The legendary Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse appeared on the musical stage at the very beginning of a new century, when she released her first long play, which had been titled Frank. That debut made a real furor: music lovers in Great Britain and far beyond that country got really interested in the creativity of that young performer. Amy’s expressive voice and her incredible charisma became the main elements of her recipe for success. However that was not all that provided listeners’ acknowledgment to the singer: people all over the world love scandals and dirty conduct; that is how it is worked out historically and that is how it still works. Winehouse could be hardly called a girl of an outstanding good behavior. She dealt with alcoholic and drug abuse. And Amy was not the first one and definitely she is not the last representative of the world of art, who let her self-destruction free. Nevertheless, Amy has always had a lot of fans, and their number did not decline even after the tragedy, which happened in 2011. The singer, who was predicted a truly great future, passed away at the age of twenty seven. By that moment she already was included into the Guinness Book of Records as the first performer from Great Britain, who was honored to get five Grammy Awards in a row. That is an outstanding achievement indeed, and it can be an object of pride of a few. In the winter of 2011 the great compilation album was issued. It was to get to the very spotlight, there is simply no doubt about it. Lioness: Hidden Treasures included Amy’s previously unreleased works.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures – treasures that were hidden

The name for that compilation long play was chosen for a good reason. The playlist was worked out by Amy’s family members and by the musicians, who had already worked with the artist. Thereby Lioness: Hidden Treasures included a good number of rare records, which had been unavailable for the audience before, demo records and some already known to listeners songs. The album is opened by a very positive track Our Day Will Come, performed in a reggae style. Unaccented beat and juicy part of a bass guitar proved to be an excellent background to Amy’s voice. Another major song comes afterwards: Between The Cheats is a great reminder of rock’n’roll bloom. And especially of the golden age of surf-rock (hello, Beach Boys?). The composition Valerie provides another historical background: it was recorded in sixties’ decorations. Those years had the unique charm, and Winehouse really appreciated and loved it. Body And Soul, created alongside with the legendary Tony Bennett, turned out to be an amazing addition to the compilation album. The atmosphere of the American traditional classic pop-music was an ideal scene for Amy’s voice. The soft sound perfectly fits her easy recognizable vocals. And that great compilation is closed by the composition A Song For You – quite measured and a little bit sad.

Outstanding compilation album

Before that long play was issued, many listeners could probably suppose that Lioness: Hidden Treasures will have generally minor attitude. However everything proved to be on the contrary: that album appeared to be primary major and sunny. Of course there are some thoughtful tracks, which can make one think and maybe even make one sad. But nevertheless, the most of the presented songs are bright and optimistic. Tears Dry, The Girl From Ipanema, Wake Up Alone and others records cannot be mixed up with compositions of other artists, because Amy’s style is truly unique. Her husky voice is just one of many significant features of Winehouse. That singer has always put her soul into her songs, and of course that made them even more touching. The world lost amazing and highly talented artist, and the long play Lioness: Hidden Treasures became a great present for all Amy’s fans. Her songs should not be kept somewhere in dusty archives, they must bring joy to all the music lovers.

Danil Chernovalov
05.12.2011