From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V9 #30 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 Thursday, February 26 2004 Volume 09 : Number 030 Today's Subjects: ----------------- old NY Press review [e m ] RE: old NY Press review ["Daniel Bhalla" ] Fwd: Re: And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad, By William S. Repsher [e m <] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:49:11 -0800 (PST) From: e m Subject: old NY Press review Hi All EWF, I was hunting for some SW facts today, and I came across this awful "review" of SW from the NY Press. I was so angered, that I sent an email to the editor's email. Please feel free to do the same. If you read the article, you can see why I am so frustrated with it. Granted, the article is over a year old, but I feel they should retrack the statements since they are so far from the truth. The email address is editorial@nypress.com thanks, ellen - --- e m wrote: > Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:44:21 -0800 (PST) > From: e m > Subject: And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad, By > William S. Repsher > To: editorial@nypress.com > > To whom it may concern, > > > I recently reread this September 24, 2002 edition of > the New York Press newspaper article reviewing Tori > Amos' Scarlet's Walk album. I have been fan of Ms. > Amos' work, and I do not think that Mr. Repsher got > the complexities of her message. In his short > "article", he bashes her ideas, and doesn't even > mention her musicianship, or songwriting. Maybe you > should consider hiring a music reviewer that > actually > reviews the music for starters. Not one statement > is > made about the actual music on the album. (I have > cut > and pasted the article at the end of my letter) > > He uses a metaphor that Tori is a "wild-eyed girl in > a > shawl" in a sophomore year writing course. Well, I > think that Mr. Repsher needs to go back to this > sophomore year writing course himself because his > interpretations of Ms. Amos' messages on the album > were completely off base. He claims that her album > gives the perspective that America was asking for > what > happened on September 11th. This is an atrocious > libel statement, and a totally fabrication of her > ideas. Yes, it is true that she points out some > problems that she sees in our nation, that doesn't > mean that she thinks we deserved what happened to us > on September 11th. It is a far reaching leap from > what the album is about, and it is the last > sentiment > I would expect to come out of a compassionate woman, > who puts so much ethos, pathos, and logos into her > music. > > This sentiment is never expressed in her lyrics or > by > her in any interview, and I think your paper should > consider recanting its statements, and start > considering having only writers who can actually > have > an understanding of music review music. > > So to respond to Mr. Repsher's comment, no i didn't > think Mr. Roboto was bad, and i don't think that > Tori > Amos' Scarlet's Walk was anything close to bad, and > I > would appreciate hearing some thoughts on her actual > songwriting, rather than just misinterpretations of > her ideas. > > Sincerely, > a sincere music fan > > > > > > > And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad > By William S. Repsher > > Tori Amosgood witch or bad witch? Sprinkle the > following fairy dust on your psyche and decide > yourself. Promoting her new album, Scarlets Walk, > which deals metaphorically with post 9/11 America, > Amos had this to say to MTV News: "After the Twins > went down, it was a time the masks were down for > people, and people were asking questions that they > haven't asked in a while. I was asking questions." > > Fair enough. According to MTV News, "Amos sings from > the perspective of Scarlet Scarlet's Walk loosely > traces Scarlet's path as she travels 3,000 miles to > come to the aid of a friend, an aging porn star > named > Amber Waves. Her name is a metaphor for America, > complete with its myths, misconception and > sub-surface > beauty." > > All right, now were getting into sophomore creative > writing class. Just heard the skatepunk tearfully > read > his thinly-veiled narrative about an abusive father, > and now we get the mousy, wild-eyed girl in a shawl > telling us about an aging porn star named Amber > Waves > who represents so much more than that. > > Lets keep moving. Amos again, as Scarlet: "Events > happen that make me question what I believe in and > make me question what my country has been up to, and > I > start searching out answers: Who are the good guys? > Because it doesn't seem like the ones that are > calling > themselves the good guys are doing the things I > thought they were in the country's name." > > And heres where the tornado drops a house on Tori > while the munchkins cower in the technicolor bushes. > One of her most famous songs is "Me and a Gun," in > which she details being raped, with lyrics like, > "Yes > I wore a slinky red thing/Does that mean I should > spread/For you, your friends/Your father, Mr. Ed?" > Well, to use Amos logic with her new album, the > answer to that question is yes, Mr. Ed, unless she > seeks to draw no comparison between the personal and > political, which seems odd as thats her whole point > in using metaphorical characters. But to use her > mindset now, America was "asking for it" the same > way > she was by wearing "a slinky red thing"right? > Substitute sexual imperialism for cultural, and that > poor rapist who had a go at her was simply > responding > in the only way he knew how to years of intimidation > and repression, the same way the terrorists did on > 9/11. Sounds screwy? I hope youre nodding in > agreement. If not, Tori Amos new album, Scarlet > Walk, > is in stores on Oct. 29! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:53:54 +0000 From: "Daniel Bhalla" Subject: RE: old NY Press review I wonder if Tori knows about this article. Yes, it is libel. I would really like to see a sincere apology made to her, at least by the newspaper, if not by the journalist himself. I'll send an email in too. It's just disgusting. Yes, I am a big fan of Tori's music, as I'm sure most reading this are too. But this isn't just about Tori: it's also about good practice, and this is a display of dreadful practice. I am really disgusted by this. - --Dan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:01:08 -0500 From: Cyndi S Crawford Subject: Re: old NY Press review I did it, I did it! :) >>To whom it may concern: I just recently came across a review written on your publication's behalf of Tori Amos' album, Scarlet's Walk. I'm going to be civil. From what I read, the review itself had nothing to do with the actual songs, and everything to do with Tori's words ABOUT the songs.. and frankly, I think your reviewer needs to actually listen to the album before he starts ranting and raving. Better yet, he could stand to spend a day with Tori before he starts in on the incoherent nonsense that I read. I'm sorry to say it, but in my opinion, his review really detracts from your publication. People like him make me think less of the companies (businesses, etc.) that they represent. Mr. Repsher may have meant to make valid points with this review, and I could respect that if he showed any evidence of actually paying attention to what the review is about: THE MUSIC. If he had done that, I would not be writing this email. Thanks for listening. Sincerely, Cyndi S. Crawford<< ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 13:02:22 -0800 (PST) From: e m Subject: Fwd: Re: And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad, By William S. Repsher Boy, we sure have a lot of time on our hands since tori doesn't have an album out or a tour going on ;) I am glad that people have been inspired to write to the paper as well. I got a response asking for permission to print my letter...probably an automated email that you'll all get for sending them mail. this is how i responded ;) HEH! - --- e m wrote: > Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 12:58:51 -0800 (PST) > From: e m > Subject: Re: And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad, By > William S. Repsher > To: The Mail > > Dear Mr. Bulger, > > I appreciate your request to publish the letter I > sent > your publication. However, if this paper printed an > article that misconstrued a true artist's words in a > review of her work, then I would feel quite > uncomfortable allowing such a publication to print > my > words. In no way did Miss Amos state that she felt > that America deserved the attack of September 11th. > She is always questioning to uncover the truth. Her > native roots give her a passion for this land that I > don't think that we can understand. Until there is > either an official apology to Miss Amos or a > retraction in your paper of Mr. Repsher's libel > statements, I would not feel safe allowing my words > to > be printed by such a negligent press. > > I understand that in the time the review was > written, > America (especially NYC, as I live quite close and > witnessed the events of September 11th from my home) > was in a place of pride and fear of any criticism of > the government, but America is about freedom, and if > our nation becomes a place where the administration > and leaders get cart blanche just because we were > attacked and do not have to hold any > responsibilities > as to whether or not they are making the correct > choices in our name, then the terrorists will have > won > in the end. Now years later, going into this > election, it is quite evident that many Americans > are > questioning the actions and decisions of its > leaders, > and you know what it doesn't mean that they all > think > that we deserved what happened on that awful day. > > It is frustrating time and time again, that music > reviewers don't make any reflections upon the music > itself, and focus on the image of the performer. It > is time that they get judged for the quality of > their > work, and not their perceived image. > > thank you, > a sincere music fan ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V9 #30 ************************************