Greetings,
Since I have finally decided to take seriously my promise to write this blog more often, I recently went through my past posts to see what I had done and make sure I have no repeats. One thing I notice is that, though I had hoped to keep things even, I have done more top ten lists than I have done reviews. Also, I have yet to do a review of an album. So I decided to finally do one.
Now I knew that if I was going to review an album, I thought I would most likely have to go back in time to find one, since the concept of an album in the truest definition of the word is practically non-existent these days. I know I have complained about the single driven music industry in the past, but, believe it or not, there are a few artists who still make albums that need to be bought in their entirety. One such artist is Tori Amos.
I have to say my love for Tori Amos is very . . . I suppose 'interesting' is a good word. As far as she is as an artist and a writer, I think she's brilliant. She creates such amazing imagery with her lyrics, and she is a piano prodigy with an edge. To be honest, she has done so many somewhat concept albums over the last decade and some change that I have found myself nearly incapable of writing a normal album of songs myself. I have to have some kind of story behind my collections, not just ten or twelve songs put together to fill a CD. If I did, I almost feel like I'm not doing enough. That's how much she has inspired me.
Of course, since I am also a Christian and she is not so much (anymore. Preacher's daughter), you can see the conflict. She has some spiritual beliefs that I just don't get or agree with, to say nothing of her political beliefs, and they often find their way into her songs. Of course, they do. But I can't deny her God given (Yes, He did give them to you, Tori!) talents.
Therefore, I have decided to review her latest album Night of Hunters.
It was released last year, and it is the most conceptual album she has ever done, in my opinion. You really do have to listen to the whole thing, not only because it's that good, but because it tells a story, which I will get to soon. This album came about when Tori was approached to do a "21st century song cycle" based on classical works of music. She uses the tradition of variations on a theme to turn that music into her own songs. And frankly, I cannot think of any other artist today who is more qualified to do such a thing.
As I said, there is a story to this thing. It centers around a woman left alone in Ireland as her relationship with her man is on the brink of disintegration. As night falls, she meets a shapeshifter (no, seriously) named Annabelle, a girl who takes on the forms of both a fox and a goose, presenting the idea of the hunter and the hunted. The woman follows her into the night and they are transported back in time to see the woman's relationship in the past. The past, I mean, as in like three thousand years earlier, where she and her lover fought as bards. Upon their return, she comes to see her part in the failure of her relationship through her mistakes of abandoning herself and using the energies of the hunter and the hunted to fight against her former lover. She is then left on her own to meet with the Fire Muse, who teaches her, albeit through unusual means, to protect the world from the forces of darkness. As the morning returns, the woman finds that she is grateful for her place in the world and everyone who has come in and out of her life.
I know that may have seemed a bit tricky, and I didn't even go into as much detail as I could have, but that is the general idea of it.
Now on to the actual music. The album opens with a very strong track, "Shattering Sea", and ends gently with "Carry". Both were perfect for where they were placed. Many of the songs on the album, beginning with "Snow Blind" feature Tori's daughter, Natashya Hawley, as Annabelle, who was probably around ten years old at the time. I know that may seem a bit strange of an idea for this, but she actually did an amazing job. Normally, I am not a fan of child singers. However, she has the perfect child's singing voice. You can tell she's a little girl, but there is also a touch of maturity without her having one of those operatic, prodigy sounding voices, which we all know, on a kid, can be a little annoying. Admit it. I have no doubt that as she grows she will become even better. Also, Tori use her niece, Kelsey Dobyns, to portray the Fire Muse on the song "Night of Hunters" which is definitely one of the best songs. Kelsey, who I would guess is probably a teenager or in her early twenties, has an absolutely beautiful singing voice. She and Tori compliment each other so well as they sing together. Using both of these girls makes me believe that perhaps, every now and then, nepotism isn't a bad thing.
There are few weak spots on this album, but some of my favorite tracks are the quiet moments of longing and contemplation, the best being the song "Your Ghost". Here the woman slows down to really think about what she has lost, and it's actually sad. And the song that immediately follows, "Edge of the Moon", is incredible. I was quite taken by the last couple of minutes of it where she changes the whole sound, tempo, even mood of the song.
One of the best things about this album, to me, is the choices that she made when it came to the classical pieces she used. I know next to nothing about classical music, but, like with most people, many works are recognizable to me. She seemed to use pieces that would probably be considered more obscure, at least to those of us who are not as well educated on the subject. So we can feel that the music here goes deeper than Tori normally goes, but it is still her own.
So aside from some of the oddities of the story, I really like this album. Creatively, it is phenomenal, and I think it is the best one to really showcase Tori Amos as a musician concerning her past of being both a raw talent and classically trained. Well, at least, I think she was classically trained. I don't know how much she learned at that school before getting kicked out, as she says. It's a great story; look it up. Anyway, if you are a Tori fan, this is definitely a must have. If you're not, I suggest you go online or something and try to get a little listen. Good or bad, though, it is so refreshing to have an artist who still chooses to create something that is true piece of art.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
