Back To Black

I can't help but like this. Especially the Mark Ronson produced tracks - they capture that Phil Spector & Motown vibe so well with just the right amount of modern punch, dynamics, and flair. She has an incredibly soulful voice and her more modern/almost conversational lyrics make the experience more thrilling and not just a revival record. I feel like this is done with absolute reverence for the past while not simply being a reenactment act - similar to the way say the White Stripes' influences are obvious yet they coalesce into something fresh and unique. You can tell this comes from a real place and it is of course a tragedy that she was consumed by her addictions.

Ok straight up for me one of the best albums of its generation.. artistry at its best.. Ronson and Salam killed it in the production as well, knew exactly when to get out of the way of amy and when to support her vocals..

“Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse (2006) Always wondered what all the fuss was about. Winehouse’s vocals are interesting enough, a kind of metallic contralto, with little pitch and dynamic range, but adequate control. In terms of composition, there are many familiar jazz, R&B, (early) rock, and even swing structures here, but nothing truly innovative. Some tracks bring to the ear immediate associations with earlier music, especially “You Know I’m No Good”, evocative of the retro swing Squirrel Nut Zippers’ Katherine Whalen on “It Ain’t You” and “Blue Angel” (on the album “Hot” [1996]). Not entirely derivative, but clearly from the same mold. Winehouse’s vocal performance is a distant second to Whalen’s, however. Lyrics aren’t bad—sassiness on display. Not exactly virtue-forming, and attempting to evoke little sympathy, but entertaining enough, if the listener is willing to suspend charitable feelings. A good album and artist, but not great. 3/5

This album feels so classy. Every song fits into an overarching style and theme, yet stand out individually so as to never feel the same as the one before or after. A really neat album that could be at home on vinyl or the crappy headphones provided with your handset (I'm so sorry Amy).

A soulful, beautifully written, beautifully produced record. Definitely bittersweet in retrospect but Amy Winehouse has a beautiful voice and the songs to back it up. Rehab was the big single but Back to Black is absolutely the show-stopper here. All great writing and music, every track.

I freely admit that I've been living under a rock since about 1995. I was of course aware of Amy Winehouse and felt the grief of her fans when she died but I'd never listened to her music. (OK, maybe I saw them do Rehab on Glee...) I didn't know what to expect but it sure wasn't this. Musically, it's a joy to hear such a clear echo of the girl groups and soul singers of the 1960s --- I especially like the sample of Ain't No Mountain High Enough in Tears Dry on Their Own. The music sounds completely modern and nicely retro. Lyrically, it's sometimes hilarious (what kind of fuckery is this?) but mostly it's depressing as hell. I hear a woman trying desperately to numb her pain while trying to sound devil-may-care. And it is obviously so much worse considering how her short life ended. I can't imagine a bleaker sentiment than Love is a Losing Game. One or two songs are misses for me but overall I really like this album. I'm angry that we lost such a talent so early and I hope that she is resting in peace.

"We only said goodbye with words I died a hundred times" (Back to Black) "All I can ever be to you is a darkness that we knew And this regret I got accustomed to" (Tears dry on their own) Tenía muchas ganas de que me saliese este disco porque SABÍA que tenía que estar en la lista y me gusta un montón.

I try to go into these records objectively, with an open mind. Some times I just can’t. I know Amy Winehouse is a hero of sorts, but the music…it doesn’t feel authentic. It feels like an attempt to resell a sound from time that’s been forgotten. Modernize it, throw the word “fuckery” in there for good measure. Voila! Manufactured nostalgia for people who weren’t alive to experience the time they’re supposed to be nostalgic for. I don’t know…I can’t get past that. She’s talented, but it just feels manufactured to me.

Cela faisait des semaines que je marchais dans un désert d'immondices musicales. Mes jambes étaient lourdes et mes semelles enduites de Minutemen. Alors que des remontées gastriques ne cessaient de rappeler à ma salive l'épouvantable goût des New York Dolls, j'aperçus soudain une oasis : il s'agissait de Back To Black. Je m'y précipitai. Son courant eut à mon contact un effet immédiat ; mes tâches de Sepultura disparaissaient à mesure que je les frottais sous une cascade de Rehab tandis que mes plaies goldfrappiennes cicatrisaient bientôt dans un bain de You Know I'm No Good. J'appliquai enfin quelques gouttes de Love Is A Losing Game sur mon kyste elvis-costellien qui se vida instantanément de son contenu. Une étape inoubliable au cours de cette éprouvante traversée.

