Amy Winehouse - Live DVD and "Back To Black" Deluxe Edition

There's no pleasing some people, apparently. And it's a bit hard to figure out sometimes. People complain that there is no good new music---hating all the stuff that actually IS 'new', and then when something like this comes out, they complain it isn't 'new' enough.

Then they complain that her music is unlistenable because her persona is too rough and she parties like a rock star, so they put her album aside and pull out their Doors albums instead....

 

Great post, Dave! And thanks to the original poster. Also, $7.99 at BB if Amazon isn't your thing.

 

i don't disagree. everything draws influence from the things that came before. it's just the question of whether something that draws almost all of its influence from a single source, and does very little to modify it, can be called "the greatest album of modern times."

i never complained that there was no good new music. my album collection would say otherwise.

lol that wasn't my complaint at all. my complaint was the barrage of tabloid news regarding her interferes, cognitively, with the way she's perceived. and actually, i think that might be partly intentional on her part, as part of her "image." i'm not saying that's bad -- have whatever image you want -- just that's becoming more known for that image than her music.

her music's pretty good, and her having a rough persona and partying like a rock star did not stop me from buying her album, or listening to it, and it's not gonna stop me from buying a copy of her debut album (as recommended earlier in this thread).

 

I disagree that it either draws all its influence from one source or that it does very little to modify it. Which Motown (or other) record does this record so closely emulate that you're thinking of, anyway?

Then my comment wouldn't have been directed at you.

I agree she may becoming known more for her image than her music, which might already be a detriment to her status as an 'artist'. I played her album for my wife awhile back and she was surprised that she was so good. I think her image had resulted in lower expectations for my wife. Then again, what might be a detrimental image for us 40-somethings might be something different for the 20-somethings?

Again, I'm thinking of the Jim Morrison analogy....

 

I defy anyone to sit still during Hey Little Rich Girl. Great "All My Loving" groove!

 

the source being "motown in general." not that it is particularly ripped off of any one artist or album. just that it's basically motown, with some hip-hop production work.

that's all i'm really trying to say.

i'm a 20-something.

jim morrison's drug and alcohol habit did substantially interfere with his status as a musician, didn't it?

 

Again, I disagree. There's a good deal of Stax and Atlantic soul style in there as well. And her singing style is very UN-Motown, IMO. As are the lyrics. Even if "Rehab" were a note-for-note Motown rip-off musically (which it isn't), the lyrical content and her attitude alone would be enough of a twist on the 'old' style to make it sufficiently 'original', IMO. There is NOTHING 'retro' about that part of her music. How is she ripping off Motown anymore than Oasis or Jellyfish or countless other bands have ripped off The Beatles? Certainly the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy style of big band music was MUCH more a direct rip off of older styles than what Winehouse is doing. Yet they were lauded by many?

I think what she did on this album is borderline brilliant: taking old styles of music and putting a clearly modern face on them with her look, attitude, lyrics and production work for a new generation. And all done with some pretty good songwriting. Not a 5-star album, IMO, but pretty darn close. My only complaint is they could have backed off the brickwalled mixing and the album would have been more paletable to the 40+ crowd. She probably cost herself a couple of million album sales there alone. Had I been the producer, I'd have issued two versions: a more laid-back 'relaxed' version and a 'club' version with the brickwalled mixes. It not only could have been marketing genius, but might have served to allow audiences to, for the first time, hear the differences in modern mixing/mastering and decide for themselves which they prefer.

Well, his musical output certainly fell off dramatically after his death, but during his life it only added to his allure. And helped make him a musical legend in the minds of his younger fans while the older generation despised him and thought him a no-talent loser. Of course, there wasn't 'rehab' in those days for alcoholics and druggies. He simply paid a fine for exposing himself at concerts and such and went on his way.

 

that would be where i disagree. not so much "ripping off" but just that this is what genre it's in.

except that it's motown.

yes, they were. but nobody denied that it was "big band" or "swing" music. and the word "retro" was frequently bandied about.

well, that's the thing. it's not directed at a 40+ crowd. it's directed at people from my generation who've never heard motown. it's produced for the hip-hop generation, loud and with big drums. you're basically asking that the one that makes it sound different, musically, than motown be changed to an older (better, if you like) style of production.

it's almost incidental that people who liked motown already like it. but changing the production would just make it sound even more retro.

your average person prefers loud. the majority of the mainstream music market does not consider audiophiles and their tastes.

there also wasn't quite the obsession with the tabloid media, either.

 

Scary...

 

If we can get back to the music discussion........

Are the extra tracks on the Deluxe from the Back To Black sessions? Same treatment/production? (Not talking sound quality here, it's intentionally murky sounding). I think the production/arranging on Back To Black is fantastic and really gives the songs that extra "something".

 

WS or standard?

Could someone please tell me if their US version is a widescreen or standard screen format?

The BB version says WS on the website and Amazon shows standard. BB is now $16.99, while Amazon is still $7.99, but I'd rather have the WS dvd, if there are 2 different screen sizes available.

I've searched around on the net to see if their are actually two formats, but I can't tell if that is the case or if the info is erroneous, as it seems inconsistent.

Thanks in advance and thanks for bringing dvd to my attention!

 

16:9 in all territories according to the reports I've read

For an interesting discovery about the Deluxe Edition of Back To Black see here:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=132410

 

Some Unholy War appears to be an outtake from the sessions - apart from that one though the feel is very different to that on Back To Black - quite a heavy ska influence going on now it seems although I suppose that was hinted at on the album in spots.

So, the bonus disc has mostly a completely different feel to the album. Not in a bad way though - and you have to get the DE for both discs now anyway

 

I've got the DVD in the player now. Good Lord, do they have English subtitles? Amy Winehouse makes Mick Jagger sound like a BBC narrator!

To be fair, this is more a problem during the between-song patter. She cleans it up a bit when she sings.

Still gotta grab that Deluxe Edition. Anyone found a good US price, or is this a job for Amazon Canada?

 

But is it not a cooker? What a band! Great sound too!

 

Oh, yeah, I really like the concert -- I guess I should have mentioned that! Terrific band and I like her singing.

I'm far more amused than annoyed by her indecipherable English. I don't think I'm missing anything earthshaking between the songs.

 

My Ikea chair almost broke from me rocking up and down during Monkey Man!

I just love this woman. I hope she gets it together for a third album.

 

I think it would be almost impossible to follow up BACK TO BLACK, which I'm ready to declare Best Album of the Decade, but I hope she does it.

For the first time since Norah Jones's debut, I'm actually loving the Big Thing In Music while it's happening.

 

You get whatcha pay for.

 

well said and I feel exactly the same way. It's refreshing.

 

To those with the DVD... I cannot seem to access the "Black and White" feature or make use of the subtitles. Do I have a defective disc (or defective player) or is there anyone else out there having these problems?

 

When "Back To Black & White" appears on the screen, press Enter.

 

Yes, it says "Back to Black and White On" & I hit enter. The screen then resets, looking exactly the same as before, only now it says "Back to Black and White Off". If I hit enter again, it resets again and goes back to "Back to Black and White On", but nothing ever plays.

As for the subtitles, hitting enter just sends me back to the main menu page. And hitting the subtitles button on my remote doesn't do anything either, suggesting that there are no subtitles on this disc.

I'm probably just screwed. It may be my bad luck to get a bummer copy for a Christmas gift (no receipt).

 

Set the Back To Black & White option to ON
Play the concert
Not all the performances are available in black and white, the first one is Some Onholy War. When the song is about to start "Back To Black & White" should appear on the screen. When you see that, press Enter.