14 DAY TRIAL // On December 5, 2011, a new Amy Winehouse album comes out. Comprised of different versions of already released songs and some new material, “Lioness: Hidden Treasures,” was already previewed for critics – and they're not happy with what they heard.
The Daily Mail was just one of the British media outlets invited to the first listening party of Amy's new album and it claims it would have certainly made the singer feel disappointed in putting it out as it is.
Producer and close friend and associate Salaam Remi played seven tracks that will be included on the album and, while they're in the same vein of all Amy Winehouse's songs, they're subpar when it comes to quality, the review says.
It's clear that the songs needed more work. However, the saddest part is that Amy herself, had she still been alive today, would have never put them out in the shape they are now because she was a perfectionist.
“It is hard to believe that Winehouse herself – who oversaw every aspect of the two albums she released – wouldn't have reworked much of the material that is to be put out,” the reviewer says.
“There are certainly times when her vocal on a song sounds more like a sketch, even if she was an instinctive artist who appreciated the magic of capturing a first take,” she adds.
Remi says he only worked for a couple of weeks on the tracks, adding backing vocals and tracks mostly.
He told reporters that he wanted to get it over with, because he didn't want to revisit Amy's tragic death farther down the line – so he did it now, when the pain is still fresh.
According to the review, he might as well have waited a bit longer because the result is not mind-blowing.
“At best, the seven tracks sounded like the basis for another hit album, although it's hard to make any kind of judgment on the basis of one listen,” the reviewer says.
See here for more on the new tracks on Amy's album, including Remi's explanatory notes at the listening party.