Talk to me about Tori Amos.

After years of procrastination, I just bought Little Earthquakes (modest, standard unremastered CD) I've listened to it once, and it's promising. I'm aware she's an artist of some stature - -and so?? . . .

 

I'd go chronologically from there - most people would say that she's never topped Little Earthquakes, but I'd say that the next two albums - 'Under The Pink' and 'Boys For Pele' are both very very good indeed. I've certainly played them a lot over the years. Certainly if you like Little Earthquakes I'd be very surprised if you didn't like the next two.

 

Check out Scarlet's Walk from 2004; it's one of her long 70+ mins. albums, but unlike most of the other long ones (most of those that followed this are over 70 mins. and are desperately uneven) there's not a bad track on here. The Scarlet's Hidden Treasures out-takes on the Welcome to Sunny Florida DVD/CD set are all good too.

 

Scarlet's Walk was released in 2002.

 

I agree with these recommendations, they are Tori's best works; overall though, I find them to be a forced listen. Tori's music has not held up with me, I don't know if it's because she seems to be emoting too much or if it's the fact that she was a critics darling of the 90s and maybe the hype was undeserved; but I don't own any of them anymore.

 

Knew I should have looked it up!

 

Not much more to add here, Little Earthquakes, Under The Pink and Boys For Pele are all essential (although personally I feel Little Earthquakes suffers from some slightly dated 90s production in places), and I'd also recommend the stunning Scarlet's Walk.

 

Yes, definitely explore her work in chronological order. Little Earthquakes is a great place to start and I agree with the comments above, Under The Pink and Boys For Pele are both excellent records. My favourite has always been Boys For Pele and I think as time goes on it is these latter two records that I play the most. Choirgirl Hotel is strong too but I could never really get into To Venus and Back. I did however really enjoy the covers album Strange Little Girls when most didn't. After that things started to get bloated but I still enjoy Scarlet's Walk, The Beekeeper, American Doll Posse and Abnormally Attracted To Sin but they can be just too much and quite exhausting in their idiosyncratic melodrama. Her last album Unrepentant Geraldines was a massive disappointment for me last year and I will now be carefully considering her subsequent releases a little more carefully before buying. For some reason, it came over as childish and silly to me, but that's just my opinion. There is always something good on a Tori album but her work since 2002 or so has just been so bloated that it can be difficult sorting the wheat from the chaff.

Definitely check out Pink and Boys as they are really great listens and show so much growth that Little Earthquakes starts to seem quaint in its simplicity!

 

My favorites ares Boys for Pele, From the choirgirl hotel, The beekeeper and Abnormally attracted to sin.

 

Boys for Pele is brilliant. She is an artist of immense talent.

 

I'd say that From The Choirgirl Hotel is her most accessible album, it's more of a "band" album and the songs are more straightforward too.

 

I thought Unrepentant Geraldines was a really strong record; her best and most focused song based release in ages. I would definitely recommend it to any Tori Amos fans. DesertHermit's opinion notwithstanding.

However, for a new listener, Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink are still the best to get and easiest to love. Scarlett's Walk is my own personal favourite, although it is very long. Everything single song is great on it, but I wouldn't start with that one until you had the earlier ones. Of those, I find Boys From Pele a long and uneven listen and it doesn't help the record company re-issued it early on with the Armand Van Helden mix of Professional Widow crowbarred into the middle of it. Hard to find a copy of it without that. It does have 'Putting The Damage On' though, which is one of the best songs ever.

Most of her other albums are overlong and slightly uneven, although I do like them quite a bit. It took a few listens at the time, but I still rate 'The Beekeeper' highly (even though the best track on it is only on the DVD that came with the initial editions; a weird decision). The only one I don't really like at all is 'Abnormally Attracted To Sin'. The songs just are not there, it is a major disappointment. I think all that horrible Botoxing may have addled her brain when she was making it. The subsequent Night Of The Hunters and Midwinter Graces projects are only really for big fans like me, not someone just looking to get a flavor of her music. The first one is pretty good though. 'Gold Dust', whilst a good idea to have her play with an Orchestra, doesn't really add anything to the originals, so for me is inessential too, a vanity project! Personally after all that, I was pleased Unrepentant Geraldines had good melodic, well sung songs and simple unfussy arrangements again. It was easy to enjoy and one of my favourite albums of last year..

