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From:
rdtrn@torithoughts.org
Date:
Fri, 12 Aug 2005 10:25:43 -0700
Subject:
RDT Right Now #1948
To:
rdtrn@torithoughts.org
Do not hit reply to unsubscribe. To unsub, send a message to:
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with "unsubscribe" in the subject and body.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Really Deep Thoughts Right Now Volume 05 : Issue #1948
.
o - O - O - O - O - O - O - O - o
. o o .
o o
O "Thoughts right now... O
o What will become of me, o
o Become of her, become of we?" o
. o o .
O O
O - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - O
o .
o
o
o
Tori Amos, "Thoughts"
In this issue:
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Why The Beekeeper Sucks (and other r [ Bethany Rose <hejira@u-town.com> ]
well, well, well.. brace yourselves [ Cyndi S Crawford <cyndi.crawford@ju ]
TBK [ Beth Winegarner <echoes@atlantic.de ]
boo! [ Tara Hughes <torilovr13@yahoo.com> ]
TORI AMOS To Release Live Bootleg Se [ wojizzle forizzle <woj@smoe.org> ]
a word from the national quack [ "John Bragazzi" <utown@worldnet.att ]
Blood Roses on organ [ Roxanne Rieske <rokzane@comcast.net ]
Listening to Bees [ "Beth Coulter" <betheqt@voicenet.co ]
addenda [ "John Bragazzi" <wasserman@operamai ]
Missed a digest? Pick up a copy at the RDTRN archives:
http://www.torithoughts.org/rdtrn/archives
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
[top]
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 18:43:18 -0500
From: Bethany Rose <hejira@u-town.com>
To: rdtrn@torithoughts.org
Subject: Why The Beekeeper Sucks (and other rants)
so here is the original post that i wrote back in April. if you think
the last one was a novel, check this one out (or not). i think it may
clarify some of the points i rather sloppily made in the last post.
******
i have been known to call a spade a spade. one thing that pisses me off
to *no end* about Tori fans in general is their almost complete
inability to discuss Tori's music in any critical way. any criticism
about Tori's music on this list since i've been here (1998, for the
record) has been met with a tone of anger and hurt; "how dare you
criticize her music! of course it's different than (fill in album
name)! she's a different person! you shouldn't hate her music because
it's different!"
Tori fans take it so...personally. it's something i really never
understood. i'm comfortable with saying, "Tori's put out a bum album or
three. but hey, i still think she's the best thing since sliced bread."
(which i do)
on friday, i listened to Tori on the World Cafe on xpn here in Philly.
it was purely by accident, since it's always when i'm at work, and as i
was on phone, one of the songs caught my ear and would not let go.
maybe it was "the power of orange knickers" . The four songs she
played, solo on the piano, were beautiful, compelling, and achingly
sad. which leads me to confirm my hunch about the first, and biggest
problem with The Beekeeper:
1. The production.
it is uniformly uninteresting. i have had this thought for a while now:
Tori needs an outside producer. it's true that no artist lives in a
vacuum, and it's true of just about any artist that working solo (and
by solo i mean without the input of other people) for too long is
detrimental to creativity. i think Tori has finally come to that impass
that she needs some outside input into how her songs sound. this
doesn't mean giving up control of her artistic vision, no, not by any
means. it just means allowing other people to color in your coloring
book.
i do need to put in one caveat before i continue, just to be clear:
when i say production, i mean how the songs sound. i actually don't
have a problem with the songwriting, the experience i mentioned above,
listening to her songs solo on piano, leads me to think that most of
the songs on The Beekeeper themselves are, as always, beautifully
written and intricately structured. why she chooses to dampen that
beauty under the wet wool blanket of the B3 organ, i will never know.
to me, the album sounds very mushy. i miss the sharp edges of the piano
and harpsichord. i miss the prepared piano (what happened with this and
why didn't she do more with it?!). i especially miss that gorgeous
ringing trumpet on "Father Lucifer" and the warm tones of french horn
in "Putting the Damage On". what the hell happened to the crunching
nastiness of Choirgirl? remember when, at the end of "She's Your
Cocaine", she says, almost savagely, "Cut it again"? can you imagine
Tori doing that on an album now? i can't.
