Tori Amos

Tori Amos was holding a contest for fans to create the video for her single “Big Wheel” from the album American Doll Posse. Here is the winning video, created by Wes Sutton:

Click here to view the other 75 entries.

Click here to see Tori’s live AOL Music performance, click here to listen to her BBC 2 Interview from this last Tuesday, and check out this video interview with Tori posted at lexpress.ch which was done during Tori’s recent visit to the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the clip, she reflects on the Festival as being the starting point of her career, the power of seduction, and her future as a touring artist. While she doesn’t say she’ll never tour again, she does say that she’s not planning another big world tour.

Tori Amos en interview au Montreux Jazz Festival - L’Express et L’Impartial

Tori Amos, recent news, interviews, BBC 2, Montreux Festival, Big Wheel Contest Winner

In the Introduction to Piece By Piece by, Tori Amos with Ann Powers, Tori talks about her music as a creation. She also considers this level of creation in architectual terms: “The songs don’t spring into whole existence; they are built. It’s a structural process.”

Another main theme of her creation is tapping into the Divine, however you define that. She speaks of the importance of maintaining her position as a co-creator. She has access to the Divine, but she is not confused; she is not the divine. She comments about how other actors, musicians, a superstars can get confused and believe they are the Divine; but cautions that this is when they are most likely to fall…

“When you start believing you are Aphrodite, or believing you are the Dark Prince, first of all, you have offended the Divine. And I find you don’t know how to access it anymore.”

So how does this relate to “regular people’s lives?”
Does it at all?
Aren’t we all creators of some sort, on some level, however mundane??
Do you believe that we create our reality?
I would love to hear what “normal people” create… I will add what I believe I create later today.

Tori Amos, Piece By Piece, Ann Powers, Creation, Divine

Of the dozens of reviews I found over the weekend, a trend seems to reveal itself:
The “critics” are only mixed to a certain degree, with the majority of them claiming American Doll Posse as Tori Amos’ best work since insert favorite album here. A lot of the reviews say that Scarlett’s Walk and The Beekeeper were “too heavy,” that Strange Little Girls was too… well… strange, and that people were losing faith in Tori’s ability to compose/perform like she used to. The main complaints about this album have been stated as having “too much conceptual malarkey” from Rolling Stone , and this from a lengthy review on Pop Matters (American Doll Posse) is a little bit too bogged down with its sometimes preachy, non-descript politics and too many of the usual suspects in the mix.

This came as a surprise to me (although not completely), which is why I enjoyed researching what people are saying about this album. I have never really paid attention to the critics in any arena. Film, books and music are highly personal and although a mention of something coming out may draw my attention, I certainly don’t let what someone else thinks sway my decision to see/read/listen to anything. So to read all these people saying they thought Tori was slipping, that motherhood may have been taking too much out of her, etc, etc was a wake up call, of sorts.

Most likely because I have a sort of blind faith in what Tori does. I may not understand it, or even necessarily enjoy every note of every song on every album, but she resonates such integrity that I at least respect her journey; as well her willingness to share her journey with the rest of the world, as I’ve mentioned before. And so, I normally buy her albums in spite of whatever the critics or users are saying.

The other trend that emerged was the user reviews were almost all between 8-10 on a 10-point scale. The actual people out there who are listening to this album are totally satisfied and even excited about the 9th studio album from Tori Amos. One user from this website put it quite well:

At first listen, its good. Second, its too heady, you sense she’s tried to hard. Third time, you still sense its worthiness. Fourth, you get it. Fifth listen and then on its a guilty pleasure and you’re hooked.

Metacritic’s website also has a handy break-down of what the main critics are rating this album.

Spin Magazine says “No longer just singing to the converted, this consummate cult icon now sounds committed to taking on the world.”

Whatever the case, people are talking about this album. They are talking about the album AND the tour, which is proving to be a fantastic display of Tori’s talent and creativity. I can’t wait until her U.S. Tour dates are posted, and I can only hope that she come further south than West Palm Beach this time…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Review, Spin, Rolling Stone, Metacritic, Critics, User Reviews

Isabel, the last of the dolls, is stated to be a documenter, a lens, a developer of vision, a presenter of perceptions. Another thing I admire about Tori Amos is that she is ever searching for the vision, her vision, the next vision, seeking completion, balance, understanding… not vainly, or only to know things for the sake of knowing them, but she seeks with integrity. I think it’s a human trait to seek for answers, seek for truth of some kind, understanding of any kind.

