Amy Winehouse, Crap/Not Crap?

[northernhord]

An interesting voice but not a boat rocker

 

[Pigeon]

I like her image. But she's godawful.

There has been a trend over recent years to redo the past using nicer looking people. Jazz in particular seems especially susceptible to this kind of sanitization.

Fair play she writes her own (highly imitative) songs but at the end of the day she is just a good karaoke singer.

Tonight Matthew I'm going to be... Billie
Tonight Matthew I'm going to be... Aretha

Who's next?

That's all really puzzling. The stuff she writes is well above the "highly imitative" label you're sticking on it: she obviously knows the genre she's working in like the back of her hand, and has the smarts to subvert it marvelously, particularly in the lyrical content.

As for the "sanitised...nice looking" business, I'm frankly astonished. I think she looks great, but she's hardly your stereotypical X-Factor "babe".

 

[Brockway]

That's all really puzzling. The stuff she writes is well above the "highly imitative" label you're sticking on it: she obviously knows the genre she's working in like the back of her hand, and has the smarts to subvert it marvelously, particularly in the lyrical content.

As for the "sanitised...nice looking" business, I'm frankly astonished. I think she looks great, but she's hardly your stereotypical X-Factor "babe".

She's your stereotypical flip side to the X Factor babe. She's your alternative white Aretha. And what's to subvert? Why not go to the originals they are much better.

 

[gentlegreen]

I think she's rather spiffy. I'm expecting "Back to Black" to arrive in the post any time now.

 

[sojourner]

. And what's to subvert? Why not go to the originals they are much better.

Beeecause then music would just come to a dead end?

 

[northernhord]

Notting Hill Rock

 

[Brockway]

Beeecause then music would just come to a dead end?

No it wouldn't. It would be constantly changing and interesting instead of the same old stuff warmed up for a new audience.

Of course everyone is influenced by someone else but to me Amy, Norah Jones people like that are just ersatz versions of greater talents.

 

[sojourner]

No it wouldn't. It would be constantly changing and interesting instead of the same old stuff warmed up for a new audience.

Of course everyone is influenced by someone else but to me Amy, Norah Jones people like that are just ersatz versions of greater talents.

But she's not just the same old stuff That's why she subverts it.

I don't follow your argument in the slightest

 

[Negativland]

She says she's not interested in modern music - I'm not sure though, the production of 'Rehab' is subtly RnB. Although I'm not particularly looking forward to hearing the Jay-Z remix, it would be good to hear her working with hiphop producers.

 

[gentlegreen]

Notting Hill Rock

One good thing about music, when it hits you fell no pain (repeat)
So hit me with music, hit me with music
Hit me with music, hit me with music now
I got to say Notting Hill rock
I say don't watch that
Notting Hill rock, big fish or sprat
Notting Hill rock, you reap what you sow
Notting Hill rock, and everyone know now
Notting Hill rock, don't turn your back
Notting Hill rock, give the slum a try
Notting Hill rock, never let the children cry
Notting Hill rock, cause you got to tell Jah, Jah

.

 

[Pieface]

I think her popularity is partly what folk get irked at - and she can't win - she's the flipside of the X factor manufactured babe and that STILL isn't enough

Anyway - I didn't like Frank but I like Back to Black. However, I don't feel a massive urge to go and see her live - she's all over the place at the moment and looking at the live performances I'm not sure there's much extra I'd get at them that I'm not getting from watching on TV.

 

[christonabike]

I hope she's not too crap as I'm killing three birds with one stone: going to the Eden Project to see her, see the Eden Project, and spend a few days in the country in the van

Ace

 

[nino_savatte]

When I hear her, I hear odd chord changes and no hooks. Her voice sounds like a composite of other artists' voices.

The jury is out on this one.

 

[dirtyfruit]

Great voice, okish songs and she was fantastically funny on Nevermind the Buzzcocks.

 

[Dubversion]

She says she's not interested in modern music - I'm not sure though, the production of 'Rehab' is subtly RnB. Although I'm not particularly looking forward to hearing the Jay-Z remix, it would be good to hear her working with hiphop producers.

Does she? i've heard her giving a lot of props to all sorts of newer hip hop stuff.

