Back To Black

Troubled soul with a great voice, a shame such talent was taken so early. Great album written from the heart with fantastic production, you really feel the pain she was going through. Love is a losing game is the standout track in my view.

A perfect album. I love so many of these songs. It’s heartbreaking now and it was before we lost her too. She sings pain so beautifully.

I just love that she began a song with "What kind of fuckery is this?" Incredible album. Comparing this to her earlier album, her voice is just as good but the production is better, and that makes the difference.

Cohesion: 5/5 Theme & Narrative: 1/1 Sonic Identity: /1 Arrangement Synergy: /1 Genre Authenticity; 1/1 Transitions & Flow; 1/1 Production: 4.5/5 Clarity & Balance; 0.5/1 - Bits when the vocals are same level as the sound making some bits difficult to hear Vocal Delivery; 1/1 Sound Design; /1 Dynamic Depth; /1 Mastering; /1 Enjoyability: 3.5/5 Immediate Engagement; 0.5/1 Replay Value; 1/1 Emotional Resonance; 0.5/1 Playlist Potential; 1/1 Sticking Power; 0.5/1 Songwriting: 4.5/5 Lyrics; 1/1 Melody; 1/1 Structure & Contrast; 1/1 Hook; 0.5/1 Prosody & Emotional Resolution; 1/1 Favourite Songs: 5/11 - rehab - you know i'm no good - Me & Mr Jones - Back to Black - Tears dry on their own Final Thoughts: - Successfully understand how this record has paved the way for artists like Adele, Raye, Sienna Spiro and more - Theres some sort of texture on the microphone that gives that 60s girl groups texture and feel which was the idea I believe

Я расплылась в улыбке, увидев сегодня этот альбом. Подумала, что он был бы в этом списке «9 альбомов, которые меня сформировали», который я так и не сделала. Всё-таки я пела с детства 3 песни из 11 с этого альбома. ходячий секс + трагедия + высшая техничность без унылого дрочева. я люблю тебя, дура

10/10

The sound of pain pretending it doesn’t care.

Great album. Loved it when it came out and still do. Theres a novelty, of course, of a skinny white British woman singing songs that sound like 60s black pop songs. But her lyrics were brutally honest, and her voice was unique. It's a shame that drugs and addiction ruined what could have been a long and great career. She apparently was supposed to do a James Bond song with Jack White but was too messed up on drugs to do it. We were robbed of greatness. This album also launched the career of the producer Mark Ronson, though this would eventually result in the worst Queens of the Stone Age album.

The generator has been on a roll with my albums recently. I feel like Amy nails the style of music that Christina Aguilera was going for on "Back tk Basics." Short, catchy, jazzy pop songs that manage to not blend together despite the similar styles from one track to the next. I really enjoyed my listens with this album. However, I wish I could go back and hear this album before all the singles took off. I feel like, in addition to hearing the big hits a lot, I have heard a lot of covers and parodies of these songs where it weakens the overall effect of the songs if that makes sense? 4/5

It’s maybe good, im not gonna listen to it tho

Her voice is one of a kind. This is a great album with no bad songs on it. Well deserving of all the accolades. 9/10 Top song... Tears dry on their own

Repeat Listen.

I’ve been slightly jaded by the song rehab from hearing it way to much but the rest of the album is really good and shows off Winhouse’s singing and song writing. An unexpected treat listening to this album

Well its just great

This is almost like early-60s lounge-singer or girl-group type music, but Amy Winehouse’s strong, distinctive voice, the way she approaches these songs, and the lyrics themselves make it feel modern and compelling. I’ve found so much of this to be sadder now since her death, but still, they’re great songs, and it’s a great record.

I'm a sucker for her voice and the old-timey instrumentation, arrangements, and back up vocals. Saved thee songs - Years Dry On Their Own and Addicted. Already had Rehab saved.

This is a great album- I know it well. Standouts for me are "Me and Mr. Jones," "Love Is A Losing Game," "Tears Dry On Their Own," and "He Can Only Hold Her." Rehab is also a classic. Amy is such a what-if. This album is a great one to play around people when you just don't know what to play.

2/5 She's got a great voice but not a style of music I really like listening too.

I went to the wine house and found Amy gorging herself on black tar heroin.

