Amy Winehouse passed away and gained admission into "the 27 club", whose members are musicians died at the age of 27, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.
Of course I heard all the gossip about her, and sometimes I had heard her songs through a radio, but I hadn't heard her singing seriously before her death. Recently I bought her album "Back to Back" through iTunes Store, and I'm listening to her songs on my way to the office.
I like her songs. Her life was disastrous, but her songs are decent soul music. Like kind heard in the late 60s. I associate Aretha Franklin with Amy's songs. It's too much praise, isn't it?
"Rehab" by Amy Winehouse
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin
When I talked about Amy's death with my colleague who is a mother from the same generation as I am, and over 40 years old, I was really surprised that she said that a person like Amy Winehouse should be eliminated from the society.
Taking drugs and drinking too much isn't desirable. Just before her death she couldn't sing well at her live show because of drugs and alcohols, and she disappointed her audience who were awaiting her performance.
But she had never killed or hurt anyone but herself. I think that she had a good reason to do so. I accept her songs, despite whatever she had done in her short life.
Amy Winehouse Drunk live
Most members of the 27 club died from late 60s to early 70s. At that time Rock music was "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll". Most rock musicians were immoral and antisocial. There is a kind of music that only such musicians could create.
"Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" by Ian Dury
I listened to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix (their names are next to each other on my list of iPod), and I felt that a musician created such music couldn't live a long and peaceful life. Their music is so stimulating and close to their own lives that sometime it hurt listeners and musicians themselves. Amy's song "Rehab" is close to her own life.
"Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin
"Voodoo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix
The members of the 27 club have many followers now. But followers' music is pasteurized commodities that never kill anyone and moved deeply like Janis and Jimi.
I'll show the examples of followers of Janis and Jimi. I can feel that Superfly respect Janis but her songs aren't personal like Janis' ones. I wrote in my blog ("The Song for All of the Stupid Boys in the Word") that rock music isn't contemporary. I like Lenny Kravitz and he studied rock music deeply. But he hasn't been able to create new music like Jimi, because rock music had been already dead.
"Beep" by Superfly
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz
Before Amy died, Curt Cobain was the latest members of the 27 club. He is the last "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" musician and killed rock music as the contemporary with his suicide.
"Smells Like Teen" by Spirit Nirvana
Amy was the real musician and I'll listen to her songs forever.
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