From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V7 #91 Reply-To: precious-things@smoe.org Sender: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "precious-things-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. precious-things-digest Wednesday, May 1 2002 Volume 07 : Number 091 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: "how i learned to love..." ["cdrv" ] One more Topic. ["cdrv" ] Re: "how i learned to love..." [Erin Martin ] precious things (the song) and sugar [Erin Martin ] Re: "how i learned to love..." [Cyndi S Crawford ] :::myst tries ONCE again::: [Mysterilady2001@cs.com] Re: precious-things-digest V7 #90 [Mysterilady2001@cs.com] Re: least fav Tori songs??? [Richard Handal ] Re: "how i learned to love..." [Brian K Tanaka ] Re: least fav Tori songs??? [Cyndi S Crawford ] "Icicle" [Cyndi S Crawford ] Re: least favorite tori songs ["Tom xxxxx" ] Sister Named Desire ["Danny.Weddup" ] Re: least favorite tori songs ["Becka" ] ny times interview broadcast in nyc [invader woj ] Songs I hate, Songs I once hated... [ToriLiscious@cs.com] Re: least fav Tori songs??? [Richard Handal ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 00:55:40 -0300 From: "cdrv" Subject: Re: "how i learned to love..." Love this oneeeeee! :) Great Topic! Indeed! My picks: LE: Mother: Until I hear it carefully and conect to the lyrics. UTP: Bells for her: I didn4t underestand it until I lost some friends that betrayed me in the MOST AWFUL way. So I got conected to Bells and to the whole UTP album. Bells is one of my favourites the SLG version is mind blowing same with the P98 Version. BFP: Marianne: Until I heard the story, here on the list. It is very poignant and dear to me. I love how the quietness of Marianne clashes with the urgent feeling of desperation of CALS. FTCGH: Hotel: Shame on me, but the truth is that I dislike it so much that never listen to te whole track. I skipped ALWAYS A-L-W-A-Y-S. Until one afternoon I was listening to FTCGH and I was in my bedroom drawing and I listened to it and LOVE ITTTTT. I felt like and Idiot for not listening to it before. LOL Venus: Juarez: Until I read the story and got to underestand that Tori sings as if she were the desert witnessing the rapes. I thought It was just pure genius and love it. I LOVE so much that part of "No angel came, no Angel came..." SLG: Heart of Gold: At first I must admit I HATE IT. But then I started to connect to the feeling on the song and that emotion of trying to find a Heart of gold and the voices mouning and whispering. It is different but I LOVE IT it remindes me of P.J. Harvey at times (don4t hate me for that comparison) That is all! See ya Daniel - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pete Lambert" To: "Precious Things" Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 8:24 PM Subject: "how i learned to love..." > > I love the current threads of favourite/least favourite songs (for me: Hey > Jupiter/She's Your Cocaine), and thought I'd suggest this: When it wasn't > love at first minim, the ones that are just "eh?" for a few months before > something suddenly clicks.... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 01:13:14 -0300 From: "cdrv" Subject: One more Topic. As all these Very cool threads are surfacing, I would like to place this. Which some were love at 1st sight? Mine. YKTR: Fire on the side ( L.O.V.E it I think she sould revisit this forgotten GEM), Floating City and the E.-Trilogy LE: Winter UTP: Cloud on my tongue BFP: Caught a lite sneeze FTCGH: Spark & Northen Lad Venus: Josephine and Lust Venus Still Orbiting: Precious Things , Cruel (it even made appreciate more the original that until that moment I didn4t like THAT much), Bells for her, Sugar, and Cooling SLG: Raining Blood, Rattlesnakes, Strange Little Girl and Time Bee Sides: LE: The Pool, Mary, Little Drummer Boy, Sugar, Here in my head, Song for Eric. UTP: Black Swam (I can SWEAR this track is made of pure MAGIC), Honey, A case of You. BFP: Graveyard. FTCGH: Never Seen BLue, Cooling, Beulah Land. SLG: After all and Only women Bleed. Live Versions The Live at West 54 versions of Ieee and CALS , She is just a pony intro/Doughnut Song, and Sometimes I hear myself intro/Bells for her versions, plus the solo piano version and the harpischord live version of sneeze. Among SOOOOO many. What are yourssssssssss? Dying to know! Daniel ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 22:33:58 -0400 From: Erin Martin Subject: Re: "how i learned to