- Audio CD (5 Dec 2007)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Japan
- ASIN: B000XAMDM0
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 924,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
With her debut album Frank, Amy Winehouse proves to be one of the most original, honest and brave singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Over the course of the 13 songs, she manages to do everything required of a classic album. This is a stark piece of work, comprising husky, frequently sexually charged vocals, painfully honest lyrics and soft trumpets, laidback beats and sparse guitar work. It seems that soulful jazz doesn't always have to be bland--it can also be playful, twisted and arrogant ("Amy Amy Amy").
"Fuck Me Pumps" charts a seemingly guilt-free act of infidelity: "What do you expect when you leave me here alone?" she asks coyly, as if by way of justifiable explanation. "You wouldn't want me to be lonely," she adds. You can't help warming to her, despite what she's saying. A unique sense of humour (how rare in music now) and a no-bull attitude make for an interesting, compelling debut. Frank? Yes, but refreshingly so. You wouldn't want her for a girlfriend, but as a life companion she may yet prove indispensable. --Cortman Virtue
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Plenty of others have written helpful summaries of the original album 'Frank', so my contribution is to provide a review of the new 'Super Deluxe Edition', packaged as a box set with a new 17-track bonus disc of 'previously unreleased radio sessions, rare demos and mixes'. This new edition is no doubt aimed mainly at dedicated fans, who will already own the album itself; the problem is that dedicated fans will also already own most of the 'rare' songs included here.
Of the tracks featured on the bonus disc, only a handful are genuinely 'new', and all but one have been heard before in some form. Admittedly, that one unheard song - a cover of the Gershwin classic 'Someone to Watch Over Me' - is absolutely gorgeous, truly sounding like it could be a lost 1930s jazz club recording. The other demos are interesting to hear, and act as a timely reminder of how incredible Winehouse's vocal talent actually is. However, the remainder of the material isn't quite as exciting. 'What It Is' is described here as an 'original demo', but as far as I can tell, it's identical to the version used as a B-side on the single 'Stronger Than Me'. The remixes have all been featured on past singles, and I'm baffled as to why two mediocre B-sides have been included while the beautiful acoustic number 'Best Friends' - a fan favourite, and surely her best ever B-side - has been left out. The live tracks and radio sessions are nice, but even for hardcore fans, they're significantly less than thrilling.
It's hard not to feel that, in the absence of any new material from the troubled singer, this collection has been hastily cobbled together to capitalise on the success of 'Back to Black', not to mention Winehouse's continued tabloid notoriety. If you're a huge fan, you're bound to want this new edition anyway, out of curiosity or completism; but if you're a newcomer to Amy's music, my advice is to buy 'Back to Black' (undoubtedly her greatest work and a true modern classic) and then the original, one-disc version of 'Frank' - you can pick up both on Amazon for less than this box set costs.
Of the tracks featured on the bonus disc, only a handful are genuinely 'new', and all but one have been heard before in some form. Admittedly, that one unheard song - a cover of the Gershwin classic 'Someone to Watch Over Me' - is absolutely gorgeous, truly sounding like it could be a lost 1930s jazz club recording. The other demos are interesting to hear, and act as a timely reminder of how incredible Winehouse's vocal talent actually is. However, the remainder of the material isn't quite as exciting. 'What It Is' is described here as an 'original demo', but as far as I can tell, it's identical to the version used as a B-side on the single 'Stronger Than Me'. The remixes have all been featured on past singles, and I'm baffled as to why two mediocre B-sides have been included while the beautiful acoustic number 'Best Friends' - a fan favourite, and surely her best ever B-side - has been left out. The live tracks and radio sessions are nice, but even for hardcore fans, they're significantly less than thrilling.
It's hard not to feel that, in the absence of any new material from the troubled singer, this collection has been hastily cobbled together to capitalise on the success of 'Back to Black', not to mention Winehouse's continued tabloid notoriety. If you're a huge fan, you're bound to want this new edition anyway, out of curiosity or completism; but if you're a newcomer to Amy's music, my advice is to buy 'Back to Black' (undoubtedly her greatest work and a true modern classic) and then the original, one-disc version of 'Frank' - you can pick up both on Amazon for less than this box set costs.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like most people (I guess) I bought this album after the more recent Back to Black. Some say it's better, some say not as good. I can't quite decide either way, which should tell you one thing: it's excellent. The simple advice is that if you enjoyed B2B you'll enjoy this just as much. Don't hesitate. In some ways it's more honest, even though I'm not sure what I mean by that! AFAIK Frank was Amy Winehouse's first album, and as a result presumably a lot of people, myself included, missed it completely. Unfortunately all of the high-profile publicity about her private life has drawn attention from a vastly wider audience than might otherwise have been the case, but surely there's no denying that, before the downhill slide, she had genuine talent and she's not just a top-class singer but a great songwriter too - she was at least partly responsible for writing most of the songs here.
