Music / Frank (album)

Frank (2003) is the debut album of the late English recording artist Amy Winehouse. Though it was not as popular as her second album Back to Black it was still nevertheless very successful and received numerous accolades including an Ivor Novello award and a Brit Award nomination. It has sold over 7 million albums worldwide. Frank was unlike Winehouse's later more soulful work. It was primarily a Jazz album. It was also much lighter in tone compared to her later darker material as well.

It was included on Robert Dimery's 2006 edition of "1001 albums you must hear before you die".

Track listing:

1. "Intro/Stronger Than Me" (3:54)
2. "You Sent Me Flying/Cherry" (6:50)
3. "Know You Now" (3:03)
4. "Fuck Me Pumps" (3:20)
5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (2:10)
6. "Moody's Mood for Love/Teo Licks (3:28)
7. "(There is) No Greater Love" (2:08)
8. "In My Bed" (5:17)
9. "Take The Box" (3:20)
10. "October Song" (3:24)
11. "What Is It About Men" (3:29)
12. "Help Yourself" (5:01)
13. "Amy, Amy, Amy"/"Outro"/"Brother" (hidden track) "Mr Magic" (Through the Smoke)(hidden track) (13:14)

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F*** me Tropes

• Album Title Drop: Frank has one in "Take the Box"
• Alliterative Title: "Amy Amy Amy".
• Break Up Song: "Stronger Than Me", where she leaves her man because he is not strong enough for her. Also "Take the Box", in which the eponymous box is one with stuff left after a breakup.
• Brutal Honesty: She really doesn't hold anything back, not that that's a bad thing. Even the album title "Frank" symbolizes this (=being frank).
• Cover Version: "There is No Greater Love".
• Double-Meaning Title: The album title bots refers to Frank Sinatra, as well as "being frank".
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Where to begin? First of all "Frank" is a Jazz album whilst Winehouse would later become known as primarily a Soul singer. Also "Frank" is considerably more light hearted in tone than the much darker "Back To Black". Also finally Winehouse's look is drastically different on "Frank". She has no beehive, tattoo's or thick black eye liner and has a much curvier frame. Many people at first glance don't even recognize the Amy from this album as being the same person from "Back to Black".
• Eating the Eye Candy: The lyrics of "Amy, Amy, Amy" are four minutes of this.
• Face on the Cover: Amy shown in a pink shirt, laughing.
• Gold Digger: "Fuck Me Pumps" is about women who go seeking out wealthy men, especially footballers, with the goal of obtaining their money.
• Grief Song: "The October Song" is about Winehouse's pet canary named Ava.
• Hidden Track: "Cherry", sort of. It's not listed on the back of the sleeve, although it is in the lyrics sheet. Technically it's part of the same track as "You Sent Me Flying", but they're entirely different songs.
• Intercourse with You: "Amy, Amy, Amy" also the end of the video for "In My Bed".
• One-Word Title: "Frank".
• Product Placement: "Fuck Me Pumps"
  With your Gucci bag crew
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "Fuck Me Pumps"
  Don't be too upset,
  If they call you a skank,
  Cause like the news everyday you get pressed.
• Questioning Title?: "What Is It About Men?"
• Sampling: "In My Bed" samples Naz's 2003 hit "Made You Look" which in turn sampled The Incredible Bongo Band's 1973 cover of "Apache".
• Self-Deprecating Humor: Winehouse was very fond of this type of humour.
• Shout-Out: "October Song" name checks legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan in the chorus.
  Ava was the morning, now she's gone
  She's reborn like Sarah Vaughan
  • Adele would in turn reference "October Song" when she named her tribute to Amy Winehouse "Amy flies in Paradise" after a line from "October Song" about Amy's pet canary Ava "Ava flies in paradise"
    • The album title is also a shout-out to Frank Sinatra, Amy's biggest influence and idol.
• The Something Song: "October Song".
• Take That!: "Fuck Me Pumps" is an attack on women who only want to hook up with rich men.
• That's All, Folks!: The emcee's announcement at the end of "Amy Amy Amy" (in a bizarre quirk of CD programming, immediately followed by two more songs).
  Hope you all enjoyed your time at the Amy Winehouse Show. Feel free to come back whenever you like but, for now, you can exit to the left and the rear. Take your time and slowly, but quickly, get out, get out..
• Women Are Delicate: Subverted by "Stronger Than Me", where Amy thinks her man isn't tough enough for her and even assumes he is gay''
  You should be stronger than me,
  But instead you're longer than frozen turkey,
  Why'd you always put me in control?
  All I need is for my man to live up to his role,
  Always wanna talk it through - I'm OK
  Always have to comfort you every day,
  But that's what I need you to do - are you gay?

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