it seems that now she's continually reaching into the same bag of
tricks. the piano that was once to prominent in her songs is just
buried. the organ continues to make oatmeal out of her songs. the
layered vocals are overused and now just plain annoying.
another artist i would cite as a similar case is Ani Difranco. her
earlier recordings were obviously homemade and stripped down and
cobbled together in a rather appealing, ramshackle way. it occasionally
sounded like her and Andy Stochansky were barely hanging on by a guitar
string, like they were about to explode or implode any moment. now, i
find nothing particularly interesting about her (again) mid-tempo'ed,
rambling songs that have no real structure or interest to speak of. i
haven't bought an album of hers since about 1999.
liz phair is another one that broke my heart. sigh.
2. the length.
alright. 80 minutes?! Helloooo? hey friends, do you remember when CDs
(or cassettes, or albums, pick your generation) had ten songs?
even Boys for Pele wasn't this long. even Scarlet's Walk wasn't this
long. BFP i will give her the length, because it's basically a concept
album, as i see it, and it all holds together and hangs as one piece.
there is no dead weight to it. Scarlet's Walk is nearly as good in
consistency, but you could've trimmed off a few songs and been none the
worse (and probably better). The Beekeeper is, as i see it, about
35-40% dead weight. if she had managed to trim the album down to even
12 songs, it would be a far stronger album.
this is similar to the problem i have with Ani DiFranco's last 5 or 6
albums: the woman puts out an album (sometimes two) a year. overall,
they are generally mediocre with the exception of two or three really
good songs. now, just think if Ani didn't have her own record label,
and put out an album every two to three years, like some artists. if
she had taken the best two or three songs from each album and put it
together in one: voila! a very good to excellent album.
i've said it before, and i'll say it again, in caps in case you were
scrolling:
(GOOD) ART IS IN THE EDIT.
just because you can produce huge amounts of (music, art, dance,
writing) doesn't mean you should. i am a big believer in doing what you
do well, and showing that to the world, and let the rest gently
disappear.
that is all. carry on.
-bethany
(whore of babylon)
************************************************************************
*******
http://hejira.u-town.com
home of the blunts and the cheesesteaks
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[top]
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:43:27 -0400
From: Cyndi S Crawford <cyndi.crawford@juno.com>
To: RDTRN@torithoughts.org
Subject: well, well, well.. brace yourselves for a good bit of reading.
well, good day there, everyone. :)
I've got much to share, but first I'm going to make replies to
Bethany and Megan. so, on with the replies!
>what the hell happened to this list? where is everyone? ... oh,
right...listening to Tori's crap new album, and buying overpriced tickets
to her shows, and then bitching on all the tour lists that i so
unfortunately still belong to about how the presales suck.<
well part of that's true for me.. minus the
bitching-about-the-presales part anyway. ;) me, I've been busy taking
care of my nephew (born April 31, 2005 *DANCE!*) and dealing with a lot
of personal issues (which I will get to later).
>and so now i'm pissed, all of a sudden, after watching the "sweet the
sting" video, with the realization that a) nothing she's doing right now,
musically, visually or otherwise is interesting or original..<
I think some of what Tori's doing is original--using the B3
instead of focusing on the piano, at least is somewhat original on her
part, since she's the "girl with her piano". but that said, I have to
say, as a video production major.. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT FUCKING VIDEO A
TRILLION TIMES BETTER!!! arrrrrrgh! better script, better video in
general, better EVERY-FUCKING-THING! yeesh, woman, contact me and tell me
you wanna do a music video already! I'll blow that tripe outta the water,
I will!
okay.. *breathes* I'm done there. heh heh.. o_O
>and sure, i can look back at all the albums i like, and listen to them
with sadness and nostalgia, mixed with the bitter knowledge that there
just may be nothing more like that coming out of her.<
you never know, Bethany. as it is, Tori may have some
reallyyyyyyyy good stuff in store for us that was spurred by her
brother's death. ya never know. my best friend (who thinks Tori rocks)
does not like the new album very well at all. she hates Sweet The Sting
and Hoochie Woman worst of all, but.. yeah. I think she'd easily relate
to what you're saying. I can too, but not from a "this album sucks!"
perspective, but more from a "this.. is a great album, but not as good as
her other stuff.." kind of perspective. like I don't quite know what to
make of it.
