TORI AMOS

Yet another album born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ocean to Ocean was the result of the time Tori Amos spent in lockdown in Cornwall, England. The newfound free time allowed her to bask in the landscapes and "ancient myths" (in her words) of the county, something that's conveyed very nicely by the scenic album cover as well. Such inspiration was quite promising to me going into the record because - let's face it - Amos has been in a bit of a holding pattern in recent years. Her artsy piano-driven alternative-rock-meets-Kate-Bush shtick has led to some fantastic albums, especially in the beginning of her career, but I feel as though it eventually led to her revealing her limits as a singer-songwriter. But as 2014's Unrepentant Geraldines has proven, Amos still does have the potential to pull out another quality release from time to time. So I was perfectly willing to give Ocean to Ocean a shot with an open mind; lo and behold, I was rewarded.

If you're looking for something revolutionary that redefines Amos' career, look elsewhere. This record is still very much in her wheelhouse; however, what Ocean to Ocean lacks in innovation, it makes up for in reflective songwriting and lovely chamber pop melodies. Opener "Addition of Light Divided" immediately sets the scene, as a sorrowful piano line is met with light tinges of acoustic guitar while subtle bass runs color the background. Amos' lyrics perfectly compliment the music, as she fleshes out the general theme of division and broken connections: "break this chain of pain / you don't want to stay broken". This makes a lot of sense, as Amos pointed out in a 2021 Pitchfork interview that the record is largely about "[...]your losses, and how you cope with them". That sense of loss and disconnection goes even deeper on "Speaking with Trees", as Amos equates her grief with the trees around her, whom she senses might be feeling the same emptiness as herself. The song itself has a nice sense of contrast, as the melancholic melodies belie surprisingly upbeat drumwork.

What I really appreciate about Ocean to Ocean is that its mood and themes are very consistent. Amos clearly entered the studio with a specific vision in mind, and she rarely deviates from this - for better or for worse. With that said, there are some highlights that bring out the album's palpable sense of sadness more effectively than the others. "Swim to New York State" is an absolutely gorgeous slice of chamber pop with sweeping strings and some of the most heart-wrenching piano work of Amos' career; lovely stuff. Meanwhile, "Flowers Burn to Gold" strips away all backing instruments entirely to leave Amos with a lone piano; the song harkens back to her classic ballad "Winter" in both mood and composition, which can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Then there's the title track, which benefits from beautifully subtle and tasteful guitar work; this is especially true of the bass, which twists and bends around to provide its own unique melodies to the tune.

Still, none of this really shakes off the feeling of "been there, done that" when listening to Ocean to Ocean. As I stated earlier, this album won't change your opinion on Tori Amos' music; if you didn't like her before, you won't like her now. But for a solo career that's gone on for almost three decades now, it's nice to know that she has the inspiration to release something this solid. If you've avoided the last few Tori Amos records and need to be reacquainted with her work, Ocean to Ocean will catch you up to speed very nicely.

I'm only the second reviewer for this DVD which truly deserves revisiting on this site. Tori Amos' debut album Little Earthquakes came out in 1992 and quickly the talented singer-songwriter rose to fame. Here one gets a close-up view BEFORE THAT, of an almost unknown American artist who had been playing modest gigs in small clubs or hotel lounges of London -- all by herself at a piano, as is also the case in both shows at Montreux Jazz Festival. Indeed it was a blessing that Amos was brought to the attention of the festival organiser Claude Nobs.

In July 1991 Tori Amos was an opening act for The Moody Blues (whose equipment one can see in the background). The audience hardly had any expectations, but it's easily sensed that she made a good impression. Seven songs of her set would be included on Little Earthquakes, many of them to become much loved, such as 'Silent All These Years', 'Crucify' and 'Winter'. My Tori Amos all-time fave list would actually contain quite a lot from the debut. 'Song for Eric' and 'Upside Down' emerged as B side tracks. The piano-only arrangements function brilliantly, and despite the lack of experience for a large audience Tori is fully convincing and charming as a vocalist as well. She was applauded to give an encore, nicely chosen cover 'Thank You' (originating from Led Zeppelin II, 1969). For any fan of Tori Amos the 1991 set is pure delight in its sincere intimacy. The imperfection in the form of forgetting lyrics on 'Happy Phantom' and the way she handles it only adds to the charm.

