AllMusic review:

The qualities of a vocal genius don't always become clear when she's singing classic material. Often as not, her abilities to both personalize and transcend a lifeless song with a stellar performance reveal the character behind the singer. Both Billie Holiday and Otis Redding excelled no matter what they were recording, whether it was a timeless standard or a studio throwaway. This collection of Amy Winehouse material, released to coincide with the first Christmas season after her death in July 2011, does not contain a strong set of material. Besides the covers, which are well chosen, originals "Between the Cheats" and "Best Friends, Right?" and "Half Time" should not have survived the cut if Winehouse had been around to wield her veto power. But if the songwriting isn’t strong enough to make listeners confuse this with a Back to Black follow-up, the productions and performances are up to her high caliber. Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson handled virtually all of the production work, while these performances by Winehouse are just as strong as she showed on Frankand Back to Black. Thanks to the work of Remi and Ronson, the album is also strikingly uniform; only the songwriting and prevalence of covers or "original versions" reveal that this is a posthumous collection. Ronson's production on "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is towering, although he injects a little more drama into his chart than the song can support, while a skittering version of "The Girl from Ipanema" (nearly drum’n’bass at points) nearly reinvents a tired classic. The recordings stretch from the beginning of her professional career to close to the end, but Winehouse is virtually always in strong voice; only on her Tony Bennett duet, “Body and Soul,” does she veer into self-parody.

I have to say, I think it was really well done, I've grown to love "Like Smoke", "Between the cheats" is also very pretty. I've always loved her covers or Valerie and Will You Still Love me Tommorrow, the newer versions aren't all that nessesary, but I think they fit very well. Also the Girl From Ipanema is absolutely charming.

God, I miss Amy.

I like it, it's not amazing, but i've listened to it a few times now and it's very relaxing. Her voice was really amazing. I love what she did with "A song for you". Had to get used to my favourite song of her "Tears dry", but it also sounds coolas some kind of ballad.

A great taent lost....what a voice

robertlove said:

I like it, it's not amazing, but i've listened to it a few times now and it's very relaxing. Her voice was really amazing. I love what she did with "A song for you". Had to get used to my favourite song of her "Tears dry", but it also sounds coolas some kind of ballad.

A great taent lost....what a voice

Exactly, it's all the beauty of her voice without much of the dark tones that ruled BTB. It's very fitting for a posthumous album IMO it just remembers her for what beauty and talent she had.

I dunno. I just never have the heart for posthumous albums.

purplethunder3121 said:

I dunno. I just never have the heart for posthumous albums.

It's truly a sad occasion, but it's done very well.

It breaks my heart how at the very end of the album she talks about her love for Hathaway who she references in Rehab.

Typo edit

[Edited 12/8/11 18:09pm]

RKJCNE said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I dunno. I just never have the heart for posthumous albums.

It's truly a sad occasion, but it's done very well.

It breaks myself how at the very end of the album she talks about her love for Hathaway who she references in Rehab.

I heard the song and the ending almost broke my heart considering Donny's struggles and his eventual death and the fact that in SOME portions Amy's struggles parallel that of Donny's and how their lives were taken so early.

Timmy84 said:

RKJCNE said:

It's truly a sad occasion, but it's done very well.

It breaks myself how at the very end of the album she talks about her love for Hathaway who she references in Rehab.

I heard the song and the ending almost broke my heart considering Donny's struggles and his eventual death and the fact that in SOME portions Amy's struggles parallel that of Donny's and how their lives were taken so early.

Didn't both of them struggle with bi-polar disorder? I'm trying to remember from the doc I watched on Donny or did he struggle with schizophrenia? Either way, my heart goes out to them both.

purplethunder3121 said:

Timmy84 said:

I heard the song and the ending almost broke my heart considering Donny's struggles and his eventual death and the fact that in SOME portions Amy's struggles parallel that of Donny's and how their lives were taken so early.

Didn't both of them struggle with bi-polar disorder? I'm trying to remember from the doc I watched on Donny or did he struggle with schizophrenia? Either way, my heart goes out to them both.

Donny had paranoid schizophrenia.

I didn't know they were going to put out a whole ALBUM of stuff, I'll have to check it out.

That said, usually posthumous albums reek of that "cashing in" feeling. For those who've listened to it, does this one seem that way to you?

guitarslinger44 said:

I didn't know they were going to put out a whole ALBUM of stuff, I'll have to check it out.

That said, usually posthumous albums reek of that "cashing in" feeling. For those who've listened to it, does this one seem that way to you?

Not one bit, especially considering the profits are headed to the Amy Winehouse foundation. I think it's a great album for any Amy Fan.

Love it! I've listened to it 3 times and I know I will be listening to this one for a long time. I'm not saying it's a mastepiece, but I'm really enjoying it.

I'm going to miss this girl.

guitarslinger44 said:

I didn't know they were going to put out a whole ALBUM of stuff, I'll have to check it out.

That said, usually posthumous albums reek of that "cashing in" feeling. For those who've listened to it, does this one seem that way to you?

Not at all! I think people have the misconception that it's an album of stuff that was thrown together after she died. Only two songs were partially completed and then finished after she died. The rest is all previously unreleased material (including alternate takes with different vocals, production and lyrics in some cases). Tears Dry is completely different from the version on Back to Black.

There are still a few tracks that have never found their way onto a Winehouse CD. It's My Party and Do Me Good should have been included!

I give it an A definitely.

She rapes A Song For You. Appalling.

Mong said:

She rapes A Song For You. Appalling.

Totally disagree. She does a decent job of this song. Certainly not as good as the original, but decent nonetheless.

Try turning your speakers on first.

Mong said:

Try turning your speakers on first.

It's definitely not her best vocal performance but emotionally it is touching. They debated whether they should include it or not but the family decided to include it. She was high and wasn't using a proper studio mic so those two things definitely factor in to the sound.

^ Did it say what year she recorded it?