Amy Winehouse Dead

[guitartango]

Not a big fan but she appear on the strat pack

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14262237

[R_of_G]

I thought she was tremendously talented, though clearly also quite troubled.

Her "Back to Black" album featured the Dap Kings backing her on many tracks and while Mark Ronson seems to get all the credit for the production, the thing was recorded and mixed primarily at Daptone Records which means Ronson can take what credit he wants but Gabriel Roth had a large role in the sound of that record, which is why it sounds like an analog 60s recording from Stax or Fame as opposed to many of the digital retro-soul recordings one hears now.

While it wasn't particularly surprising to learn that Winehouse passed so young, it's still quite sad.

RIP Amy.

[Jimi75]

So much talent. I knew it was gonna happen one day, she had severe problems. But now that it's a fact, it makes me sad in a way, because she really had something.
They all die with 27 - Jimi, Jim M., Kurt, Janis, Amy, and the list goes on...

[marnold]

They all die with 27 - Jimi, Jim M., Kurt, Janis, Amy, and the list goes on...

Somebody already added her to the "27 Club" Wikipedia page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

I don't think I'd really include her with the others you listed other than the fact that she is an artist who died at 27. I hope people remember this the next time I hear a "drugs aren't the problem" speech.

I didn't realize that Robert Johnson was 27 when he died too.

[Tig]

Not exactly a surprise, living the way she chose. It is sad to see someone destroy themselves, unable to get out from under their demons.

In respect, I'll refrain from elaborating on my viewpoint of her musical talent.

The comparison photos say it all.
http://vbuzzblog.freedomblogging.com/files/2008/09/amy-winehouse.jpg

[R_of_G]

Somebody already added her to the "27 Club" Wikipedia page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

I don't think I'd really include her with the others you listed other than the fact that she is an artist who died at 27. I hope people remember this the next time I hear a "drugs aren't the problem" speech.

I didn't realize that Robert Johnson was 27 when he died too.

Not sure what the prerequisites are for membership but she seems as worthy of inclusion as any of the others. She was a songwriter and an accomplished performer who struggled and lost a battle with addiction. I'm curious as to why you'd exclude her from the list, not to start an argument but because I'm curious as to your reasoning and think it's an interesting discussion.

To be honest, if anyone doesn't belong on the list, I'd have to say it's Cobain. The others all died unintentionally as some result of their indulgences. Cobain intentionally chose to take his own life at that moment. Not to say drug use didn't play a role in Cobain's mental state, but his death stands out from the others as being an intentional act.

[MAXIFUNK]

Just plain sad........................

[Neal]

Man that girl could sang. R.I.P.

[FrankenFretter]

Say what you will about her, but the girl could sing. A sad end to a life lived too fast.

[marnold]

Not sure what the prerequisites are for membership but she seems as worthy of inclusion as any of the others. She was a songwriter and an accomplished performer who struggled and lost a battle with addiction. I'm curious as to why you'd exclude her from the list, not to start an argument but because I'm curious as to your reasoning and think it's an interesting discussion.
My thoughts are that Hendrix, Morrison, and yes even Cobain wrote music that really set the music world on its ear. I can envision Nirvana's music being played 40 years from now like Hendrix and The Doors still are today. I have a hard time fathoming Amy Winehouse's music enjoying the same longevity. No one would call her music "game changing."

Death has a strange way of changing people's perceptions of your abilities as an artist, however. My favorite case in point is Freddy Mercury. Rolling Stone gave some truly scathing reviews of Queen's albums. Only one non-Greatest-Hits album even got 3.5 of 5 stars (that was the classic "Night at the Opera"). As soon as he died, you would think that he had always been their favorite artist. Unfortunately, I don't know if anyone ever called them on their hypocrisy.

