From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V10 #97 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 Friday, May 13 2005 Volume 10 : Number 097 Today's Subjects: ----------------- meet&greets questions ["Armani Boy" ] Re: beekeeper backlash [handal@r2d2.reverse.net (Richard Handal)] Re: meet&greets questions [OriginalSin24@aol.com] RE: Tori and The Beekeeper? ["Tom xxxxx" ] Re: Tori and The Beekeeper? [Jennifer Mitts ] Re: meet&greets questions ["Armani Boy" ] Re: meet&greets questions [handal@r2d2.reverse.net (Richard Handal)] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 23:50:51 -0400 From: "Armani Boy" Subject: meet&greets questions anyone who's been to the meet&greets....quick question when i used to go to the m&g's years ago there was always the same person in charge of the stupid numbering system. is this same sham still going on, or has it become a free for all. i avoided m&g's after the 5.5week tour because it was always the same few people at the front of the "line", and when asked about letting others have a chance to meet tori, the response was always the same, "well, this is my last show for the next 2 weeks, so i *have* to talk to tori" or something equally as lame. i *KNOW* i'm not the only one that expressed frustation and animosity over that continual situation. if anyone has any info, i'd appreciate it. i'd like to know if it's even worth my time to try again, or if it's still the same as it used to be ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 01:04:00 -0400 (EDT) From: handal@r2d2.reverse.net (Richard Handal) Subject: Re: beekeeper backlash Pete told us: > . . . one definition of Long Term Fans is "People who think the new > stuff isn't as good as the old stuff", whether its wine or a TV series > or a novelist, that tends to be a trend, I think. Although I think Pete has a point that this is common, I want to go on record as not being one who feels this way toward the music. I'll even mention that Scarlet messed me up on a personal level more than any of the other albums, although there are factors other than "the music itself" which played parts in that effect. On a different but related issue, I'm adamant that Tori is playing and performing better today than she ever has. I'll spare folks the superlatives for now. Unrelated to anything, to those who may feel moved to email me from time to time and didn't get a private notice about this, I'm sending this post from my new email address. My long-time ISP went away recently, and I'm still putting some of the pieces back together. Thanks. Be seeing you, Richard Handal, H.G. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 09:07:44 EDT From: OriginalSin24@aol.com Subject: Re: meet&greets questions I agree with armaniboy22! The same people always get up infront. I hope no one "has" to talk to Tori in Pittsburgh or Cleveland if she comes this year, because I have been waiting since 1998 to get up near the front and this tour I am bringing my aarogant and rude attitude with me, I will meet Tori this year..FINALLY! :)~ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 14:02:17 +0000 From: "Tom xxxxx" Subject: RE: Tori and The Beekeeper? Hi all, I have some mixed feelings on TBK, and I agree with parts of the review and disagree with others. Tori has definitely matured and seems to be at a more stable place in her life. Is it so surprising that her music reflect this? I think we are being bad fans if we just expect her to write Blood Roses and Icicle over and over again. The discoveries of those songs have been made; the issues acknowledged and dealt with. It's covered territory. "Sometimes you have to change or die," to quote Neil. I am quite happy that she is taking her lyrics in a more socio-political direction (Barons of Suburbia, Tom Bigbee, General Joy). It was about time she start to look outward and take the world around her to task. I definitely disagree with the assessment of Garlands. That has b-side written all over it. While the music is gorgeous, the lyrics--being just a recitation of paintings--hold little interest for me. I am unfamiliar with most of the paintings and really don't feel motivated with tracking them down just to understand the song. It's a cool idea and an interesting experiment, but it will never be a fave. Is it so bad that Tori have a hit single? I think, conciously or not, she is writing a single or two per album now. Maybe she is ensuring she won't find herself in the same situation at Epic as she was at Atlantic. Maybe not, and that's my outsider viewpoint. SLB is not my favorite on TBK, but it's OK. Ribbons Undone is unbearably sappy and I skip it almost everytime I listen to the CD. Ditto with Ireland, which may now be my least favorite Tori song (well, it probably is still better than Samurai). I'm grateful that the lyrics on the last two CDs have been so accessible. The biggest flaw of Venus is that it's damn difficult to know what the hell she's singing about. I don't feel like I need to scour interviews and concert comments to figure out most of TBK. I think the CD is a little too long and I wish Apollo's Frock had been included, as I think it reinforces the betrayal theme that runs