We end week two of the Amy Winehouse Mix CD with an album cut from her 2003 debut Frank. “Know You Now” was not a single but it’s one of the best tracks from Frank and exactly the reason why I wanted to embark on this Amy Mix CD journey. Everyone has heard “Rehab” and “Back To Black” with good reason. They’re brilliant. The average music listener has probably never heard of “Know You Now” and they’re missing out.
The simplicity of “Know You Now” is what I enjoy so much about it. Amy wrote the lyrics and sings all of the vocals. The rest of the song is mostly drums and guitar with a small hint of bass and keys. Unlike most of Amy’s tracks from Frank, this one co-written and produced by “Commissioner” Gordon Williams, best known for being a sound engineer and winning Grammys with the likes of Lauryn Hill and Carlos Santana. I honestly just assumed everything on Frank was produced by Salaam Remi, but I stand corrected. It’s not surprising that “Know You Now” had a different producer because it feels and sounds different than most of the album.
The lyrics to “Know You Now” are in interesting look into the type of person Amy was. The first verse is tame with Amy singing about how the subject of the song dresses like a nerd to hide his ego, yet she needs to know him now. Things pick up in the second verse when Amy sings “My girl says I’m too sensitive to run with you.” Amy Winehouse too sensitive? The girl who penned “Stronger Than Me”, “In My Bed”, and “I Heard Love Is Blind”? That’s interesting insight considering most of the lyrical content of the album. Maybe Amy’s girl doesn’t know her that well. Maybe the lyrics are hiding a sensitive exterior that Amy rarely showed early in her career. Or, maybe the line just doesn’t make much sense.
She follows that line shortly after with, “Yes, I’m perceptive – so when I’m done with you, you’ll wish your head back the way it were.” I’m not sure what being sensitive or perceptive has to do with anything when she’s coming right out in the same line and saying she’s going to fuck this guy’s head up. Based on what she says in pretty much all of her other songs I have a feeling Amy was more than capable of making a guy wish his head back the way it were. I’m not so sure about the sensitive stuff…at least not at that time. That came on the next album. No matter. It’s a dope song even when I’m not quite sure exactly what she’s talking about.
My favorite live performance is taken directly from her Amy Winehouse At The BBC compilation. It was recorded at something called Live At The Leicester Summer Sundae in 2004. I wish I knew what things like “live at the Leicester Summer Sundae” meant, but I never heard of any of this until I started listening to Amy. For all I know that’s the UK equivalent of Coachella, but I’m too lazy to look it up. I just know I dig the performance. However, I can’t find a video to go along with it. If you don’t mind a video and sound that isn’t top quality, click on the YouTube video above and check out the performance in Germany. She starts improvising like crazy in the second verse and her runs are phenomenal. Just an incredible talent at only 20 years old.
That wraps up week two of the Amy Winehouse Mix CD. Full disclosure: As usual I’m writing much more about these songs than I intended. I thought I’d just crank out a couple hundred words about each song, but as usual I have no self-control once I’m at my keyboard listening to the music. I hope I can keep up for the next 2-3 weeks. I can’t believe I’m not even half done with this list yet. Speaking of the list, I’m starting off next week with a doozy. Quintessential Winehouse. Until then, I’ll be watching the Olympics around the clock with my daughter. Back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend.
mookiefantana 