Back to Black: Amy Winehouse’s Only Masterpiece

In this detailed biography, music writer Brackett (Fleetwood Mac: 40 Years of Creative Chaos) focuses almost entirely on pop singer Amy Winehouse’s second studio album, 2006’s Back to Black. Brackett’s interest is Winehouse’s music, and for her fans, this adoring book is a boon; for others, it may feel may feel labored. Brackett is skilled in weaving his research into a long-form work. However, Brackett assumes readers will simply willingly agree with his critical assessments—for example, he calls the track “You Know I’m No Good” “the second saddest song in history” with little in the way of argument to support that claim. The most compelling parts of the story are the details of Winehouse’s collaboration with producer Mark Ronson (of “Uptown Funk” fame), detailed in the “Recording a Masterpiece” chapter, and the second-to-last chapter, where Brackett discusses the album’s legacy 10 years after its release. There’s no doubt about Brackett’s devotion to Winehouse’s music, and this energetic, exhaustive work may well spawn another generation of fans. [em](Nov.) [/em]