Very good album.

Her voice, the instruments. Just INSANE

Still a classic

Not really my thing but she could sing!

I think my bro said it best when he said, "she's a supernova"...quickly burned out like a star on a fire, undefeated and unstoppable. Her album was great, it was funky, fresh, of the 2000s through and through. Well put together doesn't even begin...with serious themes of addiction and distress, under a veil of r&b that I haven't really heard before. I think that there could be some arguments against her album being a 5/5, and I honestly think it's somewhere around a 9.3/10, but still, I gotta give her the credit. She really did take the pop sphere by storm and this album really doesn't have a single miss. I think that my only critique of the album isn't even her fault. The loudness wars that were going on at the time led to some moments on here where there's audible clipping and fizzing due to compression and limiting.

Good

I was overwhelmed by Frank, this one is good. A bit too standard perhaps?

She had a killer voice, that’s for sure

I've been thinking about this album as it turns 20 in this exact days. The story it tells is both personal end musical, and the context of it changed over this 20 years. First of all, it is striking how much of a honest album it is. Amy lays all her personality, addictions, relationships and mental status. Following her death it really makes you think of what could have happened differently. Musically, it is structured effectively. Remains unapologetically popy all along, in ballads and bangers. The production is, no other ward, an astonishing achievement. It is, in my opinion, the most timeless sounding album of 21 century. While the r&b, gospel and mowtown influences are obvious, the production isn't sixtiesy at all, its very much a digital age album. The combination of this factors  secures its relevance for 20 years to come, at least. I think I have to give it a 5 today.

I really like the vocals on this one, this album might get me to listen to more pop soul. The piano being played the same way on nearly every song does get a bit repetitive and annoying though. :3

Fun fact, The Rolling Stones covered You Know I'm No Good on their new album. I just thought that was neat. Anyways, absolutely nothing I found wrong with Frank is present here. This is genuine, fun, and by god is the main focus of the album heartbreaking. I've had probably three or four conversations with my boyfriend at this point about the whole appropriation vs. appreciation distinction and how I think the word "appropriation" is fucking stupid in nearly every context but that half's a topic for another time. Point is, it's hard to find a non-American artist more appreciative of uniquely American songwriting traditions than Winehouse with this album. I was shocked by how much I liked this album based on how much I didn't like Frank to be honest.

Once i realized that this is a modern motown record, i fell in love with it. Great album

I Understand Amy now

nice but not really the vibe I was looking for that day LOL

I can't get past the way this sounds like a love letter to the disease that killed her. Addiction is brutal. She even looks unhealthy on the cover!

So, I get it, I understand why this album is on the list, it’s just not really my taste. I do like the rawness of her voice and I feel like the album could have been released in pretty much any decade and it would work. Coming in, I had heard Rehab and am not a huge fan of it. You Know I’m No Good and Tears Dry On Their Own were my favorites. Nothing was bad, but I cannot imagine listening to the album again.

perfect - amy’s death is such a loss for the culture

There's something so artificial about this. It's ripping off a style that was long since dead and gone, and it just feels like musical cosplay. Rehab is repetitive. Back to Black is fine, but just so damn contrived. I know Amy is beloved, but her voice does not do it for me and I just don't respond well to this faux nostalgia.

Forever Amy

obviously a perfect album for my taste and for this weather, I dont get bored of it. would love to say my top 3 songs are unique but not this time. 1. rehab 2. tears dry on their own 3. back to black and hm to all of them! but for today ill go with 'just friends'

I’ve warmed up to this album quite a bit since I first listened to it a few weeks ago, when I got her earlier album, Frank. Which brings up a separate issue: I’m only about 50 albums into this project, but I’ve received multiple albums from a few artists. It says something about how narrow this project is that some artists get 4, 5, 6 entries while lots of important artists are completely missing, like Townes Van Zandt, Eric B and Rakim, Toots and the Maytals. Back to Back to Black. The songs are good, the arrangements and productions are good, her singing is good. She retained sole songwriting credit on most of the songs on this album, and the over-production that hurt the first album is less egregious but also more appropriate here, as she works in a lush 60s pop and R&B style. There’s more of a live sound on this album also, which I appreciate. As I’ve listened to both albums a few times now, I hear more overlap between the two. It seems like a natural evolution from Frank to Back to Black rather than two completely different projects. I can’t tell if the odd vocal affectations that got in the way of my enjoyment of the first album are toned down here or if I just got used to them. Essential listen: yes Desert island disc: no

When a loved one dies of addiction or mental illness, survivors look for signs we may have missed. It doesn’t get any clearer than “Rehab.” Good tune but I can’t listen to it. The album as a whole has very dark overtones. “Back to Black” is haunting and a good example of the album’s mood.

