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Rockferry
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Duffy;
Polydor Group;
2008-03-03;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £6.74
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 Product Description
Rockferry, the Welsh singer's lovingly constructed debut album, has already succeeded beyond expectations, and although Duffy may not quite be the ingénue portrayed by a clever press campaign (she nearly won a local television talent show a few years back while a single credited to Aimee Duffy is still available on iTunes) she is surely the most appealing of the current flood of young soul sirens. The astonishing title track, co-written by Bernard Butler, sounded like a lost transmission that had taken decades to get through as soon as it hit radio last year. But the gently rolling soul ballad "Stepping Stone", that strapping, inescapable monster hit "Mercy", the ice cool "Serious" (the one time she really does channel the spirit of Dusty Springfield) and the wistful, elegant "Warwick Avenue" are similarly effective. Suggestions by some that Rockferry is little more than sixties pastiche are churlish. Butler's previous work with David McAlmont (featured here as a backing singer) showed his skill at writing and arranging the dramatic, while her other collaborators such as Steve Booker and the team of Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White are hardly lightweights. But despite some wonderful orchestral settings, it's Duffy's terrific voice that makes this so satisfying, even overpowering Butler's exquisitely underplayed guitar work on "Rockferry" itself. Growling the blues on "Syrup & Honey" or belting it out over his lovingly arranged wall of sound on "Distant Dreamer", she sets the tone throughout, several of her songs dealing with escape, both physical and romantic. The sound of someone singing herself to stardom, Rockferry is at times genuinely amazing. Steve Jelbert
Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
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Little Dreamer
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Beth Rowley;
Universal;
2008-05-19;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £7.40
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Product Description
Cute, curly-headed diva Beth Rowley won many hearts with her charming Violets EP. Born in Peru and raised in the English West Country, Rowley has been mentored by Carleen Anderson and now follows up on the success of that EP with Little Dreamer, an album that continues her sweetly old fashioned, Motown-esque blend of blues, gospel, soul and jazz--all peppered with a classic mainstream sheen. Produced by Steve Power (Blur) and Kevin Bacon & Jonathan Quarmby (Richard Hawley, Finlay Quaye), the album discloses a voice as jaw-droppingly flawless and hopelessly compelling as a Norah Jones or Amy Winehouse, but with atmospheric traces of Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin and Eva Cassidy too. Tracks like the stunning gospel blues of "Almost Persuaded" and soulful single "Oh My Life" are good examples of what to expect from this cozy, feelgood album. The reggae pulse of "I Shall Be Released" tends to undermine the power and beauty of the original, but slow, heartfelt blues numbers like "One Cloud" more than make up for these blips. Rowley plays it safe on Little Dreamer, but it's a stunning collection nonetheless. --Danny McKenna
Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
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19
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £5.93
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Product Description
It's right there; on the cover, the spine, or illuminating from your iPod screen. But it's hard to corroborate it in your mind. London singer-songwriter Adele's debut album is titled 19, referencing her age, and there are hints it's true--its themes are almost exclusively concerned with young love's highs and (mostly) lows and there's a clipped estuary English tide-mark to her voice, allying her with the fresh-faced modern female songwriting guard; Lily Allen, Kate Nash, et al. But the sheer weight of her maturity--vocally, emotionally and in overall poise—really reduces that all to circumstantial evidence. Adele is carrying something much bigger here, you can't help but be consumed by it on "Daydreamer" with it's jazzy tip-toeing guitar and elastic vocal range and "Hometown Glory" with its deep, lonely piano serving as a bed for the raw emotional undressing that takes place above it. Draw a line between timeless, powerful singers like Ella Fitzgerald and the modern standard of Amy Winehouse; Adele balances and pirouettes confidently along that tightrope. Winehouse particularly informs the likes of "Cold Shoulder" and double-bass heavy "Best for Last", and that's not an alignment that's ever going to be easy to realise credibly. Needless to say, she does, with ease. On future classic "Chasing Pavements" she also gives a nonsensical phrase a handful of heart in lieu of meaning and when you can pull that off convincingly you know you're in possession of something special. Who dares to dream what bigger numbers could bring. --James Berry
Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
Tremendous!, 18 Aug 2008
Wow, well I thought superb, she is only nineteen - big future here.......Vocals on "Hometown" really moved me. A superb debut.
Not too bad but nothing to get excited about., 13 Aug 2008
While I have to say this is quite an entertaining album especially the strangely upbeat "Chasing pavements" and the rather quirky "Tired" This album is really one of a long line of "Next big thing" "Ella Fitzgerald" etc etc......
First off she sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald and is about as distant from the great soul singers as you can get. While Amy Winehouse for example may be able to carry it off (To an extent) the whole "modern soul" Adel really just doesn't cut it. Now I am not saying that is a particularly bad thing rather just be aware of what you are buying. If you are expecting a modern day Dusty Springfield then you are going to be seriously disappointed.
So what will you get? A number of tracks (I already mentioned 2 a third would be "Right as rain") That are extremely enjoyable tracks. On the song "Tired" I actually found her very British vocal sound to be more appealing than her attempts at soul diva singing that really do come off badly. If you think of Duffy, Amy Winehouse etc then you have an idea of what you are getting and you certainly wont be disappointed. If however you fall for the record companies plug of her being some kind of next great thing of soul then I am afraid you really will be unhappy with this one.
File under "Great to listen to on your ipod on the way to work"
Not Enough, 04 Aug 2008
Adele has a lovely voice and she has great potential as a singer, but one good song on an album is not really satisfactory from a purchaser's point of view. 'Chasing Pavements" is what captured me. The rest of the songs on this album are tedious, I'm sorry to say. Like too many other young artistes struggling to make a name, she has been tempted to pack out an album with too much dross. I think there must have been some bad advice given out along the way somewhere. Young talent needs careful nurturing. Too fast, too soon is not a good strategy for planning a serious career in either the singer or songwriting business. Primarily, a strong measure of self-criticism is needed on the part of the artiste if he or she is to build a good reputation. However, as I have said, Adele has a lovely voice, could be quite special one day with the right songs.
