 3/5 Take The Box 4/5 October Song 3/5 What Is It About Men 4/5 Help Yourself 3/5 Amy Amy Amy 3/5 Outro NR Brother 3/5 Mr. Magic 4/5 Average: 3,47 Really good jazzy pop album. Her voice was truly special.

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

It's Amy of course it's a slay AND will make me feel guilty about being a man. 5 stars.

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.

To be frank… it’s actually a refreshing debut that is lacking pretense and hype - just a strong decent soul record

This is almost unbearably sad. Amy Winehouse released her debut album when she was just 19, singing about her life where the men that she craved love from were all weak, manipulative or needy. She sounds tired, cynical and world weary, and in retrospect it’s easy to see the path that she was already heading down. Nobody should be singing lines like “I’ve forgotten all of young love’s joy” when they’re not even in their twenties. Rest in peace Amy.

While I do slightly prefer Back To Black, Amy Winehouse's debut is still a really solid effort. There is still so much emotion and passion here. Easily one of the greatest voices of her time, taken from us too soon.

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.

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

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.

She sultry. A talent reminiscent of another time but completely modern, too. I would have loved to see how her sound and point of view progressed over time.

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.

Prank

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

Annoying

I love this album dearly. I first listened to it some time around 2007-2008, when “Rehab” was everywhere and I immediately wanted to hear more from Amy. I feel like this album is a close friend that has grown up with me, and there have been different times in my life when almost every song had its moment of reflecting exactly how I felt. It’s tempting to go song by song and expand on why I love each of them, but for 15 tracks that’s a bit much. On the other hand, it’s hard for me to single out favorite tracks or moments, but I will try: - the increasingly dizzying and desperate vocal expression on “You Sent Me Flying” - the sense of urgency that sets in immediately with the percussion of “Know You Now” - the biting satire in the lyrics of “Fuck Me Pumps” and “I Heard Love is Blind” - “There is No Greater Love” is, I think, the only track on the album she didn’t write or co-write, and it’s such a beautiful rendition of a jazz standard and a perfect inclusion - “Take the Box” is a perfect breakup song, no notes - “Amy Amy Amy” sounds like the theme song for knowingly making bad decisions - the two “hidden tracks” after the outro, especially the slinky and sentimental “Brother”, are such lovely parting gifts The whole album is sustained by Amy’s amazing voice - it is powerful, soft when it needs to be, has a beautiful rasp and a fantastic range. It recalls several of the jazz greats while being wholly unique. The musical blend of soul, jazz, and R&B is delightful and doesn’t sound dated by even a day, 21 years later. This is an album I have been coming back to consistently for nearly 20 years and will continue to, probably forever. It blows my mind that this was released when Amy was just 20 years old. It blows my mind that I’m now older than Amy was when she died, and still the genius of her music continues to give me so much. RIP my friend. 10/10

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.

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

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

such a voice

-Amy Winehouse my beloved.. I didn’t realize she took inspo from Frank Sinatra! Makes sense though. Her voice is phenomenal in this album -Favorites are Stronger Than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, and I Heard Love Is Blind

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.

Love Amy Winehouse, but this is not her strongest album. I think you can tell it's her debut, the sound is there but it isn't as refined and polished as it will be in future albums. There also aren't really any hits on this one. All of the songs are perfectly fine and nice to listen to, but none of them have stuck with me past that initial listen. A perfectly nice way to spend an hour, but nothing to write home about.

I had never heard an Amy Winehouse album before. For some reason, her albums just blew right past my knowledge. Mostly because it was not necessarily my kind of music and failed to hit the sweet spot in what I like to listen to. I can't say this has changed dramatically after hearing "Frank." I did enjoy the Lily Allen-like sass on Fuck Me Pumps and.................pretty much every other song. I was taken back when I heard the same sample used on a Nas song (Made You Look) used by Amy Winehouse on In my Bed. I did not see that one coming and had to check Spotify to make sure the album wasn't over or somehow I was listening to Nas. I can't say the music is not at least interesting and somewhat compelling, though I also can't say we needed both Frank and Black to Blue in the book. Amy Winehouse herself didn't love this album and so I'm going to give Back to Black a listen and see if it was better representative of her. I can't really bash this album. She is a clearly talented singer and though the material isn't the strongest, I think at least one Amy Winehouse album needs to be in this book.

Unique voice but most of the songs sound very similar

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.

