From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V4 #38 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 Sunday, February 7 1999 Volume 04 : Number 038 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Talula mystery [Thisbe5716@aol.com] Sessions in Boston [Sweet Marianne ] talula remix on bfp ["Plain Jane" ] Re: Talula mystery ["Hanna Paulus" ] Re: Talula mystery [Nadyne Mielke ] Re: sessions [Shesbrokn@aol.com] the talula story. [Talulagrl1@aol.com] Re: Talula mystery [PeleBlow17@aol.com] Re: talula remix on bfp [Sarah ] Re: Talula mystery [Sarah ] neil. [Talulagrl1@aol.com] west 54th in NC.... [skh1 ] Re: eBay [cinders blue ] sessions interview [cinders blue ] sessions..... my teeny sob story... ["Erika and Alan Lewis" ] Re: Faerie stuff [XXXPandora@aol.com] Re: eBay [gina ] sessions overview [cinders blue ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 06:29:14 EST From: Thisbe5716@aol.com Subject: Re: Talula mystery You can still find some copies of BfP with the original version of Talula on them, but you have to keep your eyes open. The best place to find them will probably be in a used CD store, although I have seen new copies of them around here and there. Pick one up if you get a chance, the original version of the song is my personal favorite (nothing against BT) Amy "Can't forget the things you never said" ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 00:06:14 -0500 (EST) From: Sweet Marianne Subject: Sessions in Boston Isn't Sessions supposed to be on now? I checked all the Boston public tv channels and its not on here in Boston...can someone in the east coast help and tell me if and where it is? _.-'''-._ 14 McDaniel Dr. Box 2110 .' .-'``|'. Durham NH 03824 / / -*- \ ; <{ | ; http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/9523 | _\ | | trade list: /9523/tori.html ; _\ -*- | ; \ \ | -*- / A dyslexic agnostic insomniac: one who lies '._ '.__ |_.' awake at night wondering if there really is '-----' a dog... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 00:27:06 EST From: "Plain Jane" Subject: talula remix on bfp i just read something about this on the dent's forum.. someone said that the East/West Version's and early Atlantic versions have the regular Talula..and then later on they changed it over on the Atlantic versions to the remix i'm not sure why... so if someone else knows i'm sure they'll let us all know.. toodles mrjim barb. My version of BfP has the tornado mix on it... I assumed they all did. But I just got the Talula maxi-single, and it has the tornado mix on it...on the bottom it says something about how the original version of Talula could be found on BfP serial number whatever. So I look at my copy of BfP (I was having an exciting night, in case you can't tell) and it has that serial number plus dash 2 (-2). So now I'm thinking, the original BfP must have Talula on it, no tornado mix, but after Twister came out, all the BfP's were released with that mix, thus Version 2 of BfP. The lyric book has, I'm assuming, the original lyrics...ummm, so my question is, are my assumptions correct and if they are, how hard is it to find the original version of Talula, because I've never heard it. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 15:19:12 GMT From: "Hanna Paulus" Subject: Re: Talula mystery >ummm, so my >question is, are my assumptions correct and if they >are, how hard is it to find the original version of Talula, >because I've never heard it. I may have this wrong, but what I heard is that they were making the remixes and Tori liked the Tornado remix so she decided to stop printing the original one and put that one on it, it's not that rare, I don't think, to find the original version because my brother has it...it's cool, but you just have to be lucky to get it...if you want it. Richard...you might be able to contribute more accurate information.... :) BTW I put this Tori boot on hold until next week friday it's from her plugged show in Berlin...I was at this store where I buy all my boots and they got a couple new ones, one from Berlin, and then the plugged show from New Orleans, they are both 2 disc sets, but I chose the one from Berlin because it has more songs on it...you know...but I was close to chosing the New Orleans one because it had "here. in my head" and I only have that song on the LE video...but soon my collection will be to 27 CD's, I'm excited...my goal is to fill my 32 disc binder with just tori which means elimination of other good CD's, but maybe I'll buy a larger binder to fill with tori...hmm...sorry about my babble. Love, hanna ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 09:39:18 -0500 From: Nadyne Mielke Subject: Re: Talula mystery At 03:50 PM 2/5/99 -0600, Soraya Quiroga wrote: >My version of BfP has the tornado mix on it... I >assumed they all did. But I just got the Talula >maxi-single, and it has the tornado mix on it...on the >bottom it says something about how the original >version of Talula could be found on BfP serial number >whatever. So I look at my copy of BfP (I was having an >exciting night, in case you can't tell) and it has that >serial number plus dash 2 (-2). So now I'm thinking, the >original BfP must have Talula on it, no tornado mix, but >after Twister came out, all the BfP's were released >with that mix, thus Version 2 of BfP. The lyric book >has, I'm assuming, the original lyrics...ummm, so my >question is, are my assumptions correct and if they >are, how hard is it to find the original version of Talula, >because I've never heard it. Okay, kids, here is (yet again) the breakdown of all the different BfPs: 1) The original one. This one has the original Talula. 