new Tori Amos album: American Doll Posse

[JazmenFlowers]

out May 1 - looks very interesting...

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a378/fulghamjc/tori-1.jpg

[Nixxxed]

You don't say??? ;)

Tori's back! (The old Tori, not Mommy Tori.) That photo kicks ass.

Today was wild - first her website and Myspace changed, then the fan sites started putting stuff up, then Perez had the photo and press link, then I started getting Google alerts and IMs from friends, then Tori's email blast came. My head was spinning by the end. Still is actually.

If Stevie's people are reading this, please take note on how to properly promote an album in the 21st century. :nod:

[JazmenFlowers]

If Stevie's people are reading this, please take note on how to properly promote an album in the 21st century. :nod:
:nod: although Tori needed this just as bad. The Beekeeper has barely sold 300,000 copies I think.

I was pretty much the same way. email alerts and one link led to 20 others...

[foxyluva]

I am totally excited for this release :woohoo:

[foxyluva]

:nod: although Tori needed this just as bad. The Beekeeper has barely sold 300,000 copies I think.


And alot of her fans did not like it. A shame, beacuse I love it...

[JazmenFlowers]

And alot of her fans did not like it. A shame, beacuse I love it...
I like it. there are about 5 songs that I love.

[Nixxxed]

And alot of her fans did not like it. A shame, beacuse I love it...
Me too! Although I will admit it was the first Tori album that contained a song or two that I absolutely didn't like and find unlistenable (personal taste-wise).

[foxyluva]

I like every song on it - of course nothing will beat "Under the Pink", the album is a masterpeice :cool:

[Nixxxed]

In case anyone missed them, here are the album clips that were released this weekend:

Big Wheel: http://download.yousendit.com/E821AE892F20F981

Bouncing Off Clouds: http://download.yousendit.com/944B2DB15EA6CE59

[JazmenFlowers]

In case anyone missed them, here are the album clips that were released this weekend:

Big Wheel: http://download.yousendit.com/E821AE892F20F981

Bouncing Off Clouds: http://download.yousendit.com/944B2DB15EA6CE59
sweet. thank you.

I'm off to listen.

[tommer]

thanks for the clips.
damn, i sure hope this new album's gonna be any good, the last few years were so depressing, since Strange Little Girls she's gone worse with every new album, and it's so sad, coz she used to be so amazingly brilliant.
when i bought my first tori album, i suspected that this is an artist i'd love to listen to even in 20 years' time. it's been 15 years, and now i suspect that i may have had enough. i'll keep trying with this one too, hoping that she'll get back to making great albums, but the disappointments are getting harder every time. :(

[foxyluva]

^^^Someone posted these on last.fm a while ago, and I have to say, I love "Big Wheel", but I am unsure on what I think of "Bouncing Off Clouds"...

thanks for the clips.
damn, i sure hope this new album's gonna be any good, the last few years were so depressing, since Strange Little Girls she's gone worse with every new album, and it's so sad, coz she used to be so amazingly brilliant.
when i bought my first tori album, i suspected that this is an artist i'd love to listen to even in 20 years' time. it's been 15 years, and now i suspect that i may have had enough. i'll keep trying with this one too, hoping that she'll get back to making great albums, but the disappointments are getting harder every time. :(

All artists go through this stage though, it took Stevie 10 years, but she finally came right - hopefully Tori will get her mojo back...

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^Someone posted these on last.fm a while ago, and I have to say, I love "Big Wheel", but I am unsure on what I think of "Bouncing Off Clouds"...
ITA.

all I can think of with BOC is Your Cloud...so my head is jumbled with too much cloud imagery. :laugh:

[tommer]

All artists go through this stage though, it took Stevie 10 years, but she finally came right - hopefully Tori will get her mojo back...
i wish to god you are right. as to stevie's credit, at least when she's got nothing to say she simply shuts up, while tori keeps releasing such highly uninteresting albums.

[TheWILDheart]

I can't get over how good Big Wheel is. Me and Hannah (AKA MissyWiggy) are seeing Tori live on this tour at Manchester, UK on July 5th. In terms of albums, I don't think anything she has done has beat From The Choirgirl Hotel so far though Under The Pink isn't far off. I really don't like The Beekeeper. Her last AMAZING album was To Venus And Back. I am very hopeful of this album and I hope the tour is as good.

[foxyluva]

Another track leaked - This ones called "Secret Spell"

http://www.sendspace.com/file/o82hae

[Nixxxed]

Another track leaked - This ones called "Secret Spell"

http://www.sendspace.com/file/o82hae
hahaha - I just spent an hour looking for this elsewhere - and it's been here for 2 days...

:lol: Thanks!