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

I found this album a real struggle. It’s nothing like back to black. I find Amys voice a tough listen, and it grates as you go further through the album. There are no big hits on this either to help to redeem my score. Favourite song: I couldnt pick one Least favourite: All the songs were just not for me. Jazz mixed with pop is a bad combo. Album artwork: Good cover, she looks waisted on it though

A nineteen year old Brit doing the cliched female jazz singer voice 😒. The music is okay, but Macy Gray had given me all of this I needed long before Amy Winehouse came along.

So many others have done this style better. It's like someone impersonating a jazz singer.

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.

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

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.

Not really seeing what the big deal was with her

This album just left me feeling sad. I never jumped on the Amy Winehouse bandwagon. I always found her voice kind of grating, and I didn't understand why everyone was obsessed with a song about a woman actively trying to destroy herself (Rehab) as if it was cute and funny. This album confirmed that I have zero interest in her as an artist. Her opening track complaining about all the ways her (much older) boyfriend fails to meet her needs is an ode to toxic masculinity and sexist ideas of gender roles and explains why so many people end up in awful relationships. Several other songs describe more ill-fated relationships with awful men as they use her, she uses them (or cheats on them), they break up, and she goes out to find the next one. Underneath it all, there's a sense that she knows she's deeply wounded but just can't help herself. There's also a song where she tears down superficial "trophy wife" women, a song where she tells her deadbeat boyfriend to get off his ass and help himself, as well as a song where she complains about her brother needing to get his shit together to take care of their mother. Amy seemed to relish living in a glass house and throwing stones. What Is It About Men? and Amy Amy Amy both prove she is capable of introspection, and she actually does seem to acknowledge that she's out of control. But then on the latter she just doubles down on it. The instrumentation alternates between annoying and badly done R&B beats and sleepy (boring) jazz songs. And through it all, there's Amy shouting in her whiny, affected jazz voice (you can tell she's talented, but dear God she needed a good producer to rein her in). It's actually kind of horrifying that this was her debut album and she was so clearly going down a bad path even then (at 19!). It seems like Amy was always surrounded by the wrong people. Her views on men and relationships suggest someone who was never taught how to respect herself or have a healthy relationship, and she turned that outward by believing it was okay to use other people the way they used her (and turned it inward by destroying herself). And then in her professional life she was surrounded by yes men who were all too happy to cash the checks written by her suffering and self-destruction. It's deeply sad and disturbing, and I just feel bad for her that no one seemed to be there who really cared about her. Even if she was determined to destroy herself and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, they didn't all have to stand around and encourage it. 1/5

#76. I haven't cringed this hard in quite some time. This whole album is pretty yikes-tastic. Do people actually like this? No part of listening to this was enjoyable to me. 1/5: please stop.

It's always bugged me that Amy Winehouse received more plaudits than Sharon Jones. It stank of bigotry to me that the culture at large embraced Winehouse while they generally ignored Jones, even though the latter had a stronger voice and stronger songs. Because of this I ignored Back to Black for years. It is a good album, even though I think it's another attempt by the music industry to put a white face on music that had already been innovated by black faces. But that's really more on the industry that pushed Winehouse, not the singer herself. And she and her producers do good and interesting stuff on that album. This bullshit, though? Weak mimicry. Winehouse doesn't have the control over her voice she exhibits in Black, sounding like a copy of the girl groups she idolized. The backing tracks sound like beats that were rejected from 90s R&B and Neo-Soul albums. In My Bed has a good beat, but too bad it had already been used for Made You Look by Nas. And naming the album after Frank Sinatra when it owes a larger debt to the black singers that came in between them? Get the fuck out of here. It's the Starbucks version of Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.

This is the kind of wailing scatting atonal jazz shit that I absolutely cannot stand. Had to listen in like 30 second stretches with lots of breaks in between. The closest I've ever come to a DNF in over a year of doing this.

Beautiful.

Less overplayed than BACK TO BLACK. RIP

Top

Still so sorely missed. Shame she’s gone

Back to Black is definitely her masterpiece, but this is a damn fine album as well. One of the all-time great vocalists!

UGHHHHHHHH!!!! (in a good way) every time i hear this album it's even better than i remember...just so many interesting things happening here. right off the bat opening with a song that says "are you gay?" and then calling him a ladyboy...and of course fuck me pumps is theee internalized misogyny anthem of all time ("without girls like you, there's no nightlife / all those men just go home to their wives" YEOWCH). like what a crash entrance into music for this to be the first thing people ever hear from you!! but also just musically there's so many interesting production choices -- In My Bed and What Is It About Men have such a sleek (hip hop inspired maybe?) 90s sound which is sooo different than the classic jazz sound of Amy Amy Amy or You Sent Me Flying. so many tender moments too (No Greater Love, Cherry, I Heard Love Is Blind)...like the range is just crazy on this album. every listen gives me new favorites and new thing to notice. I LOVE YOU AMY <33333

Pure class, innit? And what a debut. Not many better. The record's a total blast, fun and tart and sassy. One wonders what Carole King would make of "Fuck Me Pumps" or "I Heard Love Is Blind," a right proper 21st-centurty cheatin' song. It's at once fresh and new and respectful of tradition (love the hat tip to Sarah Vaughn), soulful in the classic sense and savvy in the modern way. "Mr. Magic" is a fantastic closer – just seals the deal. Cool and excellent throughout. Rounding up slightly, if only because of one's own sense of loss of what might have been.

