[Cuccuccaltefe]

This was the first thing I heard/saw in its entirety from TBK era. Tori on Letterman, February 17, 2005. I taped it when it was on late night in the UK on ITV2! (The days before YouTube). I quite liked it! And I thought she looked nice. Although at some points, like at the 1:50 mark, it's as if her right eyebrow is screaming: "PLEASE! MUST. RAISE. HIGHER!"

[kristloken]

Also, when I stripped away the concept and ignored what Tori spouted in explanation, I could accept it more. I felt like Tori made up a bunch of bull-shit about the album so that 'Husband' wouldn't feel so bad, and that she's been doing that ever since, but when I listen to it as an album about a woman who found her lover cheating, the betrayal, the issues, the decisions and possibilities surrounding the situation, the attempt to heal and expand - I was able to accept the album much more.

Yes. The album is much stronger if you don't get wrapped up in the gardens/Tori's stuff in PBP/interviews. There's a lot of darkness and sadness underneath the sunny production, and also some pretty challenging ideas about religion to put out coming off of a major mainstream success like SW. I've always felt that Tori pushed the songs to be softer to capitalize on SW's success and talked about Mary Magdalene so much to capitalize on DaVinci Code and try to push her religious thoughts out there again, and it harmed the actual album/songs.

I do think this is a better record overall than ADP and AATS. The best tracks on here are far above what's on those albums, and while there's some crap on TBK, a lot of the songs have since been redeemed by better live versions (especially Jamaica Inn, Sleeps With Butterflies, and Cars and Guitars minus the chachas).

Also, I have always loved Goodbye Pisces, I think it's a great little pop song with some heart. I think more people would like it if it hadn't always been paired with China on the 2005 tour.

[KRbGA0Bg]

Re, Pisces: I can stand Cha-ch-ch-cha's and all, but the yai-daidai-daidai-dah's of pisces? Poop!

[kristloken]

^Here's a live version without the yai-daidai-daidai-dah's. It's surprisingly melancholy compared to the studio version, but that tends to hold true for most of the Beekeeper tracks.

[KRbGA0Bg]

Soooooooooo much better!
(I still hate the obvious metaphores in the lyrics though)

[DesautocaD]

This is Pisces from 09 Orlando with a beautiful intro improv




I think this song would also sound awesome live with the harpsichord. I think it would boost the energy up. To me Pisces is an angry song, not a slow thing that leads into China.

eta: I didn't see that headlikeahole posted the same thing in the improv thread. Great minds think alike.

[russianstallian]

I don't think TBK hangs together very well as an album--definitely the beginning of this era of too-long albums, though the sequencing is generally okay--but the biggest problem for me is the production. The songwriting is REALLY great in some parts, and there are some songs that they produced perfectly--the title track, Mary's--but then there are some that are just totally defanged by the boring "jam band" sound, like studio Parasol. Studio Parasol is...nice, I guess...but it's NOTHING compared to the solo performance.

[Vedun*]

I agree with Mr. Mark, The Beekeeper's production values are really lame but it has some a few good songs scattered on it songwriting wise.

In Boston, at the end of the last proper tour, she performed Jamaica Inn, a song that normally makes me reach for the skip button in a nanosecond, but the openness of her emotional intensity during that performance actually made me realize it's really quite lovely as a song. Is it Precious Things? No, but it's kinda lovely in a mellow, non-threatening sort of way.

I'd actually love her to do an unplugged album of some of the songs of the last ten years. I think we'd find that some of them are actually great songs drowning in overblown production.

However, some of those songs, (see: Sweet The Sting, Sleeps With Butterflies) would be lame even if she played them solo on a harpsichord! LOL

[anfuckinggs]

Oh The Beekeeper. I remember when it leaked, and I listened to it with candles lit with my best friend Kelly in my bedroom at my old place. We drank wine while listening to it. I remember us cringing during Sleeps with Butterflies. I remember getting teary-eyed during Mother Revolution's lyric -- "you could've had me right there beside you." I gave a copy of this album to my then new boyfriend, and so that whole time period I have tied to him through that album. My favorites were The Beekeeper, General Joy, Sweet the Sting, and Original Sinsuality. Since then I've really gotten attached to The Power of Orange Knickers and of course Garlands from the dvd portion of the album. When it has snowed, the few times, that it has here in Alabama, I will pop in the dvd, and watch Garlands.

