16 posts tagged “tori amos”
With the release of Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Tori Amos' 10th album, fans and critics fall into two loose camps, dependent on their impression of her previous outing, American Doll Posse:
1) Can she ever redeem herself to the good ol' days of Boys For Pele/From The Choirgirl Hotel/Under The Pink/etc.?
2) Was The Beekeeper truly a fluke of weak songwriting and overproduction, or was American Doll Posse a lucky and unexpected success?
I personally lie in that latter camp, having embraced American Doll Posse, Pip and all, so wholeheartedly that it's currently sitting comfortably in my number two slot in the realm of Tori's discography, behind my long-time love From The Choirgirl Hotel. While I was somewhat more open and forgiving with The Beekeeper than many fans (it was certainly an album that brought about a mass exodus from the fanbase), it was still an incredibly weak album overall. With American Doll Posse, my faith was renewed in Tori's ability to deliver a song more rocking than a case of downers dissolved in Ovaltine.
My first impressions of Abnormally Attracted to Sin weren't exactly warm. Welcome To England seemed like a slightly more rocking Sleeps With Butterflies; 500 Miles was an utter piece of wretch that somehow topped out the fail quotient of Secret Spell (a song I not-so-affectionately refer to as Secret Suck); and Fire To Your Plain seemed passable. I was then hit with Ophelia, Curtain Call and Flavor, and promptly decided that this was not promising, given that only Curtain Call truly excited me.
This all explains why I am so relieved to report that upon complete and – this is key – repeated listens, the album holds up well overall, although it suffers similar production issues to those fans have been griping over since The Beekeeper as well as an inability for Amos to edit an album down to its strongest tracks. Granted, this may be partially due to the diminished popularity of CD singles, a format Amos enthusiastically contributed numerous B-Sides to over the years; I always feel the reason her albums stretch so long now is because she wants to give her fans every song she can, as she has always done. The trouble is, weaker tracks distract from the gems, and diminishes her concept for the album, killing its effectiveness. Somewhere in here lies an album born of the best elements from To Venus And Back, American Doll Posse and The Beekeeper, but you have to dig for it. The trouble is, disgruntled and more casual fans simply won't bother doing so.
Thinking back to early interviews and comments by Tori with regards to the direction for The Beekeeper, I have to say that this album is a lot closer to what I and likely other fans expected to hear upon that album's arrival; I'd anticipated something with an 'earthy' feel, something dark but sensual, what with all the talk of organs and pianos mating. Instead, we were treated to The Sleepkeeper and the Hooked On Valium tour. Lyrically, it pales compared to her first five albums in most places, but Tori can still craft a gorgeous song or string together a metaphor that is both potent and perplexing.
Is it as good as American Doll Posse? In an edited form, perhaps – but I found American Doll Posse needed scant few edits. Overall, I'm inclined to say this: if the more adult contemporary tracks of Scarlet's Walk didn't make you hand in your fan card immediately and you've found something to enjoy on each album since (even the dreaded disc The Beekeeper), then this album will offer you something to enjoy, particularly if To Venus and Back blended with the Southern sass of Boys For Pele's vocals sounds tasty to you; if A Sorta Fairytale and Bouncing Off Clouds made you homicidal, you're probably going to walk away fairly unsatisfied here. That said, Tori Amos is never going to make another album identical to one before, so if you're holding your breath for an album full of harpsichords and guttural wails, it's not coming, ever. Tori's made it pretty clear in her choice to make a different sort of album each and every time. I may not love everything she does, but I respect that she changes things up each and every time – for better or for worse.
That all said and done, let's give this a spin and do the track-by-track:
Give: This opener wins my approval, keeping Tori's track 1 record with me intact (I have never disliked any track 1 on an album of hers, ever, although Yo George isn't high on my charts). It reeks of the sultry edge of the Pip persona, tapping the eerie feel and simmering rage of Smokey Joe. The melody sounds like the result of TVAB and BFP mating and allowing SW to raise their offspring and teach it to speak. Despite being simplistic, the lyrics work for the message, and the more 'live' sound to the vocals provides the perfect edge to a brooding melody. 5/5
Welcome To England: This song has been one that has grown on me, although it's still not top-notch. The main detraction from this piece is the same issue I have with Crazy: the lyrics are edgy, but the bland music (especially during the choruses) and pacing of delivery just don't support them. The guitar is also overkilled, as 'Mac' is brought too much to the front in the mix. 4/5
Strong Black Vine: Choirgirl-era Tori, is that you hiding in there? Because you sure sound like you're not from his tribe (and methinks this is your rallying cry to others to become 'recovering Christians'). I'm not sure what surprises me most: the powerful vocals reminiscent of Professional Widow, the bold musical accompaniment, or the just cryptic enough to feel 'Tori' lyrics. This song feels, in some senses, like it could fall as a prequel to Witness – her attempting to save someone, only to be left condemned and thinking, 'Wait – I thought I had a witness. Didn't you hear me?'. 5/5
Flavor: This track is suffering from two major issues: 1) it reeks of a stripped-down Give crossed with Lust's live incarnation (blech) and 2) the lyrics are incredibly dull and repetitive. Was Tori staring at LOLCats with Tash all day? 'I has a flavor!' Coupled with Ophelia's use of the word flavor, it's overkill and makes me want to fetch Tori a thesaurus. In general, it recycles ideas we've heard numerous times from Tori already. Makes for great background/cleaning music. 3.5/5
Not Dying Today: This cannot be coincidence. Tori simply must realize she's almost blatantly ripped off the melody of her own track Dolphin Song for this one. It's as if she said, 'Fine. You don't like 'Smoo like doooophin'? Fine, try these lyrics instead!'. My answer: MUCH better, Tori. Such a fun, upbeat track on an album that mostly broods and simmers in rage and rejection of societal control and mind games, it feels jarring and loosely on theme. That said, it's a favourite of mine on this disc and I cannot stress how much I want to hear this live, if only to hear the spoken word bit. 5/5
Maybe California: This reeks of adult contemporary, and yet, I'm utterly in love with it. It may be due to personal experiences that leave me completely understanding the feeling of staring down the cliffs of California and being too tired to go on. It may also be the strange brainwave that leads me to hypothesize this: Maybe California is a continuation/relative of Mrs Jesus. While the lyrics state "Hey Mrs, see – please don't jump", when has Tori not felt free to play on sounds? What a strange mirror it would be to see Tori/Scarlet move from being in despair and unable to understand how to live in the world with so much hate and use of religion as justification for violence (a concept close to this album's heart) to being 'saved' by the wisdom of Mrs. Jesus as she carries her unborn child... to Scarlet on the cliffs of California, urging a fellow 'mother' to remain strong for her 'children'? Whether it is a direct mirror of despairing mother to a nameless woman later met by a wiser Scarlet, or Scarlet speaking straight to Mrs Jesus (who despairs at those going astray from the real essence of his teachings), it's fascinating me to consider. Add in also the lyrical connections (Mrs. Jesus - "Lifelines and suicide crimes, he found me in a state..."; references to stars, angels/heaven in both pieces) and it's food for thought. 5/5 (really!)
