Today is Tori Amos' 50th birthday. She is a musical icon and probably my favorite musical artist of all time. Tori is so many things to so many people. She is an amazing piano player, singer/songwriter, feminist, champion of women, wife, mother. She is an icon. Since releasing her groundbreaking breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes, in 1992, Tori has released 13 albums, along with countless bootlegs and B-sides. Tori isn't just a musical artist who loves her fans and her songs. She is an activist. She has been heavily involved with and a spokesperson for RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, since it's inception in 1994. She made the ceremonial first call to the hotline. Being a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Tori has always been candid about the experience. Using it to help other victims find peace and rebuild themselves after their own horrific experiences with sexual assault. The a capella, heart wrenching, "Me & A Gun," recounts the experience and the thoughts that were going through Tori's head as she was being assaulted. It is harrowing and heartfelt and perhaps one of the biggest pieces of evidence that Tori is one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
I'm sort of a latecomer to Tori Amos fandom. I really discovered her through my boyfriend and the past three years have been an awesome journey of combing through Tori's huge catalog and discovering these amazing songs, each one touching me and hitting me someplace different. Since I became a fan so late, I, selfishly, hope that she keeps on making music for 50 more years.
If you have never listened to Tori before, I highly encourage you to check her out. If you are a fan of Alanis Morrissette or Jewel or Fiona Apple, you will find that they wouldn't even exist without Tori. I truly believe there is something for everyone. Below, you'll find my picks for my favorite Tori songs from each of her albums via a live clip. There is nothing like watching Tori perform live, whether it's with her band or just her and her Bosendorfer. It was a tough thing to do, but I'm pleased with my picks. Give a listen to each and feel free to hit the comments to tell me about your memories of Tori, how she's affected your life, or just to wish her a happy birthday.
Little Earthquakes
For my pick for her first album, I went with the obvious, "Silent All These Years." There is something about this song that gets me every time. It also features some of my favorite Tori lyrics like, "I've got the AntiChrist in the kitchen yelling at me again." Brilliant.
Under the Pink
Tori's sophomore set contains some classic Tori songs like "The Waitress" and "Cornflake Girl." While those are great songs, my favorite is "Past the Mission" which features Nine Inch Nails', Trent Reznor, on background vocals.
Boys for Pele
This is the album that most Tori fans, myself included, believe is her best. Every song sort of hits you in the gut, whether it's a song about a pretty girl who maybe killed herself or talking to the devil himself. The latter is my favorite song from this record, "Father Lucifer."
From the Choirgirl Hotel
Tori's fourth album is the album where she plugged in and went mainstream, sort of. It is her most commercially successful album to date and if you want to give your friends who haven't heard Tori an album to start with, this is definitely the one that I would give them. My favorite song on "Choirgirl" is a song about a mother who will do anything to protect her daughter called "Playboy Mommy."
To Venus and Back
This was a double album that contained a disc of live renditions of some of Tori's biggest hits and some popular B-sides. It took me a minute to warm up to this CD, but now I love it, especially the sparse, piano ballad, "Josephine."
Strange Little Girls
This was an album that Tori released to fulfill her contractual obligations to Atlantic Records. Rather than release a generic greatest hits compilation, Tori released a cover album of songs written by men about women and performed them from the womans perspective. The most famous song from this collection is her version of Eminem's "97 Bonnie & Clyde", sung from the perspective of the woman in the trunk of the car. My favorite song from the album is Tori's cover of Lloyd Cole's, "Rattlesnakes."
Scarlet's Walk
This was Tori's first album after 9/11. She took listeners on a lyrical journey across the United States. This album contains Tori's most well known single by the general public, "A Sorta Fairytale." My favorite song on the album is the opener, a song about a woman seduced by the world of pornography in "Amber Waves."
The Beekeeper
This album put Tori in a group of women that includes Madonna and Barbra Streisand, women who had scored five or more albums in the top 10. It also includes one of my all time favorite Tori songs, "Sweet the Sting."
American Doll Posse
This was a concept album where Tori played different female characters all representing different archetypes. There were also songs protesting the ongoing war in Iraq and the presidency of George W. Bush. I love the song "Big Wheel" and I especially love this live performance with an introduction by Quentin Tarantino.
Abnormally Attracted to Sin
After a string of high concept albums, Tori went back to basics with this collection of songs. It is not a favorite of a lot of fans and does suffer a little bit from being overly long, but it does contain some great songs, like my favorite, "Fast Horse."
Midwinter Graces
The same year she released AATS, Tori released her first ever collection of holiday songs. There were new tracks along with re-interpretations of classic Carols, including my favorite, "Star of Wonder."
Night of Hunters
For her most recent studio album of original material, Tori linked up with classical record label, Deutsche Grammophone, to record a 21st century song cycle. An ambitious project to be sure, Night of Hunters, follows a woman who leaves her relationship and encounters various creatures that help her on her journey. Tori re-worked classical compositions into her original songs, really showcasing her musical abilities. She was joined on the record by her niece and her daughter, Tash. Here's my favorite track from Tori's best album since Scarlet's Walk, album opener, "Shattering Sea."
Gold Dust
This was Tori's most recent album. A celebration of the twentieth anniversary of her debut, Tori re-worked some of her songs with an orchestra. The result is familiar yet different, thrilling and gorgeous. Here is the single from the album, "Flavor."
So, thanks for reading and watching and hopefully, enjoying. Don't forge to leave some comments and birthday wishes!
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