Tori Amos: Faerie Tales

Tori Amos is a kook. A flake, if you will. She believes in fairies (or at least she takes the time to thank them in EVERY one of her album's liner notes), she has willfully precious and obscure lyrics, and she recorded a whole album with a harpsichord as a main instrument. Like I said, she's kooky. However, I would submit that she has one of the richest catalogues of any artist (especially female) over the last 20 years. So, here is a definitive (cuz I said so) breakdown of each of the Pagan High Priestess's solo albums:

Little Earthquakes (1992) *****(based on the 5 star RollingStone scoring system):

One of the most fully realized solo debuts in the history of popular music (once again, cuz I said so). Tori came from seemingly out of nowhere fully formed and ready to rumble. The first single "Silent All These Years" was a real shot in the arm for female alternative artists during the grunge years when testosterone reigned. I was running a record store in Michigan at the time of the album's release and short listed it on the basis of seeing her video at around 2am in the morning during one dark night of the soul. It's funny how a piece of music can completely alter your mood. I remember looking up from my seemingly insurmountable pile of home work and saying literally, out loud, "who the hell is that." And so it began. There are times when you purchase an album on the basis of a lead track and are left wanting from the rest of the record. This was not one of those times. From the gentle feminist anthem of the first cut, "Crucify," to the titanic closing title track, there isn't one toss away. The record is as intense and uncompromising as a piano driven album can be, but not without moments of lightness. "Happy Phantom" sounds exactly like it's name, jaunty and altogether pleasing. "Leather" is a wicked delight about the pleasures of, well, leather, if you know what I mean. However, my favorite track is the absolutely incandescent "Tear In Your Hand." A tune that references Neil Gaiman's comic book series "The Sandman," while also containing the line "me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream." No, I don't know what the hell that means, but I love it just the same. Of course, as Tori fans know, the most harrowing track on the album is "Me And A Gun." An extraordinary soul scorching a capella track that takes you through her very real experience of being raped at gun point. The song's killer line is: me and a gun/and a man on my back/but I haven't seen Barbados/so I must get out of this. Gives me chills just writing it. The first of the 5 times that I've seen Tori in concert, her performance of that song absolutely stopped the show dead. There were women crying in the audience and men left speechless. That's when I knew, that's when I knew.

Under The Pink (1992)****:

It's a hell of a thing to have to follow up a landmark album that has won you a sizable, legion sized cult of admirers, but for the most part, Under The Pink delivers. First single "God," with it's quasi-sacrilegious chorus of God sometimes you just don't come through/do you need a woman to look after you? made it clear that she had no intention of selling out. And while the album isn't a giant leap away from Little Earthquakes, Amos does add to her sonic pallet. "Cornflake Girl" broke out the harpsichord, and "Space Dog" is full of a muscularity not evident on her previous recording, and "Waitress" is playfully vicious. Still, it's tracks like "Pretty Good Year," and "Past The Mission" (with hushed backing vocals courtesy of Trent Reznor) that steer closest to her debut that resonate most deeply.

Boys For Pele (1996)****1/2:

Perhaps her most contentious and polarizing album. Long (18 tracks), dark ("Father Lucifer" is a song title), and musically challenging (this is the harpsichord album), Boys is a heavy lift, but it's also quite brilliant. At least it is according to my tastes (does anyone else's matter?). It's definitely a "grower," but with each listen the album reveals new edges and corners that are as fulfilling as they may be difficult to access. Songs like "Putting The Damage On" and "Blood Roses" are despairing, even bordering on emotionally violent, and in the case of "Professional Widow," the way she bangs away at the harpsichord, brings that sense of brutality home aurally. This record is akin to Lou Reed's Berlin or even Prince's Dirty Mind. Records that challenge you to stand with them or just go away. Potentially alienating, yes. But also rather genius.

From The Choirgirl Hotel (1998)****:

After the stark and rather grim nature of Boys, Choirgirl seems comparatively frothy. Not that it really is, but you can certainly say this album is more accessible and pretty fun in spots. The added use of samples, drum loops and heavier guitars on certain tracks add a level pop sheen heretofore unseen on her three previous records. The techno bounce of shoulda been a hit, "Raspberry Swirl" and the almost jaunty rhythms of "She's Your Cocaine" are just two examples of how much more smoothly this record goes down than any of her predecessors. This is still a Tori Amos album however. Which means tracks Northern Lad and Playboy Mommy bring on the downbeat like nobody's business.