[MissyWiggy]

I can't get over how good Big Wheel is. Me and Hannah (AKA MissyWiggy) are seeing Tori live on this tour at Manchester, UK on July 5th.

Wahoo - and i don't think I'm alone when i say I'm rather excited about it :blob2: :blob1:

.....Chris..... did i mention - we're going to see Tori Amos!!! :laugh:

[TheWILDheart]

Wahoo - and i don't think I'm alone when i say I'm rather excited about it :blob2: :blob1:

.....Chris..... did i mention - we're going to see Tori Amos!!! :laugh:

I don't think you did...perhaps you had better mention it.

[JazmenFlowers]

****************POSSIBLE SPOILER********************
early review
____________________________

I have notes, a couple of lyrics for most of the tracks, 2 'long' quotes from the handwritten Tori note that came with the promo and general impressions from hearing it ONCE. So before I type up the whole thing, I just wanted to give you a few points:

- the tracklisting (including song durations) is 100% correct for those 20 songs
- there are 2 copies of ADP in The Netherlands NOW, so it's not being sent out to press yet
- There IS a track with BRASS
- The 4 lyrics that were posted on hereinmyhead.com are CORRECT
- the album is sonically most similar to Strange Little Girls
- No harpsichord whatsoever
- There is no way in HELL she's going to pull this album off live without a guitar player
- the leaked image does not seem to be the album cover
- no lead single has been chosen yet
- I was (obviously) not allowed to copy the CD
- I wasn't allowed to copy the 2 page handwritten thing that came with the promo

Ok, first of all... A little bit about my musical taste (which I also posted in the other thread). Since a lot of people didn't know how to interpret that other review.

Pele is my favorite album of ALL time by anyone. I hated (HATED!) it when I first heard it. Choirgirl is my 2nd favorite Tori album. I don't like TBK (but do like some of the solo versions live, esp. Knickers).

I don't 'get' Here. In My Head. Nor do I 'get' Honey. Or Not David Bowie. I love Carnival, Bachelorette and Sugar.

In fact; for reference, check my last.fm so you'll know what I'm into. http://www.last.fm/user/sprk
Oh and according to my Sony contact, I am the very first non-Sony person in The Netherlands to have heard the album. I know it's not cool, but I'm SO going to masturbate over that later.

First of all; the handwritten message. It's 2 pages, black&white. I'm not familiar with Tori's handwriting, but it is said to be her handwriting. It starts with 'Dear confident' which reminded me of the theme to the Golden Girls. I couldn't copy it and I wasn't allowed to copy it fully, so I picked the 2 most interesting quotes.

"I, like you, can't just turn my back on this very fragile Blue Ball that is our only known hope of existence."

She then talks about how 2 women seperately came up to her while she was standing in line at Starbucks (no, seriously) and one of them asked about the new album and encouraged her to 'tell it like it is' (which reminded me of Don Johnson, but nevermind). The second woman said something like "The war isn't some place far away, it's in my life too." or something like that - I don't have the exact quote. The note ends with the following quote:

"Maybe these 2 women will never know the impact that they had on me and on this project. American Dolls Posse is my response."

Now, onto the album. Like I said, the tracklisting (including running times) is 100% correct from Yo George to Dark Side of the Sun. I wanted to bring the other review that was posted, but I forgot and I haven't read it since. I'll compare the 2 when I finish my own review though It's funny, reading through my notes, I honestly can't remember ANY of it. ANY.

Yo George
Piano/vocal. Nice. Previously posted lyrics are correct.

Big Wheel
We've all heard this one, it still reminds me of LeAnn Rimes.

Bouncing off Clouds
Cool. We all know this one as well. Very single-worthy. The end just sort of echoes out, sounds like something is breaking down.

Teenage Hustling
Piano/vocal intro, which is kind of soul-ish. Very loud guitar. The bridge is very similar to the part in Happy Phantom where she sings "the sun is getting dim/will we pay for who we been". Some actual lyrics:
"Working since I was 14"
"Save me from your dirty demons"
There are some repetetive lyrics, like where she says a word 3 times before going to the next word. I can't remember a thing about the song now, but I wrote down that this is going to kick ass when it's played live.

Digital Ghost
Nice, lots of vocal harmonies, guitar. Long vocal note at the end. Not a very specific song.

You Can Bring Your Dog
The intro has Tori singing 'ooh ooh ooh'... Another song with guitar. Kind of rock/blues-ey. Some lyrics:
"You can bring your dog, I got 3"
"I'm not living to be the missus"

Mr. Bad Man
Kind of up-beat, not that special. Some lyrics:
"He's a bad man.
Mr. Bad Man
And she had enough of him
So the walls try to dry her eyes
'Cause the bad man made her cry"

Fat Slut
VERY loud guitar intro, nothing rhythmic, just LOUD guitar and an effect on her vocals. Kind of like a short She's Your Cocaine without drums.