So many good reviews on this one. It’s beautiful and once in a generation stuff.

Starts out hot then fades 3.0

just sad all around

Hot take, Frank is a lot better and enjoyable than this, but this is still incredible, tragic and very real. I want to give this a 5 so badly but theres a few average tracks here. Standouts are Back To Black, Tears Dry On Their Own and the Valerie cover on the extended edition.

4/5

Maybe the most "No one else could have made this" album of all time. How do I explain this album to a bunch of gen Z kids, "Imagine if in 2005 a 20 something British alcoholic, maybe junkie, lady recorded one of the greatest soul albums of all time, which include lyrics like "what kind of fuckery is this? you made me miss the Slick Rick gig" & "You love blow and I love puff" yet still has the capacity to make you feel feelings you didn't know you had by taking the most universally loved MoTown song (aint no mountain, which is often used in films to show how we can end racism through a song, or maybe that was just remember the titans) and turning it in my opinion the best break up song of all time in Tears dry on their own?" Yeah this is a 5, no notes, wish she didn't die & had the chance to do a Bond song, or a weird duet album with Billy Joel about recovering from addiction, or record a brilliant cover of champagne supernova that makes us forget the original existed. I am sad now. Don't do drugs kids & if you do, don't do all of them.

I can't believe this album is twenty years old. I can't believe I didn't love it when I first heard it. And I can't believe "Valerie" isn't on this fucking album. Somehow, in my mind, that song is so inseparable from Amy Winehouse and this particular era that I just assumed it had to be here. What a fucking talent. Seriously. Listening to *Back to Black* now, it's almost impossible not to think about what might have been. I genuinely believe that if Amy had lived, she could have become a pop superstar in the same league as Lady Gaga. Not because they sounded particularly alike, but because they shared that rare combination of extraordinary talent, a completely distinctive artistic identity, and the ability to take older musical traditions and make them feel fresh, exciting, and entirely their own. Amy had that kind of star power, and it's heartbreaking to think about how much more she might have accomplished. What I particularly love about this record is the sound. It's rooted in classic R&B, Motown, girl-group pop, and 60s soul, but updated with these fantastic boom-bap hip-hop drums, crisp production, and a distinctly modern sensibility. It's simultaneously retro and contemporary without ever feeling like some cheap nostalgia act. There's an organic warmth to the horns, bass, and backing vocals, but the beats have this wonderful punch and swagger. It's like someone took a stack of old Motown and Stax records, ran them through a hip-hop producer's brain, and came out with something completely new. And then there's Amy herself. That voice is just ridiculous. Smoky, soulful, jazzy, a little rough around the edges, and absolutely dripping with personality. She can sound like a classic soul singer one moment and a foul-mouthed girl from North London the next, sometimes within the same line. There's something wonderfully irreverent about the whole thing. She clearly worships the great singers who came before her, but she's not interested in behaving like them. She's funny, sarcastic, vulnerable, confrontational, and occasionally downright filthy. Which brings me to one of my favorite things about Amy Winehouse: how much she loves the word "fuckery." What a magnificent word. There's something so perfectly Amy about hearing this gorgeous, old-fashioned soul voice casually toss out a word like that. It's the collision of elegance and vulgarity that makes her so appealing. She could sound like a lost recording from 1965 and then immediately remind you that she was a thoroughly modern, sharp-tongued, occasionally obnoxious twenty-something. I love that. And the songs are fantastic. "Rehab" is such an audacious opening statement, an irresistibly catchy pop song about something that, in retrospect, is almost unbearably tragic. "You Know I'm No Good" has one of the best grooves on the record, "Tears Dry on Their Own" is a brilliant piece of retro soul-pop, and the title track is just devastating. There's so much attitude and personality here, but also a tremendous amount of sadness. It's an album that makes you want to dance while the person singing sounds like she's slowly falling apart. And that's probably the most haunting thing about listening to it now. At the time, the drinking, drugs, dysfunctional relationships, and self-destructive behavior were all part of the Amy Winehouse persona, treated by the tabloids almost like entertainment. With the benefit of hindsight, it's difficult not to hear the album differently. What once sounded rebellious and outrageous now sounds like a series of increasingly desperate warning signs. It's a strange experience, listening to music that's so joyful and infectious on the surface while knowing how tragically the story ends. I also think it's remarkable how influential this record became. That whole wave of retro-soul and vintage-inspired pop that followed owes an enormous debt to what Amy and her collaborators accomplished here. But what separates *Back to Black* from so many of its imitators is that it never feels like a calculated exercise in nostalgia. There's too much personality, too much messiness, too much genuine emotion. The production might be lovingly recreating the sounds of another era, but the person at the center of it is unmistakably contemporary. I really wish we'd gotten to see where she went next. She was only 27 when she died, and it's almost impossible to imagine that she'd already exhausted her creative potential. Would she have become an even bigger pop star? Returned to her jazz roots? Reinvented herself entirely? I would have loved to hear what a forty-year-old Amy Winehouse sounded like. That's one of the great musical what-ifs. Ultimately, this is a terrific record, and one that I appreciate far more now than I did when it first came out. The combination of classic soul, modern hip-hop production, sharp songwriting, and that extraordinary voice is pretty irresistible. It's stylish, funny, heartbreaking, and completely distinctive. 7.5/10. What a talent. What a loss.