I mean there are five songs at least that I absolutely adore on
it, and I REALLY like it as a whole and can listen to it with much more
happy fervor and interest than Michael Jackson's Invincible album which
I've only listened to, at most.. about four times. you wanna talk about
someone who's losing their touch? listen to that album by MJ. seriously.
it pains me to say that, but it's true. Tori's still got that touch,
Bethany, it's just changing and you are probably not in that state with
her. heaven knows, I certainly am not either, but I still can appreciate
it for what it is. hopefully someday down the road, I'll reach that point
that she's at right now and will be able to fully appreciate it for what
it is.
now, moving on to Megan..
>Wow. Hyper. Very very hyper. Because I haven't done ANYTHING this
entire day.<
are ya sure it wasn't from copious amounts of coffee and red
bull? :D
>Is there a state for crazy, silly people who love writing? If so, I
wanna live there and make lots of friends so we can all play DDR
together. And sing badly. And complain about our jobs, not because they
suck, but because we love them and don't want to be left out of the crowd
of people who complain about their jobs professionally.<
yeah, it's called insanity. *joke*joke* ...or is it denial? no,
but seriously..
I'd say come to Georgia, but.. there are plenty of other
"starving artists" out there already.. so.. I dunno. but eh.. you might
luck out down here. besides.. I'm here tooooo. *dannnnnnnce* but then
that might be a good reason to stay AWAY from Georgia, har har.
and last but not least, Megan.. I WANT YOUR ROLLER SKATE SHOES!
ooookay, moving on to stuff relating to me. goodness I feel
selfish and "me me me" like just saying that. o_O eh what the hell.
well, I got into touch with the lovely Beth C and talked to her
about a lot of posts that I've been making in my LiveJournal lately, and
she urged me to sum those posts up in here and see if I can start up a
discussion of sorts.
I see no reason to shrug that idea off. it might bring more life
back to the list. :) so.. on we plow.
I haven't been able to get to a psychiatrist or a therapist (ya
kinda need health insurance, at least in the States, to do that, sadly),
but to make a long story short, I've suspected for a while now that I
suffer from depression and anxiety, and am not really sure of how to go
about handling it.
I've had many (though I thankfully have never acted on them)
unrelenting pangs of "I want to self destruct", I've had many, many days
of feeling angry and frustrated (long story short: at least half of this
anger is directed towards someone that I thought was.. y'know.. IT.. but
turned out to be a liar in every manner possible, basically) and quite a
few questions to go along with that. a lot of them are questions
involving society, religion, God, and so on. many of my friends on my
LiveJournal have encouraged me to keep searching for answers and asking
questions. others have more or less stared and watched it all unfold with
their jaws hitting the floor in shock.
why shock? because they never expected sweet little me to have
such violent and angry thoughts. I'll go into some detail here and quote
some bits and pieces from my LJ posts. Beth C highly suggested I do it to
kind of open up a discussion involving my issues as well as issues among
everyone else, so.. yeah. (thanks Beth. :) ) be warned though, it gets
lengthy. that said, I've done my best with some editing to trim it down
size-wise, but not content-wise.
"why are people so scared of the dark? why are people so afraid of LIFE?
life isn't necessarily light. or dark. life is both. why do we shun one
thing and embrace the other? why do we want balance but actively reject
it?"
"I don't know what's gotten into me, but there's no use in fighting it or
trying to deny it or.. trying to cover it up and soften the blow with
pretty little lies. no use whatsoever. so why do I fight it? why do we
resist change? why are we afraid of ourselves? why have we been brought
up to be afraid of everything? why have we been raised to believe that
pleasure is bad?"
"we cover our faces in embarrassment when we watch a couple in a movie
express their love for each other (and of course I mean tastefully--I'm
not exactly talking about porn here), and yet we hardly flinch when we
watch our favorite actor blow yet another extra's head to bits in that
smash movie of the year. you might think I'm being a little extreme with
this. but you'd be surprised.
we're so busy trying to blow up the terrorists and the nay-sayers that we
can't be bothered to fix things at home. and home is what needs the
repair jobs more than anywhere else. why are we so scared?"
"we live in a world full of distractions and illusions. we choose to
escape it with more distractions and illusions. we surround ourselves
with noise and stupidity and junk and poisons and then we wonder why
we're depressed, overweight, disease-ridden and generally fucked up.
we pump our bodies full of shit that doesn't need to be in us and then we
wonder why we die young. we develop addictions and bad habits and push
away the ones we love and then we wonder why we're so fucking cold and
lonely.
we treat ourselves like shit. we treat our bodies as if they were nothing
more than little throw-away styrofoam cups of coffee at a PTA meeting and
then we wonder what the hell happened when our babies are born with birth
defects, or worse, when we can't have babies in the first place.
we plant our children in front of the television for hours on end without
keeping an eye on what they're watching and then we wonder why they've
burned the house down from imitating something they watched earlier that
day. we watch our children grow up watching mindless bullshit on the
television, and we wonder why they struggle with their homework and fail
their classes.
we make up excuses for our children's behavior and then we wonder why
they grow up to be murderers, thieves, rapists and drug lords. does
anyone else see something wrong with this picture? because I sure as hell
don't see why we (me included) do it to ourselves. I'm not saying we
should ban drugs, junk food, TV and the internet. I'm saying we need to
take care of ourselves."
"we do all of these natural things, and we get punished for them.. it's
no wonder we're all so fucking dead on the inside. it's no wonder we all
hurt so badly. it's no wonder we do nothing but cry out for help anymore.
it's no wonder we're becoming numb. I don't want to be numb. I want to
live. I want to be alive. I do not belong here on this planet. I don't
belong here at all."
"what is "normal" anyway? normal is boring. normal scares me. fuck
normal. if being normal is what it takes to be a part of society, then I
don't want it. I don't belong here anyway, but it's not like I want to if
I'm going to be stuck in a place that values conformity over
individuality, and mind slavery over free will.
this is not my home. they say "home is where the heart is". well, my
heart is not here. the sad part is I don't know where my heart is. all I
know for certain is that I want to live. I have no wish or need to die
anytime soon. my work here is not done. I'd say "I want to continue to
live" if I were already alive. I don't think I am. I don't think many--or
any--of us are. I truly think that we are dying."
"why do we insist upon enslaving ourselves in this illusion that we call
the "real world" instead of liberating ourselves? why are we all so
stupid and scared? what is it going to take to break free from this
destructive cycle of repression?
I am weary. I am frustrated. I am angry. I am upset. dare I say it, I am
most definitely suffering from depression and anxiety. those of you who
deny this fact don't know what goes on in my head, nor have you had the
chance to actually see me interact with the world--in person--during a
tense situation.
I know I suffer from depression and anxiety. I want a
psychiatrist/therapist (whatever) to diagnose it officially, but I have a
very good feeling that I suffer from anxiety and depression (the
depression possibly being due to the anxiety).
to make matters worse, I have wanted to get tattoos for years upon years.
even from a relatively (we're talking preteens and even younger) young
age, I've wanted tattoos. I also like the scars on my body. I don't know
why exactly, but I do. I have yet to ever pick up a knife or some other
sharp object and inflict pain upon myself (I don't like pain), but I do
love every single scar that is on my body."
"I'm in no mood to sleep. I'm upset, angry, fed up and completely let
down. yeah, all because of little things going wrong everywhere. oh,
sure, it's no big deal. right. sure. what the fuck ever. if it's no big
deal, why am I so miserable that I can't sleep?
why am I even so irritable in the first place? it can't just be hormones.
I don't give a shit what people say, it can't just be hormones doing this
to me. hormones make you a little irritable if not just having a blue
day.
hormones--monthly girly hormones--don't (or rather, shouldn't) trigger
anxiety and anger and nearly full-blown depression. they just don't. they
don't make you cave in and blubber in absolute frustration and weariness
in front of your best friend when you're trying to get out of the house
to have a good time. they just fucking DON'T.
I need sedatives. I need drugs. I need ANYTHING that will calm me the
fuck down for a change. I feel like I'm going crazy and I feel like
self-destructing in any way possible."