Best U.K. Soul Singer, 02 Aug 2008
Originally I Set Out To Get Duffy's Scouting For Girls & Goldfrapp's Album, unfortunatly no duffy album, so i got my back up adele's 19, and even though most of the tracks are sad this made me happy <(^^,)> much better than duffys, lets review each track:
1. Daydreamer 8.5/10 good trackto open up the album with
2. Best For Last 7.8/10 one of the worst tracks but i still love it
3. Chasing Pavements 9/10 great way to debut your voice, strong lyrics
4. Cold Shoulder 9.8/10 Go Girl!, give everyone with your powerfull voice
5. Crazy For You 8.5/10 Adele can do slower strong songs well
6. Melt My Heart To Stone 9/10 one of the saddest songs on the album, its lovely
7. First Love 7/10 worst track on the album (Vocally), but the lyrics are strong
8. Right As Rain 9.5/10 very good pop song adele, fast and good beat
9. Make You Feel My Love 10/10 best cover song ive ever heard the first of three songs which are marked 10 points, verry verry strong
10. My Same 9.7/10 Ay Ay Ay Love It, very strong (Lyrics & Vocals)
11. Tired 10/10 strong lyrics and a voice you'd all kill for
12. Hometown Glory 10/10 Strong lyrics and vocals, best and saddest song ive ever heard my fourth favourite song underneath Shut Up & Let Me Go (Ting Tings) Caravan Girl (Goldfrapp) and No Substitute Love (Estelle)
The Album All Together 9.5/10
Initially forgettable...Lately Unbelievable, 16 Jul 2008
At first play I skipped through the album..enjoyed Chasing Pavements, tolerated Heartbreaker, looked forward to the ending of the last track.
Put this back on today and was captivated..completely. Even after the seventh playthrough...why..I don't know..maybe a reassessment of expectations..whatever..this is Outstanding - just listen to the tunes and forget the hype.
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Back To Black: Deluxe Edition
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Amy Winehouse;
Island;
2007-12-03;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £7.80
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Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
Tremendous!, 18 Aug 2008
Wow, well I thought superb, she is only nineteen - big future here.......Vocals on "Hometown" really moved me. A superb debut.
Not too bad but nothing to get excited about., 13 Aug 2008
While I have to say this is quite an entertaining album especially the strangely upbeat "Chasing pavements" and the rather quirky "Tired" This album is really one of a long line of "Next big thing" "Ella Fitzgerald" etc etc......
First off she sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald and is about as distant from the great soul singers as you can get. While Amy Winehouse for example may be able to carry it off (To an extent) the whole "modern soul" Adel really just doesn't cut it. Now I am not saying that is a particularly bad thing rather just be aware of what you are buying. If you are expecting a modern day Dusty Springfield then you are going to be seriously disappointed.
So what will you get? A number of tracks (I already mentioned 2 a third would be "Right as rain") That are extremely enjoyable tracks. On the song "Tired" I actually found her very British vocal sound to be more appealing than her attempts at soul diva singing that really do come off badly. If you think of Duffy, Amy Winehouse etc then you have an idea of what you are getting and you certainly wont be disappointed. If however you fall for the record companies plug of her being some kind of next great thing of soul then I am afraid you really will be unhappy with this one.
File under "Great to listen to on your ipod on the way to work"
Not Enough, 04 Aug 2008
Adele has a lovely voice and she has great potential as a singer, but one good song on an album is not really satisfactory from a purchaser's point of view. 'Chasing Pavements" is what captured me. The rest of the songs on this album are tedious, I'm sorry to say. Like too many other young artistes struggling to make a name, she has been tempted to pack out an album with too much dross. I think there must have been some bad advice given out along the way somewhere. Young talent needs careful nurturing. Too fast, too soon is not a good strategy for planning a serious career in either the singer or songwriting business. Primarily, a strong measure of self-criticism is needed on the part of the artiste if he or she is to build a good reputation. However, as I have said, Adele has a lovely voice, could be quite special one day with the right songs.
Best U.K. Soul Singer, 02 Aug 2008
Originally I Set Out To Get Duffy's Scouting For Girls & Goldfrapp's Album, unfortunatly no duffy album, so i got my back up adele's 19, and even though most of the tracks are sad this made me happy <(^^,)> much better than duffys, lets review each track:
1. Daydreamer 8.5/10 good trackto open up the album with
2. Best For Last 7.8/10 one of the worst tracks but i still love it
3. Chasing Pavements 9/10 great way to debut your voice, strong lyrics
4. Cold Shoulder 9.8/10 Go Girl!, give everyone with your powerfull voice
5. Crazy For You 8.5/10 Adele can do slower strong songs well
6. Melt My Heart To Stone 9/10 one of the saddest songs on the album, its lovely
7. First Love 7/10 worst track on the album (Vocally), but the lyrics are strong
8. Right As Rain 9.5/10 very good pop song adele, fast and good beat
9. Make You Feel My Love 10/10 best cover song ive ever heard the first of three songs which are marked 10 points, verry verry strong
10. My Same 9.7/10 Ay Ay Ay Love It, very strong (Lyrics & Vocals)
11. Tired 10/10 strong lyrics and a voice you'd all kill for
12. Hometown Glory 10/10 Strong lyrics and vocals, best and saddest song ive ever heard my fourth favourite song underneath Shut Up & Let Me Go (Ting Tings) Caravan Girl (Goldfrapp) and No Substitute Love (Estelle)
The Album All Together 9.5/10
Initially forgettable...Lately Unbelievable, 16 Jul 2008
At first play I skipped through the album..enjoyed Chasing Pavements, tolerated Heartbreaker, looked forward to the ending of the last track.
Put this back on today and was captivated..completely. Even after the seventh playthrough...why..I don't know..maybe a reassessment of expectations..whatever..this is Outstanding - just listen to the tunes and forget the hype.