2) Tori decided she liked the Tornado remix better, so she replaced the original with the Tornado remix. However, the back of the CD case and the liner notes still showed it as the original one. (The release of the movie Twister has nothing to do with it. Tori just liked the Tornado remix better, and it's what she did in concert throughout the entire DDI tour.) 3) Atlantic got their act together, and had the Tornado remix with the right liner notes and artwork. 4) One of those cheesy record clubs purchased the rights to press their own copies of the disc, and Atlantic sent them the original Talula and liner notes from the tornado remix. Ooops! That's just US releases. I'll skip the lesson on UK releases for now. ;) There were 800,000 pressed of the original Talula. It's by no means rare. If you want it, you're going to have to go to a music store that lets you listen to the album before you buy it, 'cause you can't trust the liner notes {as I outlined above}. The catalogue number you quoted has nothing to do with which Talula is on the disc. That would make life a lot easier if it did. ;) The catalogue number for each of the different BfP releases is the same. The number before the dash is the catalogue number for the release itself, and the number after the dash indicates what medium it's on (CD, tape, vinyl). All CD catalogue numbers end in -2 (-1 for vinyl, and IIRC -4 for cassette and - -8 for minidisc). Actually, there's another way to get the original Talula: buy the vinyl. It wasn't re-released with the Tornado remix, IIRC. I don't know if the cassette got re-released, either; it depends on whether or not they sold out of the ones with the original Talula. This question is also answered in depth in the Tori FAQ (you'll note the format of the answer is the same, which is 'cause the authors of the FAQ took one of my many previous posts on this subject), available on the rmta webpage at . /nad ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 13:16:19 EST From: Shesbrokn@aol.com Subject: Re: sessions Im in the chicago area and on the t.v guide it says "To Be Announced" now, is that a show or what?.....someone please tell me if you know =) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 14:00:44 EST From: Talulagrl1@aol.com Subject: the talula story. ok i read this somewhere i dont remember where. tori had just finished bfp and her and a friend were talking about the internet her friend was explainning how the internet worked. her friend said that there are hundreds of sites discussing her music and there are hundreds of site about tornados for example. and tori was like "really?" and she wrote the tornados part for talula and liked it so much she had bfp changed. anyone remember where this is from? hope this helps rachel ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 12:05:55 EST From: PeleBlow17@aol.com Subject: Re: Talula mystery About a month ago I wanted to buy my own copy of Pele(my sis had a copy) and I was set out to get the one with the original Talula. Well, I found a copy at Sam Goody and on the back it had Talula and I was so excited. So my sis and I got in the car and put it on track 12 only to hear "He's chasing tornados..." On the CD and booklet it had the Tornado mix. Needless to say, I was very pissed. So, I would be careful if you see a new one with the original Talula on the back because I don't know how many were misprinted. HTH. :) *Faery blessings* Charissa ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 11:08:45 -0800 (PST) From: Sarah Subject: Re: talula remix on bfp my friend has the original on his bfp but i've never seen it elsewhere. i really like both though. it's just the intro and the background bass the are different. "balancing cake and bread said you had a double tongue...say goodbye to a glitter grrrl." i think that's the intro to the original :) sarah - ---Plain Jane wrote: > > > i just read something about this on the dent's forum.. > someone said that the East/West Version's and early Atlantic versions > have the regular Talula..and then later on they changed it over on the > Atlantic versions to the remix > i'm not sure why... > so if someone else knows i'm sure they'll let us all know.. > > toodles > mrjim > > barb. > My version of BfP has the tornado mix on it... I > assumed they all did. But I just got the Talula > maxi-single, and it has the tornado mix on it...on the > bottom it says something about how the original > version of Talula could be found on BfP serial number > whatever. So I look at my copy of BfP (I was having an > exciting night, in case you can't tell) and it has that > serial number plus dash 2 (-2). So