Amy Winehouse Found Dead

[logan82]

I liken Winehouse to a Lauren Hill in their relative impact on the music world, popularity and short tenures.

Who?

One of the more popular/critically acclaimed female musicians of the last 15 or so years.

My musical interest don't usually line up with things that are critically acclaimed or popular.

[thebruce44]

I liken Winehouse to a Lauren Hill in their relative impact on the music world, popularity and short tenures.

More than that, I always thought their voices sounded a lot alike.

[And That]

It's Lauryn Hill, with a y. Sorry.

[thebruce44]

I liken Winehouse to a Lauren Hill in their relative impact on the music world, popularity and short tenures.

Who?

You've never heard of the Fugees?

[patrickgpe]

Five years from now, no one will remember Amy Winehouse.

 

i don't agree with this. Back to Black is one of my all time favorite albums. She also did a cover of "Valerie" with Mark Ronson that was awesome. I know she went off of the deep end in 2006 after that CD came out, but she was very talented, even though she wasted all of it.

[homer]

My musical interest don't usually line up with things that are critically acclaimed or popular.

Interesting. So you like music that pretty much no one else likes?

[rluzinski]

I sometimes get the impression that people are more interested in letting others know that they AREN'T familiar with another musical artist's work, as if it's some kind of badge of honor when the artist has enjoyed some level of commercial success. It just seems disingenuous when someone types "she had a hit?" when they could answer their own own question quicker than it took to post it.

 

Winehouse should not be compared to someone like Cobain or Hendrix, nor should she be compared to Kesha or Spears, IMO.

[Funketown]

I sometimes get the impression that people are more interested in letting others know that they AREN'T familiar with another musical artist's work, as if it's some kind of badge of honor when the artist has enjoyed some level of commercial success. It just seems disingenuous when someone types "she had a hit?" when they could answer their own own question quicker than it took to post it.

All I had heard about her was her drug problems, I honestly had no idea that she had been commercially successful. It's really not difficult to be ignorant of the success of a musician when you don't really pay attention.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I sometimes get the impression that people are more interested in letting others know that they AREN'T familiar with another musical artist's work, as if it's some kind of badge of honor when the artist has enjoyed some level of commercial success. It just seems disingenuous when someone types "she had a hit?" when they could answer their own own question quicker than it took to post it.

 

Winehouse should not be compared to someone like Cobain or Hendrix, nor should she be compared to Kesha or Spears, IMO.

Amy Winhehouse? Too mainstream.

 

Russ, you basically just described the musical leaning of most hipsters.

[logan82]

My musical interest don't usually line up with things that are critically acclaimed or popular.

Interesting. So you like music that pretty much no one else likes?

Obviously I was mistaken since all music is popular with somebody.

[heresrobin]

In case you want to see what Amy Winehouse looked like right after the release of Frank about 7 years ago or so:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1iu52L9mUk

Beautiful, sweet, talented, shockingly unique and soulful voice...

What happened between that interview and her death is both scary and sad.

[TracyThom]

I sometimes get the impression that people are more interested in letting others know that they AREN'T familiar with another musical artist's work, as if it's some kind of badge of honor when the artist has enjoyed some level of commercial success. It just seems disingenuous when someone types "she had a hit?" when they could answer their own own question quicker than it took to post it.

 

Winehouse should not be compared to someone like Cobain or Hendrix, nor should she be compared to Kesha or Spears, IMO.

Amy Winhehouse? Too mainstream.

 

Russ, you basically just described the musical leaning of most hipsters.

How many hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb? Never mind, it's a really obscure number. You've never heard of it.

 

[Polish Falcons]

My guess is that she will become 'bigger' in death than she was in life a la Cobain. She seems to have the right mix ...talent, 'eclectivity', and short career.

 

 

Yeah I don't really get the Cobain Bigger in death reference. Maybe it has to do with the time I grew up but as I remember it smells like teen spirit has been the biggest rock and roll hit of my lifetime; nirvana completely changed the face of mainstream rock music at the time, and they were selling millions and millions of records with Nevermind and in utero. All of this happened before Cobain died.

[RockCoCougars]

My guess is that she will become 'bigger' in death than she was in life a la Cobain. She seems to have the right mix ...talent, 'eclectivity', and short career.

 

 

Yeah I don't really get the Cobain Bigger in death reference. Maybe it has to do with the time I grew up but as I remember it smells like teen spirit has been the biggest rock and roll hit of my lifetime; nirvana completely changed the face of mainstream rock music at the time, and they were selling millions and millions of records with Nevermind and in utero. All of this happened before Cobain died.

I've argued this with people before. I was actually still listening to new music back then, so these are my recollections. Yes, Nirvana was huge after Nevermind. They were all over the place, and you can't argue that they were one of the fathers of the grunge alternative scene. That said, I don't think that In Utero was as 'big'- certainly not with the masses, it was released right before the 'modern rock' format really took hold. In the meantime, the mainstream popularity of 'alternative' groups like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, hell- even Counting Crows had eclipsed that of Nirvana. Then Cobain dies, MTV releases Unplugged in New York within a year, and Cobain/Nirvana are bigger even then they were at their commercial peak in 92-ish. It was almost impossible to turn on the radio or walk into a bar during a one-two year period from late 94 to 96 without hearing something off that album.