"you know what would be nice right now? if I could get into a fight. and
then if I could fuck somebody. and then if I could get shitfaced drunk.
and then if I could do obscene amounts of various drugs. (you name it, I
don't give a shit) and then if I could smoke some cigarettes. all in the
same night.
I hurt so much from this anxiety. it's hurt for so long that I don't
notice it hurting anymore until I get like this. I have never felt the
urge to kill myself, but I have, repeatedly, felt the urge to self
destruct in some manner.
I am at the end of my fucking rope. I need a job. I need money. I need
this, I need that, I need all kinds of fucking bullshit. I am tired of
needing things. I am tired of needing to lose weight. I am fucking sick
of EVERYTHING.
I am sick of being scared. I am tired of walking on eggshells when I
don't need to because I fear I'm going to drive my friends away. I am
particularly fucking sick of not being my real true SELF when I am around
people in person. why can't I let go and just be my real self? why do I
have to hide behind a fucking mask of nonsensical BULLSHIT and incessant
chattering? why do I do this to myself? it does nothing for me. WHY DO I
DO IT?
how have I managed to go from having very few and short periods of
depression to longer and more frequent ones in probably just two years if
not less? I want so badly to hurt something.. or someone. I don't know. I
can't even bring myself to slap someone and yet I sit here wishing I
could join a fight club of some sort. I've been wanting that for a very
long time.
reality is bullshit. more and more, I can understand why some of my
friends prefer to spend as much of their lives as they can in a haze of
drugs and alcohol. I'd do it too if it didn't mean being less than
coherent and less than able to do things that I do now without the risk
of getting into trouble with the law."
... and that more or less sums everything up. so.. thoughts,
anyone? feel free to share, that's why I put so much stuff in this.
so until next time... ciao!
Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford
"I know we're dying / and there's no sign of a parachute / we scream in
cathedrals / why can't it be beautiful / why does there gotta be a
sacrifice?" -- Tori Amos
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[top]
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:20:56 -0700
From: Beth Winegarner <echoes@atlantic.devin.com>
To: RDT Right Now <rdtrn@torithoughts.org>
Subject: TBK
This came out sounding much more bitter than I originally intended.
Reading through some of the responses to Bethany's post (which admittedly I
do not have in front of me, but I do remember appreciating what she had to
say), I think it's important to note a difference between "Tori is making
happier music because she is in a different phase of her life" and "Tori is
not making music on par with her skill level."
I felt much less engaged by the songs on TBK than I did by the songs on SW.
I like a few Beekeeper pieces, notably "Parasol," "Marys of the Sea," the
title track and "Toast." That is my personal reaction to the work.
As a sometimes pro critic, however, I have also listened to the album with
that kind of an ear. TBK is one of Tori's most flawed albums to date. Some
musicians I have spoken with, who have a much better ear than I do, have
pointed out that Tori's vocal phrasing is awkward on many of the tracks, and
having gone back to it with that in mind I have to agree. It sounds like the
lyrics and the music were not written of a piece, and that can make for a
jarring listening experience. This is not something you expect from a woman
who's been in the music business for nearly 30 years.
Some people hear pop gloss and immediately assume a musician is not trying.
I'm not enough of a musician to say one way or the other. It's possible that
Tori "challenged herself" to make a glossy pop record, to see if she could
do it. Fair enough. (Some part of me thinks she may have done this expressly
to prove to people "no, my albums don't sell themselves when I make a pop
record, either; so let me make what I want to make and you figure out how to
market it." That has been a lingering question for years. Turns out that
even when she makes bubblegum, it's still anchovy bubblegum.)
Personally, I do feel some amount of letdown from TBK. I wanted to like it,
and I might still like it in a year or two (it sometimes takes me that long
to get into her latest work). And it's not because she's in a happy place,
because *I* am in a happy place, too. She didn't make a record that, as a
*whole work*, intrigued me enough to keep coming back. Historically I have
relied on Tori to make music that welcomed me into its world, and I don't
relate to TBK on that level. It's a bummer.