AMY WINEHOUSE WHAT A VOICE!!, 19 Aug 2008
im a huge fan of 60s music and love all types of music apart from dance boom boom music and rap and hip hop no talent just talking how talented lol each to there own though this album sounds like its from the 60s with the phil spector sound but with a modern twist to it its cool it just shows you can make a amazeing album about your own life and promblems you face yeh i dont agree with the drug thing and the way she acts sometimes but her talent outshines that for me she is talented and her voice is soulfull and unique and the end of the day she has an addiction listen to addicted the last song on the album!! i cant wait for her next album amy youre a legend and this is a classic buy this you wont regret it!! happy listening
The bonus CD is brilliant, 18 Jul 2008
Never really knew much about Amy until I saw her on Glastonbury 2008 and boy I was hooked. She's not just some spaced out horrid junkie kid. She is a crazy, mixed up kid who lacks guidance and is flat out on the road to perdition and someone should stand up and help the poor kid. Get rid of the losers & goldiggers in her life.
This album has real soul. The voice is one in a billion and her rendition of some old classics on CD2 is priceless. Grab it while you can and long may she reign. She hit me like Elvis, Billie Halliday, Nina Simone she is a real mix of pure class and thank god we can bottle her voice and sell it these days.
PS: I'm middle aged now and I know all the original versions as well so that's saying something. Grab this one you wont regret it.
Original 11 songs PLUS 8 MORE!, 08 May 2008
A masterpiece of classic singing in the old style of the 30s with heart braking lyrics that comes together in surely the album of the year.
Amy Winehouse is a tortured soul who falls madly in love, and then gets dumped. Not a happy story, but inspiration for most of her songs. That and drugs feature strongly.
Her emotion is raw, her lyrics are powerful, and her songs are catchy.
Buy this now and you will not be disappointed.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, 22 Apr 2008
A classic album by a girl who holds nothing back. Share the joy, feel the pain. This is a must have CD in any collection.
Classic - worth the money if you are on a limited budget, 13 Apr 2008
I can play this over and over again. I enjoy most tracks. I didn't initially like Amys voice. But listening to her music I started to to appreciate the musicality, soul and style. I now love Amy voice and musicality/ musical style.
The most memorable are Rehab, love is a loosing game, you know I am no good, Valerie and Cupid.
I love no no no and go go go in Rehab. I can't say I approve of the drug culture. But I suppose this subject is a big modern issue in the inner cities. So it's somthing worth thinking about
Valerie and Cupid are fun songs. I like the way Amy sings Valerie but also think it's a good song for karoke; so normal/average singers could have some fun joining in. It's a song for the masses.
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Good Girl Gone Bad (New Version)
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Rihanna;
Universal;
2008-06-02;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £8.49
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Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
Tremendous!, 18 Aug 2008
Wow, well I thought superb, she is only nineteen - big future here.......Vocals on "Hometown" really moved me. A superb debut.
Not too bad but nothing to get excited about., 13 Aug 2008
While I have to say this is quite an entertaining album especially the strangely upbeat "Chasing pavements" and the rather quirky "Tired" This album is really one of a long line of "Next big thing" "Ella Fitzgerald" etc etc......
First off she sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald and is about as distant from the great soul singers as you can get. While Amy Winehouse for example may be able to carry it off (To an extent) the whole "modern soul" Adel really just doesn't cut it. Now I am not saying that is a particularly bad thing rather just be aware of what you are buying. If you are expecting a modern day Dusty Springfield then you are going to be seriously disappointed.
So what will you get? A number of tracks (I already mentioned 2 a third would be "Right as rain") That are extremely enjoyable tracks. On the song "Tired" I actually found her very British vocal sound to be more appealing than her attempts at soul diva singing that really do come off badly. If you think of Duffy, Amy Winehouse etc then you have an idea of what you are getting and you certainly wont be disappointed. If however you fall for the record companies plug of her being some kind of next great thing of soul then I am afraid you really will be unhappy with this one.
File under "Great to listen to on your ipod on the way to work"
Not Enough, 04 Aug 2008
Adele has a lovely voice and she has great potential as a singer, but one good song on an album is not really satisfactory from a purchaser's point of view. 'Chasing Pavements" is what captured me. The rest of the songs on this album are tedious, I'm sorry to say. Like too many other young artistes struggling to make a name, she has been tempted to pack out an album with too much dross. I think there must have been some bad advice given out along the way somewhere. Young talent needs careful nurturing. Too fast, too soon is not a good strategy for planning a serious career in either the singer or songwriting business. Primarily, a strong measure of self-criticism is needed on the part of the artiste if he or she is to build a good reputation. However, as I have said, Adele has a lovely voice, could be quite special one day with the right songs.
Best U.K. Soul Singer, 02 Aug 2008
Originally I Set Out To Get Duffy's Scouting For Girls & Goldfrapp's Album, unfortunatly no duffy album, so i got my back up adele's 19, and even though most of the tracks are sad this made me happy <(^^,)> much better than duffys, lets review each track:
1. Daydreamer 8.5/10 good trackto open up the album with
2. Best For Last 7.8/10 one of the worst tracks but i still love it
3. Chasing Pavements 9/10 great way to debut your voice, strong lyrics
4. Cold Shoulder 9.8/10 Go Girl!, give everyone with your powerfull voice
5. Crazy For You 8.5/10 Adele can do slower strong songs well
6. Melt My Heart To Stone 9/10 one of the saddest songs on the album, its lovely
7. First Love 7/10 worst track on the album (Vocally), but the lyrics are strong
8. Right As Rain 9.5/10 very good pop song adele, fast and good beat
9. Make You Feel My Love 10/10 best cover song ive ever heard the first of three songs which are marked 10 points, verry verry strong
10. My Same 9.7/10 Ay Ay Ay Love It, very strong (Lyrics & Vocals)
11. Tired 10/10 strong lyrics and a voice you'd all kill for
12. Hometown Glory 10/10 Strong lyrics and vocals, best and saddest song ive ever heard my fourth favourite song underneath Shut Up & Let Me Go (Ting Tings) Caravan Girl (Goldfrapp) and No Substitute Love (Estelle)
The Album All Together 9.5/10
Initially forgettable...Lately Unbelievable, 16 Jul 2008
At first play I skipped through the album..enjoyed Chasing Pavements, tolerated Heartbreaker, looked forward to the ending of the last track.
Put this back on today and was captivated..completely. Even after the seventh playthrough...why..I don't know..maybe a reassessment of expectations..whatever..this is Outstanding - just listen to the tunes and forget the hype.