Girl Disappearing
No guitar. Very nice strings, but it didn't sound like an orchestra to me. More like a quartet or something. It's a very calm song, very ominous. Reminded me of Gold Dust and Marianne, but more haunting yet not creepy. Has those drums where you don't use sticks but like... brushes?
I wrote down something stupid for lyrics, because this line makes absolutely no sense:
"Girl dis, to some secret prison
Le in the morning, end of September"
The other line is correct though:
"So I'm running to a constellation where they can still see you"

Secret Spell
We've heard it. As Molly Knight eloquently put it: I liked it better when it was still a secret.

Devils and Gods
Vocals and Keltish-sounding guitar. Is that even an English word? Like it's Scottish or Irish or something.

Body and Soul
Not David Bowie's less anoying brother. Seriously - they are sonically TOTALLY alike, except for the 'hoo-hah' - thank god.

Father's Son
Some acoustical guitar. Lots of lyric samples:
"Steady girl, on your feet
You and your wondering"
"So it ends, so it begins
I am my father's son"
"Plant an apple seed in a trusting virgin girl"
"Can you blame nature if she's had enough of us"
"Plant an apple seed of hate in another father's son" - END

Programmable Soda
Strings (again, not an orchestra but a quartet or whatever), BRASS, piano.
Kind of whimsical, reminds me of the 'up' section of Wednesday. Lyric (lol):
"Think of me as programmable Soda"

Code red
Cool. Dark. Cool outro. Guitar sounds like in The Beekeeper when she sings 'wrap yourself around the tree of life'.
Loud, cool guitar again, very dark piano. Lyric:
"Slip and slide away from the charade"

Roosterspur Bridge
Pretty. Calm song with piano, acoustical guitar, bass and drums.
Lyrics (which were also vocal highlights for me)
"Sometimes I watch the wonder in your eyes"
"Sometimes I think I understand the fear in a boy, the fire in a man"

Beauty of Speed
Lots of piano. I remember wanting to write down 'carbon', but thinking 'no, that will give the wrong impression'. But very elaborate piano playing, let's keep it at that. I wasn't really paying attention at this point because I was talking to my contact at sony, about Tori coming to Holland, trying to arrange an interview and trying to get my own watermarked copy of the album, which may or may not work.

Almost Rosey
Has electrical guitar. The drums on the bridge are rather cool. Once again; not paying attention. But that also means this (and Beauty of Speed) weren't very attention-grabbing upon first listen.

Velvet Revolution
Ok. The whole track sounded very Russian to me, with the acoustical guitar sounding like ummm... Whenever you're watching a sitcom and they show Venice or some other Italian city.

Dark Side of the Sun
VERY anti-war. Semi-acoustical guitar, then electrical guitar on the chorus. The chorus is sung nicely (that's what my notes say). She holds the final note (on the piano) of the song for a VERY long time. Really great way to end the album.
Lyrics:
"How many young men have to lay down"
"For some sick promise of....." (couldn't understand all she was singing)
"I wish .... (?) .... (?) turn back the clock"

All in all... Not a 'return to form'. But if you like the Strange Little Girls album, you'll probably like this one. Dark Side of the Sun, Father's Son, Code Red and Girl Disappearing really stood out.

ADP doesn't have the electronica of choirgirl and venus, it doesn't have the... ummm... floating/drifting quality of Scarlet's Walk... It's not as deeply personal as Earthquakes... Nobody's patching anybody's jeans (TBK). It's not as angry, passionate and eclectic as Pele. It's rock. Either she found a really good guitar player or she bought a nifty filter for her yamaha - I can't tell the difference.

I now wish I had insisted on listening to the album with headphones. It didn't occur to me that I could just ask to hear the album again, or hear certain tracks again. But that might also have been because my contact at Sony stayed with me the whole time. And it's kind of weird 'sharing' something so 'personal' like Tori's music, with someone you don't really know. It sounded good, though, and it didn't sound as neutered as Spark on TOAL, or basically all of TBK.

It's really really hard, because I keep trying to remember specific things about songs. I was humming along to some of the choruses, hoping I would remember them later, but alas... There was also one song where I remember a certain drum bit being COMPLETELY on 1 speaker instead of both. Not the full beat, but like an extra drum accent or whatever. Of course, I don't remember which song... Sigh. It's frustrating knowing there were things that I *loved* about the record but not really remembering what they were :S

[JazmenFlowers]

new pictures.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/americnadollpossecover4co2.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/doll2low2eu6.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/doll1low2zb1.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/amospiano.jpg

[foxyluva]

Thanks! :angel: :thumbsup:

[Nixxxed]

new pictures.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/americnadollpossecover4co2.jpg

I'm so glad this turned out NOT to be the cover. AWFUL. The individual pics themselves are OK - but the overall thing is just a mess.

