Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Good vibes, really struggled with the lack of good hooks. Can see how she got to Back to Black, but she isn't there yet with this one.
When Amy is fully locked in and truly in her jazz element, it's clear why she was such a revered singer. She's absolutely stunning in those moments, weaving her trademark sultry style with tender, saccharine moments. The problem is she's also a pop singer, and the pop songs just don't have the maturity that the standards do. It's clear what a talent she would have been if the industry hadn't hit her with a sledgehammer and she could have been protected from her addictions. As it is the album is messy, uneven, but indicative of real, beautiful talent that was destined to inspire lackluster imitators.
While like most people, I'm more familiar with Amy Winehouse's second album Back to Black rather than this, her debut is very strong. Her voice is incredible, especially for someone who was a teen at the time, and there are some strong neo-soul/jazz tracks on here, there's nothing quite as powerful as the singles from her second album. It's a listening experience I would characterize as "pleasant."
This album was ok, Amy winehouse has a very distinct but good voice and I enjoyed the sort of jazzy atmosphere. The album was a bit long for my liking and there was no real standout songs to me.
I love Amy and honestly am a bit disturbed by the creepy, borderline misogynistic reviews here (and on other parts of this site). So what if the content is about her relationships. Isn't that what, uhhh, MOST OF POP MUSIC IN HISTORY IS ALL ABOUT?? Is moderating reviews simply not cool anymore?? This album shows that she was already greatness in the making, at the age of 19. A crooning voice made in heaven, with eclectic jazzy and trip-hop ideas already at the forefront. Too bad the production is bogged down by "experimentation" that is atmospheric at best and lazy and pointless at worst. In her words: "I've never heard the album from start to finish. I don't have it in my house. Well, the marketing was fucked, the promotion was terrible. Everything was a shambles. It's frustrating, because you work with so many idiots—but they're nice idiots. So you can't be like, "You're an idiot." They know that they're idiots." Hilarious! Can't argue with that! Still gets a 3 for her efforts, too bad it's too spotty. They should have just put Back to Black on the list. Since she's from the UK, I guess both had to be on there. Thanks, Dimery. Post-script: it appears that this has already been taken off the list in new editions. Agreed, sadly.
Amy Winehouse, patron saint of that friend you’ve known forever who you’re constantly worried about. I haven’t listened very deeply to her stuff and I was caught just a little off guard by how mean spirited some of her songs are lol. She is a very talented performer with great accompaniment, though her lyrics leave something to be desired. Her death was a tragedy for many reasons, and one among them is the fact that we’ll never get to see what her work would’ve been like if she had been able to grow and mature through a longer career. Anyway, I don’t think this is representative of her best work but I wouldn’t argue with anyone who feels differently.
This was fine. Amy Winehouse is a blind spot for me and unfortunately I don't have the will to dig into her discography anytime soon.
I enjoy the juxtaposition of Amy’s lighthearted and superficial lyrics with the classic jazzy music.
Some great tunes that forecast what was to come. Some less focused or youthful stuff that doesn’t hold up as well.
solide 3.5+/5
She could really sing.
Better than the last one, which surprised me. But there's still something missing for me with her stuff. Sadly.
I totally understand why this is on this list. Winehouse’s singing voice is really good, but her vocal affectations are annoying. That's why it's only 3/5.
This is not bad but it's definitely lacking something vs. Back to Black.. I guess Mark Ronson's production helped to elevate Winehouse to pop royalty. The songs on this are fine, some of the lyrics haven't aged very well (toxic masculinity?!) but the follow-up is better
First time listening to a full Amy Winehouse record, with my previous experience being the single Rehab. She really does have an amazing voice, and I get the sense of combined lost that was felt at her death.
It was alright. Not really my genre but Amy Winehouse is such a great singer.
Better things to come. Some very weak drum sounds and basic production
I’ve always liked her voice, even though I had never spent much time exploring her music in depth. Listening to Frank, I was struck by how natural and effortless she sounded, and her voice remained the highlight throughout the album. It also brought back memories of seeing her perform at a festival in 2008.
Rally enjoyed the chilled vibe of this. Listened to it after a long day and it helped me feel relaxed
Liked this one immediately. Hard to listen to for obvious tragic reasons. Glad it exists.
I need to be frank, need some wine after this one. I don't even drink.
I didn't get anything out of this album.
Album #168 Amy Winehouse: Frank This doesn’t have the highlights of Back to Black, and truthfully, I really only love the highs of that album; yet, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to call this album worse. Despite being quite a bit longer and with far fewer hits, Frank manages to almost surpass its successor in being a coherent listen. Maybe it is because the album has fewer sappy ballads and more infectious pop-soul. This is definitely Amy at her rawest, and she is quite vulnerable on a lot of the tracks; though the subject matter of some songs does reflect on her youth and Back to Black certainly feels like a more mature album. Overall, though it normally isn’t my thing I have garnered respect for Amy Winehouse’s music through listening to her two albums, and I am quite pleasantly surprised to learn that she was a lot more than just a one hit wonder. Best Songs: Stronger Than Me, October Song, In My Bed Worst Song: Amy Amy Amy Score out of 10: 7
Yeah, her earlier doo-wop Chiffons-type songs. Before she got into hardcore. It’s good, she sounds young and fresh. She found a way to renew an old sound with some modern energy. Amy would have killed in the actual 60s. Anyway I don’t like it as much as “Rehab” Amy, but I’d listen again.
Amy Winehouse has one must listen an album and it is back to black. This one isn’t bad but I wouldn’t say it’s a must listen..
6/10
Love Amy Winehouse’s voice and Back to Black is like Bruce’s Born in the USA, in that it feels like a greatest hits album, it blends old school soul with fresh contemporary lyrics and beats. Oh where was I? Back to Frank, this was excellent, more Jazzy than its follow-up album, and includes a Jazz standard, but surprised this is on here when couldn’t you just have Back to Black.
I didn’t really like the lyrics but musically this was some of her best work.
Definitely has some great tracks, but as a whole it's a lesser album (but way longer) than Back to Black.
Not bad but not quite as good as the other one.
This was decently good! Not too original or anything, but there's some good soulful pop songs in here. I'll probably return to a couple songs from this album. Favorites: Intro / Stronger Than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, I Heard Love Is Blind, October Song
Vähän ehkä särähti korvaan jotain "aikansa tuotos" lyriikkaa tai muuta cringeä. Hyvältähän se kuulostaa, mutta Jazz "dibudubi babab badoobi" välillä veti irti hyvästä vibasta - ei uppoa itselle. Levy oli päällisin puolin oikein hyvä, vokaalipainoinen minimaalisilla taustoilla (ihan syystäkin), mutta pidemmän päälle kävi kyllästyttämään.
Tunes were nice but did not stick particularly
this was good the lyrics are dated but she has an undeniable voice - high 3
Her first album is smaller than her big hits, but I like the stripped down sound, I can hear her once in a generation voice better.
Uneven first album, but what a voice.
I grew up with Amy Winehouse but I've realized that I never listened to a complete album. I still find the story of her life and death so tragic. Her style and talent was extraordinary. This album was so chill, I really enjoyed just having it on. I listend to is back to back. It's not without some songs that I still didn't vibe with on that second listen. "What is it about Men" being the biggest stand out.
it's good, as expected from amy winehouse. nothing jumps out as much as back to black or valerie or rehab, but it's still a solid hour of her singing, and that's pretty great
fuck me pumps
i've always admired her but didn't really tune into her music. this record is a bit too sleepy for me but i will continue to NEVER play about amy as a person. the fact that she released this at only 19 is both astonishing and depressing these days i see people trying to crown amy winehouse daughters by saying that every rising pop girl who does even slightly jazzy music is "like amy." but now that ive finally given one of her albums a full listen i understand how ridiculous that is. not even close girl..... fave track: in my bed
It's a debut record and I can't help but compare this one to Fiona Apple's debut. Apple's first record was uneven but had overall better songs. Frank displays all of Amy's influences but lacks focus at the same time.