AMY WINEHOUSE WHAT A VOICE!!, 19 Aug 2008
im a huge fan of 60s music and love all types of music apart from dance boom boom music and rap and hip hop no talent just talking how talented lol each to there own though this album sounds like its from the 60s with the phil spector sound but with a modern twist to it its cool it just shows you can make a amazeing album about your own life and promblems you face yeh i dont agree with the drug thing and the way she acts sometimes but her talent outshines that for me she is talented and her voice is soulfull and unique and the end of the day she has an addiction listen to addicted the last song on the album!! i cant wait for her next album amy youre a legend and this is a classic buy this you wont regret it!! happy listening
The bonus CD is brilliant, 18 Jul 2008
Never really knew much about Amy until I saw her on Glastonbury 2008 and boy I was hooked. She's not just some spaced out horrid junkie kid. She is a crazy, mixed up kid who lacks guidance and is flat out on the road to perdition and someone should stand up and help the poor kid. Get rid of the losers & goldiggers in her life.
This album has real soul. The voice is one in a billion and her rendition of some old classics on CD2 is priceless. Grab it while you can and long may she reign. She hit me like Elvis, Billie Halliday, Nina Simone she is a real mix of pure class and thank god we can bottle her voice and sell it these days.
PS: I'm middle aged now and I know all the original versions as well so that's saying something. Grab this one you wont regret it.
Original 11 songs PLUS 8 MORE!, 08 May 2008
A masterpiece of classic singing in the old style of the 30s with heart braking lyrics that comes together in surely the album of the year.
Amy Winehouse is a tortured soul who falls madly in love, and then gets dumped. Not a happy story, but inspiration for most of her songs. That and drugs feature strongly.
Her emotion is raw, her lyrics are powerful, and her songs are catchy.
Buy this now and you will not be disappointed.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, 22 Apr 2008
A classic album by a girl who holds nothing back. Share the joy, feel the pain. This is a must have CD in any collection.
Classic - worth the money if you are on a limited budget, 13 Apr 2008
I can play this over and over again. I enjoy most tracks. I didn't initially like Amys voice. But listening to her music I started to to appreciate the musicality, soul and style. I now love Amy voice and musicality/ musical style.
The most memorable are Rehab, love is a loosing game, you know I am no good, Valerie and Cupid.
I love no no no and go go go in Rehab. I can't say I approve of the drug culture. But I suppose this subject is a big modern issue in the inner cities. So it's somthing worth thinking about
Valerie and Cupid are fun songs. I like the way Amy sings Valerie but also think it's a good song for karoke; so normal/average singers could have some fun joining in. It's a song for the masses.
Bad, bad idea..., 08 Jul 2008
I don't really think, that we need this re-release version of the album, that is not actual anymore!
Up to my mind, everyone Rihanna fan would like to see her new material, something original, not this old tracks and just 3 new songs that isn't brilliant! The best track on this commercial album is "Take A Bow". Buy a single, not this commercial release.
This "casual fan" actually likes the album!, 07 Jul 2008
First off, I'll admit that I am not a fan of "Umbrella," Rhianna's monster hit; thus, I'm glad that it is the first track on the CD and can be readily skipped.
Now that I can get that one out of my system, as well as my ears, I can proceed to consider the rest of the album. I must admit that I was actually impressed by the songs and Rhianna's delivery.
Even though the young singer's vocals aren't the best, the song selections fit her range and experience. The album, as a whole is typical pop and has songs that should appeal both kids and the parents.
Actually, "Don't Stop the Music," with its heavy sampling of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" is tight enough to appeal to us older listeners.
Like other reviewers, I find "Breakin' Dishes," with its killer rhythm and straight-to-the jugular lyrics, to be the best track on the entire release.
I don't know if the singer had the intention but "Take a Bow" is very similar in content to Madonna's hit from a decade ago.
The DVD included shows why the beauty has visual appeal, possibly the greater measure of her success.
New Version It's Just Got 3 New Tracks!, 06 Jul 2008
Oh just get the single only 3 new tracks she should of done what beyonce did with b'day it had a dvd and everything 7 new tracks but this is a rip off 3 new tracks wow! get only if you don't have the first version 5/10
Amazing Album!, 27 Jun 2008
Ok first off yes this can be seen as a con re-releasing an album but for me i had not bought the original album of Good Girl Gone Bad and im sure others have not either so im going to do a proper review on the album and not saying its a con etc
Ok so whats different about the album you ask? 3 new songs:
Take a bow
Disturbia
If i never see your face again
All amazing songs in my opinion! My fave being Disturbia out of them, great dance song and very catchy i was hooked to it from first listen!
You get 16 songs on this album:
Umbrella:
Lets face it everyone has heard this song with it being number 1 for 10 weeks! Its still a great song but not the best on the album! 8/10
Push Up On Me:
I did not like this song at first, but it grew on me, it has a great 'boom boom' beat and a catchy chorus 8/10
Don't Stop The Music:
One of my fave songs on the album! Opens greatly with an awesome beat, and all together is catchy! Great dance song 9/10
Breakin Dishes:
This song has attitude!
Another song with a catchy chorus, has great synths (used mainly in chorus) and beats in it
8.5/10
Shut up and drive:
First off this should not have been released as the second single in my opinion
It is more of a rock song this, which i dont mind and has a catchy chorus but is not worthy for to be a single in my opinion
8/10
Hate That I Love You:
A duet with Neyo, and what a great one it is!
Very catchy and was worthy of being a single
9/10
Say it:
Worse song on the album!
its awful in my opinion i skip it always!
4/10
Sell Me Candy:
I do not personally like the verses of this song but the Chorus is very catchy and saves the song!
This is the shortest song on the album with it only being 2:46 long
7.5/10
Lemme Get That:
This song is another song i do not like, ill admit i like the beat and its slightly catchy but it does not compare to the rest of the album
6/10
Rehab:
One of the standout songs on the album, very R&B!
Awesome chorus! a proper R&B song!
