As we discussed in the previous PGTW installment, Disc One of Ruby Trax was a rather inauspicious first step for such an ambitious project. They had their pick of the UK’s top acts, and they thought that letting the Fatima Mansions creep their way, both literally and figuratively, through Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” was not only a good idea, but worthy of the opening disc? Huh.
And in the interest of full disclosure, that would not be the last lapse in judgment they would have. In fact, Disc Two of Ruby Trax, while far more consistent than Disc One, opens with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine covering… “Another Brick in the Wall.” (Brought to you by Bad Idea Jeans.) On the surface, you might think that the boys behind “Sheriff Fatman” might be able to inject a little fun into Pink Floyd’s dark disco juggernaut, but no. Instead, they slow it down to a snail’s pace, and for no reason whatsoever, they shout “Motherfucker!” after the second chorus. Next.
The next two songs have been the subject of much discussion and debate, even between the bands themselves. Blur tackles “Maggie May” minus bassist Alex James (he was vehemently opposed to covering Rod the Mod and refused to play on the song), and how much you like this cover depends greatly on your reverence for the original. Personally, I like “Maggie May” but heard it more than enough growing up, so I’ll take Blur’s cover gladly, though it sounds like they recorded it in about 20 minutes. Then comes Tears for Fears’ note-for-note cover of David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes,” and once again I will admit my bias. One of my favorite Bowie songs being covered by one of my favorite singers, ever. I couldn’t care less that it’s identical to the original, since it’s a pretty hard song to “make your own,” as it were. Apparently Roland Orzabal had tried doing something left-field with it, but it wasn’t working, so they went the Gus Van Zant “Psycho” route instead. Orzabal acknowledged that the band more or less took the easy way out with the Bowie cover when compiling B-sides for the band’s Saturnine Martial & Lunatic album, but then said, “Still, it’s better than Blur’s version of ‘Maggie May.’ (Or is it?)” Yes, Roland, it’s better. But I like your version too, Damon. I’m such a kiss-ass. (more…)
It’s hard not to get paranoid when you’re an elected official.
First there was the August catnapping that turned out not to be a catnapping. (Cats who take naps don’t make me paranoid, hence the use of the compound word. Nevertheless, they’re always watching. Don’t forget that.) But then came September’s disastrous outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz and those particularly potent poppies planted purposely in front of the screen.
You could chalk that one up to garden-variety stupidity on my part since I’m the one who ordered the poppies, but let the records and tapes and whatnot show that I’ve never tried to hide that stupidity from my constituents, nor have I ever been smart enough to know where to hide it in the first place. But what if the poppies were switched out by one of my opponents in the upcoming mayoral race to make me look bad?
For this special edition of Bootleg City, I’m spotlighting the top 17 songs of the ’90s, a decade we can all officially start nostalgicizing on January 1, 2010. Until then we’re in limbo, if you’ll pardon the expression — the untimely deaths of Michael Jackson and JohnHughes in the past six weeks have put a damper on the last blast of ’80s nostalgia in this decade. But life goes on, of course, as does pop culture’s never-ending look backward.
I remember when the Dresden Dolls first came out. All my friends who knew my tastes told me I had to check them out, that I would love this duo. I’d ask what they were like and would get, “They’re a cross between goth and cabaret,” to which I’d reply, thanks but no thanks. It was totally a knee-jerk reaction but during this time, I was receiving a lot of promo material from a metal label that started focusing on the goths. After a month, I had a stack of CDs with black-lipped women moaning about the “exquisite death” and “sensual pain,” followed quickly by shrieks that could only be produced by someone giving birth to a schoolbus. Thank you and no, said I, to the Dresden Dolls.
Cut to three weeks ago. I’m in the local bookstore. It’s rather a liberal atmosphere there, meaning they’re not afraid to play CDs with the dirty words in them, so I’m listening as I rifle through the graphic novels section. It’s sounding pretty good, in fact. It’s piano rock, a super-sub-genre that’s been hurting lately. I was disappointed with the recent Regina Spektor and Tori Amos albums and the category as a whole often slides into Adult Contemporary blather about undying love or line after line of toothless affirmations. What was playing had, dare I say it, some edge left to it. I went to the counter and asked what it was.