But I don't think it's wrong for people to like it, either. In fact I would
prefer some people got enjoyment out of it, since that's what it's there
for. :)
Beyond not feeling like there is a place for me in this album, I also didn't
feel like there was a place for me on the solo tour. I saw her show at
Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco; I sat in the balcony, where I like to
sit, and where I usually feel Tori is singing straight to me even if I'm in
the nosebleed seats. This time, not only was the sound muddy and bad, but I
felt like I wasn't even in the room. It's going to be a while before I want
to see a Tori show again. I almost got tickets for the summer tour just to
see Imogen Heap, but now that Imogen's off the bill I see no reason to pay
the money.
Beth
--
"This country has a deep fear and mistrust of strong, smart, accomplished,
outspoken women unless they are sexy 22-year-olds killing vampires on
television." -- Dennis Miller
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
music reviews + stories + poetry + photography + collage + Watchers
livejournal + selkies + esoterica + links = http://echoes.devin.com
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
[top]
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:47:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tara Hughes <torilovr13@yahoo.com>
To: rdtrn@torithoughts.org
Subject: boo!
hi friends. it's been quite awhile since i've
actually posted here, i
guess i'm just another lurker. whatev.
i think that since the last time i've posted, i've
graduated college
(may of 2003) and found a semi-permanent job
(one-on-one educational
assistant [read: aide] in a local elementary school (i
live in new jersey).
it's satisfying, but not completely where i want to be
in life. my
goal is to be an elementary school teacher, since
that's what i'm
certified to do. baby steps, i guess.
i didn't catch tori this past time around. i haven't
really been to
into her latest stuff, but i tried. during my spring
break, i visited
california for the first time with a college friend.
we rented a car,
and when i had the opportunity to drive (san anselmo
to san jose) alone,
i played tbk. it was nice, but, well, pele it ain't.
i bought tickets
to see her in camden on the 20th, but i really have to
admit that i'm
not particularly enthused about it. i'm trying to get
all excited and
psyched, but it's really really hard. add to that the
fact that no one
in my circle of friends really is a tori fan (not like
i am, anyway...
just being honest), and i refuse to go alone... yeah.
i bought my tickets through ticketmaster (haha, like
i'd pay $300
through ebay or something equally retarded as hell),
and i guess they
released more seats, because i'm in row c or something
like that. i know
that's really like the 10th row, but, whatever. i
guess if i were going
to another show, perhaps a few years ago, i'd go all
out, but i just
don't care this time. row c is good enough for me!
anyway, that's enough for now. anyone going to the
philly/camden show?
if so, you know where i'm sitting. come find me, or
something. :P
~tara
np- charlotte martin~ parade on
____________________________________________________
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
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[top]
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 16:36:53 -0400
From: wojizzle forizzle <woj@smoe.org>
To: torinews@smoe.org, rdtrn@torithoughts.org,
fiercest clams <precious-things@smoe.org>
Subject: TORI AMOS To Release Live Bootleg Series!
----- Forwarded message from Tori Amos <ToriAmos@epicrecords.com> -----
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 16:21:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tori Amos <ToriAmos@epicrecords.com>
To: woj@smoe.org
Subject: TORI AMOS To Release Live Bootleg Series!
DEAR woj --
After years of paying top dollar for low quality bootlegs, Tori Amos
diehards now have an alternative. Six live bootleg recordings are set
to be released this fall. The first two releases are scheduled for an
August 30th release, with four more due this fall. All six discs will
be available exclusively at http://www.toribootlegs.com.
Each bootleg is a double-disc package brimming with live rarities, fan
favorites and stunning cover versions. Each set was recorded live
during her "Original Sinsuality Tour".
The first album features songs captured during Tori's April 15th, 2005
concert at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Among the set's many
highlights are live, soul-baring renditions of 1992's "Mother" the
title track of new album The Beekeeper and 1996's "Father Lucifer," as
well as poignant covers of Jim Croce's 1971 hit "Operator" and Joni
Mitchell's "Circle Game."
The second album, recorded April 25th, 2005 at Royce Hall Auditorium in
Los Angeles, features intimate versions of 1994's "Cloud On My Tongue"
and "Yes, Anastacia," as well as covers of Bon Jovi's 1986 No. 1 hit
"Livin' On A Prayer" and Jules Shear's "All Through The Night."
