Tori Amos - Tales of a Librarian

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HeartlandGirl

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Has anyone else picked up "A Tori Amos Collection: Tales of a Librarian"? I just unwrapped my copy, and I'm speechless! The concept is genius, Tori looks stunning, and the packaging is beautiful. I haven't even listened to it yet!

Time to pop it in and give it a listen. So many of my favorite songs are on it...and then there's the new material and the DVD!

:combust:
 
I think I may buy this one sometime. I can't say I'm a huge fan (or a fan at all, although I really really reeeeeeallly like 'Winter') so a compilation will do me good.
 
I think this is a good compilation for music fans who have never really gotten into Tori before. It's especially heavy on her older stuff (nothing on it is from Scarlet's Web, her most recent album). I was having high school flashbacks just listening to it last night.

Still haven't watched the DVD. Maybe this evening. And it's too soon for me to comment on the new songs and the rarities she put on there. I'll need a few more listens. I'm loving the old stuff, though. You can hear subtle differences in the way they've reworked the songs (softening the background vocals here, making the guitar part more prominent there, etc.), but for the most part they've been very true to the originals. The extra vocals on Way Down just about knocked me over--totally unexpected!

Alright. I'll stop blabbing now! :wink:
 
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I picked this up yesterday along with the U2 DVD so they were competing against each other last night for my attention. I haven't made it through all of the audio yet but the DVD sound check performances are amazing. I kind of wish she'd included live concert stuff to get the full experience but the soundcheck stuff is still incredible. You can really see how much she's changed as a performer compared with earlier videos...so elegant today without losing the edge.

I'm anxious to hear the Little Earthquakes remixes since I can't even listen to that record anymore, the production sounds so dated. It can ONLY be better!

But I have to say I don't like the whole Tales of A Librarian concept and packaging at all. I actually cringed when I saw the cover photo. I just think it's silly but I'll give it some time.
 
I was able to listen to a little more during lunch. I like the LE remixes in that the vocals are pushed forward more and beefed up a little bit as I'd hoped, but on the picky downside they're pushed forward almost too much and kind of sound like she's singing karaoke to her own music.

Mary and Sweet Dreams are really weak b-sides to begin with, in my opinion, and aren't improved here (in fact, the new 'who's your daddy' bit in Sweet Dreams is really bad) so I really don't think they belong here. Why put bad b-sides on a greatest hits? I guess she likes them. :shrug:

The Professional Widow dance mix seems out of place.

But I do like some other stuff--Tear in Your Hand, for example, is nice and I think was in desperate need of remixing. Silent All These Years is nice, too, and seems brought up to date.

I'll definitely give it more time but in general, not being a fan of greatest hits compilations to begin with, I view this as a for-fans-only keepsake that won't get much play in my house but I'm glad I have it, especially for the DVD which is a small treasure.
 
My first thought when I read it on the Dent was: why is she releasing a "greatest hits" so soon after To Venus & Back? :confused:

But, well, apparently Tori said that this isn't a Greatest Hits, although it's being marketed as that; rather, it's sort of like something to chart the previous years. Or her fave songs from previous years. Or something like that. Just don't expect a definitive album, is the impression I got.

foray
 
I don?t have this yet, but I was sad when I first read the tracklist... Where is Boys For Pele stuff? Masterpieces like "Caught A Lite Sneeze", "Talula" or "In The Springtime of His Voodoo" were dropped while mediocre songs (compared to these GREAT ones!) like Mr Zebra and Way Down were there. I don?t understand.

Tracklist:
Precious Things
Angels (New song)
Silent All These Years
Cornflake Girl
Mary (Re-recorded version)
God
Winter
Spark
Way Down
Professional Widow
Mr. Zebra
Crucify
Me And A Gun
Bliss
Playboy Mommy
Baker Baker
Tear In Your Hand
Sweet Dreams (Re-recorded version)
Jackie's Strength
Snow Cherries From France (New song)

She doesn?t wanted a "Greatest Hits", but the wanted an album that "tells are story", the story of her life. Well I have to pick this and so I?ll say if it?s worthy or not.
 
Also, I forgot to mention that I've gotten my boss into Tori Amos. I made her listen to Scarlet's Walk while driving back from a business trip. Then, at her request, I loaned her SW and Boys for Pele. She loved Pele so much that she got her own copy, and she also just picked up Tales of a Librarian, which she says she is loving.

Sometimes my boss and I have a hard time connecting because we're pretty different, so it's cool to be able to talk Tori with her. Besides, now three of the four manuscript editors here are huge Tori fans. It's always good to have something in common with the people you work with. :up:
 
Well I?ve picked up Tales of a Librarian !

I can say it?s a good album! Good for people who want to get into Tori!

But I think there should be more songs from "Boys For Pele" and "To Venus and Back"... There is 3 minutes of BfP (the little snippets "Way Down" and "Mr. Zebra) plus 3 minutes of the Professional Widow remix, and I?ll say, man it SUCKS! I know it was a hit for her, but this remix sucks, she repeats herself ("honey bring it close to my lips, it?s gotta be big" - that?s all) and it?s out of place. Venus is only represented by Bliss, which is sure one of the best songs of the album!

Other songs that shouldn?t be there: "Playboy Mommy"(which replaced "Raspberry Swirl" from the Choirgirl Hotel) and "Baker Baker" from Under the Pink).

But the album is good. The new version of "Precious Things" rocks, by the way, Little Earthquakes is very well represented.

I love "Snow Cherries From France" (new song)... Angel is good, specially because of its metaphors, it?s kinda anti Bush it know what I mean, but the melody is not that good...

Mary and Sweet Dreams (b-sides): good work!!

TOAL - 8/10

good stuff

(I haven?t seen the DVD yet)
 
Tori was on Jay Leno tonight promoting Tales of a Librarian. Did anyone else see it? She played Winter, which I thought was a beautiful choice.
 
HeartlandGirl said:
Tori was on Jay Leno tonight promoting Tales of a Librarian. Did anyone else see it? She played Winter, which I thought was a beautiful choice.

I saw :up: :up:

I was very happy she played it, great stuff. Probably my all time favorite song of hers.

I'm also quite enjoying the Tales of a Librarian album. Glad I got it. :up:
 
I saw it when it first aired a couple of months ago and forgot it was running again last night. It was a nice performance. I confess I have only listened to TOAL only twice--I just don't like the reworkings of these songs at all, but I love the little DVD.
 
"Winter" makes me want to curl up and cry uncontrollably. No other song has touched me emotionally as much as that one. It taps into many of my feelings about my parents.
I really should get this album, as I am going to school to be a librarian when I graduate!
 
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