Tori Amos Is Five M.I.L.F.s, Don't You Forget
Maybe you've heard that Tori didn't write the songs for her forthcoming album American Doll Posse all by her lonesome. To tackle the record's disparate themes and viewpoints, she went Garth Brooks on us. MTV explains:
But in order to make her political statement, Amos called on "Isabel," one of the four archetypes she developed for the disc. Each of these archetypes symbolizes a particular side of her musical personality, and each is based on one of the female constituents of the Greek pantheon. Isabel, Amos explained, is a photographer and a reflection of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Clyde, who was inspired by Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, embodies the singer's emotional and idealistic side. There's also Pip, the confrontational "warrior woman" based on Athena, and Santa, the sensual side of the artist, who was inspired by Aphrodite.In fact when she tours, these "women" -- each of whom "has a specific look and fashion sense" -- will take the stage, too! Not at the same time, though. Here's what the girls look like...
We know what you're thinking, and yes, they do have blogs. Grab the M.I.L.F. proclaiming "Big Wheel" -- and the Clyde-penned "Bouncing Off Clouds" -- at Fabulist.
Posted at 1:51 PM
Tags: Tori Amos
helen mirren tori is my favorite!!!
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Which one is Georgie Fruit?
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A normal person would be institutionalized for this kind of stuff. Which one is Santa? And before anyone suggests it, no, I won't go to the blog to find out.
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She should just name one 'Kate Bush' and be done with it.
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Tori Amos is so messed up, y'all
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this kind of behavior should not be encouraged
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wow...thats really lame.
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i'm not a particularly big Tori fan, but i think it's kind of cool.
if sufjan did it, you all would eat it up.
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"if sufjan did it, you would all eat it up."
Negative. If someone I still care to listen to, like Sufjan, pulled a stunt like this I would be downright despondent.
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why would anyone want to look like any of those old bats? She looks like an old spinster who starts endowments for a living.
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Helen Mirren Tori is my favourite too.
Avril Lavigne Tori is my second to least favourite. The menstrauting one is obviously the holder of that position, even if she does like to have a big cock in her hands.
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Would someone please take the god damned faux typewriter font away from record label art directors?
That shit was tired in nineteen ninety goddamned three.
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Natalie Merhcant did this same shit for her second solo album. 10 years ago.
The same, dozen personalities, all 100% women - all Natalie/Tori bs.
-G.
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Good on her for trying out such a cerebral concept, even though Prince dabbled with these dualities a decade and a half ago.
But yeah, there's a fair to middling chance she's gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
DwD
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Uhhhh. Yeah. And this person is considered sane enough to be a parent... why?
www.retrolowfi.com
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From left to right are Santa, Clyde, Isabel, Tori (as herself), and Pip.
And she's not crazy, she's a gifted artist, you snobs.
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She's saving the best one for her concert performance. Tori will dress up as The Fonz, get on her motorcycle and jump over a shark.
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"And she's not crazy, she's a gifted artist.."
Be fair; you can be BOTH. You could ask Van Gogh, if he had both his ears, spoke English and wasn't dead for a long time.
Check that: ask the Zombie Van Gogh.
DwD
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This is so embarrassing! I actually sort of feel sorry for her that she has to 'try so hard' this late in the game. Sad old thing, just become a farmer and give it. Now I'm going to listen to "TheDreaming" and forget I ever had to see this sophomoricosity.
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I say these things as someone who used to like Tori Amos:
1) In addition to everything else that everyone has brought up, this reminds me vaguely of the high-concept pretension of David Bowie's "Outside". Certainly the photo technology looks the same...
2) It also reminds me of the dress-up crap in the liner notes of "Strange Little Girls," which was the album that finally made me stop actively listening to her.
3) Also, didn't the concept of the Beekeeper involve multiple Tories or sub-Tories?
4) Come to think of it, haven't her last three records all involved concepts somewhat like this?
The point is, no one is ever allowed to make fun of her FIRST three records for being pretentious ever again.
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Come on guys, judging what Tori does is like judging what Bjork is doing. They're just plain crazy, but incredibly talented. They both don't give a fuck, and I respect that
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I feel that Tori has squandered her talent and no longer produces anything valid. Remarkably, she has both gone soft and gone mad; normally, talent gone to seed manages only one of the two.
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Will there be drums and bass on this new tour or just Tori?
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Just because someone dorks themself up to high heaven to appear to be the deepest, most creative, misunderstood visionary does not mean they are incredibly talented.
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It's so easy to pass judgements on people who make themselves easy targets, huh? Sometimes I wonder how many risks people take in their daily lives, and how much criticism might be directed toward them?
I guess what I'm saying is (and I'll try to be real clear, for the vague among us) if you've got the chops to take potshots anonymously, would you have the guts to have them taken at you? More to the point, do you do anything worth commenting on at all? I mean besides making snide remarks over the internet about someone who's trying to do something they believe to be worthwile.