Curtain Call: This song is the most personal of the album, for anyone with a decent knowledge of Tori's career will tell you it's painfully autobiographical, depicting Tori's trajectory through the music business. This ground was well covered in Tori's book Piece By Piece, but here, it's moving and corn mother free. I'm going to go right ahead and declare this the strongest track of the album, if only for its earnest nature and the lyrics that catch my eye as clever nods (references to China's wall, looking-glass and 'shade' – concepts in Tori's songs; the fact that music is 'spiritual' for her). 5/5
Fire To Your Plain: My first reaction to this track was a 'this is alright', but the combination of the visualette and allowing it to grow on me is moving it upward. This song would be strong single material, if only because it doesn't betray Tori's usual style of songwriting like, say, Sleeps With Butterflies, but it's more accessible than, say, Professional Widow. I have a terrible feeling this will blow live, in that Tori will perform it too slow. 4/5
Police Me: This is such a strange and quirky piece, I can't help but enjoy it. It's not her strongest outing, lyrically or musically, but it's got that little sass of My Posse Can Do. I think it's not very effective for her concept, even if the notion of being policed seems bang on. This song would have made a fantastic b-side. 4/5
That Guy: Oh, god. This song is so terrible, I've only finished listening to it once (and I've played everything else 3 times or more). Boringm tedious music coupled with plodding, over the top lounge delivery kills what are actually lyrics containing a few decent lines (stress on few). The endless use of 'That guy...' and the 'will we break-up' makes this sound like bad emo teen poetry though. This will be a torture session live far worse than Jamaica (fucking) Inn. 2/5 out of pity.
Abnormally Attracted To Sin: The title track of the album delivers some of the more cryptic and visual image-centred lyrics of the album, and this coupled with the sultry electronic feel of the piece make it incredibly strong. However, for some reason, I don't quite love it yet. I have a feeling it will be a grower. 4.5/5
500 Miles: UGH. Dear God, it's like Secret Spell and Ireland (without the funny parts about Saabs and amusing sha-na-na-nas) rammed into one epic failure of a song sent from hell to make my ears bleed. Seriously Tori, why not just ram on some gospel singers singing about a sweet sting and add in a slow bridge featuring 'looooooooook I'm standing naked before you' repeated twenty times and complete this ultimate suckfest you apparently aimed for? The only people ever allowed to sing 500 Miles in a song again are the Proclaimers. STAB. 1/5 strictly because it's Tori Amos and therefore still better than the Jonas Brothers by default.
Mary Jane: This song wins at loungey cabaret where That Guy fails, and is a clever little song about marijuana. How can I not adore it? And to boot, the lyrics definitely tip their hat to Reefer Madness and its related hysteria, which makes it on topic. This one probably would have been a b-side in the Atlantic records era rich in CD singles, which makes it look a little weak here. 4/5
Starling: I like this track the more I hear it. It conjures up the creepy sort of feeling drifting about the Choirgirl-era tracks like Liquid Diamonds and Black-Dove, and the percussion noises I describe as 'horses trotting' just give me shivers. The lyrics themselves remind me of Choirgirl/Venus Tori, which pushes this song right up the list of tracks towards the number one slot. Tori, take a memo: more of this, less 500 Miles. Love, your fan. 4.5/5
Fast Horse: When you load a song titled after the name of a bird that can mimic sounds from its surroundings, a song with horse-type noises, into the playlist before a song called Fast Horse, I giggle. It's even more amusing in light of Black-Dove (bird in title) having a lyric about "I have to get to Texas" and Fast Horse referencing Tennessee. The energy and music remind me of Code Red (rocking and angry) but the southern feel to the lyrics and delivery conjure up SW and Pele a la Little Amsterdam. Nice. I can't say I find it perfectly on theme, but it's a strong song that merges old style and new. 4/10
Ophelia: The sentiment of this song is moving, and feels like a letter to the numerous troubled women in Tori's fanbase. I'm a huge fan of Hamlet and also the books Reviving Ophelia and Ophelia Speaks, so it connects with me on a level. I just find the melody to not stand out from other tracks on the album, and that damn use of 'flavor' crops up again. It may grow on me more over time (perhaps as I skip Flavor and avoid that repetition). 4/5
Lady In Blue: This song creeps along, a jazzy cabaret number with mysterious haunting lyrics and a building up at the end that is dynamite, reminiscent of live versions of songs like Waitress. That said, it feels a little too slow to get going, and could stand a trim of 45 seconds maybe to make a better song. This song is probably one that is closest to 'classic Tori' (I'm thinking UTP-era) and will likely be the one traditional fans latch onto to. Unfortunately, played solo live, it will be lacking its strongest element (the bass and build-up) and will therefore be a letdown. But maybe Tori will surprise me. 4.5/5
Overall: 80/100. With trimming, this could be 90/100. Tori, please edit and release b-side digital eps. Your fans and wallet will thank you.
"I can paint my face, and stand very still
It's not very practical, but it still pays the bills..."
The Perfect Fit - The Dresden Dolls
I wasn't certain how last night's very intimate solo show with the singer/songwriting force behind The Dresden Dolls would go last night at the Rivoli. My one prior experience with Amanda solo was the event known as Fuck The Back Row, which was meant to be primarily a showcase of Amanda's favourite songs from films, and it featured Brian Viglione, her drumming partner-in-crime anyway. But Brian is off gallavanting and drumming his sweet heart out elsewhere, leaving Amanda entirely solo on the tiny stage, without a compatriot should the crowd prove unkind (an event that would hearken the End of Days, really, since Amanda's words and piano-smashing are what make most of the wannabe-goth-punk girls squeal with delight, anyway). I have not been reading setlists from previous dates on this mini-tour, nor have I been keeping up with Amanda's blogging. In the end, I came away pleasantly surprised, somewhat confused at setlist choices, but overall tremendously satisfied with Ms. Palmer's outing.
The first pleasant surprise of the night was the opening duo Vermillion Lies, two Toronto-area girls who made their way, as many do, to California to seek their fortunes. Billed as a cabaret duo, the best way I can describe their antics is to provide the following recipe:
1 Part Amanda Palmer wordplay
1 Part Quirky Canadian Humour a la Kids In The Hall
2 Parts Ditty Bops charm
Combine all ingredients in a blender, give 'em a whir, and pour out onto a stage before a group of audience members who eagerly embrace shrieking, "What's In the Box?" (alas, not Gwyneth Paltrow's head).
I am absolutely in love with these girls. Their songs ranged from humour-filled love songs to descriptions of Planet Porn, to a celebration of Global Warming ("It's hot!" or "It's not cool!", depending on where you stood in the venue). Their charm and wit make for excellent audience engagement, and their lyrics will elicit healthy laughter and joy. Add in their talent for percussion from the everyday object (BBQ grills, marionettes tapping their feet...) and you have yourself a versatile and fun night. You will also be invited to join the circus by becoming a zombie and anyone with zombie humour is full of win in my books.
The mood was light and festive when Amanda Palmer took the stage, approaching a standing mic and lip synching her way through Ben Folds' song Cologne, while holding up bristleboard messages, one word at a time that said hello, thanked us for coming, told us Ben was singing the song and that he'd helped on her solo disc Who Killed Amanda Palmer (reviewed previously here by myself) and also, in a candid admission that was very genuine given her body language and shy warming up for the beginning of the set, "It's hard being up here alone." I can imagine so, given the years spent touring with Brian as a unit. Dressed in a bra and a bee-adorned corset that made me wonder if her time recently with author Neil Gaiman had led to an inadvertent connection with Tori Amos (long-time friend of Neil), Amanda settled into the keyboard before her and launched into long-time solo track and now album cut Ampersand.
The entire night was an intimate sort of sharing, with banter between Amanda and the audience, an "Ask Amanda" portion of the show where questions were taken from the audience, and unfortunately, some people who felt the need to sing louder than Amanda to staples like Mrs. O and Half-Jack. I'm just grateful said Bright Eyes-obsessed girl did not know the words to the solo songs that comprised a bulk of the set. The questions ranged from the interesting ("Did you ever sell your Volvo?") to the dishy ("Did David Lee Roth ever see the Shores of California video?") to the silly ("Will you have my babies?", to which Amanda declared, "No! No babies for me right now. I'm too busy playing a piano!", and another boy asking, "Should I be a top or a bottom?", to which Amanda first said, "How the hell should I know?", then suggested an audience vote, then finally settled and said, "I'd have to say you're a switch. If you have to ask..."). Stories recounted included the tale behind haunting song Strength Through Music and how her friend Kate asked her to bring a gun from Chicago to NY via Toronto, to Neil Gaiman phoning Amanda during the day and asking her to say hi to his fans at the Toronto show and to tell them he loves them, "because he is that fucking awesome."
In terms of setlist choices, I have to say I was a bit puzzled. Fan favourite Astronaut from the solo album had to be begged for in the encore, Oasis was a lucky moment brought on by a "you pick something" whim borne of "cheating" by "playing so many covers", and rocking track Leeds United was nowhere to be found. Coin-Operated Boy fell flat solo, namely because anyone who's seen more than two shows is tired of the track live and its only saving grace is the interaction between Amanda and Brian on stage. The plethora of covers was confusing, and seemed to be a case of Amanda not knowing whether it was "right" to play Dolls' material solo (even though she wrote it!) and not wanting to just play the entire new solo disc live and call it a night. Don't get me wrong; the covers were all solid and throroughly enjoyable, but I come to see Amanda to see Amanda's lyrical magic at work. If I were to peg a few songs from The Dresden Dolls' catalogue as strong choices for solo play, I'd suggest The Perfect Fit, Slide, Truce, First Orgasm, Delilah, Me & The Minibar, Boston, Glass Slipper.... See Amanda? Plenty of better choices than that radio-loved song about that boy of plastic and elastic! For a cover, try Emilie Autumn's Gothic Lolita!
One of the things I appreciate about Amanda is her willingness to collaborate live with her openers, and the guest vocals with Vermillion Lies on encore Radiohead cover Creep (whilst standing in the audience) were wonderful. Amanda strumming that tiny Uke cracked me up. Another thing I have to express is that, this being my first time hearing Amanda perform after surgery to address her vocal cords, I was astonished at how clean and powerful her voice sounded. She almost sounded better than prior to the surgery. Kudos to her surgeon!
More information can be found about Amanda at her solo MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/whokilledamandapalmer
Vermillion Lies is also on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/vermillionlies
SETLIST: AMANDA PALMER @ THE RIVOLI, TORONTO 8/9/08
*Entrance - lip synching to Cologne by Ben Folds*
Ampersand
Icarus (Jason Webley cover)
Blake Says
Mrs. O
I Google You
Runs In the Family
Coin-Operated Boy
Strength Through Music
Guitar Hero
Look Mummy, No Hands (Dillie Keane cover)
Oasis
Apres Moi (Regina Spektor cover)
Half-Jack
Encore:
Creep (Radiohead cover with Amanda on Uke! Guest vox by Vermillion Lies as she walked through the crowd singing)
Astronaut
It’s always bittersweet when the last day of tour arrives, but the last show of the tour is even more poignant when it’s your final show. There are no other shows. There are no other opportunities to try and see just one more performance, hear one more great song, see one more rarity that you can brag about. We all return to our little corners of the world, parting ways sadly, with only our memories to hold on to.
The last show of tour for me is always emotional. I’ve also seen the end of a tour before, and felt the tug of the heart at things truly being done. But this tour was something different; this tour is the end of a long era, and marks the beginning of a very different future. There will never be a tour as expansive as this again. The Dolls, a concept once mocked by many who later became beloved, are gone, save our personal amusements (like pipforpresident08.com). We’ve seen the last of Isabel, Pip, Clyde and Santa. We’ve likely seen the last of certain songs that resurfaced this tour only because of the Dolls and how they allowed Tori to separate her emotions from songs so that her personal issues would no longer stop them from being performed. As several of us have agreed on, there will never be the ‘Hang Ten Honey’ outro/freak out in Waitress again. She’s Your Cocaine and Raspberry Swirl are likely going back into the musical closet to be neglected and forgotten alongside Way Down and Datura and Zero Point (a broken promise I’m sure many will be bitter about is Tori’s failure to deliver either of the latter two).
I’ve been a part of Tori history, and my heart is breaking. I knew the final show would get to me; hell, Pretty Good Year and Tear In Your Hand had me tearing up in Anaheim. But even I wasn’t prepared for precisely how emotional I became last night... I figured for the last show that a glass of wine was mandatory. Ashley had champagne, and we settled into our seats (decent view, if not as close as we would have liked), and it first hit me then: this was it. There was no more tour after this show. It was the end of the line. As Tori hit the stage as Isabel, I decided to throw myself into the show as completely as possible, dancing in my seat and standing, mouthing along to each song and often closing my eyes and feeling the sounds vibrating off the walls around me.
Isabel's fourth song was Scarlet’s Walk, and I immediately knew we were getting a split doll show again. I figured it to be Santa or Clyde coming next. Scarlet’s Walk was the first song of many to send tears streaming down my cheeks; lyrics like “What do you plan to do with all your stories….?/I will follow her on her path….” just gutted me. The boys jammed as Isabel departed the stage, and for a few minutes, it felt like a slowed down Bouncing Off Clouds, which would indicate Clyde. But then, the lights went purple, and the music slowed… and I held my breath. “No way….” I thought to myself. But then, the tech emerged and set up the extra microphone that only one doll uses, and I had a fit of glee. PIP! Pip for the win! Such an awesome and pleasant surprise! Pip roared through Cruel, screaming about smegma and cocksuckers and being her wonderful obscene self. The pit area went nuts,. Standing for her whole set and dancing in a frenzy/ I wish I could have been down there with them. As I’d hoped, she did Fat Slut into Smokey Joe this time instead of Teenage Hustling, which was awesome. Smokey Joe in particular was very haunting and intense. From there, Heart of Gold happened again; I have to say that as much as I loathe the studio version, the live version is enjoyable. I think the Pip attitude and character make it work for me.
And then came Waitress, and I felt a lump in my throat, remembering John saying that this tour was probably the last of ‘Hang Ten Honey’. I rocked out, sang along, headbanged and danced in my seat. I went all out, then rose to my feet and danced for the last time to the Professional Widow jam. If there’s anything I’d always wanted at a Tori show, it was the ability to dance and shake my ass to fast songs, and this tour has been great for it. The bulk of the audience rose and danced for Big Wheel, and as much fun as I had clapping and dancing, I again felt a twinge of sadness; this was the last Big Wheel. Big Wheel has been a highlight of this tour for me, and I really can’t get enough of it. After Cornflake Girl (the last air piano opportunity), Tori brought out a song I’d been dying to hear this tour: Bells For Her. It was so emotional, and the tears just came pouring out. Every song that can normally touch me was just that much more charged.
Solo time brought Silent All These Years (and I kept crying); as much as I love it, I was sad to hear that she bailed on Gold Dust for it, since I absolutely fell in love with Gold Dust this past year. Then again, I may have crumbled completely if she’d played it. Cooling was next, as I’d predicted; Tori loves to close a tour with Cooling. She became incredibly emotional towards the end, with her voice actually cracking and breaking at the end. It was the best I’ve heard the song ever, hands down, and but one more example of how in this tour, the passion of the performances had come back with intensity to spare.
A familiar intro began, and my heart leapt into my throat: Amber Waves. God how I’d hoped for that song this tour. I was a weeping mess, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. Again, I’d have to say it was the best I’ve heard the song live. I was beginning to think I’d never stop crying, but Tori thankfully brought some reprieve by busting out Talula, which is fun and upbeat. I’m so glad I was there to see this version, because it’s seriously the best band Talula ever.
Code Red… I’ve always been affected by the “Do this last one, and I’ll grow me some wine/Leave them troubled boys all behind” line, taking it as almost Tori’s goodbye to us and tour. Last night, it was even more moving in that context. For the last time, I grabbed onto Ashley and we rushed towards the stage; security stopped us from leaving the orchestra and rushing the pit, but oh well! We got to stand in the aisles and I danced and rocked out to Precious Things, and clapped happily as Bouncing Off Clouds came next. Again, I felt a tear in my eye; this was the end of the bouncing of the cloud dance. It really was ending. By the time Hey Jupiter began in the second encore, I was a wreck, with the sadness peaking as Tori belted out the “I know he isn’t you” at the end. I was a mess, and I wasn’t the only one. Suze and I had a good hug and a cry; John and I had a good hug outside the venue too.
Tori…. Thank you for the best tour in years.
SETLIST – LOS ANGELES 12/16/07
Isabel
Yo George
In The Springtime Of His Voodoo
Tombigbee
Scarlet’s Walk
Pip
Cruel
Heart Of Gold
Fat Slut
Smokey Joe
Waitress
Tori
Big Wheel
Cornflake Girl
Bells For Her
Silent All These Years
Cooling
Amber Waves
Talula
Code Red
Precious Things
Bouncing Off Clouds
Hey Jupiter
*excerpted from journal*
Despite the mass of people ahead of us, we ended up in the
second/third row off to the side near the stage. I am so, so glad we
were that close to witness the awesome of this show. Oh my GOD. Pip
emerged and I thought I was going to keel over and die of joy. Pip was
in top form, making masturbation gestures, cussing up a storm as usual,
and being the awesome of all awesome. But then, something weird
happened: she did Waitress fourth in her set. Waitress is normally the
closer of a 7 song set. I knew what was going to happen: another two
doll show. Half of me was sad to get only half the Pip, but when Santa
emerged to rock out and do She’s Your Cocaine and Raspberry Swirl as
part of her mini-set, I decided it was an incredible combo, and
definitely worth sacrificing Pip time. The GA venue meant we had the
ability to dance all night, and I definitely rocked out and danced...
Tori then changed again for her main set, which was shortened but solid all the way through. Big Wheel was delicious of course, and after Cornflake Girl, Tori broke out Liquid Diamonds (LOVE) and then went straight into solo time. First up: Carbon. My second favourite song. It was stunning and very charged; it gave me chills and brought me to tears. Take Me With You followed on its heels and was even more gorgeous than Toronto. The band arrived once more and launched into Pretty Good Year, which moved both Ashley and I; it’s such a ‘goodbye’ sort of song and for me at least, the fact tour is so close to ending was just… so real. Recovery time arrived in the form of Hotel and Code Red, which were both rocking out. I’m shocked with how often she’s done it this tour that this was my first time hearing Hotel this tour. SO good. The first encore was an echo of Santa Barbara: Precious Things and Tear In Your Hand, which also choked me up, especially since Tori herself seemed so emotional as she sang, “Maybe it’s time to wave goodbye now” and waved to us. Encore two however… The band returned and began jamming what was very obviously the intro to Talula, which had Ashley and I in fits of glee. But then, Tori didn’t return. She was taking hella long, and it was strange. And then… Tori outdid the shock of the first two-doll combo in San Diego:
Tori returned as Pip for the second encore.
WTF!?!? The lighting darkened and the band slowed down to a ethereal trippy beat and I recognized the song immediately: Suede!! OMG! I don’t think I’ve heard it since my very first show in 1999! I’ve always seen Suede as an ideal Pip song too, so it was just so incredible. Tori didn’t quite keep character as Pip departed and concluded the show; Pip normally flips the audience off and leaves, but instead she kind of bowed and nodded to the audience. It very much felt like Pip was saying goodbye for the tour. Hopefully, she pops out tomorrow, but I won’t hold my breath. Then again, after tonight, I really don’t know what to expect anymore!!
Half of me is trying to be an optimist – one more show! – but half of me is sad now – only one more show! – so it’s a strange feeling. I definitely think tonight’s show was one of the absolute best of the tour, and one of the best I’ve ever seen of Tori’s, period.
SETLIST – ANAHEIM 12/15/07
Pip
Cruel
Teenage Hustling
Heart of Gold
Waitress
Santa
Body and Soul
She’s Your Cocaine
You Can Bring Your Dog
Raspberry Swirl
Tori
Big Wheel
Cornflake Girl
Liquid Diamonds
Carbon
Take Me With You
Pretty Good Year
Hotel
Code Red
Precious Things
Tear In Your Hand
Suede (as Pip)
*excerpted from journal*
We decided that if we were to do any meet and greet on this trip, it ought to be Santa Barbara, so into the car we loaded our belongings – or rather, the incredibly helpful valet parking crew at the Hilton loaded the car – and we set off along the 101. Only Tori fans will immediately know why we dorked out and threw in Scarlet’s Walk for our road music, so allow me to explain for the non-Tori folk: in the song A Sorta Fairytale, track 2 on Scarlet’s Walk, Tori mentions travelling north along the 101. It seriously felt like we were retracing the path that inspired the song, with the beautiful views and the scent of ocean along the way. It was a fairytale, really.
Driving directions again proved super-easy to follow; I’m starting to love California roadtripping. We parked our car in a garage in Santa Barbara near the venue and wandered out onto the street. The area is very nice, and reminded me of Charleston, SC, with its early hours of closure, obviously wealthy area, and the unique and beautiful buildings everywhere. We located the venue, found one other person waiting, and settled in at the spot we found most logical for a meet and greet. Over the day, the crowd grew, and we spent time chatting with many people, including the lovely Alexa.
At one point, a homeless man wandered by and asked us what/who we were waiting for. After initially saying we were waiting for George Bush, we told the truth, which prompted him to repeatedly call Tori `Torrid Anus`. He then sat down on a nearby curb, ate cold chili from a can and dropped it all over himself, then munched some crackers before departing with his bicycle o`belongings (it was dragging this cart with garbage bags of things inside).
The meet and greet was cancelled, which kinda blew because we could have explored the beaches or shops had we known.
...What made it cooler was the show starting at 9pm here meant that in Toronto, it was my birthday, making the show kind of my birthday show. And what a show! No two doll combo, as we mused about after San Diego’s shocker, but it was a show filled with energy, debuts and songs I really wanted to hear.
Clyde opened our show, and the entire venue stayed on their feet for Bouncing Off Clouds. Tori should seriously play BOC at every show; it’s just way too much fun, like Big Wheel (which I’m glad she does do every night). Little Amsterdam was awesome tonight, as was Rattlesnakes – perhaps the best I’ve ever heard it, and that song tends to follow me around. Juarez was also tasty tonight. But the best awaited us in the main Tori set.
From Big Wheel, Tori broke into Parasol, my favourite song off the lacklustre album The Beekeeper, and one I’d never heard live. I’d heard bootlegs from the ’05 tour and found the song too slow live, but this version was the one I wanted to hear. The next song was a fantastic surprise: Spark. My favourite song. I cried again; it was a really good version, emotional, with key parts belted so perfectly. I’d passed a letter through Smitty earlier today and in it, I’d thanked Tori for honouring my Spark request in Toronto and commented that I felt this tour’s version was the best she’s ever done; I’m guessing she read it before the show. Lust was the only low of the show for me, and even that sounded better than it has on past tours. Black-Dove was a song high on my list of wants and I’m so glad her damn corset didn’t choke her into skipping the song this time!!
The solo section was intense; it began with Tori mentioning how she’s trying to honour as many requests as possible before the tour ends and “if your request doesn’t happen… too fucking bad!” Hilarious. From there, she launched into an intense improv that began with “She buried her soul today” and described the loss of a grandmother and a family standing together and burying her ‘wrapped in her songs’. It almost felt like its own song, which is one of the many reasons Tori awes me; the things she comes up with spontaneously can be incredible at times. She then launched into Alamo, which is a b-side she seldom plays. A heartbreaking version of it, this was. She then moved into Toast, another song from The Beekeeper I really love, but had to stop after a few lines because of tuning issues. Cue another improv song about having problems with her EQ and how she has a great sound guy but she’s driving him nuts because she’s “such an antfucker” about her songs. It wrapped with her declaring how when she was young, she did her own EQ and she’d find her own way to handle the venue’s sound. Toast was gorgeous, and felt very fitting given how close to the end we are.
How do you top amazing solo songs? You throw out two highly anticipated songs: Past The Mission (awesome!) and Talula, which was so incredible that it’s tied with my long-beloved Wallingford ’01 version as the best Talula ever. And of course Tori waited for a non-bootlegged show. Of course!!
Code Red has become more intense since I saw it in Toronto, and I am loving it. LOVE. Precious is of course full of win, and Tear In Your Hand was particularly poignant to me because soon, it really will be ‘time to wave goodbye now’. This tour really feels monumental, historical in the context of Tori’s career; even Tori commented that this has been the most incredible experience for her as a performer. Several of us have said it, and I’ll echo it here: LA finishing is going to bring me to tears. That last show is going to be amazing and break my heart all at once.
SETLIST – SANTA BARBARA 12/13/07
Clyde
Bouncing Off Clouds
Little Earthquakes
Juarez
Rattlesnakes
Little Amsterdam
Beauty of Speed
Tori
Big Wheel
Parasol
Spark
Cornflake Girl
Lust
Black-Dove (January)
Improv> ‘buried her today’
Alamo
Toast *screw up*
Improv> ‘Need my EQ’
Toast
Past The Mission
Talula
Code Red
Precious Things
Tear In Your Hand
*excerpted from journal*
The show opened with Santa, which was fine by me; I was very eager to hear Raspberry Swirl. Tori strutted and sassed about the stage as Santa, beginning with Body and Soul and continuing with She's Your Cocaine (YUM), Hoochie Woman (YAY! Tori dished out Mojitos and rubbed alcohol on her body as well as flicking it at the front row) and Raspberry Swirl (OMFGYAY!). We got up to dance for Swirl. In my excitement for Swirl, it didn't quite click with me that it was awfully early in Santa's set for Swirl... And then, Tori left the stage as the band continued to jam the ending. "That was the shortest Santa set ever!" Ashley commented. Suze looked back to us and mouthed, "Where did she go?!" I shrugged. Ashley mused aloud about there being two dolls, and to our complete surprise, that's exactly what happened! Tori returned as Isabel to the sounds of the intro to Yo George, and did a mini-Isabel set of Yo George, Mountain, Tombigbee and Scarlet's Walk. I was disappointed to not hear Almost Rosey, but the two doll combo alone was worth it.
Costume change #2. Tori returned and launched into Big Wheel as per the norm, only to introduce the band and launch into Cornflake Girl. WTF? Where's the second song that comes before CFG? Doughnut Song arrived, and I was thrilled to finally hear it this tour; it was as gorgeous as I hoped for, although I'm sad she cut the "Something's just keeping you numb". And then.... solo time? Already? This show was making me dizzy with confusion. The solo section fell completely flat for me - Twinkle, which admittedly was better live this tour than in previous ones, and was preceded by a beautiful improv about 'remembering' someone from before, and Leather (ugh). Your Cloud was lovely, but too mellow on the heels of a lacklustre solo section, but Virginia revived me. Code Red started amazing... and then suddenly Tori stopped and threw two girls out of the show from the front row, angrily ranting about how those seats were "her seats" and "sitting in front is a privilege'. Crazy! The song restarted even more furiously. Tori's been throwing security guards out of shows as well this tour - fiesty moody Tori is BACK!
The encores were solid - Precious Things which is always a treat; Bliss, which rocked out with its bad self; Space Dog, which felt weird in the encores but was still fun to dance to; and the predictable Hey Jupiter, which was still worth it if only for the way Tori belted out the "I know he isn't you" at the end. Overall, a satisfying show, but the middle kinda dropped off. The setlist had Past The Mission in the encore instead of Bliss and Take Me With You as the sole solo song (which would have been infinitely better!). The presence of Past The Mission was amusing; if only she'd played it!
Tomorrow, it's the Santa Barbara show. I suddenly have a strange feeling it's going to become a Pip/Clyde split, which makes me sad because I want a full Pip set in Anaheim damn it! We're planning to hit the meet and greet tomorrow, and since Suze and Lesley are also without tickets for the show, we're going to try and get four together. Ideally, it being my brother's birthday, we'll luck into an upgrade from Smitty (who gets mauled by a circle of vultures these days! Holy shit!), but I'm just happy to be here and going. I also want to get a full chat in with Ms Alexa.
But now, it's way past bedtime!! I'll upload pictures tomorrow morning while getting ready.
SETLIST: SAN DIEGO 12/12/07
SANTA
Body and Soul
She's Your Cocaine
Hoochie Woman
Raspberry Swirl
Swirl>Yo George Jam
ISABEL
Yo George
Mountain
Tombigbee
Scarlet's Walk
TORI
Big Wheel
Cornflake Girl
Doughnut Song
Improv
Twinkle
Leather
Your Cloud
Virginia
Code Red
Precious Things
Bliss
Space Dog
Hey Jupiter
*taken from a message board posting*
Okay, seriously... this fucking set blew my goddamn mind like whoa. HOLY shit!!!!!!!!!