By the time of the July 1992 Montreux headline gig Little Earthquakes had charted in the UK. As Finnforest points out, the earlier intimacy is slightly covered by a more guarded performance skin. Giving a hard talk to some people in the audience chatting, right in the middle of the first song, may seem harsh, but the overall reception is truly warm. Although I probably enjoy the 1991 performance even more, the 1992 performance is somehow stronger artistically. As if Tori is taking the listener a bit deeper into the shadowy world of her songs.

Her little talks in between the songs are also interesting (a pity there are no subtitles). Before singing a Led Zeppelin medley of 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Thank You' she shares childhood memories as a daughter of a priest. Then comes a powerful a cappella performance of 'Me and a Gun', a provocative song which she didn't risk of singing the previous year, and 'Winter' as a beautiful closing number. For the encore she sang the NIRVANA classic 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', making it to sound like her own.

In the Tori Amos catalogue there are very good concert DVD's such as Welcome to Sunny Florida (2004), which undoubtedly give you more worth the money with a more broad set list and the presence of co-musicians, but no fan of this artist should miss this unique retrospective into the pre-stardom era.

— First review of this album —

In my opinion American, piano playing singer-songwriter TORI AMOS was one of the most essential new female artists of the nineties, perhaps even number one altogether. Often she has been compared to Kate Bush, and I would also, but to say she's a Kate Bush clone would be unfair and ignorant. Amos does have a style of her own (which admittedly sometimes comes rather close to SOME of Bush's songs... but only close). Her debut album Little Earthquakes came in 1992, and it was preceded by some single releases. This 4-track 12" single contains two songs of that album plus two songs that appeared in the 2-cd remaster (2015) of Little Earthquakes.

'Silent All These Years' has a smooth orchestration while the focus is on Tori's sensual voice and delicate piano. Very pretty but perhaps a little too sugary to be among her strongest songs ever. One of the sweetest for sure. The other album song is 'Me and a Gun' which is much starker, featuring only slightly treated and depressed vocals. If anything, it proves the artist's ability to take the less expected road into an uneasier territory, but it's not a song I would often return to.

'Upside Down' is a good, conventionally piano centred Amos song. The arrangement features mellotron and clanging bells. Her fluent and elegant melodicism is truly recognizable, and probably her song-writing style has been a big influence for numerous female artists of this Millennium. 'Thoughts' captures Tori's voice as its most captivating and siren-like. The piano playing is very dynamic in it. Beautiful!

A star was born.

Back when I was still a record store rat I picked this up the day it came out. Then, miracle of miracles, Tori came to a venue 70 miles from my home offering a FREE CONCERT. I went, already loving her amazing voice, piano, and songwriting gifts, and ended up even falling more in love with her as she performed to our little venue of one to two thousand people on a stage with just her piano and voice. Brave, bold, brash, confident, and supremely talented, her debut album has, unfortunately, been the only one that resonated so deeply and profoundly with me--everything else has just felt like more of the same. (If anybody else has a particularly favorite album other than Little Earthquakes, please PM me--I'd love to be prog-educated!)

Favorite songs: "Crucify"; "Precious Things"; "China"; "Me and a Gun", and; the title song.