love..." This is kind of fun. :) Like others, I don't have many Tori songs I hate, but the ones I sometimes skip are: LE: Happy Phantom. I know, I know... I don't know why either. UtP:the Wrong Band...aside from the "open my eyes/don't be afraid to open my eyes" it doesn't do much for me. BfP: Agent Orange. It used to be In the Springtime of His Voodoo but I got to like that. Ditto with Professional Widow. FtCH: um, maybe Liquid Diamonds. I'm not that crazy about "Cruel" but I often listen anyway. TVaB: Riot Poof. Just can't get that into it for some reason. SLG: maybe I'm Not in Love, if I had to pick. Songs that I usually skip because they're too emotional for me: Me and a Gun, Winter, Hey Jupiter, '97 Bonnie & Clyde. On the "Pirates" discussion...I really like "Pirates!!" I think it's because I took this class on postmodernism where we discussed "pirate utopias", pirates, and gypsies...I did a project where I wrote a story and took pictures and made a soundtrack cd. When my heroine joined the pirates at the end, I knew the perfect song for that moment. As for non-albums, Smells Like Teen Spirit doesn't do much for me. :) Erin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 22:42:06 -0400 From: Erin Martin Subject: precious things (the song) and sugar Hey there-- I had a thought recently whilst listening to "Precious Things." Like most EWF, I've always loved the line "so you can make me cum that doesn't make you Jesus." I'd always interpreted it as her talking to some man who thought he was the sh*t because he gave her sexual pleasure. I still mostly see it that way, but I started turning it around another way too. I think the line could also be her saying it to herself about some person. I know a lot of relationships are crappy but if there's good sex, it's tempting to glorify that person anyway. I could hear her thinking "he's not Jesus, he's just some guy who's a good lover." That's something I really love about Tori's lyrics, the ambiguity that can help you think of them many ways. Another question: I was listening to "Sugar" a lot recently. I know the story behind the writing (like the one she tells on the hey Jupiter EP about the tea and all that) and how she had to write it in 20 minutes and heard Freddie Mercury singing it. I also read that the part about Bobby and the hammers was autobiographical so I combined everything to thinkt hat the song was about being let down by somebody she cared about. So my question is this: Why is there such a question about him being "found" with her in the morning? It's especially interesting to add the "you're just a pussy" line from the live version and see how that fits in. Any ideas? Shantih, Erin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 00:32:42 -0400 From: Cyndi S Crawford Subject: Re: "how i learned to love..." I guess for me, the songs that took a few plays to like on each album, would be.. LE: Little Earthquakes. It just took a few plays to start getting into it.. then I started really loving it after she goes "Give me life / give me pain / give me myself again" and goes "eeeeEEEEeeeEE!" because I looooooooove singing along to that part. UTP: Pretty Good Year.. until the part when she goes "HEY!! What's it gonna take.." etc. I liked the whole song but I was iffyish about it until then.. and Past The Mission cuz I'd read about it.. hearing Tori saying stuff about Trent Reznor being able to "rage".. and I'd gotten the impression that he was "raging" on the song as well.. so that was a big letdown.. but once I got over that, I enjoyed the song better, and I love it now. :) BFP: Beauty Queen/Horses.. BQ.. I still don't much click with it, but what has me listening to it is that Horses is right after it and they're both on the same track, so I just sit and listen to her sing BQ and then sing along with Horses. FTCH: She's Your Cocaine and Raspberry Swirl.. cuz.. I SWEAR.. SOME reviewer wrote in some article review on FTCH, something about an "orgasmic scream" being heard at the end of one of those two.. and well, I didn't want my parents hearing that, so I was really REALLY wary of hearing those two for the first time. After I heard none, I was like "eh.. whatever." and relaxed about that and went on my merry way. TVAB: I would have to say.. Spring Haze. The beginning of it is a little slow-ish so I didn't quite click until the music really started in.. then I was like "heyyyy... this is good!" SLG: '97 Bonnie and Clyde. I know the original.. and the original scares