through so much of the album. The good songs are really, really good. It's hard to find fault with Marys of the Sea and The Beekeeper. Parasol is devastating and so succintly describes that moment of paralyzation and wishing yourself out of a situation. Sweet the Sting, Toast, and Martha's Foolish Ginger are all strong additions to her catalog, and the music in General Joy is terrific (and my local NPR station has been playing that a lot lately). Witness is so different for her and works really well. I really like Goodbye Pisces now, but I have a feeling the song will lose impact, and that's probably true of Hoochie Woman, too. The end of Barons of Suburbia gives me chills. So, I think TBK is a mixed bag but I mostly like it. In a recent interview, Tori said that she doesn't know what the next CD will be like and that usually means a big change. I'm looking forward to that change. I think SW and TBK were cool explorations for Tori into a more mainstream and radio friendly sound, but I would like to hear something a bit more challenging and truly alternative. This got to be much longer than I planned. I hope you folks weren't bored. See you in Holmdel. Cheers, Tom M. "Can you Mr. Bush light the sage" - --- Tori Amos, "Indian Summer" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 09:04:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Jennifer Mitts Subject: Re: Tori and The Beekeeper? I gotta agree with Cyndi and Kristilyn. No, the Beekeeper's edges aren't as hard as the edges on other albums, but that doesn't mean she hasn't done some wonderful stuff on this one. There are a few tracks on this one I don't care for yet (I always say "yet" because a year down the road those tend to be the tracks I can't live without), but c'est la vie. This is Tori's album, and if this is what she has to give us right now, we should be grateful-- be grateful at all that she still has a thriving career and hasn't pooped out. I mean, can you imagine your life without her music? I've practically quit listening to everybody else because they're all so mediocre when I hold them up to Tori. When other artists evolve, I do tend to get bored. But with Tori? She's still a million times better than everyone else, even if you think Beekeeper is overproduced, etc. Jen - --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 14:24:24 -0400 From: "Armani Boy" Subject: Re: meet&greets questions that's going to be my attitude as well. anyone who's been going to the m&g's for any time now knows exactly of whom i am speaking. i need not mention her name. i really hope she's found a new hobby other than "hogging" tori. i do recall at one m&g there was another group of people who decided to do their own number system too. it was funny to watch the first group try to convince the second group that group 1 had the correct number system, blah blah blah. :) >From: OriginalSin24@aol.com >To: armaniboy22@hotmail.com, torinews@smoe.org, precious-things@smoe.org >Subject: Re: meet&greets questions >Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 09:07:44 EDT > >I agree with armaniboy22! The same people always get up infront. I hope >no one "has" to talk to Tori in Pittsburgh or Cleveland if she comes this >year, >because I have been waiting since 1998 to get up near the front and this >tour >I am bringing my aarogant and rude attitude with me, I will meet Tori this >year..FINALLY! :)~ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 19:41:34 -0400 (EDT) From: handal@r2d2.reverse.net (Richard Handal) Subject: Re: meet&greets questions Armani Boy said: > that's going to be my attitude as well. Rudeness in response to rudeness breeds nothing but still more rudeness, and possibly violence. Hell, even pointing this out online in the past has resulted in nasty people turning on me with great wrath. I don't care about that; I'll speak my mind. I hope you and all the other people with this attitude come to understand before these next U.S. shows happen that one can be firm, yet also respectful. People in this culture are already on the verge of killing one another too much of the time. Sometimes beyond the verge. It does nothing but continue to breed a culture where violence is seen as the answer to the world's problems. At least in this little area of the world, I'm going to stand up and say: "Enough." A good friend of mine went to the Seattle M&G last month and reported no problems. She got there at 10am, was the third person there, and she had a rewarding experience talking with Tori. I see no reason to go to the venues to attend one of these things with guns blazing, metaphorical or otherwise. **IF** Tori still does the M&Gs on her upcoming summer tour, it will be in spite of escalating problems such as this attitude which surely led to her not doing them at more than a couple of the 2003 shows. I strongly urge anyone with this "eye for an eye" mindset to learn some manners. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609801589/104-1386112-5179912?v=glance And if anyone thinks I'm being sanctimonious--I can live with that. Be seeing you, Richard Handal, H.G. ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V10 #97 *************************************