To Venus And Back (1999)****:

Venus wasn't even intended to be a regular album. Amos had originally intended to put together a rarities/live collection as a placeholder for fans while she was marshaling her forces for a proper album. However, Amos shit canned that idea after being visited by the songwriting muse (or fairy--whatever), and came up with 11 new tracks to go along with the bonus live album. Doubling down on the samples and loops, Venus is quite possibly her most fully commercial album. First single, "Bliss" scored better than average radio play for the idiosyncratic artist, and second single "1000 Oceans" deserved to be a breathrough hit of the highest order. In fact, you could argue that "Oceans" may be her best song to date. Built on a drum sample, piano (natch), and some of her most straight forward lyrics, you could almost see this tune being a big hit for someone like Mariah Carey. Of course, it would suck mightily if Carey were to put her overly produced gloss on it and added her dog whistle high note, but still, you get the idea.

Strange Little Girls (2001)**1/2:

Oh, dear. Tori designed this covers album with the idea of taking songs from a predominately male perspective and twisting them to fit some sort of feminist narrative. It didn't work. Only the title track (a cut by The Stranglers) sounds like a song that would be proud to stand among any of her other albums. The rest of the record is filled with mediocre to misguided versions of Joe Jackson, Velvet Underground, and Depeche Mode songs among others. Really, the less said about this one the better.

Scarlet's Walk (2002)****:

A nice bounce back. Any concerns related to the Strange Little Girls record are put to rest here. While some of the songs get lost in the mix of 18 cuts, there are plenty of stand outs here. First single "A Sorta Fairytale" is a great pop tune, and if you haven't seen the bizarre video( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5XLbD5SZI) starring Tori and Adrien Brody, I would urge you to do so--if only once. "Taxi Ride," "Don't Make Me Come To Vegas," and "Amber Waves (named after Julianne Moore's Boogie Nights character) are all nearly as good. As a collection, the songs are supposed to be some sort of feminist concept album about a woman named Scarlet who travels through all 50 states. I'm sure it made sense in her head, but I would just say "enjoy the tunes."

The Beekeeper (2005)**:

Thud. The absolute nadir of her career. A shockingly listless 19 song package of depressingly unremarkable tunes. Way too long, and bereft of the trademark quirks and weirdness--not to mention song craft--that usually sets her apart from her contemporaries. I would go on about certain tracks, but I can't really remember them. This is the kind of record you might hear in the Hallmark Store, and it brings me no pleasure to say so.

American Doll Posse (2007)*****:

Now we're cookin' with gas! While this may be another indecipherable concept album, no matter, as the tunes are first rate from stem to stern. 23 cuts (although 6 are under 2 minutes) that sail by on a staggering level of song quality. Pretty much every good thing you've ever wanted from a Tori Amos album is here. Weirdo sexual hot mama track? (Big Wheel), check. Quasi-dance tune extravaganza? (Bouncing Off Clouds), check. Uplifting and effortless pop song? (Secret Spell), check. And of course, some of the trademark sad bastard ballads that one would expect (Girl Disappearing, Almost Rosey). After the Lackluster Beekeeper album, this record is nothing less than a complete reaffirmation of a ridiculous level of talent. Her second best album evah.

Abnormally Attracted To Sin (2009)***:

A solid, if unremarkable record that doesn't forecast a future slide in quality, but also doesn't give you the impression that she was really going for it here. The song craft is basically in place, the touches of weirdness are certainly evident, but the songs just don't rise to the level of previous releases. No shame in that, one just has a right to expect more from Miss Amos. "Welcome To England" and "Maybe California" are the best of a pretty decent bunch. Hopefully, this will be just a minor hiccup on the road to a better record. Although the "every other album" syndrome of up and down quality dating back to Strange Little Girls is concerning.

So there you have it, the whole shebang. You might be wondering why I wrote this now. Well, the other day I was walking my hound dog when a track (Putting The Damage On) from Boys For Pele popped up on my ipod and set my heart a-sailin.' Sometimes you lose track of an artist for a while, but you only need one song to send you back to that place of discovery. And besides, it's my damn blog, and I can write whatever I want. :)

Sumo-Pop
March 12, 2010