“Oh, that’s Amanda Palmer. She’s from the Dresden Dolls.” Oops. “It’s been out for almost half a year now.” Double oops. (more…)
Last Friday, I saw my 25th Tori Amos show since 1996. Yes, I said 25th show. That may sound excessive, but believe me, that’s peanuts compared to the number of shows some of my friends and fellow Tori fans have seen.
I saw my first Tori show in August of 1996 in Dayton, Ohio during her extensive “Dew Drop Inn Tour” in support of the incredible Boys for Pelealbum. This was before I had any kind of regular Internet access, so the only way I knew about the show was hearing on the radio that tickets were on sale. I took a friend who wasn’t a big Tori fan and who spent a good chunk of the show out in the hall or in the bathroom, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show immensely. I was awestruck by her performance and immediately decided that the next time she toured, I was going to see as many shows as possible
During the “Plugged ‘98 Tour,” which supported her fourth album, From the Choirgirl Hotel, I saw four amazing shows. The show I saw in Dayton proved to be another significant one for me, as I met Tori for the first time at the before-show meet and greet (these meet and greets have been a staple on “Tori Tour” for many, many years). After that, she could’ve gotten on stage and played the theme song from Green Acres twenty times in a row and I would’ve still been over the moon. I had so much fun that day, spending most of it camped out in front of the venue waiting for Tori to arrive, meeting and hanging out with some fantastic people. In fact, meet and greets became an integral part of my tour experience over the years. And even though I haven’t done one since 2003, I am glad that they gave me the opportunity to meet some of my dearest friends, who I still talk to regularly and see at shows I attend. (more…)
Tori Amos is a powerful woman, and a very influential lady. She’s the reason many people love music; she’s the reason many people play music. Her ability to inspire and evoke emotion is unparalleled, and her unequivocal passion, honesty and commitment to her own muse have moved audiences the world over. On her tenth and latest studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, the minister’s daughter takes on the role of liberator by redefining sin. Exploring how we come to be controlled, she offers a new concept to the dialogue – erotic spirituality – and, through the women in her songs, reclaims power from the patriarchal belief systems that use their definition of sin to shame and control. The result is an album that’s as uncompromising as it is emotionally salient, purposeful and full of transformative power, much like the artist herself.
Drawing from the diverse sonic architecture she’s amassed over the course of her two-decade career, Amos brings out the full arsenal of instrumentation on Sin’s 17 tracks, and continues to push her own boundaries on the production and compositional fronts. The carefully crafted album features haunting piano balladry (“Curtain Call”), classic Tori waltzes (“Ophelia,” “Maybe California”), spacey synth baths (“Give”), proggy Zeppelin-esque riffs (“Strong Black Vine”), showtune flare (“That Guy,” “500 Miles”), and sometimes all of the above (seven-minute closer “Lady in Blue” and single “Welcome to England”).Neil [Gaiman] is still there when you need him – “Neil is thrilled he can claim he’s mammalian / ‘But the bad news,’ he said, ‘Girl, you’re a dandelion’” (“Not Dying Today”) – and another influential character, Doug Morris, Amos’ mentor at Atlantic Records whom she credits for breaking her into the mainstream, returns behind the scenes for the first time in 14 years via her new joint venture with Universal Republic.
The album hints back to the logic in art and packaging of Scarlet’s Walk(Epic, 2002) with its secret website and accompanying 16 “visualettes,” or silent movies. Directed by Christian Lamb, these visualettes are comprised of footage he shot during Amos’ American Doll Posse tour, along with live footage and new material, and were integral to the process of Sin.
Popdose caught up with Amos on the phone at her home in Cornwall, England as she prepared to take Sin on a three-month world tour, which kicked off in Seattle Friday, July 10. (more…)
I have been a Tori Amos for more than half of my life. I was 14 when I first saw the videos for “Silent All These Years” and “Crucify” from her 1992 debut album, Little Earthquakes, on MTV and I was intrigued. I kind of forgot about her until I came across her sophomore album, Under the Pink, at a mall record store in 1994. I bought it at the urging of a friend and the moment I heard the first note of that album’s first track, I officially became a fan.
Tori’s music came into my life at the perfect time — I was an angst-ridden 16-year-old with a bent for creative writing and a desire to find an outlet for my raging teenage emotions. Tori’s raw, confessional, lyrics struck a chord with me and I loved that her instrument of choice was the piano. I listened to Under the Pink over and over again for weeks and when I finally got around to purchasing Little Earthquakes, I did the same thing with it. I just couldn’t get enough.
