In various interviews, she admitted to having problems with self-harm, depression and eating disorders In 2005, she went through a period of drinking, heavy drug use, violent mood swings and weight loss. Nobody in her surroundings got the true picture, the one that did, her later husband Frank, only, he joined in and stimulated her on a path of self destruction. Despite all that she managed to write Back To Black, an album that got a bizarre number of accolades (even for a jewish artist)Five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. Back to Black was the world's seventh biggest selling album for 2008. It certainly didn't help her leaving her self destructive path.
The years that followed gave the British tabloids plenty of field days as she stumbled on, often drunk or on other substance abuse. After her marriage was dissolved, hubby Frank had been imprisoned for 1/4 of the 2 years it officially lasted. She seemed on the mend after several clinical visits mainly because she contracted emphysema which would have cut short her singing career, still Amy continued smoking. She did however write and record too, the result will probably see the light of day later this year, as the album has been postponed from earlier this year.. In the years since back to black her concerts often failed to impress as she seemed more interested in Frank-in the audience- as the public. Her latest tour was canceled as the first gig ended in disaster, she was almost too drunk to stand on her feet.
Now she's dead at a moment her surroundings felt she was doing better, how sad. Clearly those around her never had a clue what her underlying problem was. I never much followed Amy and it may sound arrogant here, but doing some research for this post, i almost immediately recognised her problem, her amygdala ! Her GP (doctor) must have been incompetent otherwise he would have referred her to a neurologist. Lot's of research has and is being done on the amygdala, it's the nervecenter of our emotions. It's been found artistic people have larger amygdala's these are known to have lesions which can cause lot's of problems a listing of which corresponds with Amy's troubles. In her case there seems to be an extreme effect as in when she was emotionally aroused-good or bad- she lost control of herself. As the amygdala is connected to memory consolidation as well, she might get caught in an emotional feedback loop. All this, she found out, could only be dimmed by extensive amounts of alcohol, normal people loose control when drunk, she felt the opposite. Obviously a 5ft3" body won't accept too much alcohol before loosing control anyway, but in her case in a better way. I think her GP maybe glad she was cremated because i think her amygdala would have proven his incompetence as a doctor. What is remarkble about her death that the cause hasn't been announced yet, they obviously tested the usual suspects but to no avail, so she died of something else, suicide maybe or some other bodily malfunction, whatever it was, they decided to release the body for cremation.
What is it that attracts so much interest in people on a path of self destruction, is it because they represent the human race on it's own path of self destruction ? In many ways Amy was a tortured soul, having little control over herself. Being lauded for her achievements would have been confusing and in a way a trap because so much of her success was directly connected to her agony. Millions of albums sold but sharing her pain didn't help her, i don't know if there is a drug that could have kept her amygdala in check, considering all the research that is being done, i would think so. However would the world have accepted a healthier Amy, i think yes as after all it was foremost her voice that connected to the world.
Here you'll find 2 links to the 40 min documentary made 3 years ago by Jacques Peretti, The Amy Winehouse Story, it was updated and broadcast in the UK this week, it's well worth the while if you want to see and learn more about Amy. The top link stems from my source and is in avi, the second is a recoded version by me in mkv, same quality 25% less size.
The Amy Winehouse Story (mkv) ( 263mb)
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Frank was released by Island Records in October 2003 in the United Kingdom, and in the United States on 20 November 2007. The album spawned the singles "Stronger Than Me", "Take the Box", "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying" and "Fuck Me Pumps"/"Help Yourself". The album was reissued in a deluxe edition in the UK on 12 May 2008. This edition includes an eighteen-track bonus disc including rare tracks, remixes, B-sides and live performances.
Upon its release, Frank received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades, including an Ivor Novello Award. Since its original release in the United Kingdom, it was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, denoting shipments in excess of 900,000 copies in the UK on 18 December 2008 The title Frank doesn't refer to a certain man though the album is about her first big love but frank should be read as outspoken. As such it the title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse's lyrics on the album. A staggeringly assured, sit-up-and-listen debut, both commercial and eclectic, accessible and uncompromising accompanied by her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz
Amy Winehouse - Frank (03 136mb)
101 Intro / Stronger Than Me 3:54
102 You Sent Me Flying / Cherry 6:50
103 Know You Now 3:03
104 F*** Me Pumps 3:20
105 I Heard Love Is Blind 2:10
106 Moody's Mood For Love / Teo Licks 3:28
107 (There Is) No Greater Love 2:08
108 In My Bed 5:17
109 Take The Box 3:20
110 October Song 3:24
111 What Is It About Men 3:29
112 Amy Amy Amy / Outro / Brother / Mr. Magic (Through The Smoke) 13:16
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Unlike many a bonus album this on really is worth the wile.
Amy Winehouse - Frank bonusablum ( 160mb)
201 Take The Box (Original Demo) 3:26
202 You Sent Me Flying (Original Demo) 5:40
203 I Heard Love Is Blind (Original Demo) 2:13
204 Someone To Watch Over Me (Original Demo) 4:29
205 What Is It (Original Demo) 4:45
206 Teach Me Tonight (Hootenanny) 3:22
207 Round Midnight (B-Sides) 3:49
208 Fool's Gold (B-Sides) 3:40
209 Stronger Than Me (Later With Jools Holland) 3:53
210 I Heard Love Is Blind (Live At The Concorde, Brighton) 2:29
211 Take The Box (Live At The Concorde, Brighton) 3:33
212 In My Bed (Live At The Concorde, Brighton) 5:37
213 Mr. Magic (Through The Smoke) (Janice Long Session) 4:05
214 (There Is) No Greater Love (Janice Long Session) 2:38
215 F*** Me Pumps (MJ Cole Mix) 5:54
216 Take The Box (Seijis Buggin' Mix) 7:48
217 Stronger Than Me (Harmonic 33 Mix) 3:43
218 In My Bed (CJ Mix) 4:36
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