me.. so I don't go dancing to it.. but I do listen to it some if I ever do listen to Eminem anymore anyway.. and the first time I heard Tori's version, it was altogether too quiet for me.. so that's why I didn't quite click with it. I've heard it recently at a better volume though, so I like it better cuz I can understand her much better. those are my "learned to love" songs. :) Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford (Keyyooo on ICQ and IRC, Keyyooo1 on AIM) http://learntothink0.tripod.com/learntothinkagain/ -- http://www.geocities.com/keyyooo/ -- http://www.platinumcomplication.com/cyndi/ Tori Amos' response when asked to describe herself in five words: "I. Do. Not. Describe. Myself." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 00:37:10 -0400 From: Cyndi S Crawford Subject: video "ideas" Have any of you *EVER* listened to a Tori song.. whether it already had a music video to it or not.. and dreamed up your own music video? ever wished you could meet up with Tori and pitch that music video idea to her? Well, I'm going to school to be a film maker, (movies and music videos.. yeah baby!) so stuff like this is good practice for me. I say.. we all should make this a continuous thing if possible.. and starting with the first track on (I *need* to hear YKTR.) Y Kant Tori Read, make up "music video ideas" for each of her songs on her albums. What do you guys think? you think you're up to the challenge? hmmmm? :) Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford (Keyyooo on ICQ and IRC, Keyyooo1 on AIM) http://learntothink0.tripod.com/learntothinkagain/ -- http://www.geocities.com/keyyooo/ -- http://www.platinumcomplication.com/cyndi/ Tori Amos' response when asked to describe herself in five words: "I. Do. Not. Describe. Myself." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 02:27:08 EDT From: Mysterilady2001@cs.com Subject: :::myst tries ONCE again::: Sorry, Idiot Me was laughing so hard I hit the wrong key --- I meant to say: When she said the following: << I'm sorry if I hurt some of you with these choices >> Hurt? Thats precious Kasia. You have a kind heart. Everyone go back to what you were doing now :::still laughing::: hehehehaaa Toodles ~ MysT *** << This may sound strange but are there some Tori songs that you don't like that much??? You know... the songs that you skip cause you can't wait to the next or something.... These are mine: YKTR: pirates, floating city LE: girl, china, leather, tear in your hand UTP: god, the waitress BFP: none.... I love them all.. FTCH: none again (well... maybe cruel) TVAB: spring haze SLG: i don't like mondays I'm sorry if I hurt some of you with these choices.... But these are just my picks... Now it's time for your least fav songs... Kasia >> ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 02:21:34 EDT From: Mysterilady2001@cs.com Subject: Re: precious-things-digest V7 #90 I'd like to personally thank Kasia for the Laugh Out Loud I just had. When she said: Kasia wrote: << This may sound strange but are there some Tori songs that you don't like that much??? You know... the songs that you skip cause you can't wait to the next or something.... These are mine: YKTR: pirates, floating city LE: girl, china, leather, tear in your hand UTP: god, the waitress BFP: none.... I love them all.. FTCH: none again (well... maybe cruel) TVAB: spring haze SLG: i don't like mondays I'm sorry if I hurt some of you with these choices.... But these are just my picks... Now it's time for your least fav songs... Kasia >> ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 02:56:21 -0400 (EDT) From: Richard Handal Subject: Re: least fav Tori songs??? Cyndi said: > Well.. I can't pick, really.. but I'd have to say (I've never > heard YKTR so I don't count it yet.. lol) that overall--my least favorite > ALBUM (partly cuz FTCH is practically my favorite, and I like to listen > to 'em all in order) would have to be BFP. there are some amazing songs > on there, but by the time I get to Putting The Damage On and Twinkle.. > I'm sitting here with ants in my pants, I'm so eager to throw in FTCH! I definitely think one must be prepared to go on the journey that is Pele if one is going to play the album as more than background music. It asks for a major commitment. I believe one can get a lot from Pele if one is in a personal place to be able to deal with her, though. I suggest waiting until you feel in a special mood where you are relaxed and can let your mind wander more than usual