now I'm thinking, the > original BfP must have Talula on it, no tornado mix, but > after Twister came out, all the BfP's were released > with that mix, thus Version 2 of BfP. The lyric book > has, I'm assuming, the original lyrics...ummm, so my > question is, are my assumptions correct and if they > are, how hard is it to find the original version of Talula, > because I've never heard it. > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 11:10:13 -0800 (PST) From: Sarah Subject: Re: Talula mystery how can you tell if it has the original? sarah - ---Thisbe5716@aol.com wrote: > > > You can still find some copies of BfP with the original version of Talula on > them, but you have to keep your eyes open. The best place to find them will > probably be in a used CD store, although I have seen new copies of them around > here and there. Pick one up if you get a chance, the original version of the > song is my personal favorite (nothing against BT) > > Amy > "Can't forget the things you never said" > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 14:05:13 EST From: Talulagrl1@aol.com Subject: neil. ] "i bought a tux a year and a half ago for tori's wedding and i havent worn it since" .......and of course it was black" neil gaiman 2-4-98 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 14:40:01 -0500 From: skh1 Subject: west 54th in NC.... is going to air at 11:05pm this evening... WUNC..... hugs and sips ~~kelley ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 16:40:15 -0500 From: cinders blue Subject: Re: eBay MC 900 Ft gina rapped: >"legit bootleg" that's funny :o) for the uninformed, "bootlegs" or "live >imports" are unauthorized recordings made _for profit_ by shysters. >bootlegs should not be confused with live recordings that are made by fans >for the purpose of trading with other fans _not for profit_. i don't want to start an endless bootleg debate, but you're splitting hairs here: "live recordings that are made by fans for the purpose of trading with other fans" are just as unauthorized as bootlegs. both violate copyright equally -- the only difference is that live recordings which are mass-manufactured and sold are much more likely to attract the attention of those who would prefer not to see this sort of things continue. don't be fooled into thinking that tape trading is somehow legal or okay because money does not change hands. >if you see a boot on ebay whose title is not in the online Tori Amos >Bootleg Discography, chances are that it's someone's home-made CDR. there is also a good chance that a title in the discography may be a cd-r - -- either because someone made a cd-r copy of an original or because the original is a cd-r. woj ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 16:58:00 -0500 From: cinders blue Subject: sessions interview toriadores, if you dig deep enough at the sessions at west 54th website, you'll find a transcript of the interview that david bryne conducted with tori for the program. it's at . in case this link disappears after the tori session is aired, here's a copy for the archives: DAVID BYRNE: People get carried away by music, they get inspired by music, they get inspired to do terrible things and inspired to do wonderful things. More than they would if you held up a painting and showed it to them.Do you think music is the most dangerous of the arts? TORI AMOS: Yeah. DAVID BYRNE: You can't imagine somebody running off to war after having looked at a painting, but after they've heard some music... TORI AMOS: Yeah. DAVID BYRNE: You could imagine that. TORI AMOS: Prokofiev, and those Ruskies. I think music can also be dangerous when certain people play it . It's like, "Oh no, I'm dying here!" I think, for me, I can't imagine my life without it. I really can't. I think I'd be one foot in as a sewage manager in some plant somewhere, 'cause I don't know how I would have handled my aggression if I didn't have music. I put a lot into the piano. I sort stuff out. DAVID BYRNE: So, you think it's as dangerous for you as it is for the audience? TORI AMOS: No, I think it'd be dangerous if I didn't have music. This is where I work stuff out. If we're talking about Joseph Campbell, they say that you probably have many myths running through your history. I think a lot in the new age puts me off because, "say the word 'love,' and it's all going to be okay." I don't agree with any of that. I feel like you gotta go to the shadow and you've gotta really see the stuff that you're hiding over here, and it's somewhere in here. I feel as far as the mythology goes, when I play, I pull on many different sides and it's not always about the good guys or the good gals, it's characters that have maybe done stuff that we kind of cock our heads at and go, "well, I don't know if this is a good character." I'm going, "that's not the point." They're in the myth, too, and sometimes I try and channel them. I try and bring those characters in and there's this tension that you create and you try and put yourself in everybody's position in the story, and that's what I try and do. DAVID BYRNE: Do you think when you changed your name or took what in the old days was