This observation doesn't even have to be Tori-specific, I just happen to be protective, and appreciative of her aims.
Doesn't matter though, you keep listening to your hipster-boy, guitar(read "phallic")-obessed, cutting edge, fantasy-life music, and ignore anything outside parameters defined by your clique/radio/Ipod/underground/magazine.
If it makes you happy, remain myopic. Plenty of folks in the world are ready to take up the space you deem too uncool to occupy, and use it, too.
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You have a great point. i'm glad you said that. Personally i like Tori's music, and all artist are a little wacky it's not normal for them not to be. The cover tells me nothing about the songs. I can't wait to hear them.
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A few things. Beekeeper had nothing to do with the idea of different personalities. Strange Little Girls was all covers sung from a female perspective because she wanted to get out of her contract and found a slick way to avoid giving her label any new material. So she just took photos of herself as these characters...however, they weren't necesarily parts of herself. They were just girls she could relate to.
I don't understand why people think she's crazy. 95 percent of the time I know exactly where she's going with her ideas. The other 5 percent I have to spend years researching and reading up on the topic until I finally understand what she meant by a certain phrase.
Tori Amos is far too brilliant for many people to understand. They just take something thats over their heads and get frustrated so they call it "stupid". It's kind of like how many people hated Godard films when they came out. They made hardly any sense. But now I study his films in my film classes at my Ivy League College.
I don't listen to the radio. The music industry produces a bunch of mind numbing CRAP that doesn't make you think. Not only does she write well, she was a musical prodigy, composing at 3 and still to this day, being the youngest person to ever be admitted into the Peabody Conservatory for music in Baltimore. Love her or hate her, she is widely known around the world as one of the most genius musicians of our time. Her musical structures are very complex.
This album American Doll Posse is brilliant. The new video "Big Wheel" is a great visual for what she’s trying to get across. American DOLL posse. That’s why the video is in stills. Paper people.
Each of the different styled women represents a personality trait that makes Tori Amos a whole woman. You have the sexy stylistic woman, the quiet country girl, the artistic girl that always gets hurt, and the dark fighting warrior woman. Tori has stated that each of these dolls also are reflections of greek goddesses. In other words, Deimeter is a reflection of Tori herself.
But what saddens me is that fans don’t get what she’s trying to do with the different girls. And whats worse, they hear parts of a song, and already don’t like it because she says, “I am an MILF DONT YOU FORGET”
Did these people stop to read the rest of the songs lyrics? No. Did anyone else realize the song is really Tori speaking on behalf of Mary Magdeline? (Jesus’s “girlfriend” who was a prostitute who was said to have had an affair with Jesus) Didn’t think so. Not many anyway.
The video is interesting because instead of illustrating what the SONG means, she’s basically introducing the different characters from the album and the ideas on the album itself. It’s a political album, as it deals with issues with women.
But in the video - those odd images aren’t so random. She’s basically making American laugh at ITSELF. MILF is a cheesy American film quote. And she knew you’d tune in to that and the cheapness of language losing itself with modern technology (using 4 instead of FORGET)
The War tanks. Fatty Doughnuts. Magic 8 balls, wishing on a star but never doing anything. Puppies aren’t they cute? Yeah, but get off your ass and do something about your country America. Dont just be one dimensional dolls letting someone else move you around.
And for those that still think she's crazy and a kook and still don't get it. Good. You don't deserve to. Keep eating your crap food and following other peoples rules, never take time to analyze art or writings, and keep watching your reality tv. Oh yeah, and never be original. And die that way.
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this doll posse thing is soooooo lame. i'm a long time tori fan but why is she hiding behind all of this artificial BS? why the "high concept" costumes and the "creative personalities?" it's very Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines. it's distracting from her music... and makes it seem like her music isn't enough. sad turn of events for someone who used to cut through the artifice.
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all of you who have such negative things to write about tori amos obviously have no clue. you are spiritually lost. period.
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Amazes me that people call themselves Tori Fans, but don't like her.
That's the way she's always been with her creativity. 95 percent of her songs are about gods, other women, or people through history. Crucify for gods sake! Queen Elizabeth, or someone wasn't it? Totally religious, just as this album is. Only, she's getting deeper with her concepts of from where the songs are being written. Wait - you know what's happening rather - she's just being more clear about where the ideas from the songs are coming from. That's why she's now giving us reference points and characters. Most of the time people think she's crazy because she whips out these weird lyrics, but if you analyze them hard enough, you realize from what perspective the song was written from. So now, she's like..."this was written from the perspective of Phersephone"
People are really fucking dumb nowadays.
