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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Back To Black
by Amy Winehouse


8.0

based on 26 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 107 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Frank

Official Artist Site

Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi produced the British soul singer's second album, which was released to great acclaim in the UK in 2006.

LABEL:	Republic
RELEASE DATE:	13 March 2007
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Pop, R&B, Soul

NOTES: Original UK release 30 Oct 2006.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly

It's precisely Winehouse's lyrics... that raise this expertly crafted set into the realm of true, of-the-minute originality. [16 Mar 2007, p.67]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

There's something beguilingly perverse about the incongruity between Winehouse's trifling lyrical concerns and Back To Black's wall-of-sound richness.

The Guardian

A 21st-century soul classic.

Mojo

Winehouse remains one of modern music's most original voices and is now emerging as arguably the finest soul singer of her generation. [Nov 2006, p.116]

Prefix Magazine

Back to Black stands in testament to the fact that talent and originality still exist.

Billboard

A guileless, brutal breakup album that can sit with the best of them, set to the sounds of music's finest early rock moments. [17 Mar 2007]

Dot Music

There isn't a second's worth of music here that doesn't come mink-swathed in note-perfect retro sound, or a song that isn't worthy of it.

cokemachineglow

Her efforts have crafted a soul album that is resistant to any claims of mere charlatanism, a record that brings a modern tongue to a classic style.

Sputnikmusic

Back To Black is by far the best popular soul album I’ve heard this year.

Urb

Back to Black is overflowing with the '60s Supremes warmth that has been fully absent from the "standards" of today's R&B. [Apr 2007, p.108]

Lost At Sea

To put it succinctly, Amy Winehouse has made a really good record.

Hot Press

Who needs love when heartbreak sounds this bloody good?

musicOMH.com

It's a superb comeback, and one of the best albums of the year.

NOW Magazine

Back To Black is just a darkly rockin' good time, which will hopefully spark a new trend away from R&B's sickening slickification.

Observer Music Monthly

It works - even though this area of pop culture has been mined remorselessly for the past 50 years - by dint of its clever melody lines and smart lyrics.

All Music Guide

Although Back to Black does see her deserting jazz and wholly embracing contemporary R&B, all the best parts of her musical character emerge intact, and actually, are all the better for the transformation from jazz vocalist to soul siren.

The New York Times

A wonderfully time-twisted batch of songs. [12 Mar 2007]

Uncut

While never musically abrasive, [it] is riddled with enough trademark lyrical barbs and sung with sufficient Eartha Kitt-ish snarl that the listening is never too easy. [Nov 2006, p.134]

Austin Chronicle

Damn, it feels good.

Hartford Courant

Even if her vulgarity is her main selling point, she's more than just a novelty act.

PopMatters

Back to Black finds a fearless artist saying whatever she damn well pleases.

Q Magazine

She's just as full of herself, but she now has a voice brimming with womanly promise. [Nov 2006, p.149]

Blender

[It] sounds fantastic--partly because the production nails sample-ready '60s soul right down to the drum sound' and partly because Winehouse is one hell of an impressive singer. [Apr 2007, p.121]

Pitchfork

Fortunately, Winehouse has been blessed by a brassy voice that can transform even mundane sentiments into powerful statements.

Rolling Stone

The tunes don't always hold up. But the best ones are impossible to dislike. [22 Feb 2007, p.76]

New Musical Express

Disappointing, then, that the eight-track ‘bonus disc’ opens with a cover of a cover: a lo-fi version of ‘Valerie’. [Review of Deluxe Edition]

The average user rating for this album is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 107 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Yonko D. gave it a10:
Masterpiece!

Jarren S. gave it a9:
Amy's voice is fantastic. The song writing is decent; could be a little more exciting and a little less biographical, and I would have given it a 10. I'm shocked by how many people gave this a 0. Kind of silly.

E C gave it a4:
I know this is new and exciting for a lot of people, but am I the only one who has heard this done before, and done better? It's not an awful album. It just didn't strike me as unique or fresh, which is what so many have hailed it as. I was kind of bored, to be honest.

Zé M. gave it an8:
The music is good as the performer is classy. I'm in love with her voice

Duane J. gave it a2:
A Grammy??? I know people go for the bad boy image but the but girl? Fell asleep through most of the songs.

Chris gave it a10:
Amazing lyrics, true soul, great voice and incredible sound. This is the perfect example of a classic album and her career seems to be just starting!

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
I have to think that people rave about this album because of Amy's voice. The songs themselves are boring, and I can't recommend the album just to promote a voice that is wasted on bad material.

Back To Black by Amy Winehouse

Back To Black
by Amy Winehouse