Yunno, ok to middling, not ground breaking
I’d listen to some of these songs stand alone but I don’t know about the whole album. 6/10
chille vibes album gwn niet supppeeerr uniek ofzo
5 - AVERAGE
Such a talented woman, her music and voice are so unique. Fav song is ‘Fuck Me Pumps’.
147. nice
Amy on todella taidokas laulaja. Tältä ei oikein mikään biisi noussut esiin, aika tasalaatuista tavaraa.
more of the same. but I liked the first one more
Stronger than me was quite a vibe very enjoyable. The rest were kinda easy to overlook but still groovy.
It’s pretty good, nothing crazy tho.
It’s quite ok 3.3
I’ve never really listened to amy winehouse. I obviously knew who she was, but damn she’s got an incredible voice. Not really my type of music, but I can definitely appreciate it.
6/10
enjoyed this a lot more than i thought i would. i can see why this shook the industry. never been an amy head but i get it and - she was sincere and she was great. it's much more trip hop-y than i ever knew.
Hyvää settiä ja miellyttävää kuunneltavaa ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Most were ok, don’t like some. Liked Amy Amy Amy.
Overall Rating - 3.46/5 (6.92/10) Smooth, jazzy tunes which are definitely in my wheelhouse, though with a very modern sensibility.
Seguro que su trabajo siguiente es mejor. Pero como debut muy bien. Nota: 3.1
It certainly was a choice to open this album with a song complaining about a man being too emotionally open and accuses him of being gay for it. I enjoyed the album and it’s definitely better than others on the list, but there are definitely better albums that aren’t on here. Maybe it was groundbreaking at the time or something, but it’s just fine to me. 3/5
Let's get the obvious out of the way, Amy Winehouse had a killer voice, and really impressive control over it. Although, I am kind of learning that having a great voice is not particularly important to me. I am more of the " All My Favorite Singers Couldn't Sing" school of thought. But regardless, her jazzy throwback pop meets alternative sound is pretty compelling. I don't think this is the sort of thing that I really get though. It's enjoyable, but as someone who appreciates her voice more intellectually than emotionally, I don't think these songs really carry this past "pretty good". Also, I saw a lot of reviews making this album about the men in Winehouse's life more so than about her. And I think a lot of them are being excessively mean, but this album is, admittedly, pretty centered on the men in Winehouse's life. I don't terribly mind it usually, it's honest and her character does show. But there are a couple songs here that are pretty frustrating. The "Dude, why are you so sensitive, are you gay or something" addittude on Stronger Than You has aged *horribly*, and as the first song here, this album kind of starts on a really bad foot. I also find Fuck Me Pumps a little frustrating. It is a song putting down women who go to men for validation, in the middle of an album largely about the men that Amy Winehouse seeks for validation. I will say that she was 19 here, and that kind of re-frames this sort of thing as a lack of maturity. But being thrust into international stardom as a 19 year old doesn't exactly give you a chance to mature in a healthy, emotionally grounded way, and Amy Winehouse did kind of pay the ultimate price for it. In short, I can't really hold it against her, but a few of these songs are non-negotiably frustrating. Although, October Song, about her dead pet bird is the moment here where I find Amy Winehouse a little more personally relatable here.Despite my significant qualms here and there, these songs are at least servicable delivery systems for her incredible vocals, and Frank does end up enjoyable, but it also doesn't fully make me understand Winehouse's legacy.
A pretty good album of neo-jazz/pop and her voice is always in fine form. But I began to tune out as it went on with nothing really standing out or catching my attention. It's more bare-boned and minimalist than "Back to Black" and just doesn't have the same appeal to me.
I thought I was going to like this, but the style of all these songs were so similar that it got boring after a while. And her voice can wear you down at times. Three stars on the low end.
Gotta be honest didn't love this. Maybe only one listen through wasn't enough but it all sounded the same to me. Not bad by any means, just not a favorite.
Great!
I somehow made it all the way through my life without knowing a single Amy Winehouse song There’s some pretty cool ideas in here, that fusion of genres (Jazz/Pop/R&B) works pretty well and is definitely a new sound to me. There’s some good variety and I really do like the transitions between different genres, surprisingly smooth. Great vocalist as well. I don’t vibe with the lyrics much, some of the more self destructive lyrics coupled with her tragic story are just kinda sad when to me they were intended to be more humorous. I don’t feel too bad hating on this considering Winehouse herself really didn’t like this album much lol. I also think there’s just something missing, some tracks sound fine and other tracks feel like there’s a layer that’s not there and makes them feel kinda flat I’m not too surprised this is one that got removed from future editions of the book considering none of the tracks from this album are the ones she’s really known for, but considering how much influence she had on female vocalists going forward I can’t blame it too much for being on here
Good music
I like her vocals, they’re very nice and strong. This type of music is not for me, I couldn’t really enjoy the album fully. I also really just wanted the album to be over so I’m mixed on this album.
This is one of those albums that would only be on the list in 2005. My guess is that in 2005, someone working on this book (probably from the UK) was looking for a more modern jazz-adjacent artist to put on this list. There, that person found this album, which saw modest success, and put it on the list. Of course, Amy Winehouse would become a much more iconic artist as a result of the success of her 2006 album Back to Black. Because of that, this album was apparently removed from the list and replaced with Back to Black, a decision that I totally understand. I kind of went into this album totally blind. As for how I feel about it? It's good. It's not my favorite, but it's still good. Amy Winehouse's singing is phenomenal. There's no going around it. It's easily the best part of this album. The sound is also quite pleasant. The writing is certainly interesting. I feel that it's maybe a bit lyrically repetitive, but it's more of a style choice than lack of creativity. The writing is quite personal and honest though, and I like that. Overall, this is a solid album with no glaring issues, and compared to the success of Back in Black, it almost feels like a hidden gem.
She didn’t just sing the words in italics, she laid them flat on their side and made sweet love to them while Sarah Vaughan played in the background.
Amazing voice and songwriting. She died before she could have been so much more. Here and gone too soon. Too many demons.
Amy Whinehouse. J'en ai tellement entendu parler sans jamais l'écouter. C'est maintenant chose faite. Un album à écouter en soupant au chandelle. Une musique que je considère ''lounge''. Elle avais vraiment du talent. Une artiste que j'aimerais définitivement découvrir plus
This was a pretty good debut effort. You can hear that bluesy potential in her voice. We lost a potential superstar way before her time.
Objectively a great album from a talented singer but one I owned back in the day and always struggled to warm to.
What a terrible loss Amy Winehouse was. To me, this record was all about Amy's potential. She dabbles in about 12 different genres, most often in this "Sarah Vaughan meets rap soul" thing that works better on her successor album. That album, too, really hits the big choruses often where this one is not as melodic.
good… but I can tell she hasn’t fully peaked yet
As with her other album, I recognize her talent, but this is just not my cup of tea.
The sound of this album is great. Instrumentation and vocals are on point. The subject matter though, especially the first song, remind me of the social toxicity of the 2000s.
No está mal. Me gustó el estilo y la voz, para algo que no había escuchado antes me pareció bien
I love Amy! I think back to black is a much better album, but this one is good.
Good, but I probably need to give it a bit more time to fully appreciate.
A great talent taken too soon but the songs here are just ok, not really anything standing out.
Love her voice, but this album is a little too loose for me. The tighter Back to Black is where she really shines.
taki skoczny
Less of the gritty noir of Back to Black, but certainly a portent of things to come
Good album. Back to Black is still her best.
i've acc never listened to this album in full so this was fun - i think i prefer back to black, but that's for the nostalgia <3
fun
cool intro to amy, next album is a lot better tho, good show of vocals on this one
In terms of songwriting and the the style of singing there's nothing groundbreaking here. Talented singing but it's also lyrically immature. I can't tell if this is a noteworthy time capsule of female expectations/gender roles or a 19 year old's delusions. Can you have truly insightful/noteworthy relationship experiences by 19? I don't think so. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.
It might not be something I would listen to every day, but on those rainy days, it migjt come in handy
Amy has an undeniable voice and the music here goes down easy, perhaps too easy considering it’s a 54 minute album. The darkness of the Amy mythos and her tragic story doesn’t really add a lot of depth to this record for me, as it seems mostly to be a splashy debut and a demonstration of her considerable talent.
