Greetings,
I have to admit it. I am a bit of a "Behind the Scenes" voyeur. I love knowing what happens behind what happens. It's just one of my things. I am someone who always watches the special features on a DVD and don't even get me started on how a great commentary track can thrill me. And, of course, I gravitate toward books that let me delve into those worlds, too. And that is just the experience I got when I read Tori Amos: In the Studio.
I am a huge admirer of Tori Amos, something I have made abundantly clear here, so that is why I got this book for myself. It was published in 2011 and written by music journalist, Jake Brown, who has written quite a few books like this about various artists and styles of music. And this was so well done that I am seriously considering checking out some more of his work.
In this book, we get some insight into Tori's early life and then we start getting into the musical career. All of it. Including a not so great first album. No, not the acclaimed Little Earthquakes, but something else that true Tori fans know about. It was a pretty low . . . a very low point for her, but it ended up giving her a push to figuring out who she wanted to be as an artist. Mostly, by figuring out what she did NOT want to be. See, that's why we must never fear failures, because they create the steps we climb to our own success. Oh, and when that album came out, some article had referred to her as a bimbo. To which she responded in an interview I once saw, "Fair enough." I love you, Tori.
Anyway, each chapter of this book deals with her individual albums, but it stops just short of Night of Hunters, sadly, as that is my favorite album by Tori. Still, I was so drawn in to what was being written about her work. It goes pretty in depth when it comes to her process and things that inspired her music on each of the projects. And if you know anything about Tori, you'll know that the stories she can tell about her process as an artist and where her ideas come from can be just as intriguing as the songs themselves. So, no surprise, I loved reading everything she had to say about that.
I suppose if I had a complaint it would be that I wished it was longer. Because this is not a long book at all, especially considering how much time it covers and who it covers. It could have been three times longer and I absolutely would not complain about that. There were a lot of quotes and stories from Tori herself, and all of that was interwoven very nicely with the writer's take on everything. So, yes, I would have been happy to read even more of it.
As a music lover, I am always interested in how an artist works and what inspires them, regardless of who the artist is, though I have my favorites. But I would recommend this book to others who enjoy knowing about a songwriter's process, especially if you're a fan of Tori Amos, or are interested in her story. This book was a fascinating read and truly let's you get into the head of the artist, even if it's another artist who is holding open the door.
Love and Full Moons,
Becky the Writer
