Tori Amos

[Deus Ex Machina]

So, a friend of mine has been shitting herself over Tori Amos for years, and it has always irritated me to no end. But, I finally checked out some of her early works over the holiday (Choirgirl and Little Earthquakes) . . . and holy shit is she awesome. I guess I had to grow up a little to really appreciate it.

Now I've got another artist with a deep catalog to slog through. Good times. If you're into Trent's spooky piano tunes, you really really should give this woman a listen if you've not already. I daresay her style is, at least partially, the origin of some of those spooky piano tunes.

[RocketScience]

I love Tori. Little Earthquakes is for me the quintessential fall/winter autumn. Every year I come back to that and have it on repeat.

And might I suggest her song Past the Mission, featuring a certain Trent on vocals?



Also, here's Muhammad my Friend with Maynard from Tool.

[frankie teardrop]

i loved her for a while in my youth- the more wild abandon records (earthquakes--->venus, with boys for pele being my favorite of the lot). since then though, she's taken a turn to the adult contemporary side of things, a move which turned me off to her right away. i hardly ever listen to those first five records anymore, but they still hold up when it happens.

[Elke]

I adore her. Some of her most recent work has really disappointed me, but her latest (the semi-symphonic Night of Hunters) was terrifically on the mark again.

My favourite album has to be Boys For Pele though. It came out around a time when I was fascinated by ideas regarding femininity, and the picture of her breastfeeding that piglet combined with the glorious original album version of Professional Widow still stand out to me as decisive moments in my formative years.

But all in all, most of what she's done is brilliant.

[jaimie]

In my opinion everything after Strange Little Girls has been dreadful (with very few exceptions). That said, everything up to that point is strong enough for me to see at least 2 shows every time she has toured for nearly 15 years. I haven't been BLOWN AWAY by her live show since 2001 but for some reason I keep coming back.

She will likely always be my favorite artist in that I found her music at a pivotal point in my life and I have met some of my very closest friends through her music. If for some reason you haven't checked out Boys For Pele yet do so ASAP. It is by far my favorite record of all time.

[Elke]

I loved the last show I saw, in Antwerp, with the strings. That was incredibly impressive.

[jaimie]

Yeah I know a lot of people really enjoyed this last tour and I genuinely wish I'd enjoyed it as much as everyone else did. I saw the Oakland show which was in the top 3 worst Tori shows I have ever seen then came home and decided at the last minute to do the last LA show. Supposedly that second LA show was the "best of the tour" according to many but something just didn't click for me. It was definitely a GOOD show but one of my BIG complaints this tour was some of the quartet arrangements felt too rushed for me. Father Lucifer in particular was just waaaay too fast for my taste. I will say I was ELATED to hear Ode To The Banana King after waiting all these years for it!

[Charmingly Miserable]

Tori announces her next album, Unrepentant Geraldines, to debut in the spring of 2014.

I have been a huge fan of Tori but for the last couple years, I've been out of her. I mean, I was one of those crazy fans, collecting all kinds of Tori shit and I even have 3 Tori related tattoos. Nowadays, I think she is more concerned with her aesthetic than the music. I mean, I think that Scarlet's Walk was the last great Tori album. I still want to like her but I'm not too excited about the upcoming album.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

Tori announces her next album, Unrepentant Geraldines, to debut in the spring of 2014.

I have been a huge fan of Tori but for the last couple years, I've been out of her. I mean, I was one of those crazy fans, collecting all kinds of Tori shit and I even have 3 Tori related tattoos. Nowadays, I think she is more concerned with her aesthetic than the music. I mean, I think that Scarlet's Walk was the last great Tori album. I still want to like her but I'm not too excited about the upcoming album.

shame thats what she turned into but i have to agree.

i remember crying myself to sleep nightly with a healthy rotation of under the pink, boys for pele, and from the choirgirl. it's just a disappointment for fans exactly like yourself. you've literally indebted your body to this woman and now she all froufrou at best. :/

[gorast]

Is this going to be another orchestral/classical album? If so, count me out. Tori is an incredible musician, and I've loved her albums up through Midwinter Graces, but I really cannot get on board with this shift in style she's been doing since 2011.

EDIT: Oops, should've googled before I said stupid shit. I'm interested in this album, now that it's being specifically noted as a return to pre-Night of Hunters style music.

[Charmingly Miserable]

^That's ok. I'm really hoping that she gets back into the music versus all the crazy stuff she has done lately.

[GulDukat]

Love Tori, seeing her 8/15.

New song:

[Charmingly Miserable]

I used to be a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE Tori fan (3 Tori tattoos, a milk crate full of Tori collectables, etc). But I think she has gone down hill the past few years. I don't know what to make of this song. However, I'm glad she has ditched the glam persona (i.e. the wigs, makeup and fashion). Personally, I think her singing about religious myths, etc is getting a little tiring for me. I don't know. Maybe I need to listen to it again.

[allegro]

Little Earthquakes is one of my favorite albums of any artist, but she spun off into some weird lyrics weirdness that I couldn't interpret after that. I get a few things here and there but mostly not. I love the cohesive theme of Earthquakes, it's brilliant. I still listen to it, it never gets old. I don't know why that album resonates so much for me, but it does. The rest requires a Tori Amos Decoder Ring that I do not possess.