[R_of_G]

My thoughts are that Hendrix, Morrison, and yes even Cobain wrote music that really set the music world on its ear. I can envision Nirvana's music being played 40 years from now like Hendrix and The Doors still are today. I have a hard time fathoming Amy Winehouse's music enjoying the same longevity. No one would call her music "game changing."

Along with artists like Sharon Jones, Winehouse gets a lot of credit among current retro-soul performers and producers for being part of the spark that led to the current retro-soul movement. There's also quite a bit that can be said for her popularity leading to a new wave of interest in female soul singers as opposed to more of the standard Britney-esque pop singer.

Her success opened the door for a lot of artists who'd not likely have gotten very much attention from record companies otherwise. Her success illustrated that what was once thought of as a vintage style of music actually has plenty of life left in it for new performers to explore.

The massive success of "Back to Black" also brought a lot of well-deserved attention to Daptone Records and their recording facilities which are now in very high demand.

Does that stack up to Hendrix? Obviously not. Winehouse didn't create a new kind of music, but anyone who ever heard the Pixies before Nirvana could claim the same thing about Cobain.

[Eric]

anyone who ever heard the Pixies before Nirvana could claim the same thing about Cobain.
This is wandering 100% off topic, but I've always wondered about Pixies-Nirvana comparisons. They don't sound alike to me. What is it about the two that's supposed to be so similar? When I think Pixies, I think Debaser, Bone Machine, or Holiday. When I think Nirvana I think Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium, and All Apologies, or something like that. So while I don't have their catalogues memorized, they just don't remind me of each other that much. Are there maybe songs in particular that would help me understand the comparison?

[omegadot]

I'll let the talk over who started what music revolution stay with the hipsters, the woman had some pipes and clearly had issues. It's always sad when someone dies and her wasted talent is just more salt.

[R_of_G]

This is wandering 100% off topic, but I've always wondered about Pixies-Nirvana comparisons. They don't sound alike to me. What is it about the two that's supposed to be so similar? When I think Pixies, I think Debaser, Bone Machine, or Holiday. When I think Nirvana I think Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium, and All Apologies, or something like that. So while I don't have their catalogues memorized, they just don't remind me of each other that much. Are there maybe songs in particular that would help me understand the comparison?

It's more the approach to song construction then any particular song-to-song comparison.

Cobain was influenced highly by the way the Pixies would use very sparse and often quiet instrumentation for the verse parts of songs, then explode into a chorus section in such a rocking way that it almost seems like a different song entirely. That pretty much describes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in a nutshell.

Also, if you listen to Bleach (the pre-Nevermind album) the similarities are a bit easier to hear. Obviously the two bands won't sound alike. Black Francis and Cobain have similar influences but also many very different influences that each used to add other elements to their band's sound, but Cobain had stated numerous times that the Pixies (particularly Surfer Rosa era pixies were a huge influence on the sound of Nirvana).


I'll let the talk over who started what music revolution stay with the hipsters, the woman had some pipes and clearly had issues.

I don't think a desire to understand that music doesn't exist in a vacuum is limited to hipsters. I actually find it rather saddening how little many people know about where the music they listen to comes from, and no, I am not thinking of any person here when I say that.

I understand where you're coming from, there are many hipsters out there who think it's cool to dismiss anything as being derivative, but there's a lot more to understanding layers of musical influence and music history than just trying to one-up someone.

[Eric]

Also, if you listen to Bleach (the pre-Nevermind album) the similarities are a bit easier to hear. Obviously the two bands won't sound alike. Black Francis and Cobain have similar influences but also many very different influences that each used to add other elements to their band's sound, but Cobain had stated numerous times that the Pixies (particularly Surfer Rosa era pixies were a huge influence on the sound of Nirvana).
Well, there's the rub IMO. If they don't sound alike, but maybe one influenced the other or they had similar influences, is it really accurate to say they Nirvana is re-warmed Pixies and that they didn't really create a new type of music? I mean, how many bands have been influenced by the Beatles or Stones?