"Return to form" albums are one of rock`s most beloved cliches, something that fits perfectly in this era of ageing rockers. The veteran artist that after years or decades of releasing relatively minor works suddenly finds the inspiration to match his or her "golden years" is as popular as Hollywood`s retired pilot/football player/fireman/whatever that must return to prove that he still can do it for one last time. Every time that the Rolling Stones have released a new album in the last 30 years the critics hailed it as "their best since It`s only Rock and roll".. Well. I must admit that most of the times the results don`t really match the expectations (although there are some exceptions, of course) In this case, however things get a little more complicated. Tori`s two previous opuses hadn`t been exactly poor, I actually consider them both masterpieces, but we should bear in mind that they actually contained no new music, and were recorded with classical orchestras.On the other hand, her rock albums after The Beekeper seemed to have lost part of that "something" that made Tori´s music so special for quite a few people. (of course, more than 20 years listening to her albums also help to lose that element of surprise that makes new music attractive). So, .are we back in the "pretty good years" or are we in for a total bluff? Mmmm....somewhere in the middle, I think, but a little more towards the former option. While is true that I find Unrepentant Geraldines better than anything Tori released (in the rock field) since Scarlett`s Walk , I must admit that it has its weak points, and the real magical moments are not that many. But then again, I will never be in my twenties again (unless those cyclical cosmologies are right), so maybe it`s all about me. Who knows. The production, as usual is awesome, Tori´s voice sounds incredible, the instruments are crystal clear, even though I miss Jon Evan´s masterful bass lines (why not get a proper bass player?). The album starts with the folky America, that along with second song Trouble´s Lament are reminiscent of Scarlet´s Walk album. Both very good songs, even if I could do without that interlude in America. After that promising start the albums decays a little bit with the standard ballad "Wild Ways" and the 6/8 "Wedding day" (I admit I quite like the chorus on that last one, though). Next comes the breathtaking "Wheaterman", a delicate beautiful ballad that bears Tori`s signature and will surely please old fans. The voice`s reverb is amazing in the chorus , 100% guaranteed to bring goosebumps!.Unfortunately "60 Shades of Blue" represents a sudden drop in quality, and is one to skip. "Maids of Elfen-Mere"is yet another piano led ballad, not particulary good or bad. The next piece "Promise" is ...well...a piano led ballad, but a really pleasant one this time. Tori is accompained here by her daughter, whose voice seems to have matured since Night of Hunters, she really shows promise. "Giant`s Rolling Pin" comes then and i must say that it´s probably the worst song Tori ever included on an album, something even embarrasing to listen to. I wonder what was she thinking of...the kind of songs that make me feel sorry for having lost my cd player´s remote control. Compared to that one, "Selkie" sounds almost like a masterpiece...but is not, really. Just another solo piano ballad, that´s it. The title song is a little more uptempo, a well crafted pop song, that includes some brilliant piano arpeggios that are the most interesting part (even if a little too short).The second part of the song finds Tori again alone with her piano, and has nothing to do musically with the first one, really could heve been a separate song (I actually thought it was a different song on first listening, since the CD booklet doesn´t specify song order or duration, and the lyrics to that second part are not printed). "Oysters" another piano/voice one (Well, if you don´t like that kind of songs you´d better stay away from Tori. A good one, with her characteristic falsettos and all. "Rose Dover" doesn´t cath my attention, surely below average. And the uptempo parts are plain bad . "Invisible Boy"is a beautiful piano ballad that could have been on Under the Pink or Boys for Pele, is almost that good. Then the album (I have the special edition with DVD) finishes with "Forest of Glass", and I must say that this is the song I liked better in the whole album, as it contains all the elements that made Tori`s music so unique: haunting melodies, emotional but flawless singing and playing...Just Tori and nothing else. All in all a good album that won´t dissapoint old fans, except the ones that expect something as good as the classic albums. As I said, there are some unispired songs, but you can always skip them. I must admit that I hardly find myself in the mood to listen to "Giant`s Rolling Pin" alongside "Weatherman" or "Forest of Glass". But then , there are enough minutes of beautiful music here to warrant four stars.

The American musician Tori Amos' music was totally new for me until yesterday. I had heard about her and read a review of her latest record and was very curious to hear it for myself. Since the debut "Little Earthquakes" 1992 she ahs done thirteen records and the last one came last year and it is called "Unrepentant Geraldines" and it came two years after her record "Gold Dust". The music of Tori Amos is very pure and stripped. Mostly it's just Tori Amos' voice and piano. There are also the guitar of Mac Aladdin and some instruments of Mark Hawley. The album lasts for almost an hour and has fourteen wonderful songs to enjoy. The cover doesn't represent the content, the cover isn't poetic enough for me.

Tori Amos overwhelmed me! I could not think that the music would be so vital and vibrant, so personal and powerful. It mixes a lot of what I like much: great melodies, folk tunes and themes, a fantastic high voice and a unique vocal style. As you can guess I liked the album very much; it was actually one of the most exciting records of 2014.

