Tori Amos "Toast"

[Zoots]

As it is, The Beekeeper is underrated and ignored because of the somewhat adult contemporary direction she went in. With the new album kicking ass, this gorgeous gem of a closer will be forgotten before you know it! Toast. Beautiful vocals. Soft, perfect notes from the piano. Heartfelt lyrics. I don't usually cry to songs but hearing her sing about her brother made me almost tear up when I first listened to it.

I raise a glass
Make a toast
A toast in your honor
I hear you laugh
and beg me not to dance
‘cause on your right standing by is
Mr. Bojangles
With a toast he’s telling me it’s time
To let you go



Easily one of, if not THE best closer in her discography! IMO.

:appreciate:

 

[Screwtape2]

Not one of my favorites but still a beautiful track. A lot of artists such as U2 can't turn personal tragedy into music very well but it seems natural to Tori. The world is a slightly better place for it.

 

[LemonMelon]

A lot of artists such as U2 can't turn personal tragedy into music very well

The hell?

Some fans, selfishly, seem to want the band to suffer just so they'll make another album like Achtung Baby (their last "classic") as if personal tragedy is the only way U2 can make good music anymore. Keeping that in mind, I have no idea why you would say that about the band.

 

[Screwtape2]

The hell?

Some fans, selfishly, seem to want the band to suffer just so they'll make another album like Achtung Baby (their last "classic") as if personal tragedy is the only way U2 can make good music anymore. Keeping that in mind, I have no idea why you would say that about the band.

You misunderstand. I don't want the band to go through rough times, I'm simply saying that the times in which they've written about those things the results have been below average to say the least. So I guess it's the opposite of what you're saying.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I sort of overlooked "Toast" until a road trip when I really heard the lyrics. I, too, cried because it reminded me of my best friend who had turned me on to Tori, and who died suddenly in 2001, a week before we were seeing both Tori and U2 together on back-to-back nights. That whole record, though it isn't my favorite, reminds me of him because it was released on his birthday, has a song called "Goodbye Pisces" (yes, he was one), and has two other songs that mention my name and our other best friend's, in addition to "Toast". It's actually kind of eery. So when Tori (or, more accurately, "Tori's people") sent out an email asking people to write why they thought they should get upgraded seats, I wrote that li'l story and got upgraded to 2nd row at Red Rocks.

 

[LemonMelon]

You misunderstand. I don't want the band to go through rough times, I'm simply saying that the times in which they've written about those things the results have been below average to say the least. So I guess it's the opposite of what you're saying.

Personally, I think the band channels suffering quite well.

SYCMIOYO
Tomorrow
Mofo
One Tree Hill
So Cruel
Love Is Blindness
Wake Up Dead Man

But this is a Tori thread, so I'm going to slink away now.

 

[Zoots]

So when Tori (or, more accurately, "Tori's people") sent out an email asking people to write why they thought they should get upgraded seats, I wrote that li'l story and got upgraded to 2nd row at Red Rocks.

That's awesome!

Btw, I love Martha's Foolish Ginger too!

 

[joyfulgirl]

You misunderstand. I don't want the band to go through rough times, I'm simply saying that the times in which they've written about those things the results have been below average to say the least. So I guess it's the opposite of what you're saying.

I think I agree with you. Bono seems to write best when he's not trying to express how he feels about something specific, but rather when he has some kind of poetic, creative, spontaneous burst. Of course I have no idea if that's how it works for him or not.

AB is an exception to all rules, of course.

 

[Zoots]

Bono seems to write best when he's not trying to express how he feels about something specific, but rather when he has some kind of poetic, creative, spontaneous burst.

Exactly!

I prefer the abstract poetic gems of UF and JT (Promenade, TUF, RTSS etc.) to the sad odes of ATYCLB & HTDAAB (Kite, Sometimes, OSC etc.)

 

[FitzChivalry]

Exactly!