Sorry...going into argumentative mode. I'll try to listen to Bleach and Surfer Rosa together sometime and see if it's more obvious to me.

[omegadot]

If people are willing to admit it, basically everything we do is derivative of something else. Sure, it's worth noting to outline what you really like and finding something new, but denigrating someone's talent based on derivation is ****ing pointless.

[mapka]

Along with artists like Sharon Jones, Winehouse gets a lot of credit among current retro-soul performers and producers for being part of the spark that led to the current retro-soul movement. There's also quite a bit that can be said for her popularity leading to a new wave of interest in female soul singers as opposed to more of the standard Britney-esque pop singer.

I think anyone who followed Amy's personal life knew there was a very good chance that it would end this way. It is a shame. As for talent. If I was going to hire a female singer and it came down to Amy and Britney/Pink/Aguilera/insert you female pop artist here I would have to go to Amy. To me she had just the right amount of sultry, gruff, and pain to make it interesting to listen too. Maybe, like Billy Holiday, part of what drew me to her voice was the very thing that ended her life.

[R_of_G]

Well, there's the rub IMO. If they don't sound alike, but maybe one influenced the other or they had similar influences, is it really accurate to say they Nirvana is re-warmed Pixies and that they didn't really create a new type of music? I mean, how many bands have been influenced by the Beatles or Stones?

Sorry...going into argumentative mode. I'll try to listen to Bleach and Surfer Rosa together sometime and see if it's more obvious to me.

No it's not accurate to say they're "re-warmed" Pixies nor did I say that

It is accurate to say they didn't create a new type of music because they didn't. There's more to Nirvana's sound than the Pixies influence, and while Nirvana was the first band to garner national attention in such a style, they weren't the innovators of the style.

I don't think that's an insult to Nirvana who were fully aware of what came before them and what other bands were part of their own scene.

From what I've read about the guy, had I walked up to Cobain and told him Nirvana sounded like the Pixies he'd have thanked me.


If people are willing to admit it, basically everything we do is derivative of something else. Sure, it's worth noting to outline what you really like and finding something new, but denigrating someone's talent based on derivation is ****ing pointless.

I agree with you that pointing out derivation for it's own sake is pointless because yes, everything is to some extent.

My purpose in having done so with Nirvana was not to denigrate Cobain's talent, particularly as I happen to really like Nirvana. There's a difference between assessing history and insulting a band/artist.

[jpfeifer]

I was saddened to hear of Amy Winehouse's passing. She was very talented and I loved her sound. It was no surprise to hear of her death, with all of her ongoing battles with addiction, but still it saddened me so much to see someone so young and talented self destruct. There's no telling how much more she could have done if she had been able to turn her life around. It's a real shame.

--Jim

[omegadot]

--snip--


I agree with you that pointing out derivation for it's own sake is pointless because yes, everything is to some extent.

My purpose in having done so with Nirvana was not to denigrate Cobain's talent, particularly as I happen to really like Nirvana. There's a difference between assessing history and insulting a band/artist.

To be more clear, I wasn't trying to target you with what I said, just pointing out something I see constantly with any performer. Especially when someone is as popular as Amy Whinehouse was. I just think it becomes incredibly unfair when someone dead is attacked based on their talent.

[R_of_G]

To be more clear, I wasn't trying to target you with what I said, just pointing out something I see constantly with any performer. Especially when someone is as popular as Amy Whinehouse was. I just think it becomes incredibly unfair when someone dead is attacked based on their talent.

Fair enough. Just trying to clarify my position on Cobain as I by no means meant to insult him as a songwriter or musician. I know Cobain can be a divisive figure amongst guitar players, but I've always been a fan of his music.

[Commodore 64]

They tried to make her go to rehab...She said No, No No.

[Pickngrin]

I find her death very sad. She of course has/had her detractors, but I think she was a very talented individual. I really enjoy her music. It's too bad that her demons were of the fatal ilk. RIP Amy.