Good singing and a good album before Back to Black
placing the lyrics of most tracks, however contradictory to each other, to events following her death is quite tragic—the instrumentals are calm yet tense with emotion. "Take the Box" is one of my favorite tracks, I would give this album a 3.5 out of 5 stars if possible.
Good! Only really like on song from it
Lowkey unrefined.
Trevligt!
Alltid coolt sound från Amy men låtarna på det här når inte riktigt några högre höjder för mig.
I get why people were excited about Amy W when she stormed onto the scene. There is an unending appetite for neo-soul. I tend not to love soul music ... in its truest form, it has an odd flow that makes me restless, despite its obvious appeal. Small doses, for me. I never felt the perofrmances matched the excitement around Amy Winehouse, tragic self-destructive life story or not. This album is interesting, but ... I just don't want to listen to it that much. I like the variety, the jazzy touches are a nice element. I was not prepared for the album to sound so much like Jamiroquai. In the end, just an ok, fine album for me. Not loving it.
I didn't like this album as much as her later release. I liked the songs and the singing but didn't care much for the production. I don't know. It didn't really grab me.
Fine pop-jazz. I do like amy winehouse but this just felt average.
Not sure if this does anything that Back to Black doesn't do better, songwriting or production-wise. But more Amy is never a bad thing.
Franks a lucky guy
I really loved the first half and then it fell off a bit for me but she has so much raw talent. You see it honed and sharpened in her brilliant follow up album.
Im not a fan of jazz but like Amy's famous songs from Back to black album but I've never heard any song from her debut album Frank. For me many songs sounded the same, especially lyrically. it felt like every song is about men and from the same perspective. But towards the end of the album I catched myself on the thought I actually enjoyed the second half of the album a lot more. mostly I liked the production and her voice. But I literally can't remember most of the songs and did not add any to my playlist. Standing out to me songs: Fuck me pumps, In my bed, October song (finally song not about men), Amy Amy Amy 6/10
reconozco lo bien hecho que esta, capaz lo escucharia de fondo en alguna situacion tranquila, pero no me llama la atencion fuertemente. Papá conocerá esto? le hubiese gustado.
Amy has good vocals. Some good songs
Middle of the road, some fantastic tracks but also some pretty mid
Great vocals, very jazzy. Shame the background music didn't complement her voice at all. If there were no vocals, it'd be a 1 out of 10. It currently stands at a 6/10.
Not my thing she was talented though. Her voice sounds the same in every song to me.
This is fine. Doesn’t go beyond that but a decent listen
A very fun and groovy listen. I could listen to this often.
Not bad but not my thing. I could listen to a few of these songs again.
babu dibi babababa mmm ba di i dint like how the songs are made to be singles and dont form a smooth album it makes me upset
I really need F Me Pumps to be the MJ Cole remix tbh. And that's a sorta microcosm of how I feel about Amy Winehouse's music. I respect the singing and the songcraft, but I don't like the style and you're gonna need to remix it to grab my attention. Fave Tracks: In My Bed 3.4/5
This album got a lot stronger as it went on. I was a bit underwhelmed early on, and am still left with the feeling that Amy’s amazing vocal presence is largely what carries this record. If it were a more average singer, we’d be all together disinterested in the whole package. At the point of “Fuck Me Pumps” in the tracklisting I was getting a bit irritated with the quality of each song in contrast to Amy’s legendary status that precedes her. But things turned around at “(The Is No) Greater Love”, a super sweet ballad. “In My Bed” is probably my favorite, with a much-needed energetic chorus and instrumental that breaks the mold a bit. Lastly, “Amy Amy Amy” kept things interesting, as it was an introspective bit of analysis she performed on herself and her destructive habits. Soft 3/5, not the best Amy Winehouse project for me, therefore shouldn’t be in this list, but a fine listen
Nice idk
I don't like R&B so Amy was already at a disadvantage there. But I really enjoyed In My Bed, which has an incredible horn section. Then there's the classic Fuck me Pumps. Every track is enjoyable.
Overall it’s a very solid album. What stands out the most is her voice. It feels natural and confident, and it carries the whole record perfectly. The lyrics aren’t very complex, but they work well with the music and the mood of the album. The jazz and soul elements make it a really enjoyable listen, and the songs flow smoothly from one to another. For me it’s a strong and pleasant record, mostly because of Amy’s voice and the relaxed, soulful atmosphere throughout the album.
What a great voice! A voice like that deserves to be put up against a real band though. But this is her debut album so I can see there being some financial limits for her first recording. I think the album after this is much better so this one probably doesn’t need to be on this list. It’s still great to hear her sing though.
dang the lyrics are def something, can tell she was 19 and it was the early century. on the other hand what a voice and what a woman
It's a good album, but I don't think it's really great. It's pretty long and ends up sounding a bit repetitive. Amy singing is great though. I'm also a bit surprised that Amy Winehouse has her two albums in this project.
3/5 Amy tem uma voz bonita. Algumas faixas tem melodias e produção interessantes, mas boa parte se perde em um pop jazz sem inspiração. Falta foco ao álbum.
Not bad!
Still developing her sound
Standard R&B of it's era. Not super groundbreaking or anything. I wish she would have lived long enough to make more albums than this and it's incredible follow up.
Undeniably talented not all for me but still a good listen
3.5, pretty good. But I prefer Back to Black.
Wow, she is a force here. Some haunting song writing in here. Really sticks with you
Besser als erwartet, ahnte schlimmes
Not my favorite album of hers. But I can see how it was groundbreaking.
Stronger Than Me // You Sent Me Flying // 2.5/5
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 2 = 2.6 rounded up to a 3 "Oh on and on and on and on/ Goddammit, I'ma sing my song" Amy Winehouse is another artist I actively avoided, mainly because I very much disliked "Rehab" which was pretty unavoidable. From what little I've heard, I can't deny the talent on display. She most definitely had the voice. And in theory I should be very receptive to the whole neo-soul/ R&B aesthetic that's going on around that voice. Not sure I'm familiar with any of these tracks though, and I don't see "Rehab" in there so maybe this won't be so bad. I'll be using the UK release here. THE TRACKS "Intro"/"Stronger Than Me" - Instantly reminded of Erykah Badu here. Modern jazz vocals over top of a hip hop beat. This is good. Horns coming in at the end tie it together nicely. I can't tell if intentional or a shitty file I'm listening to, but there is some fuzz to the overall sound which isn't distracting, but feels off somehow. "You Sent Me Flying"/"Cherry" - Did she ever play a 40s nightclub singer in a video or tv or film role? Maybe she should have based on this. Very easy to picture hearing these vocals over top of the piano. She puts just the tiniest too much stank on some of the inflections here for my liking, but the overall net effect if negligible. When the beat comes in it smooths out and becomes a good headnodder. Transition into the little bossa nova works well, and would not have minded this being its own full track. Serves well as some contrast though. "Know You Now" - Can't help but think of the opening of "Message in a Bottle" by the Police when the drum kicks right in. More Erykah Baduizms here, and I don't hate it. Still not totally sold on her delivery though. Her voice hits me much harder when the inflections are toned down. "Fuck Me Pumps" - Winehouse's version of a dis track here? Pretty straight forward stuff here and almost wholly dependent on her vocals which are rightfully carrying the load so far. A bit slight. "I Heard Love Is Blind" Winehouse - More of the lounge chanteuse here and I'm here for it. I think a full album of this kind of stuff might be nice, but I wonder if it would get repetitive without the R&Bish upbeat stuff mixed in. Again though wish this could have been longer. "Moody's Mood for Love"/"Teo Licks" - Echoey trip hop beat over top of the interpretation of a jazz standard doesn't really work for me. This would have been 90% better with more traditional instrumentation. The bit at the end felt like incongruous filler. "(There Is) No Greater Love" - This is more like it. It's a shame that Winehouse never got to do a slew of straight forward jazz standards ( that I am aware of anyway). More of this please. "In My Bed" - A lot going on here from the Fugees vibe, to the hip hop beat, the Portisheadish spy guitar accents, and even some flute. Winehouse ties it all together and gels incredibly well. Much as I've gone on about the jazz standards, this is my favorite so far. Lush and vibrant. "Take the Box" - Jazzy piano ballad break up song. Very basic compared to what's gone before. This type of thing never really ever hits for me and this one is no different. The background vocals save it from being a complete bore. "October Song" - Man, Badu is all over this album. Could easily imagine a version of this being on Baduizm. Solid and breezy. "What Is It About Men" - Another solid entry here, but more downbeat and a lazier delivery here along with the guitar leans into the funk. "Help Yourself" - Read that this oe was not included on the U.S. release which is a shame, as this is a bright spot near the end and is catchy enough. Regretful beach lounging music. This would have been a fine place to end. "Amy Amy Amy"/"Outro"/"Brother" (hidden track)/"Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)" (hidden track) - Weird suite of disconnected aounding leftover pieces serve as a bonus here. "Amy/ Amy / Amy" comes across as some sort of self-referential parody that doesn't work for me. We get some nameless MC closing down the festivities. "Brother" and "Mr. Magic" ( especially) both would have been fine as regular tracks, so not sure what the thinking was here. HIGHLIGHTS - "You Sent Me Flying"/"Cherry" - "I Heard Love Is Blind" - "(There Is) No Greater Love" - "In My Bed" - "October Song" LOWLIGHTS - "Fuck Me Pumps" - "Moody's Mood for Love"/"Teo Licks" - "Take the Box" FINAL THOUGHTS This album has whole chunks that feel a little undercooked. While Winehouse's voice shines on this I did find some ger delivery to be annoying in spots, and teh album as a whole can't help but suffer in comparison to Baduizm, which is going to win out everytime over this if I have to choose to listen to something in this mode. Overall a solid album though and the good outweighs the bad by a good bit. I do now plan on looking to see if maybe there are enough extant tracks of her performing more striaght forward jazz numbers to make a playlist of that PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS Drop - "Fuck Me Pumps", "Moody's Mood for Love"/"Teo Licks", "Take the Box" Find some carved out versions of "Brother" and "Mr. Magic" and include them somewhere in the middle as standalone tracks.