9/10
Question Existing:
This song is kind of dull its catchy but is boring at the same time, nothing changes barely through the whole song and the effect on Rihannas voice ruins the song i think although the beat is good, sounds like it should be the last song on the album to be honest
6/10
Good Girl Gone Bad:
Another R&B song which is just nearly as good as Rehab but not quite
8.5/10
Cry (UK Bonus Track):
Another standout song!
Fantastic vocals and the chorus is the best of all the songs!
10/10
Disturbia:
Amazing song! My fave!
Awesome Beat and very catchy!
10/10
Take a bow:
Another great song, did not like this at all at first but it grew on me
great song
8.5/10
If i never see your face again:
Duet with Maroon 5 singer
Another great song! Catchy
9/10
As you can see i can not really vary much on what to say about the songs using the word 'Catchy' alot but they are! and i see an album that has so many catchy songs, to be a great album!
I'll admit her voice does sound like it has lots of effects on it on most songs, but thats not a problem to me its still a great album and i recommend to buy it!
Of course if you have the original album i would not say buy it although the extra songs are great and are some of the standout songs on the album but i would just say its not worthy and just download them instead or something.
So here is a proper review on the Reloaded album for people that did not buy the original album like me.
Absolute con and a rip off, 24 Jun 2008
Is this a new con or what, I know artists always make the usual "top hits of" and numerous remixes. But to release an album so quickly is bizarre, and to have just three new tracks on it makes it an absolute rip off!
I dont know if she has any influence but she should have this worthless album withdrawn. To make people have to buy the same album just to get the latest tracks is something will come back to haunt her.
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Back To Black
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Amy Winehouse;
Island;
2006-10-30;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £6.06
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Product Description
Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted Kord
Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
Tremendous!, 18 Aug 2008
Wow, well I thought superb, she is only nineteen - big future here.......Vocals on "Hometown" really moved me. A superb debut.
Not too bad but nothing to get excited about., 13 Aug 2008
While I have to say this is quite an entertaining album especially the strangely upbeat "Chasing pavements" and the rather quirky "Tired" This album is really one of a long line of "Next big thing" "Ella Fitzgerald" etc etc......
First off she sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald and is about as distant from the great soul singers as you can get. While Amy Winehouse for example may be able to carry it off (To an extent) the whole "modern soul" Adel really just doesn't cut it. Now I am not saying that is a particularly bad thing rather just be aware of what you are buying. If you are expecting a modern day Dusty Springfield then you are going to be seriously disappointed.
So what will you get? A number of tracks (I already mentioned 2 a third would be "Right as rain") That are extremely enjoyable tracks. On the song "Tired" I actually found her very British vocal sound to be more appealing than her attempts at soul diva singing that really do come off badly. If you think of Duffy, Amy Winehouse etc then you have an idea of what you are getting and you certainly wont be disappointed. If however you fall for the record companies plug of her being some kind of next great thing of soul then I am afraid you really will be unhappy with this one.
File under "Great to listen to on your ipod on the way to work"
Not Enough, 04 Aug 2008
Adele has a lovely voice and she has great potential as a singer, but one good song on an album is not really satisfactory from a purchaser's point of view. 'Chasing Pavements" is what captured me. The rest of the songs on this album are tedious, I'm sorry to say. Like too many other young artistes struggling to make a name, she has been tempted to pack out an album with too much dross. I think there must have been some bad advice given out along the way somewhere. Young talent needs careful nurturing. Too fast, too soon is not a good strategy for planning a serious career in either the singer or songwriting business. Primarily, a strong measure of self-criticism is needed on the part of the artiste if he or she is to build a good reputation. However, as I have said, Adele has a lovely voice, could be quite special one day with the right songs.
Best U.K. Soul Singer, 02 Aug 2008
Originally I Set Out To Get Duffy's Scouting For Girls & Goldfrapp's Album, unfortunatly no duffy album, so i got my back up adele's 19, and even though most of the tracks are sad this made me happy <(^^,)> much better than duffys, lets review each track:
1. Daydreamer 8.5/10 good trackto open up the album with
2. Best For Last 7.8/10 one of the worst tracks but i still love it
3. Chasing Pavements 9/10 great way to debut your voice, strong lyrics
4. Cold Shoulder 9.8/10 Go Girl!, give everyone with your powerfull voice
5. Crazy For You 8.5/10 Adele can do slower strong songs well
6. Melt My Heart To Stone 9/10 one of the saddest songs on the album, its lovely
7. First Love 7/10 worst track on the album (Vocally), but the lyrics are strong
8. Right As Rain 9.5/10 very good pop song adele, fast and good beat
9. Make You Feel My Love 10/10 best cover song ive ever heard the first of three songs which are marked 10 points, verry verry strong
10. My Same 9.7/10 Ay Ay Ay Love It, very strong (Lyrics & Vocals)
11. Tired 10/10 strong lyrics and a voice you'd all kill for
12. Hometown Glory 10/10 Strong lyrics and vocals, best and saddest song ive ever heard my fourth favourite song underneath Shut Up & Let Me Go (Ting Tings) Caravan Girl (Goldfrapp) and No Substitute Love (Estelle)
The Album All Together 9.5/10
Initially forgettable...Lately Unbelievable, 16 Jul 2008
At first play I skipped through the album..enjoyed Chasing Pavements, tolerated Heartbreaker, looked forward to the ending of the last track.
Put this back on today and was captivated..completely. Even after the seventh playthrough...why..I don't know..maybe a reassessment of expectations..whatever..this is Outstanding - just listen to the tunes and forget the hype.
AMY WINEHOUSE WHAT A VOICE!!, 19 Aug 2008
im a huge fan of 60s music and love all types of music apart from dance boom boom music and rap and hip hop no talent just talking how talented lol each to there own though this album sounds like its from the 60s with the phil spector sound but with a modern twist to it its cool it just shows you can make a amazeing album about your own life and promblems you face yeh i dont agree with the drug thing and the way she acts sometimes but her talent outshines that for me she is talented and her voice is soulfull and unique and the end of the day she has an addiction listen to addicted the last song on the album!! i cant wait for her next album amy youre a legend and this is a classic buy this you wont regret it!! happy listening
The bonus CD is brilliant, 18 Jul 2008
Never really knew much about Amy until I saw her on Glastonbury 2008 and boy I was hooked. She's not just some spaced out horrid junkie kid. She is a crazy, mixed up kid who lacks guidance and is flat out on the road to perdition and someone should stand up and help the poor kid. Get rid of the losers & goldiggers in her life.
