Customer Reviews

American Doll Posse

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When this CD first arrived I have to admit I said to myself WTH? I am a huge, huge, Tori Amos fan; have all her CD's; see her concerts whenever possible & will support her & her choices until my dying days. However, when I first got this I was somewhat perplexed. Not that I don't expect the most extreme artistic expressionism from Tori I do ....somehow this one touched a nerve with me initially. Having said that being the diehard Tori fan I am I decided after leaving it alone for a few days to return to it & see if I had a different response to it than before. I try to do this with all CD's when I get them as sometimes with the passing of time and or mood on a given day one's perception alters in preferences. That was definetly the case here. I found her decision to make the songs have a sense of duality in referencing different people's names so uniquely creative; as if it was different people & "their" thoughts & feelings that were just speaking thru her.

In addition to that the packaging & artistic development of the cover, pamphlet etc. as always set the tone for a typical Tori CD; she just envelopes you into her world for the duration of the CD to it's completion. You are basically opening up a DVD with every CD whether it comes with one or not...she is that much an accomplished storyteller. Yet it is always done with an air of mystery, with disguises, intent and a ferocious desire to be heard & understood. The core of all of humanity.

The songs that I loved, loved, loved the most on this CD are:

1.Yo George: Obviously a clear reference to George Bush and his political invasion of Iraq. What a clever way she has of attempting to somewhat disguise what she's really saying into a musical jigsaw puzzle for us to piece together into our own interpretation. I could be wrong but don't think so; so don't blame her for how I understood this song if your not in agreement. I love the arrangement of this song kept so simple to make the listener pay close attention to what the lyrics are saying....clever, clever, clever! It is a defiant cry that conveys the worry that the country is going too far in it's attempts to alter the political scene worldwide and that ordinary citizens are paying the cost of those decisions on the part of their government's actions. Don't get me wrong this is not exclusive to being an "American" problem; many people in the so called free world do not believe it is okay to run rough shot into other countries unless their is absolutely undeniable unbiased unaltered proof of the necessity to do so for the sake of humanity or the safety of a countries citizens and even then not without the aid of those citizens in large enough numbers indicating this is the direction "THEY" want to take for "THEIR" homeland (not ours)! Tori keep up the great games you craft to educate the rest of the world! All I can say is "Bravo" standing ovation!

2.Digital Ghost: Another one of my favorites on the CD. I think the instruments give the song it's structure and it just flows throughout the song capturing your attention. Awesome piano work! This is a beautiful constructed song about love that drifts and lacks the kind of trust to maintain the relationship.

3.Girl Disappearing: The intro to this song has classical elements as does the song including instruments used but it is what I would call contemporary classical in nature. What a haunting song in melody & lyrically. It seems to be a commentary (as I interpreted it) about women that seem to go disappearing which appears to be an epidemic in our society these days. It also has elements lyrically I think about either her own experience with violence and also about how so many of the things that happen to women are not those made of their own choices. Just incredibly written if that is what it is about as Tori really can disguise what "her" interpretation of the lyrics mean.

4.Devils & Gods: I love the intro with the strings; sounds like a harp is in this song as well. What a cool short little song & so profound. Seems to be carrying on the message about who the "real" Devil & Gods are. Cool!

5.Body & Soul: I love the intensity of this song as demonstrated through the use of the instruments and how they sound in this song. It gives it the one, two punch that the song needs. It has some demonic properties to the instrumental construction but then has this rock hit to it. I love how she can change up the structure so easily! Wicked cool!

6.Father & Son: This is one of my other favorite songs on the CD. When I first heard it I had to put it on repeat because I loved it so much. I love the background vocals. I love the bongo drums in it too. It almost seems like a commentary on how women are never their "Father's sons" or allowed into the fold but despite that she refuses to go unnoticed. And how the attempt to be accepted is nothing more than a blind invisible circle to women because of the calculating repetitive system of hatred toward women. Wow if that's what she was saying lyrically......yeah someone else notices that too! No wonder I'm a diehard fan; its so refreshing instead of hearing women just shovel another silent blind acceptance of their abuse & exploitation. Hmmm...love how she makes me ponder & analyze the lyrics!

7.Code Red: This is my favorite song on the CD. I cannot imagine this song written lyrically or constructed instrumentally in any other way after being lucky enough to listen to it. You know this got me to thinking about something afterwards...I don't think I know any other artist who could do Tori Amos's songs & do them well. Bingo....that's when you can say an artist is undeniably "unique". She even does other people's songs better than their own versions! The intensity in this song is amazing!

