by GeniustoBurn

Created on: November 05, 2009

The first time Amy Winehouse appeared on the scene, it was with a flurry of similar young, female singer-songwriters. I was vaguely aware of her, but she drifted out of view for a few years and it wasn't until I'd heard Rehab played for the millionth time that I even remembered her. She looked different - the beehive, eyeliner and Minnie Mouse outfits all helped to create a memorable look. As her records sold, her little sparrow legs seemed to get skinnier, her hair higher, and her tattoos more exposed.

"Rehab" was the first release from this album; it was the hit that got people talking and made them notice her. (Surely it was a gamble to release a song about her record company trying to control her lifestyle, and the fact that she had a problem with drink?!) People say we should ignore a person's lifestyle and judge them on their music alone - this is impossible. The music she makes is a direct result of the events of her life.

If you read any newspapers last year, it seems a safe assumption that you know something of Amy's lifestyle, as her reputation precedes her. There is something about Amy - her singing talent, or her ability to express emotion through her lyrics, that reminds me of Billie Holiday. She certainly isn't the first singer to have a tumultuous lifestyle off stage and talk about that through her songs. (Nor is she the first to take drugs or make bad desisions about men.)

This album was reputedly inspired by the relationship she had with a guy who went back to his ex and broke her heart - although she is now married to him. (Maybe the records sales changed his mind?) The songs almost wallow in low self esteem. Amy tells her subject "You know I'm no good," and describes cheating with her ex, being the next man's "other woman soon". This is a girl who just can't help herself.

Perhaps Amy's attitude can be summed up with "Love is a losing game" - there is a lot of misery on this album. Not "Oh gosh, I wish this boy would call me" misery as personified by cheery American blondes, but real, heartbreak misery; "You go back to her... and I go back to black."

It's not all relentlessly downbeat - "Tears dry on their own" samples "Ain't no mountain high enough" by Marvin Gaye. The overall quality of this album is top notch - as well as being a gifted song writer, Ms Winehouse manages to get the very best musicians on this album. This creates an incredibly tight sound, reminiscent of 1950s / 60s style, but completely fresh and new. There is plenty to get you dancing - the opening riff of "Me and Mr Jones" could well influence a new generation of kids wanting to take up drumming. There is a touch of skiffle, and a recurring theme of the blues. Not to mention a whole lotta soul.

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