The Black-Dove thing: She started Black-Dove, got to the first "you don't need a spaceship"-ish place then suddenly stopped and fucked up, then said, "Okay fuck, I have got to get rid of this corset! Guys, just play something? I'll be back" Then she left the stage for maybe 3 minutes and ditched the corset thing under her jumpsuit. The boys randomly jammed - it didn't remind me of anything specific - and she returned and said "I'm going to play one of my favourite songs off of Little Earthquakes" and went into Crucify. She later during the band intro thanked us for our patience and promised she'd make it up to us later.
Cocaine!!!! Holy FUCK. She skipped the "if you want me to....inside of you" part and she also skipped a line before "taking my easel and writing good checks" and ended up repeating ythe "taking my easel" line. But it was FUCKING AWESOME!!! *squee*
I'll do a more proper review later - right now I'm getting tanked with Oh So Quiet and Assless Pants in a posh hotel - but a few comments about this show....
I cried from Baker Baker through Spark. I know people roll their eyes at staples like Baker and COMT, but this tour... If you haven't gone to a show yet, do not knock anything in a set. I'm dead serious. I officially love COMT again. Tori is ON.
Carbon... was the best version I've seen since Grand Rapids 03. I DIED. SO good. I can't believe it. OMG. And Spark shortly on its heels? There's a reason my tattoo references Spark and Carbon. I cannot believe my luck. Seriously - I have NO complaints about any of my 3 shows. My biggest complaint is she didn't finish Black-Dove... But I got Cocaine, Carbon, Spark and Siren in this show, so seriously, I cannot be greedy. This is the best tour I've seen, by eons, by miles... And I NEED to see more shows.
Okay, back to wine and chatter. I am beyond overwhelmed. I'm so
depressed that potentially this was my last show of the tour, because
this is.... wow. HOLY FUCK. I wish I could have brought all of you
there. This show was amazing. I was afraid after Toronto that Buffalo
and Detroit could never live up, but man, I was wrong.
Setlist: Tori Amos Detroit 10/27/07
Part I - Santa
Body and Soul
My Posse Can Do
She's Your Cocaine
Dragon
Secret Spell
You Can Bring Your Dog
Costume Change = Professional Widow Interlude
Part II - Tori
Big Wheel
A Sorta Fairytale
Black Dove
--Black Dove interrupted, costume change --
Crucify
Cornflake Girl
Honey
Siren
T & Bö
Baker Baker
Cloud on My Tongue
Carbon
Band Returns
Horses
Spark
Code Red
First Encore
Precious Things
Second Encore
Hey Jupiter
*taken from a message board posting*
I'll do a more thorough review tomorrow - I'm passing out now - but in brief, while this show was definitely more mellow than Toronto, it was still incredibly solid. The performances were very 'on'; T was hitting her high notes all over the place especially during HIMH. The show was ridiculously cloud/sky themed, but it was amusing.
Clyde is my
second favourite doll so I'm shaking my head and laughing that I dodged
the Santa bullet twice AND got my two dolls I wanted most. I'm a little
bummed Roosterspur Bridge didn't happen - and while Upside Down did fit
Clyde's character, I would have rather had it debut in the main Tori
set so I could hear Roosterspur, which is one of my dearest friends
right now. That said, best band Upside Down I've ever heard. YUM! Girl
Disappearing was DIVINE! 
!
Tori fucked up the count in Big Wheel again at gimme 3, started laughing and said "Fuck fuck fuck!!" then jumped back into the MILF part. I can't wait to hear this one.
The improv before YC... Tori was asking what Matty had for dinner, because she had lentils and she heard he had something better, more carnivorous. She kept saying she needed to be on HIS feeding schedule and eating what he was eating, how she needed to get the beans out of her diet... So silly and fun.
The improv before COMT.... roughly... "Something strange happens when I try to head home. I get on the bus and I'm 44, and by the time I hit Philly I'm 18, and when I hit Washington, I have to try not to be 13." Very. very sad....
TTTS rocked! At the end, she stretched the "why do you take it boy?" into a huge extension about "you take it in the morning light, you take it in the afternoon, you take it whenever you can get it, if I'm dirty, why do you take it?"
Virginia is LOVE.
Concertina is actually relevant to me right now and the new arrangement has more flavour that SW era. I approve!
Honestly? I once again have NO complaints about this set. Not a one. Thoroughly enjoyed every single song. Cried for a few. You know what it is? Songs that had become tired/played out like COMT were feeling that way to me because it felt like Tori was singing them in her sleep. Not so this tour. The passion's renewed in the deliveries, and they're becoming favourites again. I'm almost curious to get Leather now and see if I no longer hate it live. This may not have been a super-cool debut set or full of rockers, but the show was solid and enjoyable and wonderful IMO.
That said, I am kinda wistful to hear several songs in Detroit now and I doubt they'd all happen in one spot... Digital Ghost, Doughnut Song, Siren, Almost Rosey, Carbon... all yes please! I'm surprised I haven't heard Crucify because I actually WANT to hear it.
Setlist: Tori Amos Buffalo 10/24/07
Part I Clyde
Bouncing Off Clouds
Little Earthquakes
Juarez
Upside Down
Beauty of Speed
Girl Disappearing
costume change = Pro Widow remix interlude
Part II - Tori
Big Wheel
Sugar
A Sorta Fairytale
Cornflake Girl
Your Cloud
Take to the Sky
T & Bö
Cloud On My Tongue
Here. in My Head
band returns
Virginia
Concertina
Code Red
First Encore
Precious Things
Taxi Ride
Second Encore
Hey Jupiter (Dakota)
*taken from initial posting on a forum*
OMFG. I'll start with this: if I could have only done one show on this tour, this would have been perfect. Utterly perfect. I have no complaints about the set at all. Tori was ON. She was in good spirits. This has been an incredible day... I need sleep badly, but I must review!
First off, meet and greet... The nicest, best, calmest one I've ever attended. It rained for most of the day but the venue was cool enough to let us chill in the lobby indoors and dry. They didn't mind me playing my iTunes on my laptop. Of the 30-35 people there by the time Tori came out, over half were first timers, which was really fun. Everyone was very gracious and happy to just be there.
Being clever, I did a recon at 1:30 around back near the buses. Inside one of them, we saw a set of hot leather sexy red boots and were like, "What doll wears those??!!" Ha! I asked venue security minding the stage door to tell Smitty where we were. Shortly after, one of our gang went to ask the box office if they knew anything and the venue manager copped a power trip and was like, "Something like that needs MY permission" and went off to find Smitty. Smitty came out about ten minutes after and said hi - super sweet to us. As he came out, we heard Tori over the walkie talkie say, "Are they standing out in the rain because they're going to be fucking pissed!" We all laughed, and Smitty replied, "No they're all warm and dry inside the lobby. We're going to do it in here I think." He then turned to us and said, "See how she looks out for you?" I'd somehow never gotten to chat with Smitty ever, so I went to say hi. Very nice. I like him.
For the meet and
greet, they basically got out those metal poles with the stretchy
elastic bands you can hook to the next pole and made a line queue
barrier from the inner lobby doors to almost the doors to the outside
and had us all step behind it. Everyone was super-jittery, me included!