 

Really?? I didn't know that, what a bizarre and awful thing to do! I'll treasure my original copy just that little bit more now!

 

yes and I think the version of Hey Venus was replaced by a dance remix too. Bad!

 

They stuck that awful remix of Professional Widow right after the original plays... Then they swapped the original version of Talula with the remix used on the Twister soundtrack and removed In The Springtime of His Voodoo. I'm surprised Tori let this happen considering how particular she's been about the configuration of her albums and everything.

I remember it took me a while to track down the original cd with the "proper" track listing (I got into Tori at the time of Scarlet's Walk) Eventually I found one at a record fair...

 

Yes, so many people have expressed similar views to yours about Unrepentant Geraldines but, try as I might, I cannot get into it. It bores me- perhaps eventually it will grow on me. I forgot to mention Night of the Hunters, Midwinter Graces and Gold Dust. I agree the former is excellent and Midwinter Graces is a pleasant seasonal record. I didn't care for Gold Dust for the same reasons- just basically unnecessary. I am lucky enough to have bought Boys for Pele on the day of its release on both vinyl and CD so have the unbastardised version!

 

Well, it was long... perhaps he meant he started listening in 2002 and it ended in 2004...

 

Talk to me about.......



However, 'Little Earthquakes' is a stunning piece of work that never gets old (to me). 'Under the Pink' is also worth half a dozen plays a year! After that though, she got samey (IMHO). Seeing her live, I very much prefer her with a band. I've sat at Tori gigs, thoroughly engrossed, when it's just her and a piano. The intensity and emotion causes my eyelids to get heavy. Complete strangers have wiped drool from my sleeping form.

 

Uh yeah, I meant Talula. I knew they'd messed about with it on one other song. I am surprised she has let this be the version that has stayed in the marketplace. She has always seemed to have a clear vision of each album and that one was changed by the record company quite markedly. I know East/West messed around a lot with Little Earthquakes before the final version got put out and there was a lot of meddling in her career that contributed to her leaving the label and getting out of her contract by making To Venus and Back a double cd instead of a single. Must have been a continual struggle for her to get artistic freedom during those years. As a result of this I seems her own confidence could be knocked by a single awry comment in the studio; hence the amazing 'Honey' getting dropped from Under The Pink in favour of 'The Wrong Band' because someone in the control room made a negative remark about it.

 

Y Kant Tori Read is actually pretty good. Seriously! I have the cd of it and it is closer to what came after than I thought it would be when I luckily picked it up in a 2nd hand bin for £2 a few years back (what a bargain). I was expecting some hard rock farrago as it looks like a Lee Aaron album from the cover. It's actually a decent Tori Amos album with a bit of an FM Radio sheen.

 

Oh FWIW I'd just like to state for the record 'Cloud on My Tongue' is one of the greatest songs ever made.

 

All good comments here, people. I played Little Earthquakes 2ce through last night, enjoying a strong lager, and it's a grower. It certainly is intense, but i don't mind intensity if it works artistically and is harnessed buy some sort of talent. I gave up on Paula Cole, for instance, because the intensity of emotion just seemed out of control.

It's not often I get into a new songwriter now. TA is the first for some time, though as I said at the top I'd intended to for a long time -- so much music out there, so little time.

 

If you want a career overview from 92-06 (with most of the best tracks including the elusive single only tracks) I would recommend 'A Piano' 5 CD box set. Only downside is that this omits her superb cover versions of Nirvana, Stones and LZ which can be found on the Crucify EP.

 

Know what you mean about Paula Cole. Though I still like 'This Fire' she does goes a bit OTT at times.

Re: getting into new songwriters, forgive the off-topicality, but if female singer-songwriters are your thing, have you heard Jonatha Brooke? Massively under-rated IMO. Check this out: gets my vote for 'saddest song ever written'…

Cloud on My Tongue is great, ain't it? I think the transition from verse to chorus when the "and you're already in there" melody comes in is about my favourite Tori 'moment'. And the unplugged ('no strings attached') version of the song on 'To Venus and Back' might be even better.