Best Tori Amos Album?

[Ampersand]

I've really enjoyed listening to Under the Pink and Little Earthquakes. I'm looking to try another one of her albums. She's close to de-throning Sarah McLachlan for my favorite female vocalist.

What are your opinions for best Tori Amos album in terms of emotionally involving and sound quality wise?

Thanks, and happy listening!

 

[roadtonowhere08]

You have it, IMO. Little Earthquakes. Absolutely brilliant album.

If you want another one, try Scarlet's Walk. I like that one as well. Also try Under the Pink and Boys For Pele.

 

[Ampersand]

Thanks, I already have Under the Pink, but I think I'll try to pick up Boys for Pele. I've heard that one mentioned a few other times. As for Scarlet's Walk, is that her latest album?

 

[JohnFerrier]

The DVD Welcome to Sunny Florida.

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ampersand /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks, I already have Under the Pink, but I think I'll try to pick up Boys for Pele. I've heard that one mentioned a few other times. As for Scarlet's Walk, is that her latest album?

Newest one is American Doll Posse, not linking it very much...

 

[facelvega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You have it, IMO. Little Earthquakes. Absolutely brilliant album. If you want another one, try Scarlet's Walk. I like that one as well. Also try Under the Pink and Boys For Pele.

x2. Very solid advice.

 

[Dzjudz]

Welcome to Sunny Florida: superb performance (it's a DVD of the last show of the Scarlet's Walk tour, I ripped the sound of it to MP3 and it's my favourite)

Scarlet's Walk (my favourite CD)
Little Earthquakes (great starter)
American Doll Posse (released last week)

 

[Ampersand]

Thanks for all the great input guys. As I don't have a DVD player, I'm planning on picking up Boys for Pele today. I'll update with my opinions in a few days.

 

[philodox]

The three that you have are great, but From the Choirgirl has always been my favourite.

 

[Ampersand]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox /img/forum/go_quote.gif The three that you have are great, but From the Choirgirl has always been my favourite.

Taking your advice philodox, I picked up From the Choirgirl Hotel as well. I'm enjoying this one as well, not sure it will eclipse Under The Pink for me though. Can't wait for the MAD ear+ to be delivered. I'm sure Tori and tubes will sound awesome!

Thanks again everyone for your input.

 

[Nightfall]

Agree on Little Earthquakes being her masterpiece to date. Of her latter period, Scarlets Walk is also very good.
Everything else has its low points, but also high points, with a couple exceptions.
To Venus and Back, and especially, The Beekeeper, should never have been released.


JC

 

[Geoff Rymer]

Personally I like Pele and Choirgirl (which is admittedly somewhat different from here first three). Another no-no for Venus and Back (although the live disc was alright).

 

[Sordel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfall /img/forum/go_quote.gif To Venus and Back, and especially, The Beekeeper, should never have been released.

I'd agree that The Beekeeper is probably the weakest (always assuming that one doesn't count the incredibly dreadful Strange Little Girls) but I think that To Venus and Back was great value: the live album is very good indeed, and the studio album has some strong songs.

If I had to choose a best it would either be Boys for Pele or Under The Pink. BfP got a lot of bad reviews when it came out because it's so acoustic and low key, but you can't argue with those songs. From the Choirgirl Hotel is also wonderful, though murkier, and there are a small group of songs on Scarlet's Walk which really make it essential.

I'm less taken with Welcome to Sunny Florida than some posters, and I really like the new album, although admittedly it isn't in the same class as her first three releases.

 

[en480c4]

If anyone is interested, here's my take on the major releases...

