I don’t want to leave without posting moar Amy Winehouse. This song, “Back to Black,” is from her last studio album of the same name. She was the Taylor Swift of her era (but more talented)—rehashing her romantic debacles in her music. The affair mentioned here was with the sleazeball Blake Fielder-Civil, who not only introduced Winehouse to heroin, but left her to return to an old girlfriend. The song was written by Winehouse and Mark Ronson, and this live performance is stunning:
Wikipedia has a long entry about the song, including this:
“Back to Black” was inspired by her relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. He had left Winehouse for an ex-girlfriend, leaving her going to “black,” which to the listener may appear to refer to drinking and depression. However, the “black” to which she refers is more likely heroin, to which she was openly addicted; “black” is the second most common street name for heroin in Los Angeles.
“Back to Black” explores elements of old school soul music. The song’s sound and beat have been described as similar to vintage girl groups from the 1960s. Its production was noted for its Wall of Sound. Winehouse expresses feelings of hurt and bitterness for a boyfriend who has left her; however, throughout the lyrics she “remains strong” exemplified in the opening lines, “He left no time to regret, Kept his dick wet, With his same old safe bet, Me and my head high, And my tears dry, Get on without my guy”. The song’s lyrical content consists of a sad goodbye to a relationship with the lyrics being frank. Slant Magazine writer Sal Cinquemani suggested that the protagonist’s lover may be committed to cocaine instead of another woman. John Murphy of music OMH compared the song’s introduction to songs by Jimmy Mack, adding that it continues to a “much darker place” than the aforementioned artist’s work.
The song “Rehab” on the same album is the most ironic, tragic and moving song I have ever heard. What a waste of tremendous talent.
This performance sounds like she’s on something. Slurring her words. Mumbling.
Again, wow. I am stunned that I did not pay attention to her. So many artists that I do not pay attention to until they are gone…Miles, Zappa, Buckley…Winehouse.
I was late to the Amy fan club. The song “Rehab” turned me off before I caught on, it was her attitude and life that I just did not understand…as if that’s good reason.
Her voice/style is the one I miss more than any other, the one I compare all others to. I sometimes worry that she might be the voice of my lifetime.
I recall a quote attributed to Billie Holiday: “No one sings the word ‘hunger’ the way I do.”
With Amy Winehouse, you not only hear her pain, you can often feel it. She really was that good.
Don’t forget her debut album, Frank…it’s very very good too.
From the release of Please Please Me, to Paul announcing he was leaving, it was just few weeks over 7 years for The Beatles recording career. From the release of Frank to her death, Amy Winehouse’s recording career was over 7 1/2 years. Admittedly selfish, I wonder what she might have been capable of had she been healthier. And I wonder if she would have been able to communicate pain without 1st hand experience.
It is mighty difficult to compare Taylor Swift to Amy Winehouse. One is bubblegum & the other is a straight shot of whiskey.
Right now I am trying to imagine what Taylor would be like with a heroin addiction. It would not be pretty.
Swift is not bubblegum. Bon bon, maybe.
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A heroin addiction might improve her creative output – she might even become interesting. Of course, I’m not wishing for her to destroy her life that way, but it does strike me that some of the greatest artistic talents were remarkable precisely because of their addictions, not despite them. Would Nirvana have been able to produce such memorable songs without Kurt Cobain’s heroin addiction? Ditto Jimmy Hendrix. Would a sober Hunter S. Thompson have been remotely interesting? Even Amy Winehouse’s music benefitted from her addictions; they are what made her performance of “Rehab” authentic, after all.
Of all her songs I probably like this one the most. To me she was a kind of Elvis figure: magnetic, charismatic and possessed of an utterly unique voice that could drape itself like a silk spread over any song she chose. But like Elvis she was slightly let down by the actual material – the non-covers in particular.
I’d love to have heard her hooking up with a genuinely talented songwriter(they’d have lined themselves up for the opportunity) who could marry her voice and her brutally honest lyrics with some consistent musical depth. That’s what always held me back from fan-dom.
Still, I’m very tempted to watch the doc. since Jerry raved about it. It might be a bit too depressing for me personally though.
I would say that she was the “Adele” of her era, but with much more soul and very edgy.
My daughter (then around 15) introduced me to her about 5 years ago.
Back To Black is my favourite song, but she has done many other fine songs.
Oh, yes. That’s a better comparison.
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Two more clips for consideration. First from the 2008 Brit Awards, you can compare and contrast Amy to Adele since they are on the same video. Adele, on the mellow side, opens, someone else follows and Amy, a real tour de force, starts at the 2:55 mark (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosuht3rI3o) . Second, the performance that I remember seeing when it was broadcast, her performance at the 2011 Grammys, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLbhFdqn1s
with all the talk of heroin addiction I thought I would remind that it was alcohol poisoning that killed her!
I loved Amy Winehouse and was devastated when she died. The whole album ‘Back to Black’ is brilliant. I also love ‘Tears dry on their own’ (“I shouldn’t play myself again, should just be my own best friend, not fuck myself in the head with stupid men”), “Love is a losing game” and “You know I’m no good” (“upstairs in bed with my ex boy, he’s in the place but I can’t get joy. Thinking of you in the final throws, this is when my buzzer goes”). The album ‘Frank’ is also good. I love “Amy Amy Amy”!
Argghhh! No comparison to Taylor Swift. Swift is fluff, candy-floss, a child with her silly princes and princesses. Amy was real. She captured everything I’ve ever felt about myself and relationships with men.
“Creative energy abused, all my lyrics go unused”
Her magnificent voice and singing remind me of Billie Holiday. I too was so sad when she died.
I was thinking that too!
I’m sure you can find this for yourselves, but I’ve just watched with awe and sadness Jonathan Ross interviewing Amy at 20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFcG0pBhKPA
what a wonderful sly lyric
Thank you, chessnutexeter, very nice video link. We saw a wonderful Amy Winehouse. Can’t say i like all her songs, but for the songs i do like, i like them very much. Amy is talented and very unique, i was impressed the first time i watched her music video.