Amy Winehouse - Lioness Hidden Treasures Review
This 12 song collection showcases Amy's uncanny ability to create classics and at times recreate classics in the form of refreshing covers of well known songs. It only makes it even more tragic that she is no longer with us.
rating: 4
Lioness: Hidden Treasures is the first (possibly of many) posthumous albums and compilations from Amy Winehouse. Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi and Amys family compiled this collection of songs and proceeds from the album go to the foundation set up in the wake of her passing; The Amy Winehouse Foundation. It has been clearly stated by her label that this is not the follow up to her certified platinum 2006 album Back to Black but more a collection of songs ranging from before her debut, Frank in 2002 up to her tragic passing earlier this year. The album features covers, demos and duets that showcase her talents and versatility. The first song on the album, Our Day Will Come is a lovely reggae revival styled love song produced by Salaam Remi and written by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson. The song features a soft reggae beat with a mellow Hammond organ riff accompanying Amys strong yet soft vocals. This song shows her versatility at being able to turn her hand to what some people would refer to as Lovers rock or Revival however whatever you decide to call this track it works well. The second track on the album is another Salaam Remi produced track this time in the style of a 60s soul classic. This shows that Remi has indeed varied his sound of late from the style that he became know for when working with Nas. The song is called Between The Cheats and sounds like it could have easily been found on a Motown album, apart from the lyrics, which are firmly Amys. Its a slow joint allowing Amy to showcase her unique vocal style. Its about 3:30 long and the back ground vocals help to recreate that Motown style that Amy was clearly so comfortable with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd9zGfGn1Ss Tears Dry was one of my favourite tracks from Back to Back so I was a little sceptical when I saw the original version listed on this album. However my fears were quickly laid to rest upon hearing this version. Its an entirely different track from the one on Back to Black; its slower, more personal, sensual and musically more symphonic with beautiful strings and crisp drums. Again Remi shows his growth as a producer and Amy excels at capturing pain and heartbreak with her amazing voice. The next track is a cover of the Shirelles classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? originally recorded in 1960 and covered since then by such artists as; Ben E King, Dusty Springfield, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson and Dionne Warwick amongst others. As you can imagine the bar has been set high for covers of this classic and Amy does not let us down. Mark Ronson produces the track superbly, giving an almost Philadelphia soul sounding vibe to the track. Amys vocals are sensual and strong combing with the striking drums and horns of Ronsons production to create a fantastic track, in fact my personal favourite on the album. Like Smoke featuring Nas would be a great track without the legendary lyricist because the music is so good. The drums are crisp and the symphonic strings accompany Amy's strong voice so well. Nass lyrical flow is so smooth alongside Amys softer than usual vocals. Surprisingly Nas graces the track with more than one verse and both of them are strong verses, not the usual throwaway lines that rappers often phone in for RnB duets but verses that would easily be suited to one of his own tracks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5LNBU3I9QU Next up is another version of the Zutons track Valerie. Amys original version of this track appears on Mark Ronsons compilation Version but this track is a bit softer and slower than their original collaboration. I prefer it to the other one and enjoy it musically more as well. I have been unable to find who produced this version but it is listed as Valerie (68) and clearly appears to be trying to recreate a late 60s sound which it does well. The next track is a cover of The Girl From Ipanema and it is the one track on the album that did not really grab my attention. This is mainly because to me the track appeared somewhat confused featuring an almost garage sounding beat with a nice guitar riff. I just couldnt get an understanding of what was trying to be achieved here and it felt out of place with the rest of the compilation. Halftime is the eighth track on the album and it instantly reminded me of Erykah Badu both musically and also in Amys vocal performance. Its a more modern yet mellow sound than the rest of the album featuring nice organs and strings. This is again another Remi production. Track 9 is another original version of a Back to Back track. This time its Wake Up Alone which takes on a more acoustic flavor than the original. Its just drums and guitar on this track alongside Amys vocals, which sound more personal and softer than the original. This track is produced by Paul ODuffy and he clearly uses bare bones production style to entice a more personal performance reminiscent of Rick Rubins work with Cash. Best Friends Right? is a funny yet mellow ode to a bickering couple who insist their still best friends. Its a softer track with some lovely Hammond organ riffs throughout. It has an upbeat tempo but not too fast and the horns that fade in and out of the track work well alongside Amys humorous lyrics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeg4snIoGzs The eleventh track on the album is a duet with the legendary Tony Bennett, which also featured on his recent duets project and was also the first single from this album. The musical style of the track is very much Tonys but Amy matches him note for note. The final song on the album is another cover version this time of the Leon Russel classic A Song For You. Over the years this has been covered by many amazing artists including Andy Williams, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock and Elton John to name but a few. Again Remi is behind the boards and Im sure I can hear elements of Isaac Hayes Walk on by in this. Amys vocal performance on this track is among the strongest on the album and it is a fitting end to this compilation. Posthumous albums can be difficult projects to embrace by fans as often they are cut and paste affairs made up of left overs and cutting room floor remnants (see recent albums from 2Pac and Biggie Smalls for instance). However I am very glad to say that this collection of songs does not fall into that category. Clearly Ronson, Remi and Amys family chose wisely. Making sure that the tracks chosen highlight Amys unique vocal styles and strengths. This 12 song collection showcases Amy's uncanny ability to create classics and at times recreate classics in the form of refreshing covers of well known songs. My only complaint with this compilation would be that some of the other rarer tracks she made are not featured here; The Jay-Z remix of Rehab, the Phraohe Monch remix of rehab and Amys fantastic cover of the Monkey Man. I can only hope that gems like these will surface on other compilations over the years. Is this album as good as Back to Black? No but to be honest that album is such a stellar album it is unlikely it will ever be topped now that we have lost her. However I would give this a very strong 4 out of 5. It only makes it even more tragic that she is no longer with us. Amy Winehouse's posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures is released on Monday.