[kristloken]

I don't think TBK hangs together very well as an album--definitely the beginning of this era of too-long albums, though the sequencing is generally okay--but the biggest problem for me is the production. The songwriting is REALLY great in some parts, and there are some songs that they produced perfectly--the title track, Mary's--but then there are some that are just totally defanged by the boring "jam band" sound, like studio Parasol. Studio Parasol is...nice, I guess...but it's NOTHING compared to the solo performance.

That performance is the best Parasol ever. It has so much more intensity than the studio version and it brings out all the hurt in the song.

In Boston, at the end of the last proper tour, she performed Jamaica Inn, a song that normally makes me reach for the skip button in a nanosecond, but the openness of her emotional intensity during that performance actually made me realize it's really quite lovely as a song. Is it Precious Things? No, but it's kinda lovely in a mellow, non-threatening sort of way.

Jamaica Inn was actually GREAT last tour. I never thought I'd like that song, but the new intro and it being solely on the piano instead of piano/organ held my interest musically and then the lyrics were able to click.

[russianstallian]

I know I said this on @, I'm sure of it, but I didn't like Jamaica Inn until I heard one of the Original Bootlegs versions of it, I think from one of the British shows? It's her solo on organ and piano, but the organ parts are gorgeous/creepy in the way that I thought the whole album was going to sound like. You know. Light filtering through broken stained glass windows, illuminating a dusty, abandoned church. THAT kind of organ. Not lite-funk.

[Ruiceara]

There's a really good 10 track album in there somewhere. However, my 10 track beekeeper includes Cars & Guitars and Ireland, so my opinion isn't really going to be relevant to some of you!

[CHEAPCIALISFORYOU]

There's a really good 10 track album in there somewhere. However, my 10 track beekeeper includes Cars & Guitars and Ireland, so my opinion isn't really going to be relevant to some of you!

I quite like Cars and Guitars! And Ireland isn't too bad.

[kristloken]

I know I said this on @, I'm sure of it, but I didn't like Jamaica Inn until I heard one of the Original Bootlegs versions of it, I think from one of the British shows? It's her solo on organ and piano, but the organ parts are gorgeous/creepy in the way that I thought the whole album was going to sound like. You know. Light filtering through broken stained glass windows, illuminating a dusty, abandoned church. THAT kind of organ. Not lite-funk.

See, I always found the organ parts on Jamaica Inn to be too high to be enjoyable, it irritated my ears. Jamaica Inn was one of the songs that got the worst of the 2005 "drawn-out nasal vocals over organ drone" treatment that made so many songs hard to listen to. I just re-listened to the London Original Bootleg after reading your post, and the piano-only parts are nice, but anytime she touches the organ I cringe.

I will admit I'm biased though, I'd rather Tori never touch the organ again.

[imporrilk]

And Ireland isn't too bad.

It was a lot better live. In fact, I'm gonna say it was actually pretty great live. Major improvement.

[imporrilk]

I will admit I'm biased though, I'd rather Tori never touch the organ again.

I don't want the Hammond B-3 or the Whirly to ever be near a Tori Amos studio (or stage) again.

[Cuccuccaltefe]

the organ parts are gorgeous/creepy in the way that I thought the whole album was going to sound like. You know. Light filtering through broken stained glass windows, illuminating a dusty, abandoned church. THAT kind of organ. Not lite-funk.

Yes - I heard organ and I thought, "Nico! Marble Index! Potentially amazing!" There's nothing creepy (in that way) at all about TBK. Not a bad thing necessarily but I would also love to hear Tori explore organ and harmonium on record in a more, I don't know, intense way maybe.

[VodsNittats]

I really enjoyed "The Beekeeper" on the organ during the '05 tour.

[CHEAPCIALISFORYOU]

I'd rather Tori never touch the organ again.

You mean Mark's? Me too.

Seriously, I love the Hammond. She really didn't utilize it on the record the way I wished she would, but some of songs on tour really had new life (a loooooong life) because of it. I kinda dig it.

[Dfvgthyju]

I don't want the Hammond B-3 or the Whirly to ever be near a Tori Amos studio (or stage) again.

TBH, she did some pretty great things with these.