This album has real soul. The voice is one in a billion and her rendition of some old classics on CD2 is priceless. Grab it while you can and long may she reign. She hit me like Elvis, Billie Halliday, Nina Simone she is a real mix of pure class and thank god we can bottle her voice and sell it these days.
PS: I'm middle aged now and I know all the original versions as well so that's saying something. Grab this one you wont regret it.
Original 11 songs PLUS 8 MORE!, 08 May 2008
A masterpiece of classic singing in the old style of the 30s with heart braking lyrics that comes together in surely the album of the year.
Amy Winehouse is a tortured soul who falls madly in love, and then gets dumped. Not a happy story, but inspiration for most of her songs. That and drugs feature strongly.
Her emotion is raw, her lyrics are powerful, and her songs are catchy.
Buy this now and you will not be disappointed.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, 22 Apr 2008
A classic album by a girl who holds nothing back. Share the joy, feel the pain. This is a must have CD in any collection.
Classic - worth the money if you are on a limited budget, 13 Apr 2008
I can play this over and over again. I enjoy most tracks. I didn't initially like Amys voice. But listening to her music I started to to appreciate the musicality, soul and style. I now love Amy voice and musicality/ musical style.
The most memorable are Rehab, love is a loosing game, you know I am no good, Valerie and Cupid.
I love no no no and go go go in Rehab. I can't say I approve of the drug culture. But I suppose this subject is a big modern issue in the inner cities. So it's somthing worth thinking about
Valerie and Cupid are fun songs. I like the way Amy sings Valerie but also think it's a good song for karoke; so normal/average singers could have some fun joining in. It's a song for the masses.
Bad, bad idea..., 08 Jul 2008
I don't really think, that we need this re-release version of the album, that is not actual anymore!
Up to my mind, everyone Rihanna fan would like to see her new material, something original, not this old tracks and just 3 new songs that isn't brilliant! The best track on this commercial album is "Take A Bow". Buy a single, not this commercial release.
This "casual fan" actually likes the album!, 07 Jul 2008
First off, I'll admit that I am not a fan of "Umbrella," Rhianna's monster hit; thus, I'm glad that it is the first track on the CD and can be readily skipped.
Now that I can get that one out of my system, as well as my ears, I can proceed to consider the rest of the album. I must admit that I was actually impressed by the songs and Rhianna's delivery.
Even though the young singer's vocals aren't the best, the song selections fit her range and experience. The album, as a whole is typical pop and has songs that should appeal both kids and the parents.
Actually, "Don't Stop the Music," with its heavy sampling of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" is tight enough to appeal to us older listeners.
Like other reviewers, I find "Breakin' Dishes," with its killer rhythm and straight-to-the jugular lyrics, to be the best track on the entire release.
I don't know if the singer had the intention but "Take a Bow" is very similar in content to Madonna's hit from a decade ago.
The DVD included shows why the beauty has visual appeal, possibly the greater measure of her success.
New Version It's Just Got 3 New Tracks!, 06 Jul 2008
Oh just get the single only 3 new tracks she should of done what beyonce did with b'day it had a dvd and everything 7 new tracks but this is a rip off 3 new tracks wow! get only if you don't have the first version 5/10
Amazing Album!, 27 Jun 2008
Ok first off yes this can be seen as a con re-releasing an album but for me i had not bought the original album of Good Girl Gone Bad and im sure others have not either so im going to do a proper review on the album and not saying its a con etc
Ok so whats different about the album you ask? 3 new songs:
Take a bow
Disturbia
If i never see your face again
All amazing songs in my opinion! My fave being Disturbia out of them, great dance song and very catchy i was hooked to it from first listen!
You get 16 songs on this album:
Umbrella:
Lets face it everyone has heard this song with it being number 1 for 10 weeks! Its still a great song but not the best on the album! 8/10
Push Up On Me:
I did not like this song at first, but it grew on me, it has a great 'boom boom' beat and a catchy chorus 8/10
Don't Stop The Music:
One of my fave songs on the album! Opens greatly with an awesome beat, and all together is catchy! Great dance song 9/10
Breakin Dishes:
This song has attitude!
Another song with a catchy chorus, has great synths (used mainly in chorus) and beats in it
8.5/10
Shut up and drive:
First off this should not have been released as the second single in my opinion
It is more of a rock song this, which i dont mind and has a catchy chorus but is not worthy for to be a single in my opinion
8/10
Hate That I Love You:
A duet with Neyo, and what a great one it is!
Very catchy and was worthy of being a single
9/10
Say it:
Worse song on the album!
its awful in my opinion i skip it always!
4/10
Sell Me Candy:
I do not personally like the verses of this song but the Chorus is very catchy and saves the song!
This is the shortest song on the album with it only being 2:46 long
7.5/10
Lemme Get That:
This song is another song i do not like, ill admit i like the beat and its slightly catchy but it does not compare to the rest of the album
6/10
Rehab:
One of the standout songs on the album, very R&B!
Awesome chorus! a proper R&B song!
9/10
Question Existing:
This song is kind of dull its catchy but is boring at the same time, nothing changes barely through the whole song and the effect on Rihannas voice ruins the song i think although the beat is good, sounds like it should be the last song on the album to be honest
6/10
Good Girl Gone Bad:
Another R&B song which is just nearly as good as Rehab but not quite
8.5/10
Cry (UK Bonus Track):
Another standout song!
Fantastic vocals and the chorus is the best of all the songs!
10/10
Disturbia:
Amazing song! My fave!
Awesome Beat and very catchy!
10/10
Take a bow:
Another great song, did not like this at all at first but it grew on me
great song
8.5/10
If i never see your face again:
Duet with Maroon 5 singer
Another great song! Catchy
9/10
As you can see i can not really vary much on what to say about the songs using the word 'Catchy' alot but they are! and i see an album that has so many catchy songs, to be a great album!
I'll admit her voice does sound like it has lots of effects on it on most songs, but thats not a problem to me its still a great album and i recommend to buy it!
Of course if you have the original album i would not say buy it although the extra songs are great and are some of the standout songs on the album but i would just say its not worthy and just download them instead or something.
So here is a proper review on the Reloaded album for people that did not buy the original album like me.
Absolute con and a rip off, 24 Jun 2008
Is this a new con or what, I know artists always make the usual "top hits of" and numerous remixes. But to release an album so quickly is bizarre, and to have just three new tracks on it makes it an absolute rip off!
I dont know if she has any influence but she should have this worthless album withdrawn. To make people have to buy the same album just to get the latest tracks is something will come back to haunt her.
Listen beyond the image, 08 Aug 2008
I had dismissed Amy Winehouse as a silly young woman with tattoos and a beehive hairstyle, always in the press for the wrong reasons. Then I heard the song Rehab, and my jaw dropped when I found out who was singing. At once I realised what the fuss was about. What an extraordinary voice. I would never have guessed that a girl from North London had a vocal talent that wouldn't have been out of place in 1960s Memphis.
On this album, Winehouse's voice soars over arrangements which are a throwback to Motown's glory days, and her lyrics are biting and witty. The whole package comes to a peak on the title track.
I suspect some will compare this to Alanis Morrissette's Jagged Little Pill. I beg to differ. That cacophonous whine is very tough to listen to. Back To Black is an amazingly melodious slice of modern melodrama.
This is a superb album. The reason why it is destined for classic status is because the music is not contemporary. I know it may be an odd comparison, but the theme song for the TV series Red Dwarf is timeless because it was in the style of music written 20 years before.
I just hope that Amy Winehouse can sort out her troubled life, so that she either finds tranquillity, or maybe produces more gems like this.
Like Galileo, 24 Jul 2008
..there are people who have views that go against accepted mainstream thinking and who are generally vilified for their beliefs. However, time usually bears out their views to be right. Like the world is spherical (ish) and not flat, so Amy Winehouse is merely an ersatz, end of the pier mock Dusty Springfield cabaret act and not the saviour of pop music. A classic case of the Emperor's new clothes, eventually all you people lauding her to the heavens will come to realise this and in a couple of years time will sheepishly admit you were going through a kitsch phase and will be carting of your copies of Winehouse CDs to the nearest branch of Sue Ryder.The only reason she stands out are (literally) because of her ludicrously coiffured barnet and because the mainstream is awash with lame identikit landfill indie bands. I predict her much deserved slide back into obscurity (remember Dido?)will soon beckon as everyone becomes heartily sick of all the media reported rehab visits, sparring with her loser husband, drunken brawls with paps and audience members and her sullen demeanour, aggressive attitude and lack of humour and humility. She is not a tortured genius and this album is little more than a 60s soul pastiche helmed by the most overrated producer in music history.
back to black is a classic amy winehouse is a legend!!, 19 Jul 2008
amy winehouse is a legend her voice is amazing and uniqiue she sound like a old 60s singer with a modern twist to it her voice and the music clever sounds old but with a slight modern feel to it genius mark ronson is cool he produced the album well done mark he was on the sunday night project he seems nice and cool well if you havent got this album buy it!! if youre like me and love 60s music buy it if you listened to it and never knew who she was or anything about her private life you would think its was from the 60s with the phil spector sound which is cool the phil spector back to mono 1959-1969 the box set is amazing i got it for £10 few months back what a bargain its now about £60 i think still worth it for the nifty book with all the lyrics and includes the classic christmas album!! highly recommended buy it and if you like phil spector you may also love burt bacharach and joe meek joe meek is the brittish phil spector or burt bacharach he produced some gems like what do you want to make those eyes and me for and green door the original by frankie vaughan and he is most famous for telstar by the tornados an absolute classic!! my music taste is varied if you like back to black you may like dusty in memphis by dusty springfield its fab or river deep mountain high the album by ike and tina turner but my favourite singer ever is karen carpenter what a voice and i love freddie mercury elvis presley and minnie riperton and i like some rock queen pink floyd led zeppelin david bowie there fab i like all music mainly except rap dance no melody to it just boom boom LOL each to there own though what you waiting for get this album cant wait for her next album!! amy youre fab keep strong and ignore the press there nasty its talent that counts also get the deluxe edition its fab too!!
Credit where credit's due, 15 Jul 2008
Perhaps someone can actually provide an example of where she is supposed to sound like Billie Holliday ...? She doesn't sound like any other singer I can think of offhand and she certainly doesn't adopt any of the usual vocal mannerisms used by singers wanting to sound 'soulful' (e.g. excessive melisma, too much ad-libbing, shouting, etc.). She is a proper singer who relies on a naturally rich tone and actually interpreting the song as opposed to just 'vocalising'. I'd say she is in the tradition of singers like Van Morrison and John Martyn (without particularly sounding like them) - singers with a love of jazz/blues/R&B who found their own way of interpreting the music and creating their own vocal style. The use of Phil Spector/girl group/Motown - influenced arrangements provides an inspired setting for her voice and lyrics and is evocative rather than derivative (go back to what you might think are the 'originals' and the resemblance you imagined is purely superficial). Her lyrics are funny, touching, sometimes ballsy and streetwise, sometimes more 'literate' and generally refreshing and full of quirky details. As for the beehive - who cares? It suits her.