before putting Pele on the stereo again, Cyndi. Maybe partake of some of that bottle of red wine with it as Tori suggests. There are great rewards to be reaped from that album. As I wouldn't suggest watching the film Lawrence of Arabia unless one is prepared to deal with such an epic, neither would I recommend listening to Pele in an everyday frame of mind. It's simply too much at once for the average kind of listening situation. And, as I've said here before, it helps to think "courses of a meal" or "acts of a play" for the four sections in between the separator songs. Breaking it down that way can make it easier to wrap one's head around it. You may even want to try listening to only one or two sections of it at a time a few times before trying to digest the entirety of it in one session. Even if one has to do that, though, I think it's worth the trouble. As with the Dew Drop Inn concerts she played in support of Pele, your head is gonna end up in a different place than where it was when the experience began if you're able to catch the ride. I think this sort of effect is one reason some of us have developed such a strong sense of attachment to the music overall and to seeing concerts, and even to the person. We've shared many journeys together. It's beautiful. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead. ;-) Be seeing you, Richard Handal, H.G. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 00:28:24 -0700 From: Brian K Tanaka Subject: Re: "how i learned to love..." With reckless abandon, Pete Lambert typed the following words: > > ... and thought I'd suggest this: When it wasn't > love at first minim, the ones that are just "eh?" for a few months before > something suddenly clicks.... Ah... Interesting twist. Here are some of mine. LE: Mother - I don't know what happened... one day it just sorta snuck up on me and said, "hello!" I remember too that it was on the line "first my left foot then my right behind the other" for some reason aside from the meaning of the words themselves; perhaps something in the rhythm and cadence of the phrase. > BFP: Pro Widow - until i realised you really can hear her shovelling the > bullsh*t Ha! That's funny because that realization had the same effect on me. BFP: Talula - I think Talula had a hard time getting my full attention in the beginning because each time I wasn't ready for the percussion after Little Amsterdam and on top of that I was eager to get to Not the Red Baron. But, as in the case of other many songs that seemed "just 'eh'" before something clicked, it was learning the lyrics that made a world of difference and for a while I couldn't hear it enough. (I really love the Strange Little Tour versions of Talula by the way.) FTCGH: Pandora's Aquarium - Hearing live versions. FTCGH: Hotel - Another one that snuck up on me. TVAB: Honestly, at first I didn't get a bunch of the songs on this album (meaning "orbiting"). It took hearing some of the songs solo acoustic first and then going back and listening to the album in order to get to the point of "Ah. Now I get it." Oh, and the lines "...and I found out where my edge is / and it bleeds into where you resist / and my only way way out is to go / so far in / billowing out to somewhere..." made Spring Haze click with a *resounding* click. I was just reflecting on some of this the other day. It's interesting to me that each album is different enough that each time I have to wonder "how much do I like this?" and yet inevitably the songs reach me, each in their own time and manner, and then the whole album finds its home so to speak. That, in my opinion, is exceedingly cool. - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.well.com/~btanaka/tori - Gxis la kokino, oreloj kun futoj... - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 11:06:20 -0400 From: Cyndi S Crawford Subject: Re: least fav Tori songs??? Richard said: >I definitely think one must be prepared to go on the journey that is Pele if one is going to play the album as more than background music. It asks for a major commitment. I believe one can get a lot from Pele if one is in a personal place to be able to deal with her, though.