Amy Winehouse: Back To Black (Half-Speed Mastering) (2LP)

A native of north London, Amy Winehouse came to prominence in October 2003, at the age of 20, with her globally acclaimed and platinum-selling debut album Frank. That record was her big and appropriately blunt-talking breakup album, a little bitter at times, with a maturity in the vocals that was never less than sweet. Frank gained Amy a huge following around the world and made her one of pop music's most distinguished new songwriters: confessional, elemental, and with that rare combination of humor and soul. Amy had struck at the heart of the human condition with her debut, adding her own jazzy quips to the legacy of the greats. Three years later, in October 2006, she let follow the amazing Back To Black, an album that channeled the girl groups of her passion but placed her in the middle of modernity with a little help from producer Mark Ronson. The album's unabashed confessions charted Amy's evolution from girl to woman, transforming her from critics' darling to global pop phenomenon. Driven by a stunning set of loosely strung together funky tracks like Rehab, You Know I'm No Good and Back To Black, the album earned Amy countless awards, including Brits, Ivor Novellos and an incredible five Grammys. It also made her one of the few British artists to sell more than 10 million copies of an album. (amywinehouse.com) North Londoner Amy Winehouse first burst to prominence in October 2003, aged 20, with her universally acclaimed, platinum-selling debut Frank. That record was her grand and suitably blunt-speaking break-up record, sometimes a little bitter, with a maturity in the vocal delivery that was never less than sweet. Frank won Amy a battalion of fans around the world and marked her out as one of pop's most distinct new songwriters; confessional, elemental and with that rarest of combinations: humour and soul. Amy had cut through to the core of the human condition with her debut, adding her own jazzy witticisms to the legacy of the greats. Three years later, in October 2006, she followed it up with the astonishing Back To Black, a record which channeled the girl groups of her fancy but placed them slap bang into the middle of modernity, with a little help from producer Mark Ronson. If that album's brazen confessionals charted Amy's progression from girlhood to womanhood, it also propelled her from critics' darling to bona fide global pop phenomenon. Powered by a stunning array of loosely strung, funk-inflected joints including Rehab, You Know I'm No Good and Back To Black, the album won Amy countless awards, including Brits, Ivor Novellos and an incredible five Grammy Awards. It also made her one of a very select band of UK artists to sell more than 10 million copies of an album. (amywinehouse. com)