1. Y Kant Tori Read (1988)
   I’d only recommend this to serious collectors. It’s kind of fun to listen to if you’ve never heard it before, but it hasn’t aged well and doesn’t hold up to multiple listens.
2. Little Earthquakes (1992)
   Essential. There’s not a weak track on it. “Silent All These Years,” “Precious Things,” “Winter,” and “Little Earthquakes” are the standouts. The Crucify EP is also worth tracking down. Her covers of “Angie” and “Thank You” are good, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a classic. Other rarities from this period that are worth finding are “Sugar,” which is among my favorites, “Upside Down,” “Flying Dutchman,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “The Happy Worker.”
3. Under the Pink (1994)
   Another Essential, and again, not a weak track… “Pretty Good Year,” “Past The Mission,” “Cornflake Girl,” “Icicle” and “Yes, Anastasia” are the standouts here. There is definitely an improvement in production value, with more varied instrumentation and a cleaner sound. “Honey” is the real gem among the rarities here. She had to cut a song during mastering and this was it, but has said many times she regrets choosing it to cut.
4. Boys for Pele (1996)
   IMO, this is the fist album with any weak tracks, and the songwriting is a little uneven. That said, there are some absolute classics, including “Blood Roses,” “Marianne,” “Caught A Lite Sneeze,” “Hey Jupiter,” and “Doughnut Song.” IIRC, this was the first album she produced herself. The Hey Jupiter EP was an essential at the time because it included “Hey Jupiter (The Dakota Version),” which is amazing, as well as live versions of “Honey” and “Sugar.” Subsequent releases have made the live versions less of a big deal.
5. From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998)
   I think this was an improvement over BfP. The songs are much stronger throughout, and the instrumentation and backing is fuller and more varied. “Spark,” “Liquid Diamonds,” “Northern Lad,” “Hotel” and my all-time favorite, “Playboy Mommy,” are some of the strongest. The only B-Sides I have from this album are from the Spark singles, and “Cooling” is the only one worth tracking down.
6. To Venus and Back (1999)
   While I’ll agree Disc 1 (aka Orbiting) had very few redeeming qualities, IMO “Bliss” is one of her stronger tracks. I think it’s great and it alone makes TVaB worth having, but Disc 2 (Still Orbiting) is a true gem. At the time it was it for live recordings, and on that it doesn’t disappoint. It’s almost like a live greatest hits, with excellent sound quality for a live album.
7. Strange Little Girls (2001)
   I think this has a bad reputation, and one that I'm not entirely sure it deserves. While I’d admit that it’s uneven, there are almost as many successful covers as ones that fail. Though when they do fail, they do so miserably! But the ones that range from good to great are “New Age,” “Strange Little Girls,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and “Rattlesnakes.” Still worth checking out, IMO
8. Scarlet's Walk (2002)
   This one took me a while to get into. After the first few listens nothing grabbed me and I kind of wrote it off. It’s an ambitions album, to be sure, and I think that can make it a little harder to digest. But once some of the tracks did sink in, I really came to love it. “A Sorta Fairytale,” “Strange,” “Carbon,” “Crazy,” “Pancake,” and “Gold Dust” are all solid tracks.
9. Tales of a Librarian (2003)
   What an odd little album this is. It’s arguably a “Greatest Hits” compilation, but most if not all have been slightly re-worked. The two new songs are forgettable, and IMO most sounded better in their original form, but it’s interesting to hear what she’d like to have done differently, like the addition of orchestration she didn’t have the budget for on songs from Little Earthquakes. Two instances where the additions really work are the extended version of “Way Down” and the more-country version of “Playboy Mommy.”
10. The Beekeeper (2005)
    This album was utterly forgettable to me. I’ve tried revisiting it on a number of occasions and it’s left me cold every time. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all!
11. The Original Bootlegs (2005)
    This is on my short-list of must-have items. I haven’t picked it up yet, but the sheer magnitude of material her is reason enough for me to want it. It’s only a matter of time.
12. A Piano: The Collection (2006)
    This is another odd piece. It’s hard to tell exactly why some tracks were chosen and others weren’t. There are also a lot of alternate mixes, with some that are subtly different and others that vary more. There are also a lot of the B-Sides & rarities that had slipped through the cracks over the years, so if you have the money, this one is worth picking up.
13. American Doll Posse (2007)
    I haven’t had this one long enough to know exactly where this will rank, but it strikes me as her strongest in quite some time. It actually seems like she cut loose and had some fun recording it, and her love of ‘70s glam/rock really shines through on these songs. I’m looking forward to spending some more time with it.

 

[dhwilkin]

My favorites are Little Earthquakes and From the Choirgirl Hotel. Which I like the most depends on if I'm in the mood for something a little softer (Little Earthquakes) or a little more aggressive (From the Choirgirl Hotel). Incidentally, these respective albums also have my two favorite songs by her ("Winter" and "Jackie's Strength").