< Well, I do know that Tori isn't necessarily "nice music for your apartment" as she put it (and quite well at that!). BFP is definitely one of those albums worthy of that phrase because if you're not paying attention, it's like.. "huh??" I know I was playing it a couple weeks ago, and it was hot in the house so I had my door open and the fan on, etc.. and my parents were in the other bedroom setting up a bed.. to make it the "guest" bedroom. So in between songs, I ran in and asked my mom if she liked it. She said "Honestly, I'm *trying* to like it, but.. it's too jazzy." She hates jazz. *shrug* Seriously, I do try to pay attention to all of the albums when I listen, but the only thing that just doesn't really seem to help, is the fact that I still don't know *all* the lyrics to *all* the songs.. rofl.. Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford (Keyyooo on ICQ and IRC, Keyyooo1 on AIM) http://learntothink0.tripod.com/learntothinkagain/ -- http://www.geocities.com/keyyooo/ -- http://www.platinumcomplication.com/cyndi/ Tori Amos' response when asked to describe herself in five words: "I. Do. Not. Describe. Myself." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 13:19:59 -0400 From: Cyndi S Crawford Subject: "Icicle" okay.. this may not seem very relevant.. but.. I was just downstairs and I saw Tweet's video "Oops (Oh My)" and what she's singing about.. lol.. well, needless to say, I sit there when I hear that song, and I say to myself "that sounds to me more like a hip-hop version of Icicle" lol.. what do YOU guys think? I mean Tweet might not have been singing about getting off while people pray downstairs, but she was singing about getting off (or at least hinting at it anyway) so I'd think.. that's as radio friendly as you can get with a song like that.. and to tell you the truth, I'd read lyrics to Icicle before I'd actually HEARD the song, so I was thinking that it was gonna sound like, for example, Tweet's song anyway! Surprise, surprise, when I heard it, I was quite.. well, certainly not let down, but I didn't expect what I heard. So what do you guys think? "Oops (Oh My)" = hip-hop Icicle, or no? Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford (Keyyooo on ICQ and IRC, Keyyooo1 on AIM) http://learntothink0.tripod.com/learntothinkagain/ -- http://www.geocities.com/keyyooo/ -- http://www.platinumcomplication.com/cyndi/ Tori Amos' response when asked to describe herself in five words: "I. Do. Not. Describe. Myself." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 19:37:40 +0000 From: "Tom xxxxx" Subject: Re: least favorite tori songs This is an interesting thread. I mostly like all her work, but there are some that don't shine as much as others and a few--very few--that I really don't like. YKTR: I only like Etienne and Cool on Your Island. The rest of this CD is forgetable '80s pop. LE: I like everything, but I think "Little Earthquakes" is subpar for the album. UtP: I almost always skip Bells, Wrong Band, and Icicle. BfP: As much as I love this one, there are a few clinkers: Not the Red Baron, Agent Orange, and Voodoo. This one also has probably the only Tori song I hate: Little Amsterdam (I know a bunch of you love this one; dont' take it personally). FtCGH: everything on this one is fine. Liquid Diamonds and Pandora don't really grab me, but I don't skip them. TVAB: Datura, Riot Poof, Glory of the 80s. The version of Bells on here is a vast improvement over the studio version. SLG: I Don't Like Mondays, Heart of Gold, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Raining Blood. I usually skip all of those and sometimes I'm Not in Love. Other stuff: Sister Named Desire, Alamo, Bachlorette, Beulah Land, Samurai. Sister Named Desire ranks with Little Amsterdam as Tori songs I really never listen to. Hope I didn't offend anyone. These are just my opinions. toodles, Tom "All the carnage of my journeys makes it harder to be livin' He said, 'It's a long road to be forgiven." Amy Ray, "Chickenman" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 20:13:50 +0100 From: "Danny.Weddup" Subject: Sister Named Desire Hi everyone, Mike wrote: >The Tori song that I dislike more than any other would have to be Sister Named Desire, which is on Part 2 of the Talula UK singles. Other Tori songs that I dislike I can at least tolerate and even at times enjoy (like Pandora or Professional Widow). Sister Named Desire is the only Tori song that I truly cannot listen to -- I think it is that horrible< I couldn't agree more! I've always disliked this song from the first time I heard it. Where's the tune? Tori's vocal is pretty awful too...I just don't get this song at all. It surprises me because it's on the same single as Alamo IMO is incredible. There's an emotional connection with Alamo which just doesn't happen with Sister Named