Back to Black AMY WINEHOUSE (2006)
Week: Wed 10th May to Tue 16th May
Format: CD
Producer(s): Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi
Track listing:
1. Rehab *
2. You Know I'm No Good *
3. Me & Mr Jones (Fuckery) *
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
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 32:10
When the world lost Amy Winehouse, I was not her biggest fan. Her image had overshadowed her creative output, and I didn't feel like she was an artists I could get into. The only song of hers I knew was Rehab, and the point of that track was lost on me. I wrote it off as some kind of rebellious boast-type affair, but I've come to see that there's more to it than that now.
A little after her death I really started to get into her and Mark Ronson's cover of The Zutons' Valerie. A bit late, for sure, but better late than never. I slowly sampled the odd track from the Back to Black album as well, particularly You Know I'm No Good and Tears Dry on Their Own.
I began to appreciate just how amazing her voice was, and how the production of those songs brilliantly recreated classic R&B and girl group values. I think I finally took the plunge and nabbed the album on CD a coupla years back. It's quite rooted in the sixties, while having fairly, frank not-so-sixties subject matter. While only just breaking half an hour of playing time, Back to Black is also very personal. Most of the songs deal with her break-up with Blake Fielder-Civil, who she would later marry and divorce.
Amy Winehouse didn't leave behind a massive back catalog, but I'm determined to dig a little more. I haven't even listened to her first album, Frank. This CD sounded fantastic through our little system in the lounge room and I may have pulled Rhona off the couch for a dance over the course of the week. As I said earlier, the production is truly stunning, and it's interesting trying to pick the producer of each track (either Mark Ronson or Salaam Remi). The Motown-esque horns and strings together with the doo-wop backing vocals are just sublime. I'm amazed at how listenable (and re-listenable) this album is. My only big issue with it, is that's too short. Maybe it was kept to a short length so it stood comfortably next to other long players from the sixties, or to ensure it didn't outstay its welcome.
I also listened to this album on Spotify with the headphones on, and that was a fantastic experience. Not only did it sound brilliant, but there was a Genius pop-up function that scrolled lyrics and offered facts about each song. It also included the track Addicted, which is not on the CD I own. I don't think it's an essential part of the album, but it does include the memorable lyric: "It's got me addicted/Does more than any dick did". Anyway, I think this album is one of the best releases of the noughties, and I wish I that had appreciated it during Amy's lifetime.
Hit PETER GABRIEL (2003) - 2CD UK Edition
Week: Sun 16th Apr to Sat 22nd Apr
Format: iPod (MP3s)
Producer(s): numerous
Track listing:
CD 1 (HIT)
1. Solsbury Hill *
2. Shock the Monkey (Single edit)
3. Sledgehammer (Single edit)
4. Don't Give Up (Edited version) *
5. Games Without Frontiers (Single edit) *
6. Big Time
7. Burn You Up, Burn You Down
8. Growing Up (Tom Lord-Alge mix) *
9. Digging In The Dirt
10. Blood of Eden (Radio edit)
11. More Than This (Radio edit)
12. Biko (Edited version) *
13. Steam
14. Red Rain
15. Here Comes the Flood (1990 version)
CD 2 (MISS)
1. San Jacinto *
2. No Self Control
3. Cloudless
4. The Rhythm of the Heat
5. I Have the Touch (Robbie Robertson mix)
6. I Grieve
7. D.I.Y. *
8. A Different Drum
9. The Drop
10. The Tower That Ate People (Steve Osborne mix)
11. Lovetown *
12. Father, Son *
13. Signal to Noise
14. Downside Up (live) *
15. Washing of the Water
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 2:30:19
I'm not going to make a habit of choosing compilations or greatest hits albums for these blogs, but I just happened to be listening to this one quite a bit lately. Bizarrely, and fairly out of character for me, my method of choice for digesting this one was to dial it up on my iPod and hit shuffle. I think I liked the unpredictability of it - what song would be next?
My first big memory of Peter Gabriel came in the form of the vinyl long player So that my dad found among his presents for his fortieth birthday, an age I've now surpassed. That stark black and white image of Gabriel's face, with just a hit of blue. Only the promo sticker gave away the title. I soon became fairly rapt in the music therein. Sledgehammer was a massive hit, and you couldn't escape it due to the film clip being on TV every hour or so. I think I remember the first time I listened to the album, and how the hi-hat intro on Red Rain struck me. Both of these tracks are included here. I'm quite puzzled that In Your Eyes isn't here (it did make onto the US 2CD edition though), as I think that is one of Gabriel's most beloved songs, thanks partly to John Cusack. As fun as Big Time is, I don't think it's as essential to the former Genesis frontman's canon. Who knows how tracks (and their versions) make it onto compilations?
Despite that oversight, I think this is a pretty good overview for the casual Gabriel fan. I would put myself in that category, but over the last year or so, I've been more intrigued by his work. And by his work ethic. Did you know that since we were pounded by Sledgehammer, he has only released two studio albums? There's been soundtracks, live offerings and other experimentations, but only two solo albums, 1992's Us and 2002's Up. Both releases are represented well here, with my big favourite from the former, Digging In The Dirt, sitting nicely before the latter's Growing Up.
As I wasn't a massive Gabriel fan when I got Hit, this album was how I heard some of these tracks for the first time. Except for Solsbury Hill and Shock the Monkey, I didn't think I knew any of his pre-So catalog. I was surprise
Md to learn that I did know Games Without Frontiers though; I just didn't think it was a Peter Gabriel song for some reason. After being initially disappointed by my first listen of Biko, it's now one of my strong favourites. I particularly like live versions, as he encourages the audience to keep singing while the band leave the stage one by one.
While not everything here is absolutely stellar, it's all interesting. It's a pet peeve of mine when collections like these aren't in chronological order, but what are you going to do? I think there are better tracks off Up that could have been included, namely The Barry Williams Show and Sky Blue. The latter is somewhat represented in the form of Cloudless, a piece from Gabriel's soundtrack for Rabbit-Proof Fence. All his releases up to 2003 are represented except for the Birdy soundtrack, and the new song Burn You Up, Burn You Down is quite good. I'd recommend this for anyone wanting to have a bit of a sampler of Gabriel's solo work.