It’s ok. She’s a good singer and the songs are reasonable, but nothing outstanding.
Not my sort of sound, but the vocals are good and the music is pleasant.
Good modern vocal jazz album
I always thought Amy Winehouse was a little "Emperor's new clothes" and I'm afraid this relisten has done little to disabuse me of that notion. Yes, she has a nice voice but I don't think it's historically special. Lyrically it's truthful, but not particularly interesting or incentive. The music is pleasant but feels a bit like a dry facsimile of more raw 60s American soul. Look, it's not a bad album but it's not a great one. Very much a product of its time.
I prefer Back to black but 3 stars for her vocals and emotionally raw songs
Definitely not the tour de force “Back to Black” is, but it has its moments.
Some songs that were really goddamn good (Fuck Me Pumps and In My Bed) and others that were not so interesting. This was definitely an unrefined, rougher version of what would impress on Back to Black. Still, not a bad album for a debut. 3/5
Her voice is so powerful and strong. Some of the Songs have quite a acoustic vibe to it, which i really appriciate.
FRANK is not as impactful as BACK TO BLACK, but Winehouse does explore some creative risks with classic swing jazz styles crossing over with more modern production ideas and arrangements that truly does honor her hero, Frank Sinatra. I appreciated the creative risk taken. Her vocal performance was solid, but I would not say great. Lyrics are of little importance to me when judging a music album, but I did appreciate that Winehouse spent more time on the personal and less on the societal. A fine album, but not an essential album like BACK TO BLACK. A worthy debut album, but not an essential all time album. Great album name, with the multiple meanings, but, and it is a petty thing, this album cover image doesn't do anything for me from an artistic point of view. With the content on the album, I feel like there all kinds of visual themes and motifs they could have used as a basis for the album cover. Opportunity missed, in my opinion.
didn't enjoy the beat at all, not mine
I got Amy Winehouse’s Back In Black on here, and it’s a phenomenal album. This one, her debut released three years earlier when Winehouse was nineteen, shows a very talented singer, but it doesn’t quite come together for me like her later album did. Given that she died far too young, lyrically this album is a giant bummer, she sounds already weary when she was basically still a kid.
Guter, roher Sound. Solides Album.
I like her voice, fairly unremarkable album though. Nice background listen, but that's about it.
Great voice, but just never could muster much enthusiasm for the musical style choices. Her voice is perfect for the genre, and it undoubtedly generated a renaissance of that sound, but I just find it boringly pleasant background music.
Songs I saved: Fuck Me Pumps Really liked the instrumentals more than the singing
While I don't love this style of music necessarily, I will say Amy's voice was just incredible. So deep and full of swagger, emotion and grit. A true talent gone too soon.
Good, but not nearly as sood as Back to Black
Tiene muy buenas canciones, algunas partes sinceramente me parecieron cuesta arriba pero luego otras fue como wow, un álbum de contrastes. 6/ 10.
Good to hear her first music - I like her later stuff much better
Amy Winehouse sings about three things on this album: being drunk or high, hooking up with some random person (often while being drunk or high), and regrets about things she's done or lovers she's lost (likely due to being drunk or high). I'm not saying there isn't some really good stuff on this album – there certainly is - and her voice is very soulful and at times quite pretty, but it can also be very brash and jarring, and she comes across as a bit entitled and whiny so it's not really my thing. Her life was indeed tragically cut short because of her addictions, and that is a shame, but this is not necessarily an album that I will return to.
mwa
Until I read the entry for this album just now, I did not realize this was her debut. It's a good album, showcasing her vocal range. You realized with the ease she hit her notes that she was going to be something special. I didn't care for most of the music on most of this, but the vocals saved a lot of the songs. Just the way she sang her notes, it kept me wondering what she would do next. Biggest Hit - Take the Box Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - In My Bed Hidden Gem - Amy Amy Amy
It's not her best, but it's quite good
Vibey. Enjoyable. I think I like Back to Black a bit more, but a really impressive debut.
Can't argue with the voice, and the album showcases the attitude as well as the talent, but the over it party girl admonishing herself and her cohort doesn't pull out the singles we'd learn later. I feel like this is a legacy inclusion and Back to Black is the superior effort from the late Ms. Winehouse
Smooth, fun and enjoyable. Kind of like candy corn. And for anyone who has lived the dream--the dream of replacing a hearty and nutritious full-course dinner with a plastic bowl overflowing with candy corn--the clawing, sticky sweetness beckons the dreamer to ask: "why the fuck is this bowl so sticky?? it's too fucking sugary god dammit." That is to say, there could have been more substance to this bowl of candy and it is clear why it is no longer on future iterations of the 1001 Albums list.
• stronger than me - not the bioessentialist lyrics?? (the friend that's too woke enters).. anw, the melody is sooo good tho. OKAY, STEREOTYPING GOES ON. • you sent me flying / cherry - a kick of SOUUULLL !! (or is it just her voice?) i can see tnt contestants singing this. the song stops for a 3 second and BOOM, A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT MELODY. okaayyy, blues, i see yoi. • know you now - the vibe is not for me i think. the instrumentals are good. • fuck me pup - dedicated for the gold digger girlies, i guess.... this is lowkey degrading though 🙄 THIS SINGER IS TOO MALE-CENTERED FAWK. the melody was so enticing too..... sigh • i heard love is blind - the melody and instrumentals is so romantic. but the lyrics is ensuing a theme of GASLIGHTING. perfect! true love ❤️ def not infidelity because she fucked a man that looked like you ❤️ • moody's mood for love / teo licks - probably the nicest lyrics so far (although too horny). AND, another whole diff melody again (with no lyrics). • (there is) no greater love - the sweetest lyrics so far. so seducting that it feels i'm being gaslit again.
hm. i was hoping to like this a lot more than i did. amy's talent is undeniable, and i can't believe she was so young when she recorded this... but on the other hand, yes i can. this feels juvenile and half-finished to me.
super tof ma vf mid tegenover haar andere stuff
Didn't enjoy it that much, but it wan't horrible.
