Pros: Good songs, ethereal vocals, amazing electronic and acoustic elements...
Cons: A few clunkers...
The Bottom Line: Tori Amos has always been known for her amazing vocals, songs, and piano. On From The Choirgirl Hotel she mixes it up with electronica. And it works...well...
lambchops's Full Review: From The Choirgirl Hotel by Tori Amos
Tori Amos has in the course of a decade made it known that she’s not a chick to be messed with. Her image is soft and ethereal, but her words and her voice are unbelievably rich and evocative (often bordering on angry). She is one of a few solo artists from the last decade who will be remembered fondly by generations to come.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Myra Ellen Amos (Tori’s real name) developed an affinity for folk music early in her life. She played piano and sang by the time she was four and soon thereafter she added songwriter to her list of skills. It seems that from birth, Ms. Amos was an artist waiting to happen. Years of performing and writing added many more hats to her wardrobe. As with many other would-be stars Tori moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to be a pop singer, and not long thereafter her dream came true.
Well. Almost. See, it didn’t take a long time for Amos to land a major label deal with Atlantic. She released her debut, a pop-metal fiasco by the name of Y Kant Tori Read in 1988. Little good can be said for the album, and it has been entirely wiped from most listings of her discography. The album flopped (for good reason), but luckily she did not lose her record deal. After experiencing a great deal more life, Amos returned to the studio a more emotional, true, brave, mature, and in the end brutally honest woman. She was no longer a hair sprayed and teased rock vixen. Amos morphed into a brilliantly understated yet incredibly powerful folk-rock-piano-ballad chanteuse.
Amos soon was awarded with the fame she so deserved and wished for. She didn’t rest on her laurels nor did she in the end sacrifice her honesty in an effort to sell records. The songs that Amos assembled were produced in a very light and airy manner, but the words she wrote and sang cut straight to the bone. It was absolutely clear from Amos’ official solo debut, 1992’s Little Earthquakes, that she wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Songs like Silent All These Years, Me and a Gun, and Crucify all proved that fact.
Soon returning to the studio, Amos again set out to make great music. She managed that fete with great finesse on her 1994 release Under The Pink. Once again a harrowing journey through Amos’ emotions, the songs it contains are in a word incredible. Consider for a moment that this album yielded classics including Past the Mission, Cornflake Girl, and God. Still plugging away, Amos made a concerted effort to change things up a little. Her first effort at this was with the frustrating Boys For Pele, which birthed Amos favorite Caught a Light Sneeze. But the album itself went rather unheralded.
It was with From The Choirgirl Hotel that Amos got back on track. The music industry in 1998 was in upheaval. There was no “favorite” kind of song, nor were boy bands or pretty girl pop at the top of the charts. Amos clearly set out to make an entirely new kind of album. She still sounded the same, and still played piano but she produced herself into a new role. That of an electronica rather than folk-rock-ballad chanteuse. Clearly, Amos had spent some time digesting contemporary electronica music and decided that the equation would too work for her. It did on the whole, though the end result was in some ways still a minor letdown from her previous efforts.
From The Choirgirl Hotel was in reality the fist album from Tori Amos that caught my attention. I knew of her, knew many of her song, but had yet to really come to enjoy her music. I could merely appreciate it. But the song Spark changed all that. It was with that particularly dark offering that Amos became a fixture in my musical collection. A strange place to start admittedly, but as good a place as any I suppose.
Containing twelve tracks, From The Choirgirl Hotel is different than much of the Amos discography. This is likely why it grabbed me so immediately. Amos (as producer) incorporates a variety of samples, strings, and drum machines. Whereas her previous effort of Boys For Pele did not seem a complete work, From The Choirgirl Hotel is clearly everything Amos had hoped it would be. Her lyrics are eerie, cryptic, and mysterious and in perfectly typical fashion it is hard to figure out exactly what she means. But it really isn’t that necessary to completely understand what Amos meant, her songs are evocative and inviting however you slice it.
Spark was the second single from the album (immediately proceeded by Jackie’s Strength). Even now I can remember the first time I saw the video. The song is simply mesmerizing. Amos’ voice is enchanting as it weaves an intricate, dark story that speaks of self discovery, the power of confidence, adventure, and pain (a usual topic). But it would be powerful regardless of message: Tori has never sounded better.
There are of course other high points to From The Choirgirl Hotel. Raspberry Swirl and Jackie’s Strength were both released as singles with the former being the tiniest bit better. Raspberry Swirl contains an assortment of refreshing drum machines and loops. Amos is transformed from a melodramatic piano princess to something of an electronica diva. With the blend of her old and new styles the song proves outstanding. Jackie’s Strength is nearly as good—but lacks the drive of the others already mentioned. It is in reality something of a throwback to her earlier efforts. But since those earlier sparse, acoustic efforts are incredible that’s by no means a knock; just a simple observation. I also must admit I greatly appreciate the lovely strings. They add a great deal of emotion to the already striking track.
But there is more than just three songs here worth mentioning. I also am particularly fond of the Amos’ love songs. Specifically Cruel, Cocaine, Playboy Mommy, and Northern Lad are great examples of lovely music. But not everything about From The Choirgirl Hotel is peaches a cream. See, I love Tori Amos. I believe her to be one of the strangest yet most talented singer-songwriters out there today. Her music will certainly be relished for years to come. But with that said, both Pandora’s Aquarium and Liquid Diamonds are duds. Not bad songs really, but they just don’t possess the same amount of fervor or drive as the other truly special and unique offerings.
From The Choirgirl Hotel is a lovely, enriching, delightful album. It is still dark and emotional, but rather than relying on the sparse acoustic guitar arrangements of her formerly successful albums Amos turns to electronica to bolster her sound. And it works quite well. Well enough, in fact, that I can do nothing but recommend it though warn it is by no means a perfect effort.
Since the release of From The Choirgirl Hotel, Amos has released three separate albums. To Venus and Back (1999) was a collection of rarities, live, and new cuts. Strange Little Girls (2001) consisted entirely of covers and is a personal favorite although was panned pretty widely by critics. Finally in 2002 Amos gave the world Scarlet’s Walk, an album of new material.
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