I always write Tori a letter
every tour - I never have the balls to
say anything out loud, partially because of feeling watched by others
but also because I get tongue-tied. But I decided this time, I needed
to talk to her. My standard four page letter became two pages.
The meet and greet
was awesome. Tori came out and was brought to the end with the small
gap near the outer venue doors, and basically we all filed out one by
one, got to take pictures and chat and get things signed, and were then
ushered outside. Everyone got their time, and she spent over half an
hour with us. Marci lent her camera to take a picture of me and Tori -
finally, after all this time, a NICE picture with Tori. 
When my turn hit, she hugged me right away and said, "And how are you?"
I told her I played hooky from work to come because she'd messed up -
"my friend requested Spark for Toronto for me and you did it in
Montreal!" I then pointed to Jared, and she looked, looked back at me
and said, "Oh. Now that makes sense!" She wrote Spark down, asking, "But you're here tonight, right?"
I had her sign my Tori Stories booklet next to the Spark page, and proceeded to babble like an ass. It went something like this:
"You know, I always write you these huge letters, but this time, it's short because I actually wanted to tell you things in person. I wanted to say that I think your fans don't appreciate you sometimes. I think sometimes we all take you for granted, and you do so much, much more than you have to, and I wanted to thank you for that. I've been following you around for years, and your music has been such an inspiration and influence in my life for so long, and I'm grateful for that. I remember being in Wallingford in '01 and you did this lovely improv about Tash during Talula and I am so happy you have her, and so happy you have Mark, because you deserve that and it was special watching it all unfold. I know sometimes fans will say 'Oh why doesn't she do another Pele or another Earthquakes' but you know what? Fuck that. I'm glad you always grow and let the music evolve, and I think American Doll Posse is genius, and I think you really needed to hear that in person."
Tori got teary-eyed when I said the thing about her fans, and said "Thank you" very sweetly. When I got to the part about Tash she smiled, and she knew what I meant by Wallingford, and she got teary again at the end and said, "I am so glad you are here today."
The show itself... was fantastic. Best Toronto show I have ever seen and I would say right now it's in my top 3 shows ever of hers. She flubbed lyrics a lot, but she was in such a good mood, and she was very into the show. We requested Pip at the meet and greet and she said she'd see what she could do, but I was truly shocked when the band came out and it was most definitely NOT Body and Soul starting. Pip is INSANE. LOVE her. So amazing! I'd never seen Cruel live, I love Bliss, I love all Pip's songs... YUM. The number of 'fuck' uses was crazy!
Big Wheel is super-fun! I love it! Especially the call and answer MILF - Don't you forget!
Space Dog... One of my favourites. I cried. Yup. Beautiful with the 'Hold those tears' intro.
Spark... Once again, I was in disbelief. Suze looked over and said it, and I was like "No, I won't believe until she sings the first line!"... And then, she did, and I cried of course, because I'm a wuss. It was PERFECT. Just as I dreamed of it being. Tori was looking my way a lot and from events later, she could see us, so um WOW. AMAZING.
Cornflake Girl - We are starting a new dance. It is called the rabbit dance. Every time T sings 'rabbit', you make bunny ears on your head. T saw us and kept cracking up. Ha! She flubbed a line in the first verse and the first chorus she changed the peel out the watchword to "Just throw out these words!" So cute!
Liquid Diamonds - Just when I thought I could recover... BOOM. Tears. I love this song and it was so ON... the mic switches for this and Spark were so well-timed. Gorgeous version...
Glory of the 80s - I had a shit fit of glee. Glory has always been a highlight of Venus for me and it was the only TVAB song I'd never heard live that I WANTED to hear. Such a shock and SO good. Loved her voice on it.
Winter... You know, in the past I've gotten bored due to overkill, but not tonight. This trumped even the Baltimore '05 one where she kept saying 'dad' since he was at that show. Gorgeous, gorgeous vocals... I was a wreck. My dad's health is failing, so Winter is hitting me in a soft spot. During the piano bridge, some ass yelled out "I love you Tori!" Then another yelled "Jesus loves you too!" and then ANOTHER guy yelled, and okay, Tori was near tears at some parts prior to this, and just as I was about to yell "shut the fuck up", Tori simply leaned in, and quietly said, "Eat me." Cue wild appaluse of support from audience.
Horses!!! Yes, it was with the band, and creepy-ethereal like Plugged tour. Oh WOW. SO good.
ASF - Love it. Love it. Love it. Very on, very wistful sort of feel... you really felt the emotion in the 'didn't think we'd end up like this'.
Code Red - Is awesome. You knew this. WOWSA. Mini-freak at end.
Stage Rush! Whee!
Precious Things - IS AMAZING. It's fanfuckingtastic this tour.
BOC - Lesson one: It is now "Clow-hee-hows". Lesson two: there is a hand gesture now during the chorus that the regulars have adopted. 'Tis fun. Plus, I LOVE BOC.
Hey Jupiter - I knew the second encore was going to be short when this started. Dakota version of course. I will NEVER tire of Jupiter. People can bite me.
Seriously.... that show was so, so good. I can't imagine how Buffalo or
Detroit will EVER beat that. Thank you Tori. Just... thank you.
Setlist: Tori Amos Toronto 10/23/07
Part I - Pip
Cruel
Bliss
Fat Slut
Smokey Joe
Teenage Hustling
The Waitress
costume change = Pro Widow Remix interlude
Part II - Tori
Big Wheel
Space Dog
Spark
Cornflake Girl
Liquid Diamonds
Glory of the 80s
T & Bö
Take Me With You
Winter
band returns
Horses
A Sorta Fairytale
Code Red
First Encore
Precious Things
Bouncing Off Clouds
Second Encore
Hey Jupiter (Dakota Version)
It's back: a ninth edition of the High Fidelity mixes. And this one is a rather special one. This one is inspired by my favourite classy bitch, and the rest of the posse in the land of Tori tourage.
The song selections are based on meeting one or more of the following criteria:
- They speak of travelling/getting out on the open road.
- They make specific reference to my adventures with the awesome Ashley during our tour stalkings of Tori Amos and The Dresden Dolls.
- They remind me of time with good friends in general and sounds nice to drive to.
For those who've never set out on the open road to follow a concert tour, I couldn't even begin to properly explain the experience. Beyond the concerts, which are always a blast for any music junkie, there is the experience of the road itself: the crazy road signs, the strange billboards, the even stranger sights (groups of men pissing together on the side of the road, anyone? a badminton game at 1am in a gas station parkling lot?), the local foods and touristy moments... and the friendship. If there is anything that both builds a friendship and tests its durability, it is cramming into a car for a week and hauling ass from state to state (and sometimes, country to country).
I feel like a bad beer commercial, but for all you do, all we have done and shared, this one would be for you Ashley, most of all. Special thanks to the other lovelies who have La-La'ed the Jetta, screamed at the Big Fuck Me Trucks, witnessed the Homeland Security, beheld the Technicolour Dreamcoat Tori, and laughed with us at Titler. You all know who you are.
Sassy Music For Classy Bitches: The Nostalgic Roadtrip Edition of High Fidelity
1. Cruz - Christina Aguilera: In addition to getting Ashley hooked on the Stripped album during the 2003 roadtrip, it's also a fantastic song about picking up and leaving...
"Slowly drifting into a peaceful breeze
Tongue-tied and twisted are all my memories...
I'm leaving today
Living it, leaving it to change..."
2. Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson: Ashley and I like Kelly. Oh yes we do. And this song fits the theme!
"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky
And I make a wish, take a chance, make a change
and break away
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love..."
3. June Gloom - The Like: The Like opened for Tori in 2005, and I can't speak for Ashley, but I fell in love with this song immediately.
"Sunsets lost in
Skies of hazy greys
June gloom sets in
Puts me in a daze...
Winter's coming
Still we're soaked in sun..."
4. My My Metrocard - Le Tigre: Part of the invasion of Brad's iPod during the 2005 trip. It was a tough call... I mean La-La and Ultimate were classic moments in roadtrip history!
"
Off the pillow and into the air
I'm ready cause it's my day
Situation: it's all possible
Everything is going my way
My My Metrocard
My My Metrocard
My My Metrocard
Think I'll go a little but then I go far...."
5. Song For The Dumped - Ben Folds Five: Ashley and I sang this about Megan. A lot. We were even going to get Ben to play it on purpose at Orlando '03... But then, Ashley got her money back.
"Give my money back
Give me money back, you bitch
I want my money back
And don't forget to give me back my black t-shirt..."
6. Who Am I? - Lily Frost: One of my favourite films is Crazy/Beautiful, and towards the beginning, Kirsten Dunst hops into the car with her BFF and they cruise down the highway to this song...
"Today like any day
Rolled out of bed, talked on the telephone
Went to the doctor, she said 'you're okay'
Still I wonder, who am I?
Today, in the air, on the water
Ships pass you by..."
7. With Arms Outstretched - Rilo Kiley: Ashley got me into RK and Jenny Lewis, and this song was one of the first I loved, playing it as we drove down the highway.
"It's 16 miles to the promised land
And I'll promise you, I'm doing the best I can
Now don't fool yourself in thinking you're more than a man
'cause you'll probably end up dead
I visit these mountains with frequency
And I stand here with my arms up
Now some days, they last longer than others
But this day by the lake went too fast...."
8. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins: This one is sort of a classic 'driving' song, lyrically and sonically, but there's also the fact that in Grand Rapids '03, Ashley let me borrow her blanket/quilt made of old band t-shirts, one of them being a SP tee. And thus began the bond that makes us the Classy Bitches.
"Junebug skipping like a stone
Headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all
And I don't even care
To shake these zipper blues
And we don't know just where our bones will rest - to dust, I guess...."
9. Santa Fe - Rent cast: Another fantastic thing Ashley got me into... Rent!
"Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Sunny Santa Fe would be nice
We'll open up a restaurant in Sante Fe
And leave this to the roaches and mice..."
10. Get Out The Map (live) - Indigo Girls: If ever there was a roadtrip song... This one's a favourite of mine by the Indigo Girls. It's just fun and light...
" And me I'm still trying to live half a live on the road
Seems I'm heavier by the year and heavier by the load
Why do we hurtle
ourselves through every inch of time and space
I must say around some
corner I can sense a resting place
With every lesson learned a line
upon your beautiful face
We'll amuse ourselves one day with these
memories we'll trace
Get out the map get out the map and lay your
finger anywhere down
We'll leave the figuring to those we pass on our
way out of town
Don't drink the water there seems to be something
ailing everyone
I'm gonna clear my head
I'm gonna drink the sun..."
11. Another Girl's Paradise - Tori Amos: One of Ashley's favourites, and mine too. On the SW map, it cuts through Jacksonville, which makes it all the more perfect. Dear Tori: please play this on this tour, with us present. Thanks.
"When all said, said and done
Who can love you and still be standing?
There's Mary calling up a storm
How can I take from you and not keep taking?"
12. Florida - Patty Griffin: I think, of all the songs on this mix, that this one reminds me most of my roadtripping... Oh, and Ashley got me into Patty. I really ought to thank her for her musical influence. She and Mary have seriously made my collection wonderful.
"Couple of young girls went sailing down A1A
To the arms of Florida
Sailing down a highway
Singing their heads off
Protected by the holy ghost
Flying in from the ocean
Driving with their eyes closed..."
13. Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie: One of those 'summer was great and now it's ending' songs...
"I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and human hair
Then labour day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin..."
14. Used To Be Alright - I Mother Earth: This song was actually written about the experience of a band on the road and touring. It's the perfect roadtrip song!
"It's pretty good - the wine
The way that we look at ten to eight in the morning
Yeah just talking, still awake at dawn...
Then you long for the days
Trippin' down a long road
Just reading the signs that show you the way
To a higher place
You meditate to feel the quiet of the earth..."
15. Ray of Light - Madonna: A mix for Ashley without Madonna? As if! Plus, the road is like a home, and whenever we first pile into the car, this happy little "Yay! I'm back!" feeling washes over me...
"Faster than the speed of light, she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
She's got herself a little peace of heaven
Waiting for the time when earth shall be as one
And I feel like I just got home..."
16. Virus of the Mind - Heather Nova: This is a fun, playful song... but lyrically, it's all about 'screw what people think of your atypical lifestyle', which also suits us, because let's face it: some people think we're nucking futs for doing what we do.
"
It's in the deep of your soul, it's on the tip of your tongue
It's the feeling you get, when you feel young
It's in the sound of a beat, it's in the base of your spine
It's in your gut reaction, yeah every time
But they tell you what you should have, they tell you who you should be
It's in the pictures and ads and in the magazines
I'm kicking it off like a bug in the breeze..."
17. Waltz (Better Than Fine) - Fiona Apple: I was trying hard to find a happy Fiona song. Few options. But this one ties nicely to the theme of Virus of the Mind...
"
If you don't have a date
Celebrate
Go out and sit on the lawn
And do nothing
'Cause it's just what you must do
Nobody does it anymore
No I don't believe in the wasting of time
But I don't believe that I'm wasting mine..."
18. Nocturn - Kate Bush: Yes, another one Ashley got me into. This song makes me want to run away to the beach and ditch life and bills and responsibility.... Kinda like when I hit the road...
"
We tire of the city
We tire of it all
We long for just that something more
Could be in a dream
Our clothes are on the beach
These prints of our feet
Lead right up to the sea
No one, no one is here
No one, no one is here
We stand in the Atlantic
We become panoramic
The stars are caught in our hair
The stars are on our fingers
A veil of diamond dust
Just reach up and touch it..."
19. Sing - The Dresden Dolls: Really, these trips are all about the music in the end. It's what brought us together in the first place.
"Life is no cabaret
We're inviting you anyway..."
20. The Song of Purple Summer - Spring Awakening cast: Ashley and I are fangirls for SA. It's true! We're going to marry Gallagher and Groff! Even if they're gay!
"
And all shall fade
the flowers of spring
the world and all the sorrows
at the heart of everything
but still it stays
the butterfly sings
and opens purple summer
with a flutter of its wings...
And all shall know the wonder
of purple summer..."
Comment if you take, and enjoy! If you really, really, REALLY want me to up some of the files individually as opposed to the RAR, ask nicely and I'll do my best.