8.Roosterspur's Bridge: I love the intimate nature Tori vocally gives us in this song. This is another song I love & have on my favorite playlist. Again she manipulates her voice in the coolest way. Doesn't the piano sound so beautiful in this? Sometimes her lyrics are like 2 different people talking about 2 totally different subjects...man she knows how to spin it!

9.Almost Rosey: This is a cool little ditty about not seeing things the way we think we are. It has darkly written lyrics but somehow with the tempo of this song it still works.

10.Dark Side of the Sun: Another favorite of mine. OMG the piano just sounds so astounding. Another darkly written lyrical piece. I translated this to be a commentary about the loss of life perhaps again a commentary about war...that is how I internalized the lyrics. Love the long notes she keeps with her voice...how can Tori make lyrics that are so dark yet still it is a song you would want to play over & over? The last note/s are just so perfectly exectuted! AHHHH...folks she does it again!

11.Smokey Joe: I love the inflection she puts into her phrasing in this song...listen to the word "Station" when she sings it ...just the subtilty of doing that is so relevant to the song. A song about the thoughts of getting rid of someone that has deeply affected her life in a very negative context. I love the way she layers the lyrics although they are separate lyrics they project like she is singing them simutaneously. Wow that's amazing construct!

12.Dragon: I love the organ/harpsichord in this at the beginning. Cool lyrics about men that aren't able to take ownership of the way they affect the lives of women they have abused and manipulated for their own gain! Wow....sounds alot like it's about the entrapment of marriage and how the real "costs" are always to women emotionally, financially & physically to the extreme negative. Thankyou Tori for keeping it "real"! Unbelievable!

Well folks those are my favorites on this CD and how I interpreted the songs. You may have differing views & opinions but music & lyrics are subjective & that is what is so great about music and why there is always something out there for everyone. Her lyrics sure are worthy of discussion and reflection!

Have a great day & cheers to all!

Tori Amos' music requires involvement from her listeners. You can't simply slip a Tori Amos CD and let it play while doing your daily chores or cleaning up the garage. Her music is emotionally implicating, increasingly complex and a far cry from most of today's disposable top 40 acts. "American Doll Posse", her ninth official studio album, is a strong reminder that she is as consistent as she is demanding, which possibly explains why so many of her fans keep coming back for more.

The Tori Amos fans who found the sadly underrated "The Beekeeper" album too sweet and serene for its own good (something which I'll never understand) will likely be happy about "American Doll Posse". It's an album full of attitude, of different textures and atmospheres, slightly more upbeat than many of her albums, that covers most of the bases associated with Tori Amos - politically incorrect, intensely sexual, instrospective philosopher, spiritual awakener, piano goddess. All of these facets of Tori's persona are embodied by the five different characters who compose the album's title and who are featured extensively in the album's booklet, and it's a musical ride that's both complex and fulfilling. The production is lush but never distracts the listener from the essence of Tori's music - her haunting voice and piano playing - and alternates between flat-out rock ("Teenage hustling", "You can bring your dog", the excellent first single "Big wheel", "Body and soul", "Bouncing off clouds"), piano-driven atmospheric numbers ("Code red", "Smokey Joe", "Father's son","Dark side of the sun", "Girl disappearing"), eastern influences ("Velvet revolution", "Devils and gods"), piano and vocal numbers (the politically explicit "Yo George", "Roosterspur bridge", "Dragon"). Songs like "Almost rosey" and "Secret spell" are Tori at her most commercially viable, while "Digital ghost" is possibly the most lovely melody she's come up with since "1000 Oceans".

This album is quite a generous serving of Tori, who typically has a hard time editing herself : it includes nothing less than 23 songs. While this generosity must be applauded, it also works as a double-edged sword : the album is quite long, the songs obviously take more time sinking in than when you have only twelve tracks to get acquainted with, and some songs just don't work as well as others do. But you have to admit that when you're getting such an intellectually, artistically and emotionally challenging record, too much of a good thing is never enough. The length of the album does justice to the complex nature of Tori's unique songwriting themes, and there's a beautiful flow to these compositions that make an enjoyable and fascinating experience. There is an intoxicating nature to this album that may not reveal all of its secrets upon the first listen, but that keeps you interested in coming back for more. By the time she closes with the beautiful and serene "Dragon", you will be happy that you took the time to listen.

Adventurous, angry, passionate. Her greatest achievement -- no lie. Too many songs? Bah! From "Yo George" through "Dragon," there's not a wasted moment.

(That being said -- it's perfectly clear why the bonus tracks "Drive All Night," "Miracle" and "My Posse Can Do" are subpar, and that's why they're not here . . . except for the last one, which comes on the 8 minute DVD).