[GulDukat]

I used to be a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE Tori fan (3 Tori tattoos, a milk crate full of Tori collectables, etc). But I think she has gone down hill the past few years. I don't know what to make of this song. However, I'm glad she has ditched the glam persona (i.e. the wigs, makeup and fashion). Personally, I think her singing about religious myths, etc is getting a little tiring for me. I don't know. Maybe I need to listen to it again.

Do you have pics of those tattoos posted? I'd like to see them.

I think that Tori's first four albums (not including Y Kant Tori Read) are the best, with Under the Pink being my favorite. Her post 90s work is more hit-or-miss, but I liked most of it. One problem, IMO, is that her later-day albums have too many songs on them. Just because you can fit 80 minutes of music on a CD doesn't mean you should put 80 minutes of music on it.

Still, I really liked American Doll Posse and Abnormally Attracted to Sin. I enjoyed Night of Hunters, although I prefer her more alt. pop sounding albums over the classically inspired material. I don't really remember Scarlet's Walk and I HATED The Beekeeper. That was a low-point, IMO, although she came back strong with the follow-up, American Doll Posse.

I really enjoyed the new song and am looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.

I've seen her six times and am going to the Boston show this summer. She's always amazing in concert.

[Charmingly Miserable]

Still, I really liked American Doll Posse and Abnormally Attracted to Sin. I enjoyed Night of Hunters, although I prefer her more alt. pop sounding albums over the classically inspired material. I don't really remember Scarlet's Walk and I HATED The Beekeeper. That was a low-point, IMO, although she came back strong with the follow-up, American Doll Posse.

Scarlet's Walk was the last great album that she made.

Trouble's Lament is kinda catchy. It's the best lead single that I've heard of hers lately.

[GulDukat]

Scarlet's Walk was the last great album that she made.

Trouble's Lament is kinda catchy. It's the best lead single that I've heard of hers lately.

I'll have to give SW another listen. I liked the extra songs from that album that was released as a bonus disc on her Live DVD.

[Charmingly Miserable]

Ok, I really, really like Trouble's Lament. Maybe this is the song to get me back into Tori again.

[theimage13]

Not digging the new single. I'll definitely give it more chances and see if it grows on me, but unlike many other of her songs that had me from the very first go, this one just isn't really catching me that way.

Random Tori trivia from my life: on one tour I did, the song Crucify was the first track on the CD that was stuck in the player at FOH. Every day, for four months, I used that song when I had to walk the arena floor to verify that everything in the PA system was firing properly. Most the crew hated me for it, but I never got tired of hearing that song. And it sounds damn good on full size touring rig.

[Sarah K]

I can't remember ever listening to her. I wouldn't be able to pick out one of her songs. But I should give it a try.

I know a girl who is obsessed with her. But she is one of those women who turns literally ANY topic into a rant about feminism. So I just assumed this would be a lot of vagina power stuff or something.

[allegro]

I can't remember ever listening to her. I wouldn't be able to pick out one of her songs. But I should give it a try.

I know a girl who is obsessed with her. But she is one of those women who turns literally ANY topic into a rant about feminism. So I just assumed this would be a lot of vagina power stuff or something.

Give "Little Earthquakes" (album) a shot. It has an overall (female) coming- of-age theme. Really awesome stuff.

[GulDukat]

Scarlet's Walk was the last great album that she made.

I'm listening to Scarlet's Walk now and think it's excellent. I forgot just how good it is. I still don't think that I'll ever warm up to The BeeKeeper though.

Tori's albums ranked:
http://www.metroweekly.com/soundwave...-to-first.html

[Charmingly Miserable]

Hmmmmmm, I don't know if I agree with the ranking of her albums. However, for me, its a toss up between SW and Boys for Pele. I just can't get enough of the Doughnut Song.

[GulDukat]

Hmmmmmm, I don't know if I agree with the ranking of her albums. However, for me, its a toss up between SW and Boys for Pele. I just can't get enough of the Doughnut Song.

Great song.

I really enjoyed reading that article. It wasn't how most people would rank her albums. I was expecting to see her first four albums in the top four, with her later-day albums at the bottom. I may not agree with the ranking, but the article was thoughtful and well written.

The clips on this video sound great:

[Charmingly Miserable]

Tash makes an appearance on the album which I'm not looking forward to.

[GulDukat]

Tash makes an appearance on the album which I'm not looking forward to.

I actually really liked her singing with her mom on Night of Hunters. I thought it worked rather nicely.

[Ryan]

So, a friend of mine has been shitting herself over Tori Amos for years, and it has always irritated me to no end.

I just read that and lol'ed.

[GulDukat]

From a soundcheck.

[Findus]

Heard this on the radio a couple of weeks ago:

[Charmingly Miserable]

I gotta hand it to @RhettButler for getting me back into Tori again.

Having said that, her rendition of '97 Bonnie & Clyde has to be the most chilling and frightening cover ever. One of my favorites.