| Title
|
Track Time
|
|
1.Rehab
|
-- |
|
2.You Know I'm No Good
|
-- |
|
3.Me & Mr Jones (F**kery)
|
-- |
|
4.Just Friends
|
-- |
|
5.Back To Black
|
-- |
|
6.Love Is A Losing Game
|
-- |
|
7.Tears Dry On Their Own
|
-- |
|
8.Wake Up Alone
|
-- |
|
9.Some Unholy War
|
-- |
|
10.He Can Only Hold Her
|
-- |
|
11.Addicted
|
-- |
|
12.Love Is A Losing Game
|
-- |
Editorial Notes
The story of Back to Black is one in which celebrity and the
potential of commercial success threaten to ruin Amy Winehouse,
since the same insouciance and playfulness that made her sound so
special when she debuted could easily have been whitewashed right
out of existence for this breakout record. (That fact may help to
explain why fans were so scared by press allegations that Winehouse
had deliberately lost weight in order to present a slimmer
appearance.) Although Back to Black does see her deserting jazz and
wholly embracing contemporary R&B, all the best parts of her
musical character emerge intact, and actually, are all the better
for the transformation from jazz vocalist to soul siren. With
producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome
addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for
Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back to Black has a
similar sound to Frank but much more flair and spark to it.
Winehouse was inspired by girl group soul of the '60s, and
fortunately Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic
R&B producers active. (They certainly know how to evoke the era
too; Remi's "Tears Dry on Their Own" is a sparkling homage to the
Motown chestnut "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and Ronson summons
a host of Brill Building touchstones on his tracks.) As before,
Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of
which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet
vagaries of love. Also in similar fashion to Frank, her eye for
details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her
case against "Rehab" on the knockout first single with some great
lines: "They tried to make me go to rehab I won't go, I'd rather be
at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the
songs on Back to Black are universal, songs that anyone, even Joss
Stone, could take to the top of the charts, such as "Love Is a
Losing Game" or the title song ("We only said good bye with words,
I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to
black"). [The 2007 Canadian edition pares the track list down to
ten songs, omitting the bonus remix.] ~ John Bush
Format: Compact Disc
Released Date: December 12, 2006
Genre: Contemporary R&B
Style: R&B
Number of Discs: 1
Stereo/Mono: Stereo
Originally Released: 2006
Label Name: MSI Music (import)
UPC: 602517142114