She came on the scene with an explosive presence. She is indicative of Phil Spector's sound and Ronnie Spector's voice. There's definitely a bewitching quality to her vocals. This is especially present in "You Know I'm No Good." She's one of those artists that could sing the phone book and make it work. "What kind of fuckery is this?" is a question for the ages, and it sounds delightful coming from Winehouse. She sings from the heart as well. No song is a throw-away. Even the minor songs like Just Friends hit that mark of emotion she's going for. The beats are also so catchy on this album. Back to Black is practically iconic now. If Winehouse, Gaga, and Adele could have gotten together...Anyway, this album is a modern masterpiece.

Look, it's not like it's a bad album. Not even close. But the fake, nostalgic vintage sound (the fauxstalgia, if you will) wears thin really REALLY fast. The fact that, following her death, dozens of imitations have popped up like mushrooms in the shade of a fallen tree doesn't help. I'm sick of hearing vocalists chewing their vowels to try to sound like fauxstalgic caricatures of the iconic vocalists of yore. For all that, it's still a good album. I can't, in good conscience, give it less than three stars. But my sheer annoyance with the fake vintage schtick won't let me give it any more than three stars either.

Great album, great voice. Terrible loss at such a young age. She even recognised her own problems in the track 'Rehab', but she obviously had too many demons. Well worth listening to.

Por ahí leí el otro día que este disco es el más vendido en vinil, digamos del 2010 para acá, desde el renacimiento del formato. Lo escucho ahora y suena a un clásico. Cuando salió resaltaba mucho del resto, un throwback, un ejercicio de nostalgia, no tan diferente si lo piensan, de The White Stripes o cosas por el estilo. Esto último no es ninguna crítica negativa. Pero la diferencia con otros ejercicios revivaleros de soul aquí el talento y la tragedia personal resltan. Pero me quedo con el talento y la voz, ¿gran voz, no? Parte de la educación sentimental de muchos, supongo. Fue parte de la mía. Back to black, la canción, is some heavy shit. Se siente real. Lloré mucho con esa rola, no por lo que trata, sino por la forma en que canta Back to black, verga. Me mata eso. Qué ganas de irse a la mierda dan a veces. ¿Solo yo? Amy me comprende.

Love this album; it really is one in a million. Full of soul, full of energy, full of life.

The compositions and arrangements can be pretty nice, albeit it's all a rather arch act of graverobbing. 'You Know I'm No Good' and 'Back To Black' are fine songs, despite their ubiquity in the 2000s. However, Al Jolson himself would blush (one would guess) at those fucking vocals. What was going on?! 'Rehab' is a terrible piece of music.

Loved this album! I used to live in an apartment and my upstairs neighbour was a huge coke head. Whenever we went into a coke rage I would press my speakers up to the ceiling and blast “Rehab”. Nice to hear it again!

Songs I liked Rehab You know i'm no good Tears dry on their own He can only hold her

Anything I heard between ages 16-24 probably has an advantage over the others due to subconscious bias - this album included. With that caveat, I think this album is a stunner. It also is immortalized by her untimely death, and makes the songs that much more potent. And what a voice! Really love the instrumentation on the album too.