[Godspeed]

Nirvana's Unplugged album was released 6 months prior to Cobain's death.

[RockCoCougars]

Nirvana's Unplugged album was released 6 months prior to Cobain's death.

I'm almost positive that the album was posthumously released. Not sure when the show first aired on MTV, he may have been alive at that point.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm almost positive that the album was posthumously released.

 

You could look it up, you know

[RockCoCougars]

I'm almost positive that the album was posthumously released.

 

You could look it up, you know

I'm pretty busy looking up stats to defend my Jamey Carroll argument, but since you asked...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...TV_Unplugged_in_New_York

 

"MTV Unplugged in New York was the first Nirvana album released in the wake of the April 1994 suicide of singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain."

 

"MTV Unplugged in New York was released on November 1, 1994. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, selling 310,500 copies in its first week, giving the band its strongest first week sales.^"

 

 

[/sup]

[Godspeed]

You're right, I was thinking of the air date. You know, back when MTV did stuff like that.

[The Mexican Weez]

I've argued this with people before. I was actually still listening to new music back then, so these are my recollections. Yes, Nirvana was huge after Nevermind. They were all over the place, and you can't argue that they were one of the fathers of the grunge alternative scene. That said, I don't think that In Utero was as 'big'- certainly not with the masses, it was released right before the 'modern rock' format really took hold. In the meantime, the mainstream popularity of 'alternative' groups like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, hell- even Counting Crows had eclipsed that of Nirvana. Then Cobain dies, MTV releases Unplugged in New York within a year, and Cobain/Nirvana are bigger even then they were at their commercial peak in 92-ish. It was almost impossible to turn on the radio or walk into a bar during a one-two year period from late 94 to 96 without hearing something off that album.

I gotta disagree with you. Nirvana was huge back in '91(which you acknowledge) I recall Pearl Jam and Soundgarden being out there for certain kids in high School but they were far from mainstream, but once Nevermind came out the whole hair-metal scene went kaput. GNR, Def Leppard, Nelson, etc, was not cool save for a few die hards. Suddenly people wanted to hear more from similar aesthetic bands such as RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, and by '93 there were a whole wave of artists that came out like STP, Spin Doctors, Soul Asylum (been around forever but were suddenly viable as alternative). Nirvana Nevermind was the reason why all the aformentioned bands became accepted in the mainstream and were the measuring standard for all other bands by the mainstream music listener back then (PJ, SG, AIC included) Nirvana was the biggest band from 91-94. In Utero was the most anticipated record when it came out (PJ's Versus probably was a slight second) and didn't do as great commercially as Nevermind and I think that is what perhaps leads to the perception Nirvana (Cobain) wasn't as big before his death. I will agree that Unplugged resuscitated the Nirvana legacy because it was a great and unexpected album, but I don't think that Nirvana's legacy grew bigger death.

 

I think we are pointing out the same events but interpreting it way differently, but these are my recollection between ages 16 and 20.

[Funketown]

I was just going through some of her Youtube videos and I have to say I had no idea she was that talented. She really did have a heck of a voice.

 

Edit: RockCo, I also hadn't realized that was the case with Cobain. Being younger I had always just assumed they were astronomically popular even before his death, given the sales of Nevermind.

[logan82]

In Utero was the most anticipated record when it came out (PJ's Versus probably was a slight second) and didn't do as great commercially as Nevermind and I think that is what perhaps leads to the perception Nirvana (Cobain) wasn't as big before his death.

 

I believe that Cobain wanted it that way. I am not sure if it is true but Cobain apparently tanked In Utero because he didn't want to be popular.

[Godspeed]

Being younger I had always just assumed they were astronomically popular even before his death, given the sales of Nevermind.

 

Nirvana *was* astronomically popular pre-death. That's how an intentionally anti-commercial record such as In Utero debuted at #1. Nirvana pretty much defined the "alternative/grunge" musical movement. Cobain's legacy was forged long before he died, but his death kept himself culturally relevant way longer than he apparently could have beared to have been in life.

 

I think any inclination of a massive increase in popularity post-death would have resulted in much higher sales for their live album (From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah), but that's only sold about 25% of In Utero per Wikipedia.

[RockCoCougars]

"I think we are pointing out the same events but interpreting it way differently, but these are my recollection between ages 16 and 20."

 

I completely agree. Nevermind was huge. Almost everyone had that CD. Teen Spirit in particular was spun heavily even on Top 40 stations. The influence that Nirvana had on the genre while they were active was widely recognized at the time. At the same time, I think they got even 'bigger' after Cobain's death. He became almost a mythical figure immediately. I think a lot of people who may not have been into the group before started by snapping up the Unplugged disc and then moved onto the back catalog. It's kind of ironic that Cobain fought against the mainstream his entire career- only to have his death basically cause the group to become a mainstream. It's interesting to speculate what would have happened to the group had Cobain lived. Would they have kind of fizzled out like most of their contemporaries or would they have transcended things?

[Glennron]

It's interesting to speculate what would have happened to the group had Cobain lived. Would they have kind of fizzled out like most of their contemporaries or would they have transcended things?

http://www.spin.com/node/46131

 

Chuck Klosterman wrote this a few years ago, interesting to read.