So, I have fallen in love with Amy Winehouse. Obviously I've known about her for the past couple of years, as "Rehab" was a bit inescapable, but I never really took an interest. I figured she was just another tabloid bad-girl, and anyway, what did she know about writing a song? And I'm typically dubious of any artist that gets really popular in this day and age, preferring not to listen to much of anything recorded in the past 15 or so years (obviously, most of my preferred music is from the 60s & 70s). However, a few months ago, someone made me a mix CD with two Amy songs, "Back To Black" and "Love Is A Losing Game". Several weeks ago, I was listening to the album more intently, and I just COULD NOT stop playing these songs, especially "Back To Black". Thursday night, I braved Best Buy, a retailor I hate, and bought Back To Black, her second album. Although further listens will give me a more precise review, this album is incredible. She has an amazing voice, sultry and genuinely unique, and the album's producer Mark Ronson does a fantastic job. She wrote all the songs on it, and if her lyrics are any indication of her real life dramas, she comes across intelligent, passionate and very relatable. The emotional pain of love and loss, anger and elation, are expressed very well. My favorite song on the album remains the title track, just because the beat is so great and the words are absolutely scathing:
"Back To Black"
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
You went back to what you know
So far removed
From all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I go back to black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her and I go back to
I go back to... us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black
Right?! I can't get over how great this song is. You need to hear it. Anyway, I hope everyone has been well. It's a rainy Monday here in D.C., after a spectacularly gorgeous weekend. My ex and I talked for like ten hours yesterday and Saturday, the one I often moan about not being able to get over, etc. We're going to give it another shot, which fills me with both excitement and passion and also fright, because of how much he and I went through, and all the hurt that circulated. But it's just something I have to do for myself. If you think someone is your soul mate and that you can be happy together, don't you have to try? I do believe that five months of being away from him has made light of a lot of things, and more so for him. He finally gave me the sincerest of apologies, and I know he's going to be good to me. Wish me luck!!!
hey great photo collection... I'm such a huge Wino fan - Favourite song of hers? Easily "Take the Box". :)
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You are right, the last 15 years or so of music has been sad. Sadder still: we lost the the standout artist of the last 15 years. A talent to remember.
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