While I don't dislike Back to Black, this album made me realize what all the Amy Winehouse fuss is all about. The songwriting and playing is peak neo soul, while still not sounding like a copy of the Soulquarians or any others. And Winehouse singing is brilliant, full of soul and charisma. This will definitively be revisited!

a negyedik hallgatásnál tartok and its counting 😁❤️

A true modern classic. Haven't listened to the whole thing in order maybe ever. Feel like I've been missing out. Amy was sort of a joke culturally at the end of her life but Frank is at the zenith of her talent and she (and the Dap Kings) are amazing here. No notes. Guess I gotta Five-Star this one.

She's just amazing, so much passion and feeling in her voice. Iconic songs in the album

Just a stellar album. Such a shame we lost her so early!

I will actually listen to this again!

excellent, imagine being her, astounding

Amy is a winner. 5

I liked it.

Brilliant vocalist gone too soon.

Great jazz record. Amy Winehouse’s vocals were amazing. Favorite song: Mr Magic

Yes.

Amy Amy Amy! 🎶

Loved it. Jazzy vibes!

The jazz in here is sung to perfection by Amy winehouse. I will never stop recommending this album. The songs speak for themselves. You already know what I’ll rate it.

One of my favourite artists of all time

Calm

Very good

This is incredibly smooth

Genio

LONG LIVE AMY WINEHOUSE EVERY SONGS A BANGER

Increíble debut, Amy nunca fue perfecta y no pretendió serlo, y a sus 19 años esto es sumamente evidente. Un gran álbum de principio a fin.

Great album from great artist - one that I did not hear before. Nice to be reminded of her insane vocal! Great instrumentation as well - well played, but at the same time lets the vocals shine. Not the deepest lyrics, but they feel heartfelt and real.

I liked the whole album so much that I don’t want to add any one track to my playlist, 5/5

Giving me nostalgia even though this is my first time listening to her

Even though this one, her first album, is not the best she already show the power and musical skills of her voice here. So for me this is clearly a "5".

Own

Classic and very influential, despite its own obvious derivativeness. (is that a word?)

This was extremely enjoyable, I love the instrumentation, and her voice. Listened to this 3 times back to back then listened to all of Back to Black, her second album. She really was taken too early from us. I'd love to see how she would've progressed in her career.

Why didn’t anyone tell me Amy Winehouse fucks so hard?!? I’m definitely gonna check out the rest of her discography. Great vibes and this is exactly what I come to music for!

Great album! The amount of musicians is staggering. I was surprised to see on the wiki that Amy winehouse didn't like it and didn't like the production saying "everyone was idiots" but she didn't elaborate. Great songwriting, tons of unique sounds, great singing!

Timeless.

Incredible. I may like it even more than Back to Black.

Great singer and artist. I think I prefer Back to Black to this one, I hope it made the list too. A bit jazzier than I remembered/ expected.. Favorite song is “What is it about men “

What an absolute treat, her voice is so amazing and these songs are incredible

We really lost a great one. I could listen to her sing anything.

It's a great introduction to Amy Winehouse as well as the new modern jazz style.

Never ceases to amaze me how talented and unique Amy Winehouse is.

Jazz-pop fusion. I had heard a couple of the songs on this album before but never the entire thing. Amy Winehouse is an incredible vocalist -- one of my favorite singers of the last 40 years. Her pitch and control are perfect, her tone is pure and unique with a blend of brashness and vulnerability, and phrasing and timing are truly original and swing seamlessly between jazz and hip-hop. She turns just about any song into an experience. This collection of tunes is good but not outstanding -- it almost doesn't matter. Stronger Than Me is probably the best of them; Know You Now and Fuck Me Pumps and also excellent.

Transcendent. Genre, time, mood. Name a characteristic, and Amy will reinvent it.

want on vinyl

I’ve loved her style since the first time I heard her, which unfortunately was after she’d already died. Her nod to Grover Washington was especially fun.

9/10

Brilliant. 5