An impressive debut for one of the greatest voices in modern soul. At 19 years old no less. Having listened to "Back to Black" already during this journey, the songwriting does get refined, but the production and accompanying pieces were already there and ready to be set in place. Pretty feisty compared to her sophomore album too.
4, 6, 11, 12
Amy Winehouse, en flamme som slukket alt for tidlig; her med sitt debutalbum. Dette kan beskrives som classy neo-soul. Smakfulle vokaler over behagelige melodier. Jeg har aldri lyttet til Amy før, da sjangerbeskrivelsen ikke har grepet meg noe særlig. Jeg opplever dette som et skikkelig solid og bra album, men det gir likevel ikke mye til mersmak. Tre stjerner. Jeg er nok litt sjangerskadet. Lite sidespor på tampen her: jeg tenkte at In My Bed hørtes ut som Nas sin Thun, og skrev litt flåsete at dette måtte være en sample (dvs. at Nas sampla Winehouse). Et Google-søk avslørte derimot at Winehouse har sampla Nas sin Made You Look, som jeg aldri har hørt. Snodige greier. Top 3: Intro / Stronger Than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, In My Bed
Amy Winehouse is an artist that I grew to love in record time; very few albums are nearly as regular as Back to Black is in my rotation. Frank definitely lays the groundwork for her sound, while simultaneously standing quite well on its own. Amy's voice is incredible as always on this record, and the songwriting still has quite a bit of that signature bittersweetness. I think there are a couple of reasons why Frank isn't remembered nearly as fondly as Back to Black, and not just because of the massive public influence of the latter. First, while there are some good songs on Frank, it never quite reaches the same highs, and the album overall feels more padded out. You could easily cut 3-4 songs from this record and have a much more concise and poignant listen. Second, I think the production is just far weaker on Frank. There are some exceptions, namely In My Bed and You Sent Me Flying, but overall the album relies much more heavily on Amy as a vocalist; though she can definitely pull her weight, the experience is significantly heightened when the production matches her energy. Criticism aside, Frank is a really solid record and still boasts some great material that provides us exactly what we need: more Amy Winehouse. Even if the record isn't as emotionally resonant as Back to Black, it holds its own and provides a different side of Amy while still capturing her essence.
Strong debut from Winehouse, but it's no Back to Black
3.5 stars
Back to Black is definitely the better album, but this is not bad for a debut. Amy's voice is fantastic, but the lyrical content is lacking and her voice doesn't really fit some of the R&B tracks.
Impressive she released this age 19. Not much you can say about her voice that’s not been said. Sassy, great range. However not as polished and, understandably, less mature lyrics than then the better and less jazz influenced Back to Black. What is it about men indeed. 3.4
Preferred the slightly more contemporary music to Back To Black but lyrics were mostly cringeworthy
a bit repetitive but amazing vocals and jazz/soul vibe
Good album from blues/jazz chanteuse
7/10 Favourite: In My Bed Least Favourite: F**k Me Pumps
I can understand why someone would really like Amy Winehouse’s music, but it just doesn’t quite do it for me. She’s a good singer, but the actual music is just ok
2/5/26. This is not Amy's iconic album (to me). 5.5/10
Snazzy, jazzy, it’s Amy. Ran a bit too long, got a couple skippers through the middle and the songs started to sound similar by the finish. L = (3.0*s) It’s too bad she didn’t live longer, I like her voice. J = (2.1*s) To be Frank, she has better albums.
Back To Black was an admirable but mostly mediocre listen for me for Amy Winehouse's prior entry. Frank started out as more of the same with a young but clearly talented modernized lounge act. The songs were quaint and casual and I was getting through them with limited lasting impact. This album definitely hit its stride for me a bit more in the second half. Maybe I was less distracted or the backing band clicked with me a little more but I enjoyed the last half of the album. Even if its not really my thing I started to see why she emerged as a talent in the 2000's. I don't think I personally need Amy for any extended time but can enjoy a song of hers now and then moving forward. I didn't realize until now that Amy Winehouse only had two albums. He career widely overlapped my time in high school and college where she was nowhere on my radar and I wasn't really the target demographic. I was informed of her struggles in the wake of her death but didn't realize how much of a flash her career it was. I don't have any connection to Amy Winehouse beyond the pop culture impact but I understand why females would have identified with her as young girl singing from the point of view of a tortured soul. Glad for a reason to check her music out beyond Rehab but I'll mostly be moving on in the long run. 2.66 stars
Some sick instrumentals and Winehouse's singing voice is pretty good, but most of the lyrics on this just bounce right off me. "Stronger Than Me" is an absolutely baffling fucking pick to open your album with. I could only hope to write a "relationship problems" track with such banger lines as "are you gay?" and "feel like a lady, and you my ladyboy". 7/10.
Better than I remember. Songs have aged fairly well.
A good album but ultimately not as strong as Back to Black.
Such a huge leap from this to back to black
3.5
Good, but this is not the Amy album that we need to hear
Way less relevant than her following album. I really don't see how this album adds anything to the list.
Great album overall, and great interpretation by Amy, of course. I just can't say it's something that really hook me, and it's a little too long of the same thing.
Wow Amy Winehouse was one of the best vocalists of her time. I love her music style. I watched her downfall from the tabloids in 2010/2011, and it was so sad to see. I wish she had been able to overcome her demons. Unfortunately this album is just not doing it for me. There were a few tracks that I went back and listened to again, and it had a rich, full sound that I was wanting from her soulful voice. About half of the tracks are just okay, or are ones that I wanted to skip over. I've never been one to pay too much mind to lyrics and have had trouble deciphering them in music, but even I couldn't miss some of the jarring lyrics in some of her songs. I'm no prude, but I draw a line at things like homophobia, and the first track had some pretty questionable lyrics. Overall, I had fun with a lot of this music, but I'm hoping when her next album comes up, it'll give me the sound that want. 3/5
Don't do drugs, kids. And get thee off this list. We'll see you when you're Back To Black
I am not sure why I don’t care for Amy Winehouse. She’s very talented but I just don’t want to listen. She is good though and this album is good.
mm maso. Nada especial. 5/10
Not my usual cup of tea but I haven't listened to her earlier stuff and I really appreacited it. In My Bed was one of the closet uses of a hip hop sample that I've ever heard.
This is what Taylor Swift would sound like if she wasn’t awful - and I say that with regard to both lyrical topic *and also* musical accompaniment. A common criticism when I rag on Taylor is that her music isn’t for me. I can’t really argue that’s wrong. I’m not the target audience. Fair. Amy’s music is *also* definitely not for me, and by way of contrast with Taylor, is still fucking excellent.