SPECIAL OFFER!
Order both Tori Amos double-CD Bootlegs -
Auditorium Theatre Chicago, IL and
Royce Hall Auditorium Los Angeles, CA -
for $25!
ORDER BOTH NOW AT http://TORIBOOTLEGS.COM
Both bootlegs will be available beginning August 30. If you place your
order by Wednesday, August 24, your order will be shipped to arrive on
or around August 30.
TORI'S SUMMER OF SIN TOUR KICKS OFF TODAY!!!
The shows will feature Tori performing solo as she showcases songs from
The Beekeeper, as well as compositions from her seven previous studio
albums. The pop-rock duo the Ditty Bops along with LA based trio The
Like will join Tori on the road.
SEE TOUR DATES AND ALL THE REST ON TORI AT:
http://ToriAmos.com
----- End forwarded message -----
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Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 07:41:30 -0400
From: "John Bragazzi" <utown@worldnet.att.net>
To: "RDT Right Now" <rdtrn@torithoughts.org>
Subject: a word from the national quack
There are two questions, it seems to me.
One is that some people like Bethany (and me, as I've indicated before)
find Tori's music to be less and less involving, culminating in "The
Beekeper," which I never listen to. This is too bad, it's always a little
sad to realize that something you once cared about is now less central in
your life . But that's part of life, people change (and it's a good thing
that they do, overall).
But there's also the direction that Tori's music has taken, which is
increasingly bland and mainstream. And this is reflected in a lot more
than the fact that a few of us are less and less excited. For example,
remember when Choirgirl came out? There was digest after digest about it,
analyzing every word and sound on the album. Remember all the explication
of the plants mentioned in "Datura"?
Now, with an album *and* a book out, plus a tour, and there's mostly
silence here.
If any one of us likes or dislikes her current musical direction, that's
obviously a matter of personal taste, but I think the overall silence says
that, for all of us, like it or not, there's less there to dig into.
And, as I've said before, the "she's in a different place in her life"
argument isn't really relevant. The point is the art. Stephen Spielberg
was, I believe, married with children when he made "Schindler's List."
John Coltrane was married (I believe with children, though I'm not sure
about that) when he recorded "A Love Supreme."
Also, I would submit that people who argue that married life is
automatically more stable and happy and settled (and settling) than single
life have never been married. I mentioned that argument to my mother, and
she pronounced it "horse shit," which pretty much fits in with my own
married experience.
I agree completely with Roxanne who said that Tori is still a great
singer. I would go further and say that she is a much better singer now
than she was in the earlier days. Playing with a band tightened up some
of her nuttiness, and working on Strange Little Girls obviously helped,
too.
The problem with the albums recently is that they bury her voice under
more and more junk (effects, double-tracking, manual doubling, who knows
what else). If Tori had the right producer, he or she would probably
point out, "Um, Tori? That stuff, that's what you do when you have a
singer who can't sing. You *can* sing. So, sing." Madonna's early
records were like that, all tricked up. I gather that it's still the case
with Britney Spears and so on. But if you have a really good singer, just
let them sing.
The proof of that is in the Florida DVD, where her singing is tremendous.
I was very interested to hear from Roxanne that:
> 2) The songs, although no longer about personal tragedy and angst, are
> now delving beneath the surface of what is actually going on with
> humanity and society. Which I find fascinating. TBK is full of mythology
> and questions and speculations on humanity and society in general. It's
> fascinating to me because that's the kind of stuff I care about. I
> appreciate how Tori thinks, and her views on what is going on in the
> world around her are right in my line of sight as well.
This is interesting. I remember when I listened to the Beekeeper a couple
of lines of lyric wafted by me and caught my interest, sounding exactly
like what you're talking about, but then my attention wandered away
again. Maybe I should read the lyric sheet, but I remember it's very hard
to read. Of course, if the CD didn't have like 75 songs, it would be
easier to lay out a readable lyric sheet. I'll have to go look at the
lyrics on line.
Personal tragedy and angst was never what attracted me to Tori in the
first place, it was the music. But if New Wave were starting now, I'm
afraid we'd classify Tori as a "Boring Old Fart," and that's too bad.