Oh, and, I just have to:

"Wheyah is mah maid, and WHY is this chicken heyah?"

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/doll2low2eu6.jpg

Flaw-less. But the first time I looked at this one, I thought she was holding a little voodoo doll. :lol:

[JazmenFlowers]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/americnadollpossecover4co2.jpg

I'm so glad this turned out NOT to be the cover. AWFUL. The individual pics themselves are OK - but the overall thing is just a mess.

Oh, and, I just have to:

"Wheyah is mah maid, and WHY is this chicken heyah?"
lol. I know. I don't really dig the blonde look, but the other two are pretty good.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/stephjblockhead/doll2low2eu6.jpg

Flaw-less. But the first time I looked at this one, I thought she was holding a little voodoo doll. :lol:
I love this picture, but what the hell is she holding? and don't her hands look really big for her body in this pic?

I guess I like the red wig...

[Nixxxed]

I love this picture, but what the hell is she holding? and don't her hands look really big for her body in this pic?


It's a smudge stick - usually made of sage, you burn it during rituals - although usually not while wearing (seemingly) flammable couture. :laugh:

http://www.magickrose.co.uk/images/sagecedarstk.jpg

Her hands do look big - but she has really big knuckles due to the piano. Have you ever seent the piano shopping video interview? They're really noticeable in it.

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
aha.

nope, never seen that. I knew she had big hands...well, bigger than average for her frame, but they just really stand out in that picture.

[Nixxxed]

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XIEellAHOY4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XIEellAHOY4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

[foxyluva]

Well, the tracklisting has been released, and it looks like this will be the cover after all :(

http://www.toriamos.com/preteaser/images/tori_adp_500.jpg

Yo George*
Big Wheel
Bouncing off Clouds
Teenage Hustling
Digital Ghost
You Can Bring Your Dog

Mr. Bad Man
Fat Slut*
Girl Disappearing
Secret Spell
Devils and Gods*
Body and Soul

Father’s Son
Programmable Soda*
Code Red
Roosterspur Bridge
Beauty of Speed
Almost Rosey

Velvet Revolution*
Dark Side of the Sun
Posse Bonus
Smokey Joe
Dragon

(* interlude track)

The album is based around four female characters Santa, Clyde, Isabel, Tori and Pip (L-R)
http://www.toriamos.com/preteaser/images/tori_adp_group.jpg

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
are you ****ing kidding me?

oh.my.god.

that's horrible. I'll probably have to preview all the songs before I buy another album "based around" ****ing characters. sheesh Tori.

[foxyluva]

^^^
are you ****ing kidding me?

oh.my.god.

that's horrible. I'll probably have to preview all the songs before I buy another album "based around" ****ing characters. sheesh Tori.

I know. Its crazy. I bet this album is a mix between The Beekeeper and Strange Little Girls - which doesn't sound too good...

[JazmenFlowers]

I know. Its crazy. I bet this album is a mix between The Beekeeper and Strange Little Girls - which doesn't sound too good...
and Scarlet's Walk...and I had such high hopes.

why the hell is she basing another album on characters? haven't we had enough of that?

[foxyluva]

and Scarlet's Walk...and I had such high hopes.

why the hell is she basing another album on characters? haven't we had enough of that?

Ugh. Scarletts Walk is a bigger snooze than "The Beekeeper" - I hope its not a mix of all three.

I hate the whole character thing. Its not creative - its just stupid :shrug:

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
yeah, I can deal with it once and I kinda like the idea when it's original and cool, but every effing album...not so much.

[Nixxxed]

"Big Wheel" full song preview at NPR:

http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/20070322/

Scroll down about halfway - song mistakenly labeled as "Teenage Hustling". However, a clip of TH is included in the Spring Music Preview show at the top of the page, at 27 minutes in...

[BombaySapphire3]

Ugh. Scarletts Walk is a bigger snooze than "The Beekeeper" - I hope its not a mix of all three.



I liked Scarletts Walk in fact it's my second favorite of hers after Earthquakes.At least this one is anti Iraqi war and anti Shrub so I'm in.

[Nixxxed]

I love SW too. Every single song. Even love every one of Scarlet's Bee Sides, and that's a first for any Tori album.

[BombaySapphire3]

well Big Wheel sounds more energetic than most of The Beekeeper so I think it may be too soon to dismiss the project entirely on the basis of it being based on a character.:shrug: