Amy Winehouse "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" (2011)

Lioness: Hidden Treasures (compilation)
release date: Dec. 6, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Our Day Will Come" (5 / 5) - 2. "Between the Cheats" - 3. "Tears Dry" (Original Version) - 4. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2011)" - 6. "Valerie ('68 Version)" - 8. "Half Time" - 9. "Wake Up Alone" (Original Recording) - 10. "Best Friends, Right?" - 11. "Body & Soul (duet with Tony Bennett)" - 12. "A Song for You"

Compilation album by Amy Winehouse released posthumously is primarily produced by Salaam Remi, but it also feature two songs (tracks #4 & #6) produced by Mark Ronson.
The album title suggests a collection of well-hidden gems, and it may just be that but it's more of a mixed bag in the sense that it contains a big variety of songs - some that were undoubtedly meant to be prt of a never realised third album, and others that, well, weren't intended to be reeased as is but given the circumstances thankfully were revealed without having to fit in. "Our Day Will Come" and "Between the Cheats" are superb compositions that probably would have been included on that third studio album, but the remaining tracks come to define the album as something else. We find outtakes, demos, and rarities rather than future album songs 'cause Winehouse hadn't found time to compose that many more. Some tracks are alternate recordings, two songs are with other artists - Nas and Tony Bennett respectively, where the latter duet appears to have been her last studio recording, and then a couple of old classics make up the lot before it's all over in just around 45 mins. Apparently, the songs were selected by the producers, Sallam Remi and Mark Ronson, but apparently also with a say from one or two family members.
The album debuted at the top of the charts in the UK as it replicated in Austria, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, and in The Netherlands. It also became Winehouse's best charting standard album in the US making it to number #5 on the Billboard 200 (Back to Black peaked at #2 when it was re-issued). It spawned two single releases - track #11 "Body and Soul", a duet with Tony Bennett reaching number #40 and "Our Day Will Come" peaking at number #29 on the national singles chart.
Lioness... is an album without obvious fillers or poor songs, and it's more than nice to have these recordings as well, although, the collection appears more as an incomplete glimpse into a treasury, where the voice of Winehouse is the jewel that shines through it all.
Highly recommended.
[ 👍allmusic.com, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👎The Guardian, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

In 2015 "Amy", a British documentary by Asif Kapadia was released to mostly positive reviews, although, the Winehouse family and especially Amy's father Mitch Winehouse rejected the film as biased and misleading. 

EDIT 2025:

The Winehouse foundation (established by the family estate) approved the biopic "Back to Black" directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and featuring a strong lead role by Marisa Abela was released in 2024, and it shows another - much brighter and less controversial - family drama. Several other documentaries may be found about the life of Amy Winehouse but "Amy" stands out as a genuine attempt of showing the story of her life, as it was portrayed and told by the media, as well as people close to Amy. Now, the 2024 film does come with a fine soundtrack, which works quite nicely on its own terms.

Best of 2006:Amy Winehouse "Back to Black" (2006)

original cover

Back to Black
release date: Oct. 30, 2006
format: cd (2007 Deluxe Edition) / 2 lp vinyl (2021 deluxe edition)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,48]
producer: Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Rehab" - 2. "You Know I'm No Good" - 3. "Me and Mr. Jones" (live) - 4. "Just Friends" - 5. "Back to Black" - 6. "Love Is a Losing Game" (5 / 5) (live) - 7. "Tears Dry on Their Own" (live on Later) - 8. "Wake Up Alone"
Disc 2) 1. "Valerie" (5 / 5) - 2. "Cupid" - 3. "Monkey Man" (live) - 4. "To Know Him Is to Love Him" - 5. "Hey Little Rich Girl" (feat. Zalon & Ade) (live) - 6. "You're Wondering Now" - 8. "Love Is a Losing Game" (Original Demo)

2nd and final studio album by Amy Winehouse released three years after her debut album contains 6 tracks produced by Mark Ronson and the remaining 5 tracks on the standard album is produced by Salaam Remi. The Deluxe Edition released 13 months later is a double disc album with the standard album in a remastered edition and a bonus disc with a collection of B-sides and live recordings.
The original album peaked at number #1 on the UK albums chart list, just as it did in many countries world-wide including in Austria, France, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and in New Zealand. The album also went as high as to number #7 on the American Billboard 200, and when it was reissued as a double disc it peaked at number #2. It contains a number of great tracks and several singles made it to top-10 on the singles chart, although none ended up on top of the charts. The first single from the album was "Rehab", peaking at number #7 in the UK. This was followed by "You Know I'm No Good", which peaked at number #18, then the title track was released as a single, peaking at number #8, and then two more singles were released: "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Love Is a Losing Game" peaking at number #16 and number #33, respectively.
Now, how do you pick a short list displaying only the best tracks from this album? It's an impossible task, and with the double disc edition it doesn't become any easier with a bonus disc full of gems including ska revival and rock steady tracks, e.g. "Hey, Little Rich Girl" (org. by The Specials), "Monkey Man" (by Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert) and "You're Wondering Now" (by Clement Seymour 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd). All songs here are wonderful examples of this woman's extraordinary gift and great potential, and although Frank is a mighty fine debut, it's nevertheless overshadowed by the strength of this very album. The songs here showcase Winehouse's songwriter qualities and most of all, it's produced and arranged to support her songs, which makes this a better album.
Despite rumours about a follow-up Back to Black remains the final Amy Winehouse studio album. Following the album release, the success almost appeared without an end, which meant that she kept touring after new nominations and awards, and then her physical conditions began to show when performing on stage. She had recorded some demos that were meant for a forthcoming album but all this was shelved when she passed away Jul. 2011, at age 27.
Back to Black is naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" as it's one of the most evident top-of-year album releases, you may come across.
Highly recommended.

Edit 2021:

The 2021 2 lp vinyl Deluxe Edition is a really fine issue of this album. It's a repress of a 2016 reissue, which is a remastered version of the 2007 CD Deluxe Edition only with the original cover replacing the all black cover of the 2007 issue. The vinyl version of this is cut using half-speed recording technique as a way to detail the output and issued on 180g vinyl. The 2 LP vinyl format wasn't issued until 2016.

2006 Favourite releases: 1. Amy Winehouse Back to Black - 2. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - 3. Band of Horses Everything All the Time

2007 2-Disc
Deluxe Edition

Amy Winehouse "Frank" (2003)

original cover

Frank [debut]
release date: Oct. 20, 2003
format: 2 cd (2008 reissue - Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Gordon Williams; Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Intro / Stronger Than Me" - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" - 3. "Know You Now" - 4. "Fuck Me Pumps" - 5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" - 7. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (aol live session) - 8. "In My Bed" - 9. "Take the Box" - 11. "What Is It About Men?" - 12. "Help Yourself" - 13. "Amy Amy Amy / Outro" - 'Brother' (hidden track) / 'Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)' (hidden track)
Disc 2) 1. "Take the Box" (Original Demo) - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" (Original Demo) - 3. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Original Demo) - 4. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Original Demo) - 5. "What Is It" (Original Demo) - 6. "Teach Me Tonight" (live) (Hootenanny) - 9. "Stronger Than Me" (live) (Later with Jools Holland) - 10. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 11. "Take the Box" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 12. "In My Bed" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 13. "Mr Magic" (Janice Long Session) - 14. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (Janice Long Session)

Studio album debut by Amy (Jade) Winehouse (born Sep. 1983 in Southgate, London) originally released on Island Records is made with several producers where the two main forces are Gordon Williams (aka Commissioner Gordon) and Salaam Remi (aka The Chameleon), who are both credited as producers of six of the standard album's thirteen compositions either alone or together. Winehouse herself, Matt Rowe, Jimmy Hogarth and Jony Rockstar are all credited as co-producers.
Stylistically, the album represents a huge mix of styles and genres with vocal jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul at the core of most compositions, although, it's difficult not also to mention pop soul and neo-soul and perhaps the all-American standards of the 1950s and 60s as one of the major inspirational sources. Additionally, the album title both refers to Winehouse's lyrics as well as hinting at one of her childhood idols: Frank Sinatra.
Winehouse has written the majority of the lyrics and composed the songs in collaboration with either Salaam Remi (5 songs), Gordon Williams (3 songs), and Donovan Jackson (3 songs) plus a variety of others. The album also contains two classic jazz compositions (tracks #6 and #7). The Deluxe Edition contains a Bonus disc of 18 additional songs - consisting of B-sides, live recordings and extended mixes of songs from the album.
The album went as high as to number #13 on the UK charts, and although, none of the four single releases from the album made it any higher than #57 on the national singles chart, the album was nominated the Mercury Prize in 2004 and Winehouse was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for her songwriting and she was nominated British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act at the Brit Awards also in 2004.
Following Winehouse's death, the album re-entered the albums chart and went to number #3.
Frank is the fine and yet somewhat incoherent debut by one of Britain's most talented songwriters and vocalists of the modern era. Winehouse sings with ease and so much soul that it's a thrill - despite, production-wise, being a bit messy, as if the people in charge were unable to decide whether it was made for the vast pop masses or for lovers of vocal jazz. Winehouse herself was left dissatisfied about the album production, which she among other things described "a shambles made by idiots". You really have to grant her that the included demos on the Bonus Disc support her by revealing the strength of several songs appear to have been over-produced beyond recognition. E.g. the brilliant demo recording of "You Sent Me Flying" has completely lost the strong tenderness and vocal power of the original, and the same quality may also be said about all the other four demos. Perhaps, too many chefs were involved in the making of her debut? They simply had no idea of the kind of magic they were holding in their hands, so they felt forced to re-arrange and produce raw material into something else. Unfortunately.
That said, Frank is still a very very fine debut by Amy Winehouse.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

2008 2-Disc
Deluxe Edition