I know I seem to be seeking in a similar fashion. As I get older, I realize that the “answers” are sometimes elusive, because the questions I have are temporary. This has allowed me to be gentle with myself, ask the questions as they arise, but not become discouraged if the answers don’t come at the break-neck pace I so often crave.

Isabel’s songs are more political than the others:

Yo George, calling out George W. directly and also asking America, “Where have we gone wrong?”

Mr. Bad Man: could also be about the president… (ha) more likely about an abusive relationship; a sweet little ditty about a bad man.

Devils and Gods: another short song about personal responsibility. I really love the feel of this song; I wish she had made it longer

Almost Rosey: a beautifully composed song about … well, about a lot of things, actually. Mainly about keeping your chin up, looking on the bright side, etc, but also a little bit of darkness in there… or a retrospective, of sorts. She keeps the cryptic lyrics that she’s so adept at weaving throughout…

Dark Side of the Sun: speaks of the war, I believe… the soldiers who “lay down their lives” but also the ways we have “soldier on” in our own lives, whether we’re military or civilian.

Isabel has her own blog, found here.

This was an interesting little side trip, going through all the dolls with such attention to detail.
I hope everyone walks away with something new; I certainly did.

I’ll be posting some reviews of the album over the weekend, maybe some more video clips and then starting next week, I plan to get through some of “Piece By Piece,” so if you have the book and you want to freshen up to be a part of the dialogue, that would be magical…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Isabel, songs

Here is a 4-part video interview with Tori Amos from a VH1 series called Box Set. This You Tube member actually posted these separate clips, which is good because for some reason I can’t open the Tori link from the VH1 web page. The clips have been spliced together, which makes it difficult sometimes to follow which video/song/album/co-creator Tori is talking about, but it’s still a great series.

Part I:
Tori talks about her auspicious beginnings with Y Kan’t Tori Read, the inspiration for founding RAINN, and finding your voice.

Part II:
Tori talks about creating Under the Pink, questions the idea of God (surprised?), and Boys for Pele being a volatile time in her life.

Part III:
Tori talks about Talula, Hey Jupiter, Spark, Jackie’s Strength, Bliss

Part IV:
Tori revisits Crucify, talks about her daughter, Natasha, Strange Little Girls, Scarlett’s Walk, September 11th , The Beekeeper and Big Wheel

Tori Amos, VH1, Box Set, interview, albums

I told myself I wouldn’t save Pip for last. She makes me the uneasiest so far… but also the most relieved. So I guess that’s (one of) Tori’s point through all this. Discomfort is a small price to pay for liberation.

Pip is described as dark energy; and dark energy can be found in everything from “religious extremists to cheerleaders.” I totally grant that; and I’m a Scorpio, so I have a dark side built in…but mine is more of a mysterious-ness (if that’s even a word), rather than a literal dark, evil side. Then I suppose if I’m really honest…reeeeally honest…I suppose we all have something dark and evil way down, deep inside. And the societies we live in actively repress it. And that’s “for the best” because we need a sense of right and wrong, baselines to live by kind of a thing.

But then I think what happens is we forget that it is acceptable, even necessary, to let some of that out somehow. There has to be some kind of an outlet. For women (for me) the outlet is (was) typically sexual. What better to pair with inappropriate darkness than with inappropriate feminine sexuality? But that only goes so far…there is a point where it’s not effective anymore, and/or it’s a delicate balance to begin with. One must take great care not to lose one’s self in the process…

Pip’s songs speak about this, especially Teenage Hustling and of course, Fat Slut: “Don’t you dare, I said, judge me… I’m sick-a hearin’ it”
Her other songs: Body and Soul, Velvet Revolution and Smokey Joe are of another breed of darkness. Body and Soul, and even Velvet Revolution to an extent, is the mixture of religion and sexuality that Tori is so fond of. Smokey Joe is another one that I immediately was drawn to. With the layered lyrics that Tori does so well, and that dissonant sort of haunting sound…

Here is Pip singing a G8 improv before Fat Slut at Philipshalle in Dusseldorf (June 6, 2007).
Lyrics: (tho, this clip actually begins ½ way through the second line)

G8 Fuckers
G8 can you penetrate this gluttony
from every pore
from every man
who is now whore
who whores this land
who rapes my mother
G8 you cocksuckers

I especially enjoy her message here, but the way she sings this is so incredibly potent. We should all have an ounce of that potency and the world might be a very different place…

Here is a link to Pip’s blog. It also seems to be updated with candidness, but again (disclaimer forthcoming:) I have no idea if it’s actually Tori/Pip posting the updates. The fact that all the dolls’ blogs are at different sites makes me think that it’s not actually Tori… but I’ve been wrong once before.

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, G8, Pip, darkness

Santa is stated to be about beauty and passion. (You all know by now that I’m getting this from the 36-page color booklet in the Deluxe Edition CD, right?)
Webster Online defines beauty as: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

Where do you find beauty? What gives pleasure to your senses or pleasurably exalts your mind or spirit?? Where do I find mine…

- in laughter of any kind
- in the sand mixing with the suntan oils and salt water on my skin
- in asymmetry
- in black and white photography
- in the scent of jasmine at night
- in the mirror

I was shocked to find that the first entry from Webster Online defines passion as: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death. Who says the Roman Catholic Church has no influence on our day-to-day lives whether we like it or not??

For the purposes of this blog, however, I will use the 4th entry, which defines passion as: a: the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

This question of “what are you passionate about?” has been one that I’ve contemplated for years. Not in the romantic or sexual passion sense, but just in general. What is my passion? What invokes anything even remotely intense or driving??
I’m still working on it…

Santa’s songs on American Doll Posse are:

- You Can Bring Your Dog
- Secret Spell
- Body and Soul (shared with Pip)
- Programmable Soda
- Dragon

As Dragon is the last track on the album, I’m ultimately drawn to love this one as well. Without exception, the last songs featured on her albums are traditionally the most powerful and enchanting to me. Gold Dust from Scarlett’s Walk; Toast from The Beekeeper; Yes, Anastasia from Under the Pink.

Here is a video of the PS22 Chorus in New York singing Dragon for Tori! It’s really an amazing video. It’s actually part of a series that you can check out by using that link.

Santa has her own blog, as do all the girls, so check it out here. It appears to be updated pretty regularly, but again, I can’t verify if it’s actually being written by Santa (Tori), and I can’t really imagine that she would have the time to keep up with all the blogs… it’s a mystery… but then, what else did I expect from Tori Amos?

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Santa, PS22 Chorus, Passion, Beauty

Tori is the second “doll” that I will be discussing. She may have seemed an obvious first choice, but then that’s probably why I didn’t choose her first. Then when I really think about it… yes, she may have been an obvious one, but certainly not an easy one to write about.

What does Tori mean to me?
I could think of something new each day to respond to that question, but I’ll give it a go from my ‘right now’ place and see where it takes me.
She is familiar and comfortable on a level that rivals even some people in my “real life,” people whom I actually know and see and talk to. She is a haven, she is a respite, she is always there.
Doesn’t seem odd to speak this way about someone I’ve never met?
Another thing I adore about Tori: she is always so real. She grows and changes, but it is never forced. She doesn’t seek the next big thing or shove a new image on to the world (think Madonna), yet she is never the same for having been where she’s been and having done what she’s done; and she shares almost every moment of it with us! I admire that… I’ve never been good at sharing.

Tori also makes me uncomfortable on some level. Strange Little Girls made me so uncomfortable that I didn’t actually buy it until recently…
What is that? Here’s my theory:
I think she pushes herself to discover, experience, create… and she’s felt/seen/experienced the benefits of doing so, that she feels compelled on some level to ask the same of her audience. Push yourself. Just a little at first… but once you start to push yourself, you expand your comfort zone and then you have to push a little more. “So it ends. So it begins…”

Tori’s songs on this album are:
Big Wheel
Digital Ghost
Father’s Son
Code Red
Posse Bonus

Again, from the Deluxe Edition booklet, Tori is stated as being a perceptive channel, creating music from the “multiverse” (vs. the universe; many vs. one) and of being a co-creator, instead of selfishly creating for her own pleasure…

“Tori’s” songs on this album are so classically Tori, one could never mistake them for another of the dolls’. Big Wheel touches on a lot of the themes she’s so fascinated with, “get off the cross, we need the wood,” I’d have to do some research, but I’d be willing to bet that Jesus has made an appearance on each of her albums. Digital Ghost is a fantastic and beautiful example of how Tori uses the duality of meaning to express a deep sentiment about this technological age meshing with the ever-human emotional ‘nets’… “Switch you on my friend, pull you from that rip current…” Father’s Son is quintessential Tori: God, her father, sacraments.

So far, Clyde + Tori = my favorites of the album. But that’s another thing about Tori Amos’ albums… as I go through my own transformations, her songs speak to me differently. So what is now my favorite may not be in a few months time. But I trust that she will have something to speak to me differently when I need it… she always does.

All the dolls have their own blogs and Tori’s is listed as her MySpace page, though I cannot verify if she is actually the one updating it…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Dolls, Tori, songs

I’ve arranged the tracks from American Doll Posse in iTunes to group each woman’s songs together and listen to them consecutively. It’s easier to get each individual message this way, or at least to create a better flow…

I’m going to go through each of the women this week and get to know them, pick them apart, relate to them, etc. and I’ve decided to start with Clyde.

As stated in the Deluxe Edition CD booklet, Clyde is all about potential, and seeing past the masks that people use in order to really see them. Potential can mean many things, positive and/or negative. Specifically, the potential in a new relationship is mentioned in the booklet and reflected in the songs, as well.

• Her songs are:
  Bouncing Off Clouds
  Girl Disappearing
  Roosterspur Bridge
  Beauty of Speed

Bouncing Off Clouds was immediately one of my favorite songs on this album. In part, due to the sound of the song, which reminds me of some older Tori stuff, but mainly because of the chorus “Make it easy. Make this easy. It’s not as heavy as it seems…”

I’ve always felt that relationships should be easy, to a certain degree. Or at least, it shouldn’t be more difficult to be with someone, to have someone in your life, than it is to not have them. I’ve been through situations with people (male and female) whom I’ve loved and been really, really close to, people I would have died for and the relationship reached a point where it was more difficult to maintain than it was to just go our separate ways… and so we did.

All of Clyde’s songs speak to me directly about these people, the different points and places of my relationships with these people who have all but faded for me…
One of the things I enjoy and respect about Tori so much is that she never lets me forget. She’s always oh-so-subtly in your face with these human aspects that we might otherwise brush aside with age.

Clyde also has her own personal blog where she remarks on her journey through Europe for the tour. Check it out here.

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Clyde, potential, relationships, blog

It’s not what you’re thinking… well, maybe it is…

Loose Women is the UK’s version of The View and Tori did an interview with them on April 19, 2007, just prior to releasing American Doll Posse. It’s always fascinating to me how many (and how much) people just don’t ‘get’ Tori. She is poised and eloquent, as always, and these bumbling women just sort of get a glazed look in their eyes every time she says something intelligent.

Well, I’ve been trying to post the You Tube video, but it doesn’t seem to be working, so here is the link.
Got it—>

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Loose Women, Interview, Video

Tori Amos will be touring in the U.S., the dates have just not been posted as of yet.
So, here are the remaining European Tour Dates Tori has lined up for the American Doll Posse Tour:

July 8, 2007 - KINROSS, SCOTLAND – T in the Park

July 11, 2007 - MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND – Montreux Jazz Festival
On sale now at ticketcorner.com

July 13, 2007 - BUCHAREST, ROMANIA –Sala Polivalenta
On sale now at phoenix.ro and bilet.ro

July 15, 2007 - ISTANBUL, TURKEY – Masstival
On sale now at masstival.com and biletix.com

July 18, 2007 - ATHENS, GREECE –Fly Beeyond Athens Festival
On sale now

July 21, 2007 – TEL AVIV, ISRAEL –Ra’Nana Park

September 10, 2007 – MELBOURNE, AUSTRAILA – Hammer Hall
On sale now at coppel.com, and ticketmaster.com

September 14, 2007 – SYNDEY, AUSTRALIA – Opera House
On sale now at coppel.com, ticketmaster.com, and sydneyoperahouse.com

September 16, 2007 – CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – Canberra Theatre
On sale now at coppel.com and canberratheatre.com

September 18, 2007 – NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA – Civic Theatre
On sale now at coppel.com and ticketek.com

September 20, 2007 – ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Thebarton Theatre
On sale now at coppel.com and venuetix.com

September 22, 2007 – BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – Convention Centre
On sale now at coppel.com and ticketek.com

September 27, 2007 – BERTH, AUSTRALIA – Concert Hall
On sale now at coppel.com and bocsticketing.com

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, tour dates, European

As you may or may not be aware, on May 1, 2007, Tori’s 9th studio album “American Doll Posse” was released. I’m still digesting the album, personally, but here is some basic info:

It was completely written and produced by Tori, herself, and is available in two formats: The Standard version and the Limited Edition Deluxe version. The Deluxe version includes 5 collectible postcards, a 36-page full color booklet with lyrics, and a bonus DVD with a bonus track as well as behind the scenes footage of the creation of the 5 “American Dolls” featured on this disc. (I’ll get into the different Dolls in a minute)

For the avid Tori fan, the deluxe edition is a must have, but if you are just curious about the album, the standard version should be enough. Both versions can be purchased through iTunes by clicking here: Standard Version and the Deluxe Version

Here is “Big Wheel” performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, aired May 3, 2007.

On to the “dolls” of this album: Tori is featured as Isabel, Clyde, Santa, Tori and Pip – each have their own distinct voice or message, and combined, they make a complete woman. Tori has long been a critic of the Right-Wing, christian patriarchy so apparent in modern (especially the U.S.) culture, and has never been shy about saying so… loudly. So now, after being dismembered, literally and figuratively, by these rules the feminine essence of the Greek Mother Goddesses has reassembled to take back the power.

In the 36-page booklet, each woman has her songs listed next to her photo, so you can get the idea of who is saying what and which “personality” is responsible for which message. It may seem a little jarring or strange at first, but Tori is nothing if not totally and brutally honest about her process. My husband is a musician and he immediately conceded to the idea that as an artist, in order to truly create and compose different music, one does really have to take the identity of another. Or at the very least, open one’s self up to the idea of another perspective. Tori has always been an advocate of the “cycle” involved with being a performer: the performer gives, the audience receives… but then the cycle reverses, the audience is capable of giving and the performer is allowed to receive as well.

Thoughts on this, the latest from Tori???

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse

Hello to all the Tori fans out there!

I’m very excited about this opportunity to share my love for Tori Amos in this kind of forum. For my first post, I’d just like to give you all an idea about what I have in mind for this site. Any and all feedback, comments or suggestions are, of course, welcome! If there’s something you’d like to see, something you are sick of seeing, please post a comment or send me an email and let me know.

I’ll be keeping you up-to-date with recent Tori happenings, news, plans, etc., but I’d also really like to delve into what her music has meant to me. This is where you come in as well: It’s one thing to know and to discuss what Tori’s music and vision has meant to me personally, but it is not until ideas are shared, that can magic be found… and I really feel that Tori has so much magic within her, and she’s been so gracious as to share with the rest of the world the gifts she has been given… It’s only to our benefit to find out what others have felt, seen or experienced with Tori’s music, so that we may be able to gain another perspective.

As I go through her albums, or songs, please jump in and add your experience with the topic at hand.

Her book “Piece by Piece” with Ann Powers is another great source of inspiration, one in which Tori is really very open to personal experiences in a more literal way than when she writes songs, so I’ll be referring to that book as well. If you don’t have it yet, I highly recommend it. You can buy it here

I look forward to this journey, as I hope you do…
Classic Tori:

Maggie V.