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Album Details

• Artist: Tori Amos
• Album: Boys For Pele
• Label: Atlantic
• Year of Release: 1996
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2013-01-31

This album is yet another wonderful work from Tori Amos. Her style combines wonderful lyrics that are at times a bit on the gritty side, with music that calls to mind Kate Bush, without copying her. While I like each and every Tori Amos album a lot, this one ranks high with me because the opening track (really two songs “Beauty Queen” and “Horses”) is among my favorite songs from Amos.

That opening two-fer begins with a very sparse piano accompanying the otherwise lone vocals. This “Beauty Queen” segment is very unusual. As it moves into the other half of the piece, a beautifully classically tinged piano segment emerges. Overall, this is quite a lush, intricate and dramatic piece. The follow up tune, “Blood Roses” earns bonus points from me because it’s played on one of my favorite instruments, the harpsichord. “Hey Jupiter” is another highlight of the set. It’s pretty and dramatic.

“In the Springtime of His Voodoo” is bluesy cut that has a very nice walking bass line. You have to love the nod to the Eagles: "Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona/ And I’m quite sure I’m in the wrong song." At times the piece haas some definitely gritty lyrics, and it features a segment that almost feels like an acoustic version of Kiss` “Black Diamond.” The remaining pieces of the set cover a wide range of territory, from percussive arrangements to stripped back treatments. At times things even lean a little towards progressive rock (witness parts of “Professional Widow” that have some King Crimson-like tendencies). The set is trademark Tori Amos and a strong album at that.

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