AMY WINEHOUSE — Back To Black (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The story of Back to Black is one in which celebrity and the potential of commercial success threaten to ruin Amy Winehouse, since the same insouciance and playfulness that made her sound so special when she debuted could easily have been whitewashed right out of existence for this breakout record. (That fact may help to explain why fans were so scared by press allegations that Winehouse had deliberately lost weight in order to present a slimmer appearance.) Although Back to Black does see her deserting jazz and wholly embracing contemporary R&B, all the best parts of her musical character emerge intact, and actually, are all the better for the transformation from jazz vocalist to soul siren. With producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back to Black has a similar sound to Frank but much more flair and spark to it. Winehouse was inspired by girl group soul of the '60s, and fortunately Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic R&B producers active. (They certainly know how to evoke the era too; Remi's "Tears Dry on Their Own" is a sparkling homage to the Motown chestnut "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and Ronson summons a host of Brill Building touchstones on his tracks.) As before, Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love. Also in similar fashion to Frank, her eye for details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her case against "Rehab" on the knockout first single with some great lines: "They tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the songs on Back to Black are universal, songs that anyone, even Joss Stone, could take to the top of the charts, such as "Love Is a Losing Game" or the title song ("We only said good bye with words, I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to black"). John Bush
Tracklist :
1    Rehab 3:34
Alto Saxophone – Andy Mackintosh, Chris Davies
Arranged By [Band] – Gabriel Roth, Mark Ronson
Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Chris Elliott
Baritone Saxophone – Dave Bishop, Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Cello – Anthony Pleeth, Joely Koos, John Heley
Contractor [Orchestra] – Isobel Griffiths
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Engineer [Assistant] – Jesse Gladstone, Mike Makowski
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Handclaps – Mark Ronson, Vaughan Merrick
Harp – Helen Tunstall
Leader [Orchestra] – Perry Montague-Mason
Percussion – Frank Ricotti
Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Handclaps – Victor Axelrod
Recorded By – Mark Ronson, Vaughan Merrick
Tenor Saxophone – Jamie Talbot, Mike Smith, Neal Sugarman
Tenor Trombone – Richard Edwards
Trumpet – Dave Guy, Steve Sidwell
Viola – Bruce White, Jon Thorne, Katie Wilkinson, Rachel Bolt
Violin – Boguslaw Kostecki, Chris Tombling, Liz Edwards*, Everton Nelson, Jonathan Rees, Mark Berrow, Perry Montague-Mason, Peter Hanson, Tom Piggot-Smith, Warren Zielinski
2    You Know I'm No Good 4:17
Arranged By [Band] – Gabriel Roth, Mark Ronson
Baritone Saxophone – Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Engineer [Assistant] – Jesse Gladstone, Mike Makowski
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Handclaps – Victor Axelrod
Recorded By – Mark Ronson, Vaughan Merrick
Tenor Saxophone – Neal Sugarman
Trumpet – Dave Guy
3    Me And Mr Jones 2:33
Bass Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Bruce Purse
Double Bass [Upright Bass], Drums, Piano – Salaam Remi
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Amy Winehouse
Guitar, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Vincent Henry
4    Just Friends 3:13
Bass – Salaam Remi
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Guitar – Vincent Henry
Drums – Troy Auxilly-Wilson
Guitar – Amy Winehouse
Organ, Electric Piano [Rhodes] – John Adams
Trumpet, Bass Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Bruce Purse
5    Back To Black 4:01
Alto Saxophone – Andy Mackintosh, Chris Davies*
Arranged By [Band] – Gabriel Roth
Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Chris Elliott
Baritone Saxophone – Dave Bishop
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Cello – Anthony Pleeth, Joely Koos, John Heley
Contractor – Isobel Griffiths
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Engineer [Assistant] – Jesse Gladstone, Mike Makowski
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Leader [Orchestra] – Perry Montague-Mason
Percussion – Frank Ricotti
Piano – Victor Axelrod
Recorded By – Mark Ronson, Vaughan Merrick
Tenor Saxophone – Jamie Talbot
Viola – Bruce White, Jon Thorne, Katie Wilkinson, Rachel Bolt
Violin – Boguslaw Kostecki, Chris Tombling, Liz Edwards*, Everton Nelson, Jonathan Rees, Mark Berrow, Perry Montague-Mason, Peter Hanson, Tom Piggot-Smith*, Warren Zielinski
Written-By – Amy Winehouse
Written-By, Arranged By [Band], Tambourine – Mark Ronson
6    Love Is A Losing Game 2:35
Alto Saxophone – Andy Mackintosh, Chris Davies
Arranged By [Band] – Gabriel Roth, Mark Ronson
Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Chris Elliott
Baritone Saxophone – Dave Bishop
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Cello – Anthony Pleeth, Joely Koos, John Heley
Contractor [Orchestra] – Isobel Griffiths
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Engineer [Assistant] – Jesse Gladstone, Mike Makowski
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Harp – Helen Tunstall
Leader [Orchestra] – Perry Montague-Mason
Percussion – Frank Ricotti
Piano – Victor Axelrod
Recorded By – Mark Ronson, Vaughan Merrick
Tenor Saxophone – Jamie Talbot, Mike Smith
Tenor Trombone – Richard Edwards
Trumpet – Steve Sidwell
Viola – Bruce White, Jon Thorne, Katie Wilkinson, Rachel Bolt
Violin – Boguslaw Kostecki, Chris Tombling, Liz Edwards*, Everton Nelson, Jonathan Rees, Mark Berrow, Perry Montague-Mason, Peter Hanson, Tom Piggot-Smith*, Warren Zielinski
7    Tears Dry On Their Own 3:06
Backing Vocals – Amy Winehouse
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Celesta, Guitar – Vincent Henry
Bass, Piano, Guitar – Salaam Remi
Drums, Tambourine – Troy Auxilly-Wilson
Performer [Uncredited, Sample Interpolation] – Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell
Trumpet, Bass Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Bruce Purse
Written-By – Amy Winehouse, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
Written-By [Sample Interpolation] – Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
8    Wake Up Alone 3:42
Arranged By [Band] – Gabriel Roth
Arranged By [Band], Recorded By – Mark Ronson
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Engineer [Assistant] – Jesse Gladstone, Mike Makowski
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Piano – Victor Axelrod
Recorded By – Vaughan Merrick
Written-By – Paul O'Duffy
9    Some Unholy War 2:22
Bass, Drums, Guitar – Salaam Remi
Guitar – Vincent Henry
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Amy Winehouse
Organ – John Adams
10    He Can Only Hold Her 2:46
Backing Vocals – Ade*, Zalon*
Baritone Saxophone – Cochemea Gastelum
Bass Guitar – Nick Movshon
Drums – Homer Steinweiss
Finger Snaps – Mark Ronson
Guitar – Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck
Percussion – Sam Koppelman
Performer [Uncredited, Sample interpolation] – The Icemen
Piano – Victor Axelrod
Producer [Original Demo] – P*Nut
Recorded By – Derek Pacuk, Dom Morley, Gabriel Roth, Matt Paul, Vaughan Merrick
Tenor Saxophone – Neal Sugarman
Trumpet – Dave Guy
Written-By – Amy Winehouse, Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter
Written-By [Sample Interpolation] – Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter