sexta-feira, março 28, 2008

734. the cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?


This cd was a big deal back when it came out. To me they sounded like the Sundays so I never understood why people thought they were so original, if anything the title of the cd gives that away. Anyway, the disc is still a snapshot of a very specific time for me and the songs are as familiar as your grandparents house. The songs are neither great nor bad, they are what they are, 90's trying to be cooler than what they were.

6.9 out of 10

quinta-feira, março 27, 2008

733. Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself


Okay, so I had picked this up based on what I heard off of the single "Hide And Seek", which for me, for some reason, took me back to 87 - it sounded like a mix of Erasure, Tears for Fears and Kate Bush.(Which I included on one of mixes way back here). The rest of the album doesn't sound at all like the 1987 mix I had dreamt up, but it does sound like it's supposed to: a bit cheesey, poppy, dramatic and sort of gay. Which is fine - I also like the fact that the artist recorded the whole thing by herself in her apartment and shopped it around until it got picked up and that it reminds of Jen.

6.4 out of 10

732. Tori Amos - strange little girls


Tori had became the queen of covers - I would hunt down as many cover songs she had made as possible, whether in studio or live. So when this disc was announced it seemed like a perfect idea. I even liked the multiple versions of the cd covers with Tori taking on different personas, and how you could pick which one to buy (all four are shown but I chose the glammed out, getting ready to get coked out disco version). All this build up led me to a disappointing set. Sure it's not bad but the covers don't sound intimate, or as if she made them her own. Yeah they sound different from the originals, but it almost sounds like she remixed the original songs instead of reinterpreting them. A shame.

6.4 out of 10

sexta-feira, março 21, 2008

731. Tori Amos - glory of the 80's


I feel like I am talking shit about a really good old friend. So I'll be vague here: single is backed with "Famous Blue Raincoat (Live)" and "Twinkle (Live)" - both are hmm, decent, and important - to someone.

3 out of 10

730. Tori Amos - 1000 oceans


The single is baked with a live version of 'Baker Baker'. Both unmonumental.

3 out of 10

note: I just noticed that I wrote 'baked' instead of 'backed', but I am leaving it that way.

729. Tori Amos - To venus and back


It's weird, I could never get into this album and I really wanted to. At first it seemed like a perfect set - one cd of brand new material, and another of a live show. Imagine if every cd by an artist you loved was set up like that. But with the exception of a couple of tracks "Venus" really underwhelmed me. The new material seemed distant and trite, while the live recordings lacked the goose bump inducing moments her shows are know for.

4.4 out of 10

728. Tori Amos - Spark


The best song on the album, "Spark" is backed here by "Purple People (Christmas In Space)", with the great line, "Thunder wishes it could be the snow", an unnecessary cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and the crawling "Bachelorette".

6.2 out of 10

quinta-feira, março 20, 2008

727. Tori Amos - Jackie's Strength


Any track about Mrs. Kennedy will always have a degree of cheese in it, and this isn't an exception - yet Tori manages to infuse it with enough sincerity that it remains passable. The two exclusive b-sides, 'Never Seen Blue' and 'Beulah Land' aren't particularly memorable but are enjoyable.

5 out of 10

726. Tori Amos - From The Choir Girl Hotel


And it continues... with 'Choir Girl' Tori seems to take a step to the safer side of things. With each track as the album progresses, songs fall victim to what we'd expect from her. What was always intriguing about Tori was you never knew what you could get, with this album from the third track onwards it's a given.

6 out of 10

sexta-feira, março 14, 2008

725. Tori Amos - In The Springtime Of His Voodoo


Well this will be easy. The single is actually good, but the four remixes are pointless. I actually feel bad that this is going to have to sit in a land fill somewhere.

0.4 out of 10

724. Tori Amos - hey jupiter


This ep (not sure why it's considered an ep when really singles also contained as many tracks), is pretty depressing. No wonder I was so bummed out all the time back in the mid-nineties. There's a remix/different version of 'Hey Jupiter', the drowning 'Sugar', the heavy 'Honey', bitter 'Professional Widow' and unnecessary 'Somewhere over the rainbow' cover.

6.2 out of 10

quarta-feira, março 12, 2008

723. Tori Amos - talula


The three b-sides, 'Samura'i, 'Frog On My Toe' and 'London Girls' were all previously unavailable and somewhat worth the investment. But also included on this disc is the BT remix of 'Talula', which I think formally started the techno remix trend for Tori - and boy does it suck. It's crazy how a bad remix from that era can sound soooo dated.

5 out of 10

terça-feira, março 11, 2008

722. Tori Amos - boys for pele


I remember really looking forward to this record, especially after hearing the single "Caught a Lite Sneeze". When I first heard it the thing that stood out the most was her use of the harpsichord which seemed to find its way on to every song. At 18 tracks, along with the elaborate photo shoot and intriguing title, the album is highly conceptual and thematic. Unfortunately the songs don't always do a good job of supporting such a rich concept.

7.6 out of 10

sexta-feira, março 07, 2008

721. Tori Amos - god


Well I am sort of half way through the Tori lot so hang in there. God here is backed with three b-sides, "Home On the Range [Cherokee Version]", "All The Girls Hate Her (Piano Suite)" and "Over It (Piano Suite)". As you figured out the last two tracks are instrumentals which are a rarity to hear from Amos. They're good, but you do miss her voice.

6.9 out of 10

quarta-feira, março 05, 2008

720. Tori Amos - Past the Mission (disc 2)


This is the second CD of a two part single - I have no idea when I got it but I know I got it used because it's in rough shape. It contains three live tracks, all performed by Tori just with her piano. While the hushed quiet quality is cool, it can also at times be somewhat comical with its overt drama. Tracks are 'Winter', 'The Waitress' and 'Here, in my head'.

6.9 out of 10

terça-feira, março 04, 2008

719. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl


Why two "Cornflake Girl"s - who knows. As you guessed I had this one first. Contains three non-LP tracks. Two are standard Tori, while the third, "Honey" is the best of the bunch.

5.3 out of 10

718. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl


I picked up this 'limited edition' single at a thrift store for $1 for one reason: cover songs. Here's three of em': A Case of You, If 6 was 9 and Strange Fruit. For the serious collector/obsessed loser only.

6.7 out of 10

717. Tori Amos - under the pink


With this follow up Tori firmly established that she was not going to follow a formula or industry expectations - lyrically and musically the album is innovative, taboo embracing and genre bending. It is clearly one of her most solid releases.

8 out of 10