Classic Albums. Hosted by Stevie Nix
Not all albums stand the test of time, but plenty do and Australian music critic Stevie Nix will bring one to you each week. He'll cover all eras and most genres and tell you why each record is so revered and, equally, why it deserves to be. And he only uses six songs to do it.
Classic Albums. Hosted by Stevie Nix
Back To Black by Amy Winehouse
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There are many reasons this album endures, but one is very much Winehouse’s voice. It was idiosyncratic in the way that all the truly great voices are idiosyncratic — immediately recognisable, impossible to replicate, full of an apparently untutored directness that made every sentiment feel raw.
However, what is easy to overlook, because the voice is so commanding, is just how well-constructed the album is as a piece of songwriting. Back to Black is not a collection of confessional dispatches loosely hung together. It is a coherent emotional journey — from defiance to regret to resignation to a kind of hard-won clarity — delivered across just over 35 minutes without a wasted note. It is an exceptionally forlorn record, and yet it never becomes oppressive, because the arrangements are so alive, and because Winehouse's wit keeps surfacing at precisely the moments when self-pity threatens to take over.
Featured songs:
Rehab
You Know I'm No Good
Back To Black
Love Is A Losing Game
Tears Dry On Their Own
Addicted