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Tara, if this is the only way to assure yourself that you're valid, then this is just the saddest attempt. What are you trying to prove? Ho hum, I guess this helps you sleep better at night. Still pathetic when you arise in the morning. A crazed fan who worships another human being. I don't care who it is, you're still living your life through someone who doesn't know of your existence. Sad. Get a real life. You're not even worthy of living through Tori's. You: I'm a brainwashed moron with no mind of my own, so I live religiously through Tori. I like everything by her so I can fool myself into being her number one fan. Will she notice me? *swoon* *rolls eyes* Reason number 85 why most people say Tori has some of the most annoying fans.
Anyway, Tori fans, don't be fooled by her last attempt. This album makes up for Beekeeper's lack luster instrumentation and flat arrangements. The strings, the rock/blues, the harmonies, the diversity. She brings it on this album, save for a few songs. This one's a keeper. "Body and Soul" will kick you hard.
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Greg.....she's already covered Kate Bush, so at least she acknowledges her influence. LOL. That being said, I'm in the mood for Hounds of Love the extended edition.....best concept album ever. Hands Down. Back to Tori: "Big Wheel" is a horrible single. It would've been cool if "Teenage Hustling" was first instead. I think "Big Wheel" is turning fans away. Fans are probably thinking that Tori has turned into Gretchen "Red Neck Woman" Wilson. LOL
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I feel that Tori has changed as an artist but not essentially as a person. I do very much enjoy and respect the true musically talented composers and musicians much more so than disposable, manufactured music that is easily forgotten and usually brief in career length.
Tori has been around for a long time and continues to stretch herself as an artist and is trying to respond and interpret what she see's happening with people personally and how this makes her feel and addresses this via using her gift as a female composer/musician in a constantly changing world. She has a valid interest in understanding peoples motives and behaviours and promotes being true to your own style with enigmatic genius. She is however not alone, she is part of a whole and there are many artists I respect who do much the same as she but with an alternative viewpoint, all however, serving the musical process as an art form.
People are quick to judge. You can't please everyone, but as long as she is putting out work that she feels has relevance and meaning, she does not have to justify herself. Her career span should say that for her. She has been very successful despite 7 years of rejection of her work and has forged ahead despite suffering a traumatic rape and knowing that she did not hold the same views as her parents. Many actors and actresses have endured similar; Helen Mirren and Barbra Streisand for example, geniuses in their field and have stuck around, stood the test of time and of being in and out of public favour all the while.
American Doll Posse is a very different album yet its subject speaks volumes to me. Yes it has political reference but Tori is exploring the avenues of the image as a power force. For example; how sure are you that what you see is a reflection of what that girl thinks of herself and what has she been through? I think it's an extremely current view of women and how they construct themselves as a visual essence which enables a person to hide from themselves. The make-up and clothes being ammunition almost like when soldiers go to war to survive in this social jungle.
Tori continues to test herself and explore musically, what is so wrong with that? But she is not out to please, she is either loved or hated and this cannot be controlled, but she knows that and continues to put her music out there and to promote her work because that is her life. Much as Kate Bush has taken a huge break, then she brings out Aerial, but she does not care if people like or dislike, she's expressing herself through and art form she understands and is proficient in.
Women are under pressure to conform to exterior imagery often to the loss of personal integrity, often sanity and self-respect. Women can play so much with the way they look, but sustain it? Look at Britney Spears! When is a woman ever going to be happy with not having to feel she has to be overtly sexual. It's not the sum of what a woman is and that's what Tori is saying with Doll Posse.
As with the other long standing, proficient and tried and tested authentic muscicians...
Long may she reign...
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she is looking more like pj harvey
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I listened to clips of the first few songs and was not surprised at the mundane political opener.
It surprised me the first time she polluted a song with the way too specific bush reference, but not the second time. The album with "fairytale" was the first time I considered that she was not as intense or intelligent as I once thought... She always took me to another world, one that she created. Now it is common place commentary on the mass media world that is everywhere I look. She did create Boys for Pele and To Venus and Back among others and is definitely the most unique and talented female musician besides bjork.
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Expressing your music visually cannot be easy, however her over-worked and complex faux characters do not synergize with the fragile "girls" on Posse.
Its kind of like reading a Paper-Back Western novel whilst listening to Bach's 6th symphony. Also - anybody else tired of over politicised preachy lyrics, having in mind we're not all born in America and could'nt give a flying cazoo what curios George is up to? On the upside after her photoshoot she did donate all the clothes from her shoot to the Smithsonian of Drapes.
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This is rather off the subject...and perhaps this thread is closed in any case, having not been posted on since the 16th...but I was wondering if anyone had any comments re: the disguised second line in "Smokey Joe." What Amos sings and what appears in the liner notes are two different things. A titillating ambiguity......
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To those of you writing such negative trash, I pity the path you have chosen. We all experience things differently. I have listened to Tori's music for over 15 years now, and I have at times been probably a little too into her music, but it served a purpose.
I personally think her points about the continuing decline of society and the detriment of religion are valid as ever, as proven by the manner in which some of the trash is wriiten in this thread.
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