All of the fourteen songs are good and the majority are fantastic. Three are unbeatable: "America"(10/10) which made me amazed directly, the progressive "Giant's rolling pin"(10/10) and the romantic mood or old times felt "Unrepentant Geraldines"(10/10) are songs you must hear and some other wonderous tracks should be mentioned: "Trouble's lament"(9/10), "Maids of Elfen-mere"(9/10) which was so old English and "Selkie"(9/10). Furthermore "Wedding day"(8/10), "Weatherman"(8/10) and Invisible Boy(which ends everything)(8/10) and also the other songs are very fine.

As a whole this record does a very good job to challenge the listener. The playing aren't very progressive, but I think the spirit and the compositions are, actually more than those of "pure" prog bands. My over all rating ends at 4.18 and a strong four star to Tori Amos.

Best tracks: Amerika, Giant's rolling pin, Unrepentant Geraldines

If you think any female-created prog is bound to be dull or a collection of screechy Yoko Onoisms then you need to check out Tori Amos' stuff pronto. Is she loud and boisterous? No, but she's intelligent, intuitive and definitely not run-of-the-mill pedestrian. In my chronologic investigation of her art over the last few years I found her debut LP to be interesting and her follow-up album even better but this, her third assembly of songs, is truly outstanding. I recently listened to it again on a wet and overcast day and that gloomy template was perfect for what she was expressing through her music. If you're an extrovert then that observation is not much of an enticement to sample her wares. I dig. However, if one of your definitions of prog is "unfettered freedom of expression" then you'll find what she does to be at least borderline fascinating. One thing about her I've come to admire is her consistent eclecticism and her stubborn refusal to fit into any particular category. "Boys for Pele" displays those qualities exquisitely.

She opens impressively with "Horses." The track begins in a very unassuming manner with a simple melody being sung over a single piano note but then Tori turns it into a bigger, fuller piece thanks to her more expansive piano work. It's all remarkably moving. On "Blood Roses" a harpsichord adds an edgy rasp to the background music and, as always, Amos' voice is extremely emotional. "Father Lucifer" presents more of a jaunty bounce and features delicate orchestration mixed with imaginative vocals intertwining. "Professional Widow" is next and Manu Katche's deliberately-loose drumming adds a cool touch of funk to the proceedings. I'm pleasantly shocked by how unorthodox and original she stays. As evidenced on this cut, Tori is absolutely fearless. This record contains three quite brief vignettes and the first to arrive is "Mr. Zebra," a nostalgia- drenched throwback. "Marianne" follows and it's a highlight. A flowing, melancholy aura envelopes her passionate voice throughout and the string arrangement is gorgeous. "Caught in a Lite Sneeze" benefits from Manu's expert drumming and his contribution broadens the palate for this relatively up-tempo song. "Muhammad my Friend" has a sublime solo piano introduction and the main body of the number is noticeably Joni Mitchell-ish due to the abundance of falsetto and a tasteful dollop of soprano saxophone. "Hey Jupiter" is a gem, as well. It's a sad, somber song enhanced by Amos' soft-as-satin vocal approach that can soothe any savage beast. "Way Down" is the second short-lived aural aside, distinguished by a gospel choir.

"Little Amsterdam" might be the disc's best track. It has a slight jazz inflection that sets it apart, making it impossible to ignore. I may be way off base here but something about it reminds me of Nine Inch Nails minus the white noise and that's not intended to be a disparaging observation. Its groove is highly infectious. "Talula" is next and it's one of those compositions that steadily evolves courtesy of its raga-styled percussion but it also veers off into some non-rhythmic detours as she is wont to wander along from time to time. "Not the Red Baron" follows and its dense piano chording paints a gray scenario that encapsulates her incredibly subtle vocal, erecting a notably hypnotic mood. I adore it. "Agent Orange" is the third of her quick flashes and it zips by without fanfare. "Doughnut Song" displays Tori at her finest. I find her understated progginess extraordinary. She manages to slip in her complexities without coming off as pretentious or calculating, a deft trait hard to come by in our beloved genre. On "In the Springtime of His Voodoo" Mr. Katche lays down a sneaky shuffle beat that's unexpected yet welcome. The track's bluesy vibe is engaging but she doesn't get lazy with it as she steers the song into a few odd streams. Tori adroitly and thoughtfully ends with "Twinkle," an atmospheric song that uses Brian Eno-like minimalism to form a captivating piece that's as soothing as a lullaby.

"Boys for Pele" (named for a Hawaiian volcano goddess) burst out of the gate in January of 1996 and took over the #2 position on both the US and UK album charts, proving that the grunge-weary public had a yearning for something a little more profound than disco Madonna and her tired imitators in the mid-nineties. It was also Ms. Amos' first self-produced record and its acceptance no doubt gave her confidence that she'd waded into a stream of consciousness that other female artists were either overlooking or incapable of tapping into. If you've been hankering to add a feminine touch to your prog library then I recommend you give the voluptuous Tori a try. 4.1 stars.

A while back I started to investigate Tori Amos' music and was surprised by how good her debut album was. She definitely proved herself progressive enough to warrant inclusion on this site and I found her novel and rebellious approach to being a female singer/songwriter quite refreshing. A Madonna clone she ain't. I was hoping that she'd push the envelope even harder on "Under the Pink" but she backed off a bit and I must admit I wasn't as impressed this time around. Conservatism happens often on sophomore efforts where an artist has put the material they've been fine-tuning for years on their first record and then has to come up with new stuff in a much shorter timeframe. What she does retain is her unorthodox attitude and individuality and both traits cover a lot of shortcomings.

She opens with "Pretty Good Year." Piano and vocal with a smattering of airy strings is always a good combination in my book and her sudden but very brief detour into a heavy rock motif, while jarring, shows that she's still willing to shake things up at a moment's notice. "God" is next and it's outstanding. The song benefits from a funky underlying track that toys with some uncommon and proggy time signatures and I'm always appreciative of that. The repeated lyric line of "God, sometimes you just don't come through" exploits our humanness that wants God to be what we'd prefer Him to be, not what He is. All in all it's a thought-provoking tune that delves deep. "Bells for Her" follows and Tori erects a very subtle atmosphere for this number but, alas, the lone piano and her breathy voice, expressive as they may be, are not enough to keep me engaged. "Past the Mission" is a light rocker that reminds me of Carole King (if she was into the emo thing, that is). I do like the contrasting aural textures she utilizes and the progressive mindset that permeates the song. "Baker Baker" demonstrates how adept Amos is at creating delicate templates without losing any of the tune's basic substance. Joni Mitchell's influence is all over this track and I suspect she's not trying to hide it. "The Wrong Band" sports a lilting waltz. The cut is short and sweet but far from challenging.

"The Waitress" is a highlight. I love the industrial groove of the backing rhythm and the angst in her voice is honest and forthright. "Cornflake Girl" is another interesting number. The strong attack her band delivers brightens the mood and the song contains plenty of the cool quirks in the arrangement that sets her apart from the norm. I detect an invigorating hint of Annie Lennox in her voice during the second half and Tori's piano work is noteworthy and exciting. "Icicle" is next. The minimalist, fragile aura of the opening builds suspense but it fails to deliver when the subsequent recital-like vocal-with-piano performance enters. A track can grow ponderous in a hurry and this tune suffers from that tendency. "Cloud on my Tongue" follows. Fluid strings help to fill in the blanks left by the piano but Ms. Amos sometimes gets so intimate (as she does here) that I start sensing that I've intruded on one of her private therapy sessions and I just want to leave her alone. "Space Dog" is well-placed. A live recording with her band in tow, its jazzy foundation enables this tune to generate some much-needed energy and the tightly executed dynamics are intriguing. Tori's willingness to change direction in midstream is one of the things I like most about her. She closes with the nine and a half minute "Yes, Anastasia." I'm so rhythm-oriented in my listening preferences that it's hard for me to be objective about numbers like this one that just float along and set my mind to wandering where it will go. It's the same problem I have with some of Joni Mitchell's early material in that I have to be in a specific emotional state in order to fully appreciate and stay connected to the artistry involved. The stirring orchestral score is a pleasant intervention, though.

"Under the Pink" was released in January of 1994 when the music world was weaning itself off the MTV teat and the disc found a more receptive audience to her oddness than it would have a decade earlier, that's for sure. As with her "Little Earthquakes" CD, it did better over in the more accommodating UK where it went all the way to #1. It fared in a fairly respectable manner stateside, too, reaching the #12 spot and that's nothing to sniff at. Having sold over 2 million copies to date, it means that most will disagree with my deeming it to be not as good as her debut but I can live with that. It's not a bad record at all. I do like piano in my prog and her voice is unique so I look forward to exploring more of her catalog of work in the future. 3.2 stars.

Tori Amos has been an artist I have had a fond interest in just over the past few years ago. Having gotten into a lot of female singer songwriters, I was told that I may enjoy Tori Amos' music...and low and behold, turns out I do.

For anyone who hasn't heard Tori's music before, the best way to describe her is like a more comprehensible and easily accessible Kate Bush. But even then, describing Tori like this is a bit of an insult to her. Her genius is unfathomable and her talent is legendary.

Tori's career in the past few years has been one of interest but could also be seen as slight writers block. Her last full length album "Night Of Hunters" while in my opinion is a masterpiece, wasn't completely Tori's own material as each song was based on a piece of orchestral or classical music. Her last compilation album, "Gold Dust" was recorded orchestral versions of her material and before that "Midwinter Graces" was a collection of arranged carols and hymns. So, being her first proper full length in 5 years, how does the album hold up. Very well actually.

In fact, I would go far to say that this may be Tori's strongest album to be released since the late 90s. While Tori's material in the last 10 to 15 years has been pretty good, her spark that really drove her career in the early days was starting to dwindle and now it seems that that spark is back. Now, she isn't in her early 20's anymore, so her sound and lyrics are backed up by a more mature sound, but there is something there that wasn't there before, or at least in a long time. One of the aspects of Tori's music which puts her miles beyond any artist is her lyrics, and on this album she really shines. With the album's concept based around paintings and overtly anti religious feminism, some of the poetry on this album is beautiful and powerful at times, being overtly creative to be understood by most human minds.

The album's lead single "Trouble's Lament" is pretty much a beacon showing Tori's return to form. With religious imagery mixed with female views and geographic locations, the lyrics paint a very vivid picture. Brilliant vocals and a pretty cool song arrangement.

One of my favourite tracks on the album has to be "16 Shades Of Blue." Mixing electronic beats with Tori's brilliant piano playing, the arrangement is pretty interesting and very different, making it one of the standout tracks in the album.

"Promises" is a very interesting tune, as it has both Tori and her daughter Tash duetting together. The song has a pretty cool arrangement, with a pretty great vocal performance from both Tori and her daughter.

One of the oddest tracks on the album is "Giant's Rolling Pin." Reminding me of some of the more comical songs on Paul McCartney's material in The Beatles. With some joyous musical moments and some pretty creative lyrics, the song is like a fairytale for children but with an adult twist.

Two of the album's most beautiful moments can be heard in "Selkie" and "Oysters." Both songs contain some of Tori's most beautiful piano playing in years and even some of Tori's best vocals.

The album's final track "Invisible Boy" is a brilliant ending to this album. An incredibly emotional song about one of Tori's friends who passed away, she is almost on the brink of tears at certain points in this song. A beautiful ending to a pretty amazing album.

In conclusion, this album is really a landmark achievement for Tori, showing that her creativity has not dwindled one bit. Going back into the past and re finding herself, she has proved that like wine,you only get better with age.

8.6/10

Genres: Baroque Pop, Art Rock, Art Pop, Adult Contemporary, Progressive Rock, Electronica, Piano Rock, Alternative Rock