called a stage name, do you think that was a way of self-determination? Of saying, "I'm going to be reborn as this new person?" TORI AMOS: Well, I think it's also correcting a serious mistake my mother made. I'm screaming from the womb, "No, Mother, Myra Ellen? That's like the worst!" I hated that name. Especially with what boys can do as nine-year-olds with the word "Myra," on the east coast. Oh, and their accents are horrible anyway. But Myra! It was just the worst. And everybody called me Ellen instead, but Eh-wen, they dropped the "ll"s? And I gotta tell you, I wanted to torch them. And so, I went through some really bad names, when I was going through my name change period. I almost became Sammi Jay. DAVID BYRNE: That's not so bad. TORI AMOS: Thanks, 'cause I was watching Dallas or no, Dynasty? DAVID BYRNE: I didn't know that was one of the characters. TORI AMOS: Yeah, Sammi Jay. She was Heather Locklear's character. Anyway, I was getting into the whole Sammi Jay thing and thank God one of my friend's boyfriends said, "You're a Tori," and I went, "You know what? You're right." DAVID BYRNE: Here's a little contradiction. In high school you were homecoming queen, voted most likely to succeed, etc., etc., and yet you still seemed to feel like somewhat of an outsider. Is that right? TORI AMOS: One of my girlfriends I went to high school with, Cindy, came back to a show a month ago in Houston, she goes, "You know, I am pissed off with you," and I said, "Why?" And she goes, "You know, we were the cool chicks, we hung out together and you're telling everybody we were nerds," and I said, "Well, you weren't a nerd." Everybody knew I played the piano and I never got a date without playing a song for a guy, and I was pretty much intrinsically linked with this thing, this instrument. So, sometimes I felt like because of it, that was really my way in. And sometimes I was a bit manipulative. Write a song, pass a course, little things like that, and I knew if I really wanted to go out with a guy, if things were going all wrong maybe I could get him near a piano and maybe -- DAVID BYRNE: That would sell him -- TORI AMOS: He would like me. DAVID BYRNE: The decision to work with a band, was any of that influenced by people having done dance remixes of some of the songs? TORI AMOS: Well, a couple of things happened. Before all that happened, on Boys for Pele, Manu Katche played drums. I used to record almost all the tracks, piano/vocal or piano/ harpsichord live to tape, and then all the musicians would play on top of that rhythm because I had trouble with, not all drummers, but I'd had trouble surrendering that and trying to find a time where the songs didn't get pushed. DAVID BYRNE: Yeah, it's a lot to surrender, to make room for other people's parts. TORI AMOS: And you gotta trust this drummer, that he knows your internal rhythm and who this song, I call them girls, who this particular one is and when she wants to pull back and when she wants to push. I've always said, you don't fuck to a metronome. And the thing is, I was going, "Manu, I don't know if I'm ready," and he said "Listen, I'm not talking about me." And this is why I loved him so much. He said, "You need to find a drummer that you can trust. That, for some reason, you have that thing." 'Cause he's one of the greatest drummers in the world, and he said, "It's not about that. It's about some kind of secret language you have." And Eric Ross, who produced Under the Pink, who I lived with a long time, called me up after I lost the baby and said, "I know the guy. This is Matt Chamberlain, you've got to play with him." He had worked with Matt's band, and Matt came to the tropics and we hired a drum set and we jammed. And it was like, "I know you." He goes, "I know you." And that was it. And I think that was a real, huge turnaround. DAVID BYRNE: I want to ask about RAINN,the organization that you founded? TORI AMOS: Yeah, with other people. DAVID BYRNE: We know about benefit concerts and that kind of thing, but what's the ongoing work there? TORI AMOS: Well, what RAINN really is, is a group of people that make sure that the phone line is running, the number is 1-800-656-HOPE, and RAINN picks up the bills for people when they call from anywhere in America to a rape crisis center. Rape crisis centers can't afford the collect calls. They're funded, they have to take care of their bills and there are about 600 rape crisis centers now that the phone line takes the caller to a counselor at one of these places, and RAINN is able to do that, and there are people. It works out of the DC Rape Crisis Center. That's where the hub of RAINN is. Part of the DC Rape Crisis Center is RAINN now. DAVID BYRNE: Does knowing that an ear on the other end of the telephone exists, help people call and say what's happened to them? TORI AMOS: Well, I've been told we've had about 225 thousand calls now since 1994, that's a lot. That's the good news and the bad news, but I've had people come up to me and say that they really were helped by RAINN, because it's not just a friend who is sitting there going, "yeah, yeah, you know," and kind of going like this to watch the tv show and they've heard it enough and you feel like you're imposing. Those people at the other end of the phone line are really there to talk about that. And to direct you. Some people need medical attention. Some people need legal advice. Some people need therapy, they really do. Some people are very ill. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 23:07:15 -0500 From: "Erika and Alan Lewis" Subject: sessions..... my teeny sob story... hello.... i just wanted to share... so i got all comfy... fired up the vcr... and then... PJ Harvey... no Tori for me this week i just hope that they're behind a week and i'll get to see it next week... *sigh* Thank you for your time Be Well Erika - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "so then love walked up to like, and said i know that you don't like me much let's go for a ride " "some things only she knows" -- Tori Amos -- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 04:46:40 -0800 From: Becky Now Subject: Tori on West 54th. Hey everyone. I'm really confused because I thought Tori was supposed to be on West 54th. tonight, cuz that's what it says on West 54th's website, but in the TV guide it says PJ Harvye and Big Chocolate are on. Not that that is bad, but did I miss Tori? Or are they confused and I missed PJ? Someone please let me know. I live in Graham, WA, and the listings say tonight at midnight it will be on, so someone let me know before 6 hours go by. Love, Becky The Screaming Bluebells: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Nook/5435/index.html ICQ #: 30446403 ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 20:41:34 EST From: XXXPandora@aol.com Subject: Re: Faerie stuff In a message dated 2/5/1999 11:58:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, hinkamyl@washburn.edu writes: << In an attempt to discover if the book is based off of folklore or fun, I am curious as to the existance of Gump, and the views of those from the area on faerie, and (as if I haven't asked too many questions:) ) is the area where Tori lives in Cornwall known to be inhabited by a plethora of faerie? >> Hello everyone, I'm new to this list and this being of the first emails I got really made me happy. I wholeheartedly believe in faeries and I also have this beautifully illustrated book (I love Brian Froud). The book is based on folklore but it also is lighthearted and fun ... much like other books illustrated by Froud and written by Terry Jones (of monty python fame, also an expert on faeries). Cornwall has notoriously been a place teeming with faeries as well as all of England and Ireland. Its no coincedence that Tori has a sudio in Cornwall, I'm sure she is surrounded by faeries there. I would love to visit there someday, her studio and the faeries :) I'm sure that they have set up camp right outside anyways. I believe that cornwall was the place where the Cottingly fake faery photographs were taken (but may be mixing something up there, so don't quote me on it). If you want a book based completely on folklore and facts and are slightly into wicca - I would recommend the book Faery Wicca part 1 - there is also a part 2 but that mostly deals with shamanism and contacting the faerie world. The first part of Faery Wicca is a detailed and extremely realistic story of how faeries came to be. If you need any help finding it, I can give you an address to send for a catalog. It's an amazing book (although it could benefit from Froud's artwork) Ok I think thats enough for now about faeries ... but I have many more stories to share about them if you would like along with many tori stories :) good night - I'll be seeing tori on TV in 4 hours!!! yay! ~~* joanne ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 16:18:41 -0800 From: gina Subject: Re: eBay > here: "live recordings that are made by fans for the purpose of trading > with other fans" are just as unauthorized as bootlegs. both violate > copyright equally -- the only difference is that live recordings which are to my knowledge, it is not illegal to own unauthorized recordings. it IS illegal to sell them or to profit in any way from them. all tori amos live recordings not released by her record company are unauthorized. there are bands, most notably the Grateful Dead, who allow taping. thus, their live recordings -are- authorized by the band, but most likely frowned upon by their record companies. > there is also a good chance that a title in the discography may be a cd-r > -- either because someone made a cd-r copy of an original or because the > original is a cd-r. ok, i'm going from memory here, but all tori bootlegs released prior to 1997, with 2 exceptions, were on silver (pressed) cds. after 1997, only one title has been released on silver cds, and that is Hamburg Swirl, which is not yet in the discography. the titles that i can name that were originally released on cd-r: Inside the Storm (released in 1996) Imaginirium (released in 1996?) RAIN Manchester (i think this was sold by one guy on the internet) Phoenix (or Phoenix on Fire) Plugged in Berlin Plugged in New Orleans Swapping Tongues. i believe all of the above, except Swapping Tongues, came with shoddy inkjet or laser printed labels. Swapping Tongues was released in a lovely professionally printed digipak case, but the cds themselves were gold cd-rs. if you've bought any tori amos bootleg not listed above and it came on a cd-r, you got yourself somebody's home-made copy or what some dishonest dealers are calling "re-releases." i'm not saying you -shouldn't- buy cd-rs, but i wouldn't. g. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 17:19:00 -0500 From: cinders blue Subject: sessions overview an overview of tori and _from the choirgirl hotel_ from the sessions website: from the choirgirl hotel is Tori's fourth album proper, following her three consecutive RIAA platinum releases, LITTLE EARTHQUAKES (1992), UNDER THE PINK (1994) and BOYS FOR PELE (1996). Those albums established Amos as one of the most strikingly gifted vocalists and songwriters of the decade. Unorthodox, uncompromising, and unashamed to follow her own unique musical instincts- wherever they might lead -Tori also emerged as a piano player of unusual brilliance and complexity. No one wrote songs, sang songs, or played songs quite like this girl who first sat down at a keyboard at the age of two and a half. Now, with the recording and release of her new album, again self-penned and self-produced, Tori is coming at her music from a new angle. The results, though unmistakably Tori, are unquestionably different. Compelling lyrics are coupled with pulsing, polyrhythmic patterns- to dramatic effect. Although ultimately more of an evolutionary musical change than a revolutionary one, this self-imposed shift of focus has certainly been one to keep Tori on her toes. "The piano player knew her head was on the chopping block with this one." she says with a smile. "She really had to practice hard to be able to play with these guys!" Recorded in Cornwall, England in a 200-year-old barn converted into a studio. from the choirgirl hotel finds Tori joined by a core band consisting of long-time collaborator Steve Caton on guitar, Matt Chamberlain on drums, bassists George Porter Jr. (Meters) and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck), and programmer Andy Gray. And on stage, Amos is now joined by Caton and Chamberlain, with Jon Evans on bass- marking her first-ever touring with a full band. This, too, represents a major evolution for Tori as a performer. Since the beginning of the decade, she has communicated intimately and passionately with her live audiences simply through her voice and piano - in the process building one of the music world's most fervent, dedicated followings. Now, by enlarging the sonic scope of her live work, she is taking the Tori concert experience into a whole new realm. If Tori had long known that she wanted to use rhythm and live recording in a way she hadn't before, she couldn't have foreseen the wider source of inspiration for her new songs. Nor would she have wanted to. "I wasn't going to write this record as soon as I did." She says. "But at the end of 1996, I was near the finish of a tour and I was pregnant. I had known from very early on - within a week - that I was pregnant. So I lived with the feeling and got attached to the soul that was coming in. And then, at almost three months, I miscarried. It was a great shock to me, because I really thought I was out of the woods, and I was really excited to be a mom. That event was the seed of the new album. The loss of her baby was what Tori calls "the egg of her music." People had a very hard time talking to me about what had happened," she says. "And I had a hard time talking about it. But the songs seemed to have such an easy time talking to me. And I began to feel the freedom of the music." That freedom revealed itself in a variety of ways. "Each song would show me a certain side of herself because of what I was going through," Tori says. "So a song like 'Cruel' came to me out of anger. 'She's Your Cocaine' and 'iieee' came out of a sense of loss and sacrifice. And other songs celebrated the fact that I had found a new appreciation for life through this loss." Perhaps it's surprising, but from the choirgirl hotel - as spiky and spirited and even barbed as it often can be - is never somber in the way that Tori's last album, BOYS FOR PELE, was. "I crossed the River Styx on that record," Amos says of an album that charted what she calls "a change in my relationships with men for good." And the new album is different too from LITTLE EARTHQUAKES ("a diary") and UNDER THE PINK ("kind of an impressionistic painting",) The new album emerges as, somehow, a much more complete record than the singer has made before. Tori agrees: "Each song to me is complete. They're not as interconnected; they're not dependent on each other to work. They get to hang out together and you get to know them together, but they exist quite happily without each other." "This record got me through a real bad patch," Tori concludes. "But I can laugh with this record, and I can move my hips to this record, which is really good for me. It's very sensual - that's the rhythm." ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V4 #38 ************************************