American Doll Posse - Tori Amos > Reviews > Tori's 9th Masterpiece

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Full of great new material
Disadvantages:	Far too long

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Tori Amos is ne of those women who has the power to influence anyone, as long as they give her their attention, which isn't difficult.
Once you hear her, you're hooked.

I've been a fan of this woman since I was very young, listening to classics like Cornflake Girl and Crucify blasting from my older sister's stereo, and longing to be able to play like her.

As I matured, as did Tori's music, and as soon as I was buying my own CDs, I was buying each new Tori album. Since 2000, the albums have been mediocre, with nothing as intense as previous work.

Until now.

American Doll Posse rocks.

Within this album, Tori explores 5 different parts of a woman. It's obvious which personalities and strengths come from which "doll" in the posse, who are explored in depth in the lyrics booklet.
I will now describe the album's highlights.

Thje album opens with Isobel, the political warrior, and the song Yo George. Basically a dig at George Bush, this intro track isn't ground breaking, you can't sing along, but it's basically an introduction to what is to come...

The first main track is Big Wheel, never going to be a Tori Amos classic, but amazing all the same. It is in this song that Tori makes it clear that she's a MILF. A mother, but also a feminist warrior. She wants to tell us all that women deserve respect and have the upper hand, and she makes it perfectly clear here. With a catchy hook and an essence of fun, you can definitely mix business with pleasure.

The next track introduces the wallflower, Clyde, and the beautiful Bouncing Off Clouds. With sound effects similar to her collab with dance producers BT in the 90s, Tori merges modern influences with her old fashion of singing from the heart. This song is beautiful and full of feeling, it makes you feel sorry for the character's predicament.

Next we are introduced Pip. This girl has attitude, and owns the track Teenage Hustling. The anger and power are obvious, it contrasts with the tracks either side perfectly. This is one song I wish I could hear live, I don't know why but I imagine it'd be groundbreaking. This track makes up for the power that her previous 2 albums lacked.

Digital Ghost takes us back to Tori, and I cannot describe how beautful this tarck is. Any Tori fans will be familiar with songs like 1000 Oceans and Gold Dust. This kicks the s**t out of them in the heart wrenching league. I haven't felt so touched by Tori in a long time, and the sadness does not take anything out of the power of the music.

I'll skip a few tracks til I reach Secret Spell, a song by the character Santa. Now Santa is a beauty model, and you'd expect her contribution to be shallow. But it so isn't. Secret Spell is happy, yet deep. Catchy, yet profound. This was a song I was lucky enough to see her perform live, and it cheered me up. It is a pick me up track, not really Tori's style, but you can tell she had input from another influence here.

Another Santa track further down to track 14 (Yes, 14! It gets longer...) is another fun track, Programmable Soda. Fun and quirky, this is the best short song since Mr Zebra. One of the best interludes on teh album.

Following this is Code Red, another song by Tori, which basically discusses "the biz" and how difficult it is sometimes to be a pop/rock star, which, let's face it, Tori definitely is. This could have done to be the last track on the album, as the album goes downhill from there.. at 23 tracks long, she could have done with halving it.

If you don't have the time, and want to listen to the album in a shorter sitting, I suggest these:

1. Big Wheel
2. Bouncing Off Clouds
3. Teenage Hustling
4. Digital Ghost
5. Mr. Bad Man
6. Secret Spell
7. Programmable Soda
8. Code Red
9. Roosterspur Bridge
10. Beauty Of Speed
11. Almost Rosey
12. Velvet Revolution

Of course, die hard fans will want it all, as I do, but I admit I skip most of the cd as I play.

Overall, a great album, not her best, but as it's her 9th studio album and she's STILL not run out of ideas, who can deprive her of praise?