Country of origin: USA

Year of release: 2014

Face it, the Progressive Rock genre is and always has been pretty much a boy's club. Not from any ingrained bias that I've ever detected but more due to peer pressure, I suppose. I shall explain. Male musicians don't really mind being labeled as being a rebellious type who isn't interested in playing by the set rules. So for a guy to be called 'progressive-minded' in the field of music is not necessarily a derogatory thing. But women, in every way that counts, are different. They grow up being taught that it's the effervescent cheerleaders and pretty drill team members who rise to the top while the nonconformists and geeks are quickly tagged as being unfriendly, introverted weirdos that will never succeed in life. That's my theory as to why there is such a dearth of females in Progland and I'm sticking with it until further notice. Girls with musical talent are expected to compete with the Katy Perry's and the Pink's of the industry, not try to carve out a unique niche all their own. Is it a double standard? Well, does the Pope wear funny hats? It's a shame, really, because I have no doubt that the prog arena would benefit greatly from more of the feminine aura being injected into it. Seems Ms. Amos has always been an outcast of sorts, starting when she was deemed a piano prodigy at the age of 5 and was already composing instrumental pieces of her own. The 'experts' tried to steer her into the classical realm but she was allergic to the regimen it involved, preferring to boldly cultivate her adventurous and eclectic nature instead. I, for one, have always admired and enjoyed strong female vocalists who sing with authority and confidence so when I discovered that Tori Amos had been inducted into our esteemed branch of the aural sciences it gave me a good reason to check out her art. I'm very glad I did. As is my habit, I start with the earliest album I can get my hands on and work forward so I can hear how the artist in question evolved over time. In her case, it's the ground-breaking 'Little Earthquakes.'

Tori opens with 'Crucify.' Before we go any further allow me to confess that I adore the sound of an acoustic piano and the fact that it's her main instrument gives her a definite advantage in my book. Even mediocre material is enhanced when a finely-tuned Steinway or Baldwin is involved. On this song she plays it aggressively and the strong drum track beneath allows her emotive voice to soar. It serves as a great introduction to her distinctive mannerisms. 'Girl' follows and I can't help but be impressed by her unconventional approach to writing and her willingness to take risks as exemplified here by her manipulation of sampled strings and her odd approach to erecting background vocals. 'Silent All These Years' is next and it's the apex of the record. Amos envelops the tune in a very intimate atmosphere that brings the vocal close to your ear as if she's letting you in on a secret. I find her mien to be reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's and that's a hefty compliment coming from me. I also cotton to her flair for the dramatic as demonstrated in 'Precious Things.' She makes the most of the number's inherent dynamics by exploiting the drums and guitar incidentals tactfully. She's also not afraid to employ her sexiness if it will heighten the tension a notch and it does so here. On 'Winter' her piano, her singing and an orchestral score are all that's needed for this elaborate ballad to achieve its potential. 'Happy Phantom' is an anomaly. She takes such a strikingly different tack on this track that it kinda comes at you from left field. Its sarcastically upbeat motif is quite daring.

A very light Latin rhythm drifts just below the surface created by the beautiful, lush piano and string section during 'China.' The song is truly hypnotic in places. 'Leather' follows, a cut where Tori's piano acumen really shines brightly. In ways the number is comparable in overall feel to several of Paul McCartney's nostalgic ditties and the jazzy ending is uber-cool. Piano and vocal are the only ingredients in 'Mother.' Once again I detect a palpable Joni Mitchell influence in that the tune is not only extremely personal but it seems to flow directly from her heart into my ears without a filter. It's a bit long but it avoids growing tiresome. She brings in a full band for 'Tear in Your Hand' and they drive the song's momentum well. This cut has more of a pop vibe to it than the others but she manages to steer clear of becoming predictable or formulaic. I really dig the accordion/organ effect that fills in the gaps splendidly and gives it a compelling rasp. 'Me and a Gun' is a solo vocal piece she penned about getting raped that comes off a little bit like a traditional Irish air. She was very courageous to be so transparent about the incident but it is, nonetheless, disturbing in its frankness. This fallen world can be such an ugly orb. Tori ends with the title song and it's the most challenging and proggy track on the CD. The melody streams atop rumbling drums and takes the listener through a series of mysterious movements while the tune subtly builds in intensity all the while. She brings it back down for the finale and relaxes the mood as it trails off.

Released on February 25, 1992 Tori Amos' debut came out when the 90s decade was still attempting to find its groove so its timing really couldn't have been better. Despite its decidedly uncommon attitude it came close to breaking into the top 50 of the Billboard chart and she was able to find an audience who understood where she was coming from. It did even better in the more amenable UK where it rose to #14. While she'd had to battle the conservative-minded suits at Atlantic tooth and nail in order to retain her unique slant, 'Little Earthquakes' proved to be just what a noticeable segment of the music audience had been waiting for. If you have yet to sample her wares I recommend that you give this record a spin. You'll find that the Prog universe profits immensely from a lady's touch. 3.9 stars.