Desire. I'd love to hear the story behind it as well, or the thoughts of someone who *gasp*....likes it? :o) Danny ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 16:27:01 -0400 From: "Becka" Subject: Re: least favorite tori songs hasn't ever really listened to YKTR but here are mine.. LE:me and a gun.. UtP:the waitress BfP:Professional Widow, not the red baron, agent orange FtCgH:I pretty much enjoy this whole cd, to me not all the songs fit(that's another thread i think.. which songs do you think belong on another album) but i think liquid diamonds is just weak. TVaB: lets just list what i DO like off this album..lust, spring haze, jospehine SLG: again.. what i DO like.. time and i don't like mondays on a smaller note.. i don't think ANYONE should be apologizing for what they like and don't like.. if someone gets their knickers in a knot because YOU don't like THEIR favourite song.. that's their problem and they need to lighten up.. to each their own preferences.. don't you feel bad for it. ~~cheers! becka http://www.dreaminginreality.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 18:25:52 -0400 From: invader woj Subject: ny times interview broadcast in nyc noticed this on the dent forum in a post by icayrus < http://www.atforumz.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=129705 >: >I'm not sure if anyone has posted this information as of yet (I tend to >lurk on the forumz a lot and haven't seen this mentioned).... > >Anyway, I noticed that CUNY (a channel on cable here in the NYC area) has >started to show some of the interviews from the NY Times Critics Choice >Weekend, so I emailed them to ask if they would be airing Tori's, and >here's the information I got back today: > >On CUNY-TV/Cable Channel 75 (basic cable in all five boroughs of New York >City) > >"Tori Amos: A Conversation" >Guest: singer-songwriter Tori Amos >Times Moderator: Ann Powers >Taped Sat. Jan. 12, 2002 > >Will be seen on the following dates and times: >Friday, May 24: 8 AM, 4 PM, 9 PM >Saturday, May 25: 11:45 PM >Sunday, May 26: 12 Noon > >So, there's some good news and information so you guys can set your >VCR's.....I can't wait to see this again, it was such a special night. cuny tv's website is and their programming schedule confirms this! woj ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 21:27:30 EDT From: ToriLiscious@cs.com Subject: Songs I hate, Songs I once hated... I can't stand: LE- Winter, and China to a lesser extent UTP- Cornflake Girl, Past the Mission BFP- (This is like having to pick between my parents!) Professional Widow FTCH- Raspberry Swirl (Whoever said that this was a 'summer' album, and then someone said it was pretty dark, why would this be a summer album, to me it's summer because it's upbeat; you can dance to it.) TVAB- Datura TVAB Live- Cornflake Girl- Again! SLG- Strange Little Girl, although I haven't really gotten into this album at all yet. NOW, for the songs I once hated but now love: LE- Little Earthquakes (I started to love this song when i noticed the musical sarcasm and irony. This song made me respect tori tons more.) UTP- Space Dog (too long for my taste, i kept skipping it based on length alone, then i listened to it, and here i am..) BFP- Blood Roses (couldn't stand the harpsichord at first.. but the "going-off's" in this song [god knows i've thrown away...., i think you're a queer..., etc., etc.,] now, i can't get this track off of repeat, jesus, i love this song. i turn it up way loud and scream along!) FTCH- Hotel (Couldn't stand the randomness of this song. it was too 'off' for me at first.. then i started listening to the words...) TVAB- Suede (why did i hate this song? i can't even answer that now, i love it so much) TVAB Live- Purple People (again- don't know why i disliked it.) SLG- Haven't really given it a chance yet. (i'm still getting to know tvab, you silly geeses!!) ok- that's all i got. love n stuff, micah maranda ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 22:40:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Richard Handal Subject: Re: least fav Tori songs??? Cyndi replied to my post: > Seriously, I do try to pay attention to all of the albums when I > listen, but the only thing that just doesn't really seem to help, is the > fact that I still don't know *all* the lyrics to *all* the songs.. rofl.. I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I didn't mean to suggest you weren't paying attention, Cyndi, I meant to refer to the the idea of being in