 

[beeboo]

Great voice, okish songs and she was fantastically funny on Nevermind the Buzzcocks.

Indeed, she has to be 'not crap' purely for coining the phrase "I'd rather have Cat AIDS"

I love her voice and I think it's great to hear something new and "popular" in the soul style (rather than R&B). I think she's great as well although straying a bit to close to 'total fuck-up' for comfort . Get a grip on yerself Winehouse!

 

[ska invita]

I think her popularity is partly what folk get irked at - and she can't win - she's the flipside of the X factor manufactured babe and that STILL isn't enough

Im not a hater - it just doesnt do it for me - plus, Im not so convinced that she's the opposite of a manufactured act - she's got the voice (though not one i particularly like to listen to), but everything else in terms of backing track just sounds like the Music Industry Machine pressing the "cool" button.

 

[tarannau]

I think her popularity is partly what folk get irked at - and she can't win - she's the flipside of the X factor manufactured babe and that STILL isn't enough

Anyway - I didn't like Frank but I like Back to Black. However, I don't feel a massive urge to go and see her live - she's all over the place at the moment and looking at the live performances I'm not sure there's much extra I'd get at them that I'm not getting from watching on TV.

There's a fair degree of truth in that, but seeing as she's a Sylvia Young and FAME school graduate it's perhaps unfair to regard her as some kind of fully formed pop phenomemon that's sprung out of nowhere.

I quite like her really - some of her songs are fine, her voice distinctive and unforced enough for me to warm to her. I do find the album a bit too knowingly retro for my liking, a bit too noddingly respectful of the past, but that's also most of the charm.

It's only perhaps the hype that grates me slightly - stuff like the impression given here that she's 'subverting' the genre in some way - as if blues/RnB needed for any history of subversive or twisted lyrics. And the constant media intrusion into hr living and goings out gets on my tits a little, but that's hardly her fault.

I'm not sure she has got that much longevity to be fair, but make the most of her whilst you can.

 

[Negativland]

Does she? i've heard her giving a lot of props to all sorts of newer hip hop stuff.

Maybe she contradicted herself, but in a news article about the Jay-Z remix I remember reading something like "I've got no interest in contemporary, music, I'm a fascist"

 

[Doctor Carrot]

Does she? i've heard her giving a lot of props to all sorts of newer hip hop stuff.

Yeah i've heard her describe one of her songs as a jazz/hip hop cross.

 

[Negativland]

"I don't know anyone's stuff. I don't listen to any contemporary music. I'm like an old man in a young girl's body. I know what I like, and I'm not open-minded. I'm a fascist."

I had it a bit wrong, sounds like hyperbole anyway.

 

[hammerntongues]

She is suffering from a bit of overexposure but in my opinion that was always going to happen to such a talented performer . For the music snobs amongst us , and I include myself , I guess we wish we had her to ourselves for a bit longer .

Maybe not to everyones taste but how anyone could vote crap is beyond me.

 

[Gromit]

I heard her on Radio 1's live lounge the other day and I think she needs to blow her nose or something before singing.
Sounds like she has a blocked nose. I could barely make out one word in six.

 

[Erich Zann]

was in the not sure camp when 'frank' came out. but since back to black she's definitely not crap. In fact I think 'tears dry on their own' and 'love is a losing game' are two of the best jazz/rnb tunes i've heard in a long time, ever maybe. She's got a very natural voice, not fake at all, don't really care about the image thing, but at least she's not gone 'joss stone'. I suppose a long stint stateside might change that though.

 

[kalidarkone]

she is my fave female singer at the moment. I love her misery and fucked upness

 

[ska invita]

saw someone wearing an "I hate Amy winehouse" t-shirt today. taking it a buit far i think.

 

[Sweaty Betty]

FUCKING ACE!!!!!!

She needs a bit of help though, hope she gets it, but you fear this shot to the bigtime might have brittanyesque qualities already, but a far quicker demise unfortunatly......

She has cracked the US so only time will tell...

 

[Strumpet]

I like her

 

[damnhippie]

she's ace. and very far from a perfect pop starlet...which is probably what her record company is going for, but still.

hopefully she'll do more Shirelles-style stuff in the future.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

That bloody no no no song does my head in.