I prefer the abstract poetic gems of UF and JT (Promenade, TUF, RTSS etc.) to the sad odes of ATYCLB & HTDAAB (Kite, Sometimes, OSC etc.)

Well, you had me until you mentioned One Step Closer. I think that song is great, if heartbreak can be termed "great".

The lyrics and the vocal performance.

It's not something I would want to go through just to get a great song out of the experience, but alas, it's an experience i guess if we're "lucky enough" that we will all go through.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Oh, and since this is a Tori thread:

I never made it to the end of The Beekeeper; fell asleep every time. So I would love to one day hear Toast.

However, that being said, I'm a BIG fan of Twinkle. That's my fave so far, though I think Dragon holds a pretty good candle to the rest.


I'd go:

Twinkle
Pandora's Aquarium
Tear In Your Hand
Dragon
Yes, Anastasia
1,000 Oceans
Gold Dust

 

[Zoots]

OMG Fitz! You've gotta give The Beekeeper another chance! There's some great stuff amongst the few snoozers. Don't miss the title track, Marys Of The Sea and especially Toast!

Tear In Your Hand

I think you mean Little Earthquakes (title and closing track).

 

[joyfulgirl]

OMG Fitz! You've gotta give The Beekeeper another chance! There's some great stuff amongst the few snoozers. Don't miss the title track, Marys Of The Sea and especially Toast!

Marys of the Sea and Toast are my favorites

I think you mean Little Earthquakes (title and closing track).

...which is pretty hard to beat

But I like all her closing tracks although Gold Dust makes me sad in not a good way. I mean, I like sad songs but there's something about Gold Dust that is beyond sad...it makes me want to throw myself off a bridge or something.

Dragon is really starting to come through for me.

And on another note, I'm predicting Smokey Joe will be the show closer before the encores. I wouldn't be surprised if it's reworked into something longer, given the layered vocals. It could be the I Can't See NY of this tour.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Beautiful story, joyful. I knew about your friend, but I don't think I knew about all the connections you have to The Beekeeper.

"Toast" really is a beautiful song, and it's one of my most listened to songs on Beekeeper. Simple, classic Tori.

If I had to rank her closers, this is how I'd stack 'em:

Gold Dust
Yes, Anastasia
1000 Oceans
Little Earthquakes
Toast
Twinkle
Pandora's Aquarium

Not sure yet where I'd put Dragon.

 

[Zoots]

Yes, Anastasia
Little Earthquakes

Those 2 are top notch! And then...

Toast
1000 Oceans
Pandora's Aquarium
Gold Dust
Twinkle

something like that. I love Pandora! Gold Dust is a little too sad sounding for my taste. Twinkle is okay.

Dunno where to fit Dragon like HG said. Gotta listen to it more.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Where is the love for Gold Dust?

I know it's sad, but...how to explain this. It brings deep memories up for me, but only to where I can feel them, not to where I see faces and remember names. So yes, it's sad, but those memories are so beautiful to me. :gazingwistfullyoffinthedistancesmiley:

And while I'm listening to it...Beulah Land is divine.

 

[Zoots]

And while I'm listening to it...Beulah Land is divine.

I still don't have this one.

muralee_s@hotmail.com

Please?

 

[Screwtape2]

If I had to rank her closers, this is how I'd stack 'em:

Gold Dust
Yes, Anastasia
1000 Oceans
Little Earthquakes
Toast
Twinkle
Pandora's Aquarium

Not sure yet where I'd put Dragon.

I would have prefered a different mix of Dragon but it's still great. My rankings of the closers:

Little Earthquakes
Dragon
Yes, Anastasia
1000 Oceans
Pandora's Aquarium
Gold Dust
Twinkle
Toast

 

[Saracene]

I love Toast; I think it's one of her better closers. Little Earthquakes aside I find most of Tori's albums closers kinda unremarkable; and I like to pretend that Yes, Anastasia and Pandora's Aquarium do not exist.