After buying her third album, 1996’s Boys for Pele, and after seeing my first Tori concert that summer, I became a little obsessed — okay, a lot obsessed — with her and her music. A benign obsession, mind you; I’m no stalker. I started collecting any Tori-related items I could find, including singles, bootlegs, books, magazine articles; you name it, I had it or was trying to find it. I watched as many of her television appearances as I could and, because I had regular Internet access at the computer lab at my university, I slowly started becoming a part of the Tori Amos online community.
With every subsequent album release, my love of Tori’s music grew stronger. And with each tour she embarked upon, I saw more shows and attended as many pre-show “meet and greets,” a Tori tour tradition, as I was able. I first met her in 1998 and my 20-year-old self was over the moon. I constantly took flak from my friends and family about my Tori fandom, and my father was less than pleased with how much money I spent on buying her music and going to shows, but I didn’t care. In retrospect, I was a little ridiculous and it was pretty irresponsible to spend more money than I made on a musician. But I was young and when else can you do stupid things than when you’re young? (more…)
Yuletide greetings folks. Even in these tough economic times, the annual rite of holiday gift giving must be performed to appease the mighty snow demons. So here are a few ideas…
There are three absolute “Can’t Miss” gifts – Booze, Books, and Vinyl.
1. BOOZE
Who doesn’t love booze? A bottle of moderately priced wine or a good-sized bottle of hootch will light up the face of anyone weary of yet another Borders gift card. A good bottle of Italian wine, a rare spirit, or a limited seasonal release beer is always a winner. Best of all, they might even share some of their gift with you!
The makers of 1800 Tequila can produce a 750ml bottle of their fine nectar emblazoned with any custom artwork or photograph you wish. No copyrighted images, please, no matter how friggin’ sweet a big bottle of tequila would look with the cover of Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast on it. 1800 also makes a line of bottles featuring work by various artists from around the way (Josh Ellingson and Hannah Stouffer – OAKTOWNNNN!) and they’re absolutely gorgeous to look at. 1800 makes a damn fine tequila; now if only they could get name-checked in a rap song or two, they would be set. (more…)
Cheers to you, you scurvy knaves! That’s my belated St. Patty’s Day toast to you — and I’m well aware that saying “scurvy knaves” is more English than Irish, but maybe I’m ready for a bare-knuckle brawl. No, really.
Actually, I’m ready to mix some musical goodness for your ears!
“Beat It,” Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer
The fact that there’s seemingly a lack of humor in this version made me believe that Time magazine was right when they declared irony was dead. Then I saw a pic of John Mayer’s alter ego “Johnny Ballsac” in Rolling Stone and I realized Time was wrong. (more…)
As we discussed in the previous PGTW installment, Disc One of Ruby Trax was a rather inauspicious first step for such an ambitious project. They had their pick of the UK’s top acts, and they thought that letting the Fatima Mansions creep their way, both literally and figuratively, through Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” was not only a good idea, but worthy of the opening disc? Huh.![51vAbBb77TL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]](http://popdose.com/wp-content/uploads/51vAbBb77TL._SCLZZZZZZZ_1.jpg "51vAbBb77TL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]")
I remember when the Dresden Dolls first came out. All my friends who knew my tastes told me I had to check them out, that I would love this duo. I’d ask what they were like and would get, “They’re a cross between goth and cabaret,” to which I’d reply, thanks but no thanks. It was totally a knee-jerk reaction but during this time, I was receiving a lot of promo material from a metal label that started focusing on the goths. After a month, I had a stack of CDs with black-lipped women moaning about the “exquisite death” and “sensual pain,” followed quickly by shrieks that could only be produced by someone giving birth to a schoolbus. Thank you and no, said I, to the Dresden Dolls.
Tori Amos is a powerful woman, and a very influential lady. She’s the reason many people love music; she’s the reason many people play music. Her ability to inspire and evoke emotion is unparalleled, and her unequivocal passion, honesty and commitment to her own muse have moved audiences the world over. On her tenth and latest studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, the minister’s daughter takes on the role of liberator by redefining sin. Exploring how we come to be controlled, she offers a new concept to the dialogue – erotic spirituality – and, through the women in her songs, reclaims power from the patriarchal belief systems that use their definition of sin to shame and control. The result is an album that’s as uncompromising as it is emotionally salient, purposeful and full of transformative power, much like the artist herself.