Glastonbury 2008, 28 Jun 2008
Just seen Amy perform live at Glastonbury and boy is there something special about this woman. Huuuggggeeeee magnestism and charisma with a touch of the Marilyn Monroe tragedy about her, but what a voice. I'm hooked ;-)
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Shine
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Estelle;
Atlantic;
2008-03-31;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £4.96
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Product Description
Award-winning British artist Estelle never got her just desserts for her 2004 debut album The 18th Day. Though the record was a critical success, it failed to make the mainstream splash many had hoped for. Her sophomore project, Shine, seems hell bent on avoiding the same fate. Backed up by a coterie of high profile US starlets--Wyclef Jean, will.i.am, Mark Ronson and Kanye West--Shine has surefire commercial success written all over it; though that's not to say Estelle has sold out. Despite the high-impact American-style production, Shine remains reassuringly British. Estelle's West London twang is as sharp as ever, and even Kanye drops rhymes about "WAGS" and "London Boys" (see single "American Boy"). It's every bit as diverse as its predecessor too, featuring dancehall party jams ("Magnificent", produced by Mark Ronson and featuring Kardinal Offishall), the will.i.am produced "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" (which uses a twisted up sample from Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You") to lovers' rock ("Come Over") and, of course, some love ballads too, such as "Substitute Lover", overseen by Wyclef. A solid all-round follow up, Shine should give Estelle the commercial success she deserves. --Danny McKenna
Customer Reviews
Good vocals, but quite depressing listening, 26 Aug 2008
The vocals are good. So too are most of the melodies. But almost every song is about betrayal and pain. The moody, downcast picture on the front of the album says it all. The album is instructive listening for all of us who casually enter into relationships and trample on each others hearts.
Excellent, 23 Aug 2008
I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.
Rockferry, 14 Aug 2008
This album sounds like something amy winehouse would do but duffy's album is a bit more jazzy best tracks are mercy warwick avenue serious stepping stone and hanging on too long the only bad thing about this album is that it's too short 10 tracks only can't wait for her next album overall i give this album a 10/10 must buy! if you liked this album buy Frank (Deluxe) Back To Black: Deluxe Edition you'll love them both! oh yeah the next single is stepping stone.
A bit Dusty but Amy won't be troubled..., 09 Aug 2008
First outing for the Welsh lass is impressive, when you consider she was plucked from the beginnings of her live career at the time. The style is unashamedly Springfield-esque vocally, with production borrowing heavily on Phil Spector influence. Songs as if directly from the Gamble & Huff or Bacharach songbooks. Lots of jangly guitars and strings, excessive use of tambourine, tremolo and spring reverbs, hey it's '64 again. Winehouse does it better and brings an extra bottle to the party (just don't drink if hers has already been opened.....)
Credit where due for the flavour but left badly exposed when challenged, Duffy deserves the recognition received so far but will need to move the game on to keep up with the expectations.
Favourite is Warkwick Avenue, some of the later passages leave deeper searching questions.
One for the serious Pop collector rarher than Music collection. Play it on da pod and let 'yer hips sway....
Great voice, not so great album. , 06 Aug 2008
I heard 'Mercy' and I loved it; I still do. I waited for her album to be released, and was ultimately disappointed. Her voice is fantastic, but the sound of the album is too samey. The standout tracks are:
Mercy
Stepping Stone
Apart from that, it's all a bit boring and samey. Her lyrics and vocals are great, it's just the music that needs to be more upbeat. Still worth a try if you like 'Mercy' - but but warned - the album sounds nothing like the single.
From Small Beginnings........., 27 Aug 2008
Was wondering what to buy recently when I saw a review of this album and an interview with the singer in a sunday magazine.Turns out that this is a brilliant album,and has traces of blues,gospel,pop,country,and a touch of the brilliant Karen Carpenter about it.
Stand-out tracks for me include the intense deep gospel of Nobody's Fault But Mine and One Cloud,and the lighter yet still uplifting pop of So Sublime and i Shall Be Released.
A varied collection then in some ways,yet with a pleasing undercurrent of blues running throughout the whole album to string it all together and give it a sense of identity.
Really uplifting and at times extremely powerful! For once the hype may be justified!
Disappointed, 24 Jul 2008
I think I must have bought a different album to the one Chris McKenna reviewed. I was expecting an album with a range of vocal talents but what I heard was a reasonably nice album with nothing outstanding from the mass of young white female singers currently extant after the demise of Eva Cassidy. There is not one track I can recall as compulsive replay. I suppose I could just about hear the Carla Anderson influence but she (Carla) has a certain je ne sais quoi that black "soul" singers have. Where is the Amy Winehouse/early Motown/Blues rawness?
I'm sorry but Ms Rowley has a nice voice and sings mid range songs very well but she has to develop a different style to achieve lasting popularity.
I shuffled this album with Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and other similar artists and my friends could not tell the difference. After that I gave the CD away and bought Alice Russell instead - now she's versatile. . .
Beautiful voice and some top tracks but a few poor ones, 23 Jul 2008
I bought this album based on 3 songs I had heard which are superb.
There are a few others that are ok but a lot of mediocre maybe boring ones in comparison fill the rest of the album.
Knowing this I would probably have downloaded the 3 great tracks individually.
Great new talent, 01 Jul 2008
A superb album - an exciting new voice, on both the cover versions and the originals, and confident handling of several genres (I don't find the current 'blues singer' pigeon-holing very helpful, although she can handle this genre well). OK, she probably can develop a bit more edge and drive and surely will, but she's well on the way. Strongly recommended!
Great voice, bigger potential, 23 Jun 2008
She's got a great voice and can handle a range of styles with ease.
Her pop radio songs are somewhat misleading as her handling of blues and gospel numbers on this album is exceptional.
Yes, there are echoes of other great female artists here, but her voice and style is distinctive and good enough to ensure she doesn't get consigned to the 'if you like this, you'll love this' category.
A refreshing new talent and voice in a sea of increasing pop mediocrity.
Tremendous!, 18 Aug 2008
Wow, well I thought superb, she is only nineteen - big future here.......Vocals on "Hometown" really moved me. A superb debut.
Not too bad but nothing to get excited about., 13 Aug 2008
While I have to say this is quite an entertaining album especially the strangely upbeat "Chasing pavements" and the rather quirky "Tired" This album is really one of a long line of "Next big thing" "Ella Fitzgerald" etc etc......
First off she sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald and is about as distant from the great soul singers as you can get. While Amy Winehouse for example may be able to carry it off (To an extent) the whole "modern soul" Adel really just doesn't cut it. Now I am not saying that is a particularly bad thing rather just be aware of what you are buying. If you are expecting a modern day Dusty Springfield then you are going to be seriously disappointed.
So what will you get? A number of tracks (I already mentioned 2 a third would be "Right as rain") That are extremely enjoyable tracks. On the song "Tired" I actually | | |