This is ok but every song sounds the same
What a voice and glad I got an excuse to listen to this. Her voice is incredible, but songs still leave a little to be desired
A debut album by a 19 year old female singer-songwriter. Naturally, my heart leaps straight to The Kick Inside. And it is an interesting comparison: alongside the cloistered, bookish Bush, Winehouse sounds positively worldly, experienced, hardened. Bush’s relationships are imaginal, taken from books or projected into a hopeful future. Winehouse’s seem sadly all too realistic. Or certainly of their time, the post-millennial, post-feminist culture of Chat Magazine. Yet, while the two women might seem vastly different, they share a naivety: a belief in love, a belief that men will adopt specific roles, that women must suffer a certain amount. Why would a young teenager believe anything else? The difference is how that naivety ultimately plays out. The sheltered Bush invites us to join her in her fantasy of Gothic romance, to join her in her (and Emily Bronte’s) artistic creations. She creates for herself the identity of artist, which can grow and change as she does and as her thoughts on romance deepen. However, Winehouse invites us to join her in believing in her fantasy, to believe in the tales that she’s reporting back, to believe in the wisdom of a 19 year old. Where Bush feels like she is only beginning her artistic career with naivety that will become mastery, Winehouse’s naivety feels like a foreclosure, like everything is a foredrawn conclusion. Rather than the identity of artist, she is establishing for herself the indentity of torch singer, a sort of world-weary truthteller. But a torchsinger never looks forward, they always look back. There is no curiosity in this record. When Winehouse sings What Is It About Men, there is no - per the record sleeve as I see it - question mark. There is no suggestion that anything can be learned about men, only that there an unsurmountable gulf between the sexes (it would take Bush until her fifth album to imagine “exchanging the experience”). By her second and final album, Back to Black (so I recall from the singles anyway), Winehouse will progress beyond the basic lounge jazz progressions, synthetic production, and uninspired horns of this album, but, as an artist, she goes deeper in introspection and autoreportage rather than expanding her creative purview. It is hard to come back from that. Which is not to say that there was anything inevitable or encoded about Winehouse’s tragic and unfortunate early death, only that there is more to art than the self. 2.5 Nineteen years old was Amy Winehouse when she made this. I think that’s very impressive for the quality of her voice, her musical instincts, and her technical assurance. The most impressive thing might be that her projection of her personality; colourful, abrasive, messy, unbothered - arrived fully formed in her lyrics. So there is all that for an hour, which is grand, but that’s not to say there is anything particularly ‘good’ on the album. I would as happily relisten to any track as another. Maybe that is partly my indifference to Jazz/swing but even in those moments when Winehouse is (or her producers are) willing to warp the genre to accommodate her (big) personality there is still a sense that everything arrives second-hand. An accent not quite her own, arrangements not quite her own (apparently she disliked several of them), and even the momentary vocal flights of fancy, impressive as they are, are not quite her own. They belong to a different time and place but also undoubtedly to other specific singers; Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday in particular. Amy Winehouse deserves credit for writing most of these songs - no mean feat for such a young person. But I think part of their ineffectiveness is that she and her producers expressed most of them like they were someone else’s. 2.5/5
Vocals are great. Teenage angst not so much. But hey, we were all young once.
The jazz pop sound is there which is fine easy listening. Stronger than me does not survive the gender swap test though. Oh well it's kind of in character to not have the best perspective on how relationships work.
I can see why she got popular off of this one but I don't know if it needs to be here in addition to Back to Black
I think I would have liked this better if it was just slightly different but I don't feel like elaborating
Sounded nice, but not really my vibe
listenable ig gave me nothing crazy while i was listening i was hopeful like some of the first track i really liked but ngl i was not impressed that much.
Too one note for me, prefer Back in Black
It's objectively good, and I prefer this to Back In Black, simply because I've heard that tooooooo many times, but as good as it is, it's just not my thing
Album No. 0132 on my list. I was aware of the existence of Amy Winehouse’s “Frank”, but I had never listened to it before. The few tracks by her I had ever known were from the subsequent “Back To Black” album. I think the album will never become one of my favorites, but I get why it is on this list and I can certainly appreciate it on an intellectual level. One really gets why Amy Winehouse was one of the most important pop singers of the first decade of the 21st century. Well produced, cool soul music, albeit a little less dark than its successor (or the impression that I have of it), and with some hip hop, pop and jazzy vibes sprinkled in as well. Interesting lyrics (mostly centered around messy relationships I guess). It’s all not my cup of tea personally, but it does come together pretty well on this album. I will add the following favorite songs to my playlist: “Stronger Than Me”, “Take The Box”, and “Amy Amy Amy”. 3/5 stars.
It was fine
3+ Stars (9/15)
I like Amy Winehouse, I don't think this is her best album
strong vocals and good beats, i dunno if she had to call me a lady boy though
This was great but I like Back to Black better
Incredible vocalist backed by great production and some killer drumming. Unfortunately, this music just always fades to the background for me.
No real standout singles!
6/10
If 3.5 stars were an option, I would definitely give that score. Really enjoyed the covers of old standards and a few of the original songs, but not something I would seek out.
Alright. ★★★
There's more here than the hits, but it also seems a little rote. Every track is kind of same-y.
Loose, jazz-inflected grooves built from walking bass lines, crisp live drums, offhand guitar and piano figures, and vocals that swing between sharp wit and bruised candor move this soul-jazz album like overhearing a brutally honest conversation at the end of the bar—funny, cutting, and uncomfortably revealing all at once.
Not in the book. Wonder if this hit earlier.
It's a fine album but it didn't made much for me. The lyrics were mostly not special. Regarding Amy's voice it's ok but I would stick to her inspirations which are superior. Musically it had nice moments.
It was ok. I liked I Heard Love is Blind
Sommige goed, sommige niet
it’s a good album, but i don’t think i’d listen to it on repeat. and also there isn’t a single banger on it
Decent, but nothing that really stands out
I enjoy Amy's soothing jazz sound. Obviously very sad that she was never able to live up to her potential. This is an enjoyable album for sure, but it lacks that extra level that other 4-5 star albums have.
In education, learning occurs through something called Bloom’s Taxonomy: remembering; understanding; application; analysis; evaluate; create. Amy Winehouse’s first album feels like she got half way there. This album is much more vocal jazz on the vein of Nina Simone and disco-ballad in the vein of Donna Summers, than the Back to Black era Amy. It also feels like a young artist playing it safe without the lyrical edge that helped her rise to stardom. There are glimpses of that in here, with songs like F*** Me Pumps, and In my Bed. The hard part I had with this album is I know what she would become so even the vocal tricks seemed limited in comparison, and this album’s dense lyricism started to feel overdrawn about thirty minutes in. Comparison to her later work is an interesting lesson how a good producer like Mark Ronson can really change a sound, especially with the transition to the more 1960s R&B sound that defined her. For Amy enthusiasts this is a good album. For us fair-weather fans, I’ll stick to the classics.
Random thoughts: * You can hear Amy Winehouse's powerful and enchanting voice here in full display. * I much prefer the production that Mark Ronson brought on the subsequent album. He brought a lot to the table and that is what made her a worldwide phenomenon. * I wondered if Frank was an adjective or a proper noun and apparently it is both-for her frank demeanor/approach and for Frank Sinatra. * Actually hearing the nod to Frank Sinatra makes sense based on the style/production. Mark Ronson brought more of the 60s/R&B which her voice was perfect for. * I was kind of hoping this was a hidden gem but it was more like an early draft. Good and promising but not as good as what was to come.
Revisit
Great
I see this as just a warmup for Back to Black. The sounds are there and voice and lyrics all work but it just lacks the oomph some how. Enjoyable sound but knowing there’s something better around the corner, this doesn’t land as well, it lacks the same attitude.
I think this is my favourite of her two albums (two? I think). Quite enjoyable. Not typically a genre I’d listen to.
2.5 stars. I love her voice however I’ve never been drawn to listen to her overall. This album wasn’t didn’t have the pull of some of her other songs and became background music.
