Customer Reviews

Back To Black The B-Sides

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Here's a few tracks that embody the celebratory spirit of this talented, yet personally troubled performer whose tabloid traumas have all but overshadowed her triumphs. These songs, cut before the bulk of her negative publicity set in, display all the promise and passion we could hope for. My fave tracks on this collection are the ska tunes, done in the style of The Specials.

This collection of B-Sides is truly necessary to get a completist mindset of the talents and versatility of Amy Winehouse. Tha album BACK TO BLACK was definitely a concept album about love and relationships and these cuts didn't blend in well or truly fit the concept of what did make the album. But it in no way means these songs aren't superb and worthy. Most importantly we have VALERIE which was a huge hit in the UK. Producer Mark Ronson asked Amy to collaborate with him on it and it appears on his cd but no other Winehouse cd. A true find. CUPID is a great soulful version of a classic song. With MONKEY MAN and HEY LITTLE RICH GIRL Amy has great fun with her band and backup singers to great results. They are fun, uptempo tracks. The Cuban styled YOU'RE WONDERING NOW shows yet another side of the versatility Amy possessed.

The true standouts are the final 2 tracks. Her rendering of TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM will break your heart with its honesty. And the final demo acoustic version of LOVE IS A LOSING GAME shows Amy's raw and strong talent without the production of a studio. Instead you get her vocal talent, emotive ability and are left with a strong message of the true talent she possessed. All these songs are in no way tracks left off for being sub-par but rather songs that just didn't quite fit. Any Amy Winehouse fan will find them a definite necessity. Highly recommend.

This collection really shows off Amy's stuff. She's got the chops and is a pleasure to listen to. She's got a musical sensitivity missing in so many of today's contemporary artists that makes listening to Amy feel like a breath of fresh air.

I'm glad these B-Sides were released in this format and not buried. Fans of Ms. Winehouse will appreciate this.

I absolutely love this CD. I would say one of the top 10 Albums ever made. Stunning. Epic. I cant think of more to say.

I was wow by Amy singing,she was so good and bad,but so good again. Love R&B and soul here on Back To Black B-Sides.Angel voice.5 stars.I'am going to miss her so much.All the music is more than great sound that move you so,"Back To Black B-Sides.

some great stuff here. it's more in the vein of "frank", and less in the "back in black" vein. amy is younger, and in some songs she sounds like she is "trying" to be a jazz singer. this is still good stuff, but some of the performances of the songs are not as deeply individual as the "b to b" era. her phrasing in the "b-sides" is mostly wonderful, if a bit more derivative of jazz singers and scat singers she heard from records. don't let that stop you from getting these songs.....they belong in your amy winehouse collection, by all means.

there are some videos of amy performing this material, and they are worth seeking out. i find it always interesting to hear a variation of a hit, as in her different than the one we know take of "love is a losing game", one of amy's greatest songs. and the alternate take on "valerie" is not my very favorite, but it's still wonderful. her singing and the orchestration on "monkey man" makes me wish she had recorded more reggae....this genre fits her so well.

with amy gone, there are not that many options to get fresh material, until a new compilation is released, as i hope it will, someday soon. i recommend "lioness" if you don't already have it. it's wonderful.

I purchased "The B-sides" well over a year ago via amazon when Amy was very alive and well.

I listened to it as much as I listened to Frank and Back to Black and it brought me just as much pleasure.

To me, every song Amy has sung is worth being heard. Maybe you have to be the die hard fan to enjoy this or just good taste in music. That voice, that husky, raw, unearthly voice.

It's hard to say what my favorite song was... the down tempo version of "Some Unholy War"... the funny but heartbreaking cover "Hey Little Rich Girl"... maybe her sweet, heartfelt cover of "Cupid"... or is it "Valerie" -the most popular of this disc, so no explanation necessary? I always pictured her thinking of her Blake as she recorded "To Know Him is to Love Him". Like him or not, you can here her love for her man in that song.

I just know I enjoyed them all. If you love Amy's voice, you will too.

There's lots and lots here to appreciate in these songs.

Amy sounds more alive on this cd. I would have skipped buying the original CD had I known about this B-Sides version. I never play the original anymore.

I love amy's back to black album, first to last song. B-sided was just so-so. The first three songs: valerie, cupid and monkey man are great though. Cupid and Valerie are similiar to back to black with its 60's motown feel. Monkey Man was a fun ska-esque surprise. The other songs just don't feel finished or have much emotion to them.

I can see why these tracks were left off the album, but for a die-hard Winehouse fan, you should get this.