a place where one may be more open than usual to the *emotions* of the music. Clearly, when Tori says to get a "bottle of red" and listen to the album, she doesn't expect that to help anyone follow the lyrics better on a conscious level. I think focusing on the lyrics--the words themselves-- especially at first, can even serve as a hindrance to understanding the music on an emotional level. I remember Tori herself saying somewhere that it makes sense not to focus on the lyrics as such the first few times you listen to one of her records, but to let the emotions in as much as you can. (I searched a bit for the quote but didn't find it. That's the gist of it.) Here's a quote about Pele from the May/June 1996 [US] B-Side magazine: Well, I've suggested a bottle of red with this one, because it's the heart record. I don't feel like the jokes and the pain are on the inside, it's so worn on the sleeve. Sometimes, it being a metaphorical work, you have to get your head out of it. But you know, when she says 'I think you're a queer, well, I think you're a queer and I've shaved every place where you've been, boy, God knows I know I've thrown away those graces' . . . it's very clear that the war has begun. You've just walked into the record and the war has begun. The blades are out. And she's become a piece of meat in her mind, she's willing to cut out her voice, she's willing to 'cut out the flute from the throat of the loon, at least when you cry now he can't even hear you.' There's something else I want to refer to for this conversation, but I didn't see a transcript for it in the typical places so I'm just going to give a link to an MP3 of it on my usually private webspace. http://www.min.net/~handal/96jpt.html Go there and you can hear her respond to a question by WHFS DJ Pat Ferrise on a program called "Just Passin' Thru" which was first broadcast on 11 February 1996. He asked her about the songwriting process and her reply was informative on points being addressed here. The MP3 I made is under a half meg in size--but it's loud. Ha. Something else to realize about the lyric-writing process with her is how much she's a product of the Cherokee culture as her mother's father, Poppa Copeland, introduced it to her, and which also embodies many of the themes she encountered again when, in her teens, she first began to read about mythologies of other cultures. The Cherokee and other cultures believe spirits are everywhere, and the way they use language demonstrates this when they refer to creatures, rivers, trees, and various inanimate objects by name, and ascribe to them their own personalities. This thinking directly leads us to encounter such personalities as Mr. Zebra and Ratatouille Strychnine. This is not the same as anthropomorphization, which is assigning human personalities to other creatures or objects, this is based on the idea that these things have their own innate personalities. With Tori's music in general, but with Pele in particular, it's helpful to get one's head into the viewpoint(s) of each song. Surely, when Tori says the songs are alive, one aspect of this is the manner in which they embody specific points of view; they are thinking and feeling things unique to themselves. Related to this is seeing that some of the songs are essentially conversations. I think it's instructive to go through lyrics and try to hear the different voices and punctuate them accordingly. When listening to Frog on My Toe, put in the quote marks when her Poppa is speaking, or when she is speaking his words. "You said, 'We all grew fat, when the white man came.'" When listening to Twinkle, but in the quotes around "'I killed a man, T, I gotta stay, hidden in this abbey . . .'" And so on. One of the main things her Poppa taught her was how to see and hear with her heart instead of her brain. Various American Indian tribes call this using one's "spirit eyes." This is something that can be learned, but it's a skill most cultures in our modern world have left by the side of the road to "progress." Surely, this is one reason for two occurrences: Tori's music is never going to be as popular as the major-selling music acts, and those of us who *do* feel connected to the music tend to feel it at the personal emotional level that we do. I'm only planning to leave that sound file up for a few days so get it now if you want it. Be seeing you, Richard Handal, H.G. ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V7 #91 ************************************