Megan CA, I have no suggestions about a job. I have ended up in a sort of
proofing-related job (National Quality Assurance Coordinator, thank you
very much, they've already started to call me the "national quack"), but I
had to be here for 19 years to end up in this position. I proof, but I
also serve as an arbiter about how the templates and formats are supposed
to look. My main suggestion would be to hook up with a good temp agency
(or more than one), since that's how a lot of people get permament jobs.
They use the temp agency like an audition, then if they like you they hire
you permanently.
On the other hand, you have shoes with built-in roller skates, and that's
pretty neat. I saw a girl on the street with those recently, for a second
it looked like she was sliding down the street on her shoes. It was very
cool.
No substitute for a job, of course, but still.
As B/4,
John
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Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 09:39:09 -0600
From: Roxanne Rieske <rokzane@comcast.net>
To: RDT Right Now <rdtrn@torithoughts.org>
Subject: Blood Roses on organ
Has anyone heard Blood Roses on the organ yet?? You can download it from
Hereinmyhead.com (in Diagnosed Sounds).
Fucking awesome. I pray this will be on one of the offical bootlegs
coming out.
--
Roxanne Rieske (Rokzane)
rokzane@comcast.net
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Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 16:20:42 -0400
From: "Beth Coulter" <betheqt@voicenet.com>
To: "RDT Right Now" <rdtrn@torithoughts.org>
Subject: Listening to Bees
Hey Y'all,
I've been injured so must make this short. I got hit hard in the back at a
pool and am coping with a huge bruise and blood clot.
Anyway, The secret to the new album is the order in which you listen. Just
like Choirgirl, you must put it into lyric book order. Then it makes
beautiful sense, with a wonderful balance and flow.
Tori has grown up, and her music shows it. I think that this is a return to
the path she was taking before 9/11 and find such meaning in such songs as
"orange knickers".
So take out your lyric book and program your cd in that order. You know
that Tori likes to hide things, make you work for the meaning.
I'll be at the Tweeter Center on August 20 with Row A Orch seats. Anyone
else going to Camden?
Fairy Blessings,
Bethey
I'm OK when Everything's not OK
cause it's the Fairies Revenge they say
And I have always been a Fairy.
www.bethcoulter.com
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[top]
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 09:57:15 +0800
From: "John Bragazzi" <wasserman@operamail.com>
To: rdtrn@torithoughts.org
Subject: addenda
I've thought some more about this question of whether "married with childre=
n" =3D mellow and settled (for art and artists, or anybody else).=20
=20
Oliver Stone was married with children when he wrote "Scarface" (I was hopi=
ng for NBK, but he was between marriages when he made that one, though the =
plot certainly shows that marriage can be exciting and vital, and the final=
shot seems to show that having children isn't going to change Mickey and M=
allory very much).=20
=20
Courtney Love was married with a child when her band made "Live Through Thi=
s," still probably my favorite album of the last quarter of the last centur=
y.=20
=20
Robert Altman has been married for the last 46 years, so he was married (wi=
th children) when he made many of my favorite movies ever (McCabe & Mrs. Mi=
ller, The Long Goodbye, Nashville, Kansas City, Gosford Park, and so on).=
=20
=20
Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera. 'Nuff said.=20
=20
Or I could introduce you to my ex-wife. She's the small woman over there b=
ehind the large drum kit, cigarette hanging in the corner of her mouth, con=
templating how she could hurt you with her black belt in karate. Admittedl=
y, she and I didn't have any kids, but I don't think having kids would have=
mellowed us out any. It would have given us a lot more to fight about.
=20
Reminds me of Randy Newman's comment about the song "Have You Ever Been Mel=
low?" He said, "What an ambition, to be mellow. That's like wanting to be=
senile."=20
=20
As B/4,=20
=20
John=20=20=20
=20
_____________________=20
"Shake your head girl, with your pony tail,=20
takes me right back when you were young.=20
Throw your precious gifts into the air,=20
watch them fall down, when you were young.
Lift up your feet and put them on the ground,=20
you used to walk upon, when you were young.
Lift up your feet and put them on the ground,
the hills were higher, when you were young."
-- "If There is Something" (Roxy Music)
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