The title track was good. No change in my opinion from Frank though. Talented vocalist, tragic story, not my thing.

good but relisten

10/10 no notes

Eh, I don't know, it's fine but unremarkable to my ears. I'm not a huge soul fan, especially the 60's style this is emulating. I also can't hear why this is one of the best albums of all time from multiple accounts, so if I may presume it's just a bunch of old people overpraising music that sounds what they listened to as kids.

Makes me think of CK :/

She was taken from us far too soon. I love Rehab. It might be the greatest throwback jam ever. It really captures the sound of those 60s Soul/Phil Spector/girl groups with very modern lyrics. You Know I'm No Good is another great song. I don't usually love ska music (what it is with these British musicians?), but I love Just Friends, maybe my favorite album track from this album. God damn this album is amazing. Back to Black is awesome, Love Is A Losing Game is amazing. Her light burned bright but it burned fast. I knew I loved this album coming into it. But listening to it in the context of this project I think makes me appreciate it more. It's just amazing song after amazing song. Some Unholy War is my least favorite song on the album. I always think of the album ending with the remix of You Know I'm No Good with Ghostface Killah. I've never heard Addicted. I like it, but not as much as a track with Ghostface. Either way it's five stars, but I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and rate it with the US release final track. All-time great album.

Excellent - what a voice and talent - not a bad song on the album. The hits are outstanding

Masterclass

What a excellent album. A life cut tragically short. Solid sing alongs. Nostalgic but yet feels very current.

music is love

Highest 4 you can possibly give really how brilliantly brilliant

Can this album be separated from the tragedy of a life cut short, especially when the whole record is total heart-of-sleeve stuff? All great songs and the production is right up there. Tears Dry On Their Own is a genuine tearjerker, Back To Black is similarly, and Rehab is a delightful slice of rebellion meets pathos, but every song is excellent. Amy's voice is, natch, remarkable. Feel like the album feels slightly short of a 5 (some of the rhythmic choices don't quite hold up), but a 4 would be a bit tight.

This is a very unique album. I think Amy gets the "Jimi Hendrix" or "Kurt Cobain" treatment at times. She clearly had an ear for arranging very beautiful music. I'm not the biggest fan of her lyrics but overall I enjoyed listening. It's not boring by any means. I give it a 3.5.

내취향아님

Pretty decent, easy listen. I’m sure I’m in the minority but I feel this was overrated music.

Fine

What a true loss to the world. So talented, such an angelic voice. And this album showcases everything she was.

Good

I've always loved Amy Winehouse's voice, and this album is great. We lost her way too soon.