There are songs on this album that absolutely make you understand why Amy winehouse is an icon such a limited career. It's impossible to listen to it without knowing how it all turns out

So “Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse was one of those “captured lightning in a bottle” albums IMO… It is one of those efforts where everything just came together to fit together so perfectly, and the result was an absolutely exceptional album… The combination of Amy’s amazing song writing (i.e. Amy genuinely sharing her autobiographical anguish and vulnerabilities related to a challenging relationship and her mental illness and substance abuse issues…), a unique and perfect musical style as a backdrop for those songs, and her emotional vocal delivery, was one of those rare recipe’s that was likely never to be repeated… “Rehab” & “Back To Black” are clearly the best tracks IMO, but there is not a throwaway track on the album – although the last song “Addicted” is probably the weakest lyrically – though it is genuine… The raw emotion that comes through on this album, both the lyrically and via her vocal delivery, is definitely the highlight of the album… When this album came out, no one had recorded that style of 60’s “pop and soul” music in over 40 years, so it sounded incredibly fresh and unique in 2006 – which made it easy for the album to stand out, and then the lyrics, vocals, and the picture that was painted did the rest of the work… Also pretty eerie to have such an amazing album laying all of this out in advance of her untimely demise a few years later… For the uniqueness of the musical backdrop for these songs, along with the raw and genuine lyrics – combined with the perfect emotional vocal delivery, lead to a perfect “imperfect” album in my eyes – and one of the rare 5’s that I give out…

Just dynamite overall. What a talent. And such splendid "fuckery." How much one would have liked to see her career evolve, and if stability/sobriety might have had a salubrious effect. Janis Jopin is the obvious comp, though one might prefer AW. She sells every song convincingly, infusing every note with considerable soul and almost unbearable pathos in some places (because we know how it all ended). The opener is great, of course, as are "Me and Mr. Jones" and "Love Is a Losing Game." Hey editors: AW is not and never was a jazz singer and these aren't jazz songs (have at most a jazz aspect, and a pop-jazz one at that), though on some cuts her vocal style could accurately (if not precisely so) be described as jazzy. She's a soul / R&B / pop singer.

This album was on in the background everywhere I went in the late 2000s but I never realised how short it is (35 mins). It's pretty good but it's strange that the production and that Mark Ronson sound feels a bit dated when they were trying to make an old school sounding album. The 'Amy' documentary is one of the saddest things I've ever watched.

So many 5 star reviews and I just don't get it. Her voice is good. But there are a million people with great voices. The music fine and sounds old without all the cruft that comes with old music. Which I think is fine. But this is really not special in any way. It's a record made by producers for a singer with an alcohol problem.

"What kind of fuckery is this?" Its.... Amy Winehouse. IMO- people made such a big deal out of her and her character for absolutely no fucking reason, and it's a pretty highly rated album on this website, so maybe I'm missing something, but I absolutely despise "Rehab," it feels very artificial and most of the rest of the tracks off the album feel as if they offered very little that was musically interesting to me. That being said, while I was actively wishing the album to end, the title track, "Back to Black" came on, and I found myself turning up the volume and eagerly awaiting the next hook. Good track, it will be on the playlist. Despite the star track, I can't justify a rating higher than.. 2/5

Great voice, great lyrics, great tunes. 'Nuff said.

I loved this. I've always liked Motown era/style tunes and this is very similar but with modern production (I can hear the individual drums!). I never paid this much mind when it was released (not metal 👿) but this is going into heavy rotation going forward.

More like Amy Whine-house, right? Probably should have gone to rehab.

3 - Back to Black (2006) - 9/10 Amy Winehouse Wednesday 1st December 1. Rehab - 9/10 ⭐️ 2. You Know I’m No Good - 9/10 ⭐️ 3. Me & Mr Jones - 8.5/10 4. Just Friends - 8.5/10 5. Back to Black - 9.5/10 ⭐️ 6. Love Is a Losing Game - 8.5/10 7. Tears Dry on their Own - 9.5/10 ⭐️ 8. Wake Up Alone - 8/10 9. Some Unholy War - 8/10 10. He Can Only Hold Her - 8/10 11. Addicted - 7.5/10

Not sure if I’ve ever sat down and appreciated this as an album. Can’t believe so many good tracks are on one record. A masterpiece, really. Imagine what she’d have done next.

Absolutely beautiful singing, intricit storytelling, and masterful themes throughout, it really feels like Amy put her whole soul into this project. Such a tragic story, love is a losing game.

Obožavam

Such a beautiful voice. It's sad to see someone with this much potential to just go how she did. There are so many big hits on this album. I definitely agree that she walked so Adele could run.

Torch songs for the Tinder era.