3.5 – since redacted album (to make room) but Back to Black (58:48, 13 tracks, plus some hidden tracks, debut, 2003) Jazz (Bossa nova, English Pub music) OK so I initially gave this a 2 as I’m not big on Amy Winehouse or her contralto voice , or should I say I wasn’t. After a dozen or so listens (mostly while hiking) I came to appreciate her true talent and tragic short life a lot more. 2003 wasn’t really a time period I had time for new music, so she just missed me and I wasn’t interested in expanded to British Jazz. There weren’t a ton of radio hits off this album. Because I don’t feel this album significantly moved the industry forward, I settled on 3 but almost a 4. I give her a ton of credit for her writing abilities at 19. While being developed by the management company, she was kept as a recording industry secret,[ although she was a regular jazz standards singer at the Cobden Club. Nate Chinen of The New York Times complimented her original lyrics and called the music a "glossy admixture of breezy funk, dub and jazz-inflected soul". Favorite Songs: Moody’s Mood for Love, Amy Amy Amy Amy sadly joined the "27 club" in 2011 - official cause was alcohol poisoning (0.416%) but certainly complicated by overall poor health (bulimai) 1. "Intro"/"Stronger Than Me" 3:54 2. "You Sent Me Flying"/"Cherry 6:50 3. "Know You Now" 3:03 4. "Fuck Me Pumps" 3:20 5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" 2:10 6. "Moody's Mood for Love"/"Teo Licks" 3:28 7. "(There Is) No Greater Love" 2:08 8. "In My Bed" 5:17 9. "Take the Box" 3:20 10. "October Song" 3:24 11. "What Is It About Men" 3:29 12. "Help Yourself" 5:01 13. "Amy Amy Amy"/"Outro"/"Brother" (hidden track)/"Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)" (hidden track) 13:14 Track breakdown “You Sent me Flying/Cherry” again about an older male crush (not sure if this was Chris) that left her depressed when he didn’t return the crush/ “Here name is Cherry” - more crying about men not understanding her. Cherry is clearly her guitar but she tells us as the last lyric just in case you didn’t catch it. “I'm talking 'bout my new guitar” “Know You Now” – basically a crush on someone she doesn’t know. “Fuck Me Pumps” – bashing on an older female golddigger who is struggling to pull in rich men like she used to. WAG (wives and girlfriends night) a “footballer” in England of course would be soccer. Most of the song was written by Sallam Remi before Amy had influence on it so it shouldn’t be taken as more than tongue in cheek. “i heard love is blind” Winehouse tongue in cheek justification of infidelity. Separating the sex from emotions. Done in the style of a Jazz standard. Moody’s Mood for Love / Teo Licks is a jazz standard (cover of the 1952 vocalese track by Eddie Jefferson) and a tribute to James Moody. Amy sets her own lyrics to the standard and ends with a 39-second instrumental outro. I thought she said “Prince Henry,” in 2003 he would have been 19 so it made sorta sense but she’s actually calling out to her saxophonist (Vince Henry) to literally play the sax “you can blow now I’m thru” don’t even want to go where I thought that meant. I really like Teo Licks solo, wish it was longer than 39 seconds. “There is no greater love” is a straight cover of a 1936 jazz standard composed by Isham Jones with lyrics by Marty Symes. Sort of a call out to the double entendre of Frank (Frank Sinatra but also just being really honest aka “frank”). Remember Amy was a teenager when she recorded this song – this is hard to reconcile. “In my Bed” probably about Chris again – she’s done with the relationship but enjoys the sex Take the Box – again about Chris – it’s a literally cardboard box of her stuff including a Frank Sintra CD he had given her. Chris fucked up I guess as Amy turned out pretty wealthy but then again she ended up kind of hot mess. To his credit he stays the hell out of the public eye. She’s giving back the gift, even her precious Frank (title of the album of course>) “October Song” - references so beautifully Sarah Vaughan I love how she sings her last name. She is apparently singing about her dead pet canary (wouldn’t have guessed this). I like this song – Amy claims she wrote it in 10 minutes after seeing her bird dead – impressive as hell if true for a 19-year old. Obviously she had more talent than her demons allowed to get out. “what is it about men” – Final track but there are buried hidden tracks in it. It’s about Amy’s father Mitch who had a long running affair with a woman named Janis – obviously this impacted young Amy a lot in her life and her lyrics. This may be one of her best lyrics on the album “Emulate all the shit my mother hates I can't help but demonstrate my Freudian fate”. Buried tracks “Amy, Amy, Amy” (I like, really like the Jazz w/ Hip Hop style). It’s a cute meta-lyrics commentary on basically the whole Frank album, and it’s a frank admission she a horny 19 year old teenager that her hormones sometime overrule her brain. Brother – literally a song to her older (6 years) brother to grow up and help take care of her mother (Janis) – Amy and Alex had a good relationship. Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke) – ode to marijuana – not so great considering her decent Amy Winehouse – vocals, guitar, production 21st Century Jazz – accompaniment John Adams – organ, Rhodes Robert Aaron – flute, saxophone Teodross Avery – saxophone Ian Barter – guitar Rudy Bird – percussion, shaker Houston "House" Bowen – engineering assistance Ben Bryant – engineering assistance Errol Campbell – drums, percussion Wilburn "Squiddley" Cole – drums Commissioner Gordon – drums, effects, engineering, mixing, percussion, production, programming, turntables Delroy "Chris" Cooper – bass Salaam Remi – arrangement, drum programming, drums, electric bass, electric upright bass, mixing, organ, percussion, production
Okay. I didn't recognise any of the songs.
Fun and jazzy. 7.5/10
I have this, but why put this on the list, I assume her other one is on it. No need for this. Bad streak continues, too long, too repetitive, lacks the bangers of her next album. Pleasant in a background music in a cafe way. 3 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 40/161 (24%) Will I get? Already have for some reason
well…it’s Amy wine house! incredible voice of course—vulnerable, sultry, bold, honest lyrics. I just don’t relate as much to heartbreak music :/
I’ve never fully listened to her discography but this is a really beautiful album and it’s vulnerable.
amazing voice but music wise not very memorable. Vibes are cool. A strong 3.
RIP Amy Winehouse, that vocal ability was something special. I enjoyed the jazzy vibes with this one even though there weren’t many standout tracks. I think it’s strongly in the three territory, but could work itself up to a four with more listens. Regardless, I hope we get more work from her brief career.
3.5
A very good singer, sad. Pretty good.
Meh pas son meilleur
Elle a l’air totalement horny dans les paroles mais c’est plus malsain qu’autre chose… Par moments j’ai vraiment vibé et par moments sa voix me saoulait énormément donc mid
Felt very spaghetti instrumental wise. Almost like elevator music. Enjoyed the songs but nothing really wowed me
Felt like a night at a jazz club. I enjoyed the music but prefer to listen to something like this as a live performance. I was only familiar with the later hits, which I have never been a fan of. A pleasant surprise, but still not something I’d likely revisit.
It started off strong, then just kinda kept up the same tempo, jazz/soul backing, production, and arrangement to the point of disinterest by the end. So, like a 4-star first half and 2-star back half - 3 stars.
3.0 - Ok
Ist nicht meine Musik. Amy hat dennoch sicher eine gute Stimme
Already have 4 of these songs saved to my liked songs, very much in my bag. She really made jazz different, rejuvenated, unique, and toxic. Her lyrics are interesting and creative, but kinda piss me off. Very contrived I like bad boys and am very mentally disturbed vibes. Will I ever find art that is balanced in its pain or is the best art really the deepest darkest stuff that is tortured and depressing at the core of it…. Despite my personal criticisms, i think my criteria for a 4 star or 5 star album is that it must be a full listen thru that I truly enjoyed, rather than cuz it’s part of the discipline and homework of this album project (which is awesome in its own right to have to have discipline in my music consumption.) I digress. Definitely a 4 star album in that sense for me. Perhaps 5 stars is I could listen all the way thru many times. I’d get tired of this after one full listen thru and wanna put it down for a while, til I inevitably come back. very happy to have listened thru this entire thing. I just wish Half Time was on this album, my fav Amy Winehouse song. If you’re reading this, peep it, worth it. RIP Amy you would have loved vapes.
Like her voice and soul. But not crazy about album
I didn’t like the one where she called her boyfriend gay and a lady boy, but there’s some great stuff on here.
Lovely voice. Good album but not as good as back to black. 7/10
B Intro / Stronger Than Me 5 You Sent Me Flying / Cherry 4 Know You Now 3 Fuck Me Pumps 4 I Heard Love Is Blind 4 Moody's Mood For Love / Teo Licks 3 (There Is) No Greater Love 3 In My Bed 4 Take The Box 4 October Song 4 What Is It About Men? 3 Amy Amy Amy 4 Outro 3 Brother 3 Mr. Magic (Through The Smoke) 3 It's an absolute classic. Pains me to give a 3, but that's how it shakes out.
Definitely showcases Amy as a vocalist; and her voice is, of course, just incredible. The album however is a series of sleepy, easy listening cafe standards. A good dinner party album--nothing more, nothing less.
She was a very talented musician, and her music shows that. However, her overall style I'm not crazy about.
Oddly I just listened to "Back To Black" yesterday after my sister in-law said she like Winehouse's music. I was only passingly familiar with the hits which turned out to pretty much all be on BtoB. I liked it okay, got a little too samey with the heartbreak and dysfunctional relationship themes but the music is all top notch. I have the same impression of "Frank" and can see how it grew into BtoB. To me these songs are better suited to being on a shuffled playlist where they pop up once in a while. Strung together on an album is a little too much of the same theme beaten into the ground.
Amy Winehouse has one of those voices that you don't forget, I just wished she could have used it more. Favorite Track: Amy Amy Amy
All her stuff feels SO sad now.
Didn't listen to all but Christ what a voice. Songs sound quite samey but enjoyable nonetheless.
Good enough. Great voice, much written and whilst it’s very listenable I don’t think it is elevated into greatness.
I get it, but not for me
Decent. Like it more than Back To Black, but I'm just not a big Amy Winehouse fan.
Not bad but I’m afraid done nothing to change my (controversial!) opinion that Winehouse is a bit overrated…. Sorry!
Man could Amy bring it with her vocals. Just a one-of-a-kind soulful, powerful, amazing voice. Favorite track: F**k Me Pumps
Thomas?
I probably just don't like the genre here. But her voice is great. I also don't think this is her best album.
Rating: 7/10 It’s a good debut by a really young person, who of course has a great voice front and center with a good jazzy backing instrumentation. I think the album starts to get better towards the second half
Good voice and has some cool jazzy backing it up. Not for me though. 5 robot stops out of 10 lizard wizards
I never got the obsession with her and still don't particularly. It's a good album for sure, but none of the songs really did anything for me. Fairly muted, they blend together, personally it's kinda forgettable. Guess it was just rare for jazz-esque vocalists to make it big over here, plus her public persona really put her in the spotlight.
Not going to lie, I much prefer ‘Back to Black.’ Like, so much more! This album was good/ok, but it didn’t blow my mind like Back to Black.
I felt like this album trails off a bit, starts out cool tho, love a bit of Amy. You ever seen the statue of her in Camden? Shits fucked up.
Although I always admired Amy's vocal abilities, the style never really connected with me. I can't say it's objectively good or bad; but I don't care for it.
There’s the question of whether this album, were it not representative of the germination of a blindingly successive career ended by tragedy, is worthwhile listening to. Its themes have aged poorly while its production, to put it kindly, is of its time. And then there’s the fact that to witness Amy Winehouse in any sort of flight at all is a special thing. It’s not so much a voice as it is a knife, or a scalpel, or even just a particularly sharp edge of a piece of paper. Whatever it is, it’s something that can separate one part of a whole – you, your attention – from another. Amy Winehouse, her cleaver voice, has that power. The power to interrupt you, to shift your feeling entirely, to separate you from your daemon. So even if the lyrics feel like they’re in the way of the thing the voice is really trying to tell you … no matter. It’s still Amy Winehouse.
OVERALL THOUGHTS 3/5 A good smattering of tracks, feels like one of those albums designed to get some hits out as opposed to being a cohesive project. Amy's got a great voice and really elevates these tracks. Lyrics are often fun and must have been pretty brazen for the time FAV SONGS: F*** Me Pumps, In My Bed, I Heard Love Is Blind LEAST FAV: Amy Amy Amy, October Song
Obvs a landmark R&B record, but I don't have much capacity for this sound. I think it's best when it follows the Erykah Badu example and drops hip hop beats over the band. I like Back to Black more, as far as that goes.
Perfectly competent but did nothing for me
Was okay. She has a nice voice, but the songs are all pretty much the same. 3/5
You can definitely see where she’s going musically here. Not as good as back to black but good nonetheless
It’s definitely a promising debut (and a welcome reminder that Any Winehouse wasn’t just tragic - she was also sharp and funny) but Back to Black is where she delivered on that promise.
I love Amy Winehouse but this is not my favorite album of hers.
Patiko skambesys. Džiazo elementai, roko balsas. 6.5/10. Pirmoj dainoj gerai atpiso protą bičiukui
some of it haven't aged particularly well, some of it still sounds relatively good, it's a mixed bag
A bit whiny
eh bem massa hein, jazzinho, r&b, uma pitada de bossa nova. muito bacana, mas falta algo ainda. dá pra ver o caminho trilhado pro back to black, que eh bem melhor né. mas eh isso, que deus a tenha.
I think I liked this better than the one with Rehab on it.
I love the vocals and general sound of this album but the repetitive harmful expectations of men, slut shaming, and glorification of manipulative behaviour limits my rating to a 3
This album is interesting, but not her best. Pitchfork: 4.9 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Stronger Than Me F*** Me Pumps October Song
Intro: Feels a bit pointless in its form, but sets the tone for the album. Stronger than me: simplistic structure and repetitive. The solo at the end helps. You sent me flying: Interesting chords and melody. A bit long. Cherry: Nice little song, but fits weirdly into the album. Know you how: Easy listening and comfortable. Repetitive and lack of interesting things happening - easy for the attention to drift away. Fuck Me Pumps: Too repetitive, but catchy I Heard Love Is Blind: Nice little song Moody's Mood For Love: Nice lines from vocals and saxophone. Cool chords. Teo Licks: a short bit that fits the mood No Greater Love: A bit forgetful In My Bed: A very welcome change in mood and color. Nice backup vocals. Could have been shorter. Take The Box: Nice ballad with interesting chord progression. October Song: The beat livens up the album. What Is It About Men: Basic attention killer Help Yourself: Differently colored song. Too repetitive and too long. Catchy wind instruments. Amy Amy Amy: Very repetitive. Needs to be broken up with something to make more interesting. Outro: Similar to the intro, it feels pointless in its form. Fade in is weird. Brother: Nicely sounding with a good bass. Interesting backup vocals. Good song. Mr Magic: Cool and lively song, great way to end the album. Using most elements from the album. Great winds. General comments: Great vocals and overall character. The album is sometimes too homogeneous and more thought could have been put in the structure of the album. Some songs feel very repetitive which makes it easy to get distracted - could be considered background music rather than something one would listen to with intent. Overall great use of wind instruments and backup vocals.
She has a strong voice, but I don't get annoyed by it after a while. Know You Now is good. Something about the production is getting on my nerves, too. That snare on Moody's Mood has got to go. It ruins the song, for real. I don't know, her voice is good, so I'll give this a 3
Such a big expressive voice from such a small person and what tragic story. Hadn't listened to this before but I liked it. Rip Amy.
What an attractive, confident voice. I am but a weak fragile man. Medusa or the Odyssey sirens probably sound like this. There isn’t much to critique In her vocal performance or lyrics. Do I really enjoy it? No, not exactly my cup of tea. I rate off my enjoyment rather than perceived quality so my rating is probably low.
Freaking belt it Amy!!!! 2000s album was a fantastic change of pace. 3.6/5
A great listen but probably not something I would listen to regularly
Ok
Helt ok! Bra sväng, snyggt arr men bara inte min musiksmak dock. Hon startade ju basically en hel revival med sina album, så respekt för den, men jag föredrar bara att lyssna på annan musik :p
It was decent
Her vocals are the best part of this album, it really is the foundations to what she did become. A little bit disappointed that there wasn’t any special songs on here but the vibes are great
Sounds like a debut album, which for that is not bad. It showcases her talent as a modern jazz and blues singer well, but I’m sure not as much as her later album. Got a little tired of her voice by the end but not a half bad album.
Good stuff. Not the greatest album but her voice and styling is really good.
Album 49/1001 Ah, a voice that makes me miss the days of the £2.50 pint in the pre-smoking-ban pubs I used to haunt around the times when Amy was in her pomp. Despite not being a smoker myself, I must have second hand smoked a pack of Marlboro Reds a day and walked around permanently smelling like a human ash tray marinated in stale beer. But those pubs changed for the worse when that ban kicked in. The beer might taste cleaner now, and I might live an extra ten years, but the atmosphere, the characters, and the conversation, are all now relics, resting in peace alongside the woman, who with that soulful, nicotine stained voice, and offbeat, 100% real, personality of hers, was the perfect embodiment of those seedy, yet sacred, places. 🚬 🍺💔🎙🎷 Favourite song: In My Bed ➡️🛌 Honourable mention: Intro / Stronger Than Me 😫🙄 You Sent Me Flying / Cherry ✈️🍒 Fuck Me Pumps 👠👠 Take the Box 📦 October Song 🍂 🎵 🐦 (There Is) No Greater Love 🎷❤️ 3½ / 5