Not buying the hype. Average voice…. Tortured soul with tortured lyrics ( lots of that out there btw ) The nostalgia style felt a bit contrived. I know I’m in the minority, but I just didn’t love it.

There are some people who can sing similar Amy, but her raw emotionality and subject matter set her apart. Her versatility, from heartbreak to addiction, from cheeky to in love, is something to behold. The song Back to Black may be one of the best songs of the early 00s, if not the 21st century to date. Few have made such an impact in so short a time as Amy, and we are better for it.

I am running out of new ways to say albums are just ok.

One of a kind voice. Will always be a tragedy.

3.5

my depressed queen

Tremendous, amazing, short and sweet!

hell yes, have listened to this many times before. her voice was so so incredible. every song a banger

Честно? Сначала я был настроен скептически. Я знал Эми во многом благодаря одной из последних "громких" попаданий в клуб-27 и как бэ.. всё. Что автоматически наводило на мысль что это и есть её главное достижение за непродолжительную карьеру. НО!.. Нет, на самом деле, каким-то образом это всё таки работает. Что-то навроде Kiwanuka которого я слушал тут ранее, весьма удачный blend канонов олдскульного соула и современного продакшена. Цепкие мелодии, ничё звучок, хороший вокал, нормас. Переслушивать вряд-ли буду, но годно.

Good

Some bangers on this

Bloody good album.

Love Amy. Created a lot of great music during her too short life.

Forever a unique voice, great production front-to-back, not a dud on the whole album. I think I appreciate this one more over the years than when it first came out.

Lotta talent here.

Ive always wandered if people were overating this because she died young so I never listened to it. Well turns out its not overrated. The production is really good, the lyrics are surprinsgly cool too (and damn she curses a lot). I like her voice, we (or just me idk) dont hear female pop singer with this kind of voice anymore. The album is short but it accomplish a lot. Just like her life ig. Maybe you should have gone to rehab.../5

I feel connected to Amy Winehouse the same way as Jeff Buckley. She cannot go wrong, I love her and if u hate on her for being dramatic (???), but u listen to pretentious rock albums, please suck a dick

memories of playing rehab on bass with my tutor. not a bad record at all

De aqui habia escuchado canciones pero nunca entero, y es buenisimo. Corto y 0 skips.

Just heartbreakingly good. A masterclass in blending jazz, rock, soul and more into a whole package album. Tragic we don’t have more from her but this encapsulates that messy early 20s fuck your life up vibe in such a romantic way.

The 1960s girl group inspiration absolutely evident here. The production by Ronson and Remi are out of the world and the vocals/lyrics of Amy really really shine. This clearly cemented Winehouse as an absolute powerhouse and visionary in the retro-soul movement. Such a bummer we couldn't see her evolve and experiment even more.

She was incredible. Not every song hit and I was already familiar with this one, but plenty of great songs.

lloooooovvveeeeeddd her voice solid 3

Obviously hits like Rehab are bangers. Most of the arrangements (horns, etc.) seem to callback to Phil Spector productions, which I’m really digging. You Know I’m No Good is excellent. The whole album is great, top to bottom.

This album was fantastic. Its not in my typical genre but I could see many times where this would be appropriate decoration.

hahaha out of 1001 albums I get two Amy WInehouse albums in the span of 5 days. No shade, but hopefully that's the end of Amy Winehouse in the greatest 1001 albums of all time? Amy Winehouse is personally responsible for almost one quarter of one percent of our greatest albums? Gotta think hard on that one. Anyway, this album is a ton more polished, tight, fun, slicker songwriting by a mile, etc etc etc that the earlier one I just got served. Maybe that's all Ronson? Either way, this is a demonstrably better tighter record. It's good, too!

I forgot how sad this album is lyrically. It's very good, though.

Outrageous vocal performance. Feels like something is happening with the music but it's sort of unremarkable still.

Never listened to this album, but had heard the hits before. Kind of unavoidable because she was everywhere for a while. Genuinely enjoyed this more than expected.

love some songs, not a fan of some others

Incredible album from top to bottom. Lyrically, musically, and vocally, it hasn't been topped in its genre since and it's not even close really. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

man she had a fantastic voice and the music is well done. not something id regularly listen to but really enjoyable

The voice and the band sound are such a good match. Great album.