Is it good? Who knows? It's sort of like discussing whether Homer's Odyssey is good. Feels a little overproduced, but buried underneath is a pure soul in torment. I've never been a huge fan of throwback music.

Never been a Fan of Nirvana. This unplugged record is OK, though.

Never understood the hype. Edgy lyrics & nice voice, Just not for me RIP.

The well-known songs - Rehab, Back to Black, a couple whose names I never learned - have kept their hooks in my memory, proof of Winehouse’s chops as this is of the aimless movement of movements that mark its era, artists that called back to greats with pantomime. In trying to sound both old and modern, the production has the chintzy artificiality of a badly retouched photo, Vanilla Ice pasted into the Yalta Conference. Back to the Future did it better. Amy Winehouse was smart and witty with a jet plane voice that can still ambush with lines that shiv. Early on she appeared on a kid’s show play-acting in a butchers: “I always wanted to work with meat!” I immediately liked her, though not the music. She was treated disgracefully in ways that were obvious at the time and this record heralds trauma with a vuvuzela.

The album vibe is not really for me; favourite track is probably the titular one

I can appreciate that this album was groundbreaking, in a way. And, that Amy Winehouse had a really great voice. I still didn't like this though. It just feels, narcissistic? Manufactured? I cant quite place it, but off, somehow.

Music for insufferable women

This is horrible - hate her voice and the shitty mock-60's production. I left the UK before her heyday, fortunately, so didn't quite know what to expect but got something even worse than her debut we were forced through a while ago. Mercifully brief, it appears the inspiration for this nonsense was the Artful Dodger from a borstal production of "Oliver!", which seems fitting.

know like every word to this album proper classic

Really good. I had only ever heard the first two songs before. The album was great. Her voice is unique.

Modern lyrics, classic style, and extraordinary execution.

hands down one of the best albums ever made (also listened to the deluxe version, disc 2 contains a lot of good covers <3)

Great performer and album. Tragic we'll never get to see what she would have done with a whole life's worth of music. This album is and will continue to be a classic. When she hit the scene, it was the right vibe at the right time to be so huge. An updated take on a classic style. I don't listen to Amy Winehouse too often but it's nice knowing this music is there whenever I do want to listen.

One of the artists I am still, even today, sad is gone. This is a great album, and a style that wasn't being done in those days. A great loss. The title track is so good, and Rehab, of course. Classic album, all-timer for me.

Short and sweet. A modern classic.

I remember hearing about Amy Winehouse, but I never really listened to any of her music. I like 60s music, and this is inspired by that era, so I liked it pretty well. It was smooth to listen to.

i worked in hmv as a christmas temp while this was a new album. it was played every hour. despite suffering the type of forced overplaying that would usually make me pierce my eardrums with knitting needles this album is just really fucking good. one of the other albums forced upon me was a buble christmas one and some killers album that hmv had a million copies of that no one wanted to buy so it 100% isn't stockholm syndrome. mark ronson is a nuclear grade cunt though.

No notes needed

Full of amazing tracks, realized to their full potential by an excellent production team. Original and innovative, propelled by Amy's desire to take from the best of 60s soul and R&B, which matches insanely closely in each of the songs. At first, "Tears Dry On Their Own" kept messing with me due to the Gaye interpolation, but eventually, it established its own identity and became a groovy highlight of the album for me. The main highlight is Amy's ability to combine her powerful vocals with equal emotions that cover autobiographical themes of depression, alcoholism, and loneliness. There's a lot of diversity in these tracks, but most are able to grab your attention. There's ska in "Just Friends," swing in "Addicted," and jazz overlaying Motown-inspired R&B in many of the rest. This is the first album I really loved hearing the deluxe edition, just because I love the unique combination of soul and ska... and also because several of those ska covers are from a favorite of mine: The Specials. Shame "Valerie" isn't included in the normal album, it's just as perfect. Favorite tracks: You Know I'm No Good, Back to Black, Tears Dry On Their Own, He Can Only Hold Her

Solo ella...

Truly awesome album. Shame I have it on cheap vinyl.

Amy Winehouse was a very talented person. Sad she left the world too soon. Great Album. One of a kind voice.

Asså tror typ det blir en femma på denna! Älskar det❤️❤️❤️ Har dock lyssnat sönder det... 5/5

I see this album still being considered a classic in a couple of decades.

awesome!

Needs no comment. Flawless from composition to lyrics to delivery to production.

there isn’t a single song on this album that isn’t good. amy I’m in love with you

Such a unique voice and a tragic loss.

can't stop crying when I listen to it

i like it

One of the greatest pop albums ever

One of my all time favorites

ALL HAIL AMY!

Miss her. Love is a losing game- forgot how much I loved that song.

One of the great lives of my life

Very soulful vocals. Funny jokes about relationships.

Rehab or bust

CLASSIC. Amy winehouse is a modern pop icon that establishes its influece well in a new light

I mean cmon....

Great album.

Soulful and somber, while still remaining quite fun and explosive at times. The record is a 5, but Rehab is like a 2 at best though.

One of my constants when I'm working. Great album from a phenomenal artist who's gone too soon.

I mean, it's not Frank, which I believe is the better album lyrically (there is a rawness to it that I feel was polished off in this album), but it's still a superb piece of music. Hearing this the year of its 15 anniversary, when I'm personally 6 years older than Amy ever will be, just underscores how much of a musical talent she was. I know this will be stuck in my head for days now.

Love the soulful vocals on this, really elevated the lyrical content a lot more. Production also kicked ass with its shmancy asthetic for the whole duration of the album. Favorites: You Know I'm No Good, Back To Black, Tears Dry On Their Own, Valerie (from deluxe)

The best

Easy to get lost in the lifestyle bullshit, but jesus, what a voice. Fantastic album.

This was yet another time when I had known and (really) loved a few songs, but wishing so much I'd gotten the album back in the day!! Upon listening, I was so happy to hear the familiar first two songs: the always incredible "Rehab" and the glorious, sultry "You Know I'm No Good" (I forgot how much I love that song). THEN! THEN! THEN! A glorious, soulful, retro intro leads to "What kind of fuckery is this?" and I think I laughed and yelled and I immediately listened to that intro about 7 times over again and this is when I knew I should have bought the damn album a long time ago. I listened to the song "Back to Black" about 12 times today, because I forgot it was one of my favorites ever and I missed it lots. (I also had missed some of those lyrics! Whoa!) "Tears Dry on Their Own" with the homage to "Ain't no Mountain High Enough" was so cool and good (ran out of adjectives, sorry). I was going to say that "Addicted" wasn't my favorite until I heard what she rhymed that word with. I was so glad to have listened to Solomon Burke the day before, because Winehouse's connection to 60s soul music is so loving and spot on. I read that she wouldn't listen to anything from after 1967. I absolutely love her voice and her songs. I love the instrumentation and the retro feel that still seems fresh and new. I loved getting a top of the tops album at this point in this project. How I wish she were still with us.

Damn this is a good one. I knew so many of these songs individually but have never listened to the whole thing through. It's really good. The Jazz and soul vibes are great, but there's even some Reggae mixed in on the deluxe version that really is fantastic

I’ve owned BACK TO BLACK and listened to it regularly since shortly after its release. The album is a masterpiece that propelled the sound of the 60s into the 21st Century. It still feels fresh and modern 15 years after its release. Amy Winehouse’s delivery is spectacular on every song. I could list any song on it as a favorite. "Addicted" may be the best weed song ever. "Rehab" is a revelation. "Tears Dry On Their Own" is a showcase of brilliant phrasing. BACK TO BLACK is perfection.

Masterful

Tao bom quanto o outro Back to Black

I've never listened to Amy Winehouse before. Sadly. Her voice is amazing. The song writing was great. This was just a great album.

Modern classic

4-5

I always wanted to listen this album. That’s a good chance :)

I haven't heard this one in awhile. Love this album so much. R.I.P. Amy

Fondamentale

Eye opener

Love love love

Absolutely!!

Beautiful voice, stunning album.

A twist of modern soul. Her voice was gorgeous!

I mean...

Amazing album!

This is awesome. Enough said

modern, bluesy, raw. I love this album and tragic artist.

Tears on doy one