One niggle though. Why is it a good idea to make songs sound as if you're listening to a scratchy vinyl record? It's evident on four tracks: Stronger Than Me, Cherry, There Is No Greater Love, and parts of the 13-minute final track Amy Amy Amy. I had the same complaint with an Alicia Keys album, and there are many others. It's distracting and it just makes the whole listening experience less satisfying. What on earth is the point? I wish this 'fashion' would stop.
One niggle though. Why is it a good idea to make songs sound as if you're listening to a scratchy vinyl record? It's evident on four tracks: Stronger Than Me, Cherry, There Is No Greater Love, and parts of the 13-minute final track Amy Amy Amy. I had the same complaint with an Alicia Keys album, and there are many others. It's distracting and it just makes the whole listening experience less satisfying. What on earth is the point? I wish this 'fashion' would stop.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Frank is a wonderful debut album. It is a jazz album with edge both musically and lyrically: a welcome and much needed reminder that jazz does not need to be bland, it is fantastic on every level.
The music is primarily soul inflected jazz but also drawing on a host of other influences including funk and even blues. The musical arrangements are quite simple and sparse but atmospheric and effective. Amy Winehouse has a strong, husky voice which brings the songs to life and is able to convey feeling and strong emotion.
The songs chart the course of a failed relationship with a few other barbs thrown in for good measure. The lyrics, mainly written by Amy Winehouse herself, are personal, scabrous and occasionally very funny. The material has a refreshing emotional honesty spiced with arrogance, bile and spite but, fortunately, lacking in sentimentality or self-pity. The album is packed with great songs including the excellent 'Stronger than me' is a lament about the weakness of her over educated new man boyfriend; 'I Heard Love Is Blind' a confession/justification for her infidelity ('he looked liked you', 'I was thinking of you', 'it couldn't tell, it was dark and I was lying down'), 'F**k me Pumps', an attack on shallow party girls ('At least your breasts cost more than hers') amongst others.
Amy Winehouse has gained some notoriety through some entertaining, if loud mouthed, TV appearances (most notably on Never Mind the Buzzcocks) and some negative press coverage for her unladylike behaviour. She may not be the most appealing person in the world and clearly being her boyfriend carries some risks (unless you like being pilloried in song). However, this does not change the fact that she is a fantastic singer/songwriter. She is often bracketed with the other 'new' British Jazz 'sensations': Joss Stone, Katie Melua & Jamie Cullum. I guess that this is because they are all relatively recent arrivals on the music scene and they have all been labelled jazz singers. This is not a particularly sensible or useful classification - Amy Winehouse has passion and edge - this is a much more interesting album than anything the other three have produced (or are likely to produce).
Amy Winehouse apparently believes that no men bought her album. Sorry to disappoint her but at least one did and he loves it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant
This just illustrates what a great talent this raunchy voiced woman from London really was. She will be a great loss to 21st century music. Read more
Published 1 month ago by v.f. darlington
Frankly speaking, this CD is very good
What a tragedy that Amy Winehouse should die so young.
I had heard about her, read about her escapades, and when I finally heard her voice I found it very "jazzy", which I... Read more
I had heard about her, read about her escapades, and when I finally heard her voice I found it very "jazzy", which I... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Erik Preben Pedersen
Frank
I bought this in 2003 when it was first released after hearing "What is it About Men" on the radio. I was just so blown away by her voice and impressed, because it was so... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Evie
Amazing vocals
I loved this album, to be frank this album is just that, very frank and very real. If bubble gum pop and rehashed covers of tired songs are your thing then maybe this album won't... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Afropuff
sad to here this after her death
Beautiful and RAW this is exactly what i expected from Amy ,
I love her 60's vocal to her voice this has to be my favourite of all her CD's
she was a talented young lady... Read more
I love her 60's vocal to her voice this has to be my favourite of all her CD's
she was a talented young lady... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ali G
Could be better
Loved Amy, but to me this album seemed more like a record company oportuning! I was disappointed and instead of grasping the buck, would have preferred a little more... Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. J. Ward
amy winehouse frank
cant go wrong with this cd what a loss to lose her.Must say the that this cd was despatched to me quickly after ordering with you.Good on you.
Dennis Lewis
Dennis Lewis
Published 3 months ago by 2322 dennis
Disappointing sound quality
I bought this album as my first ever mp3 album download, but am disappointed by the sound quality. It may be that I'm not ready for mp3 compression (being used to owning CDs and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by F. Lafaix
Jazzy with Retro edge.
I have never heard Amy's first album before and I must say I was pleased to finaly get my hands on it. Good jazz with a hint of retro = a good music for evening listening.
Published 6 months ago by P. A. Wisniewska
Frankly fantastic
To see Amy play live was at the top of my to do list..I also meant to buy this CD ages ago. I was a fan of hers as soon as I bought Black to Black when it came out, and only then... Read more
Published 7 months ago by monkeyprincesskerry
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