To Venus And Back Altoona PA

To Venus And Back

Tori Amos

Atlantic Records, 1999

REVIEW BY: Sean McCarthy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/04/1999

Ok, I know Tori Amos and Trent Reznor have had some friendlyexchanges, but the two releasing a double album in the same dayseems just a bit too contrived. I know it's not their fault andit's probably just an odd coincidence, but there's many-a-broke-asscollege students out there this week, including myself. First mycar battery dies, now $40 smackers for 2 friggin' CDs! Anyway, Idigress.

Like Nine Inch Nails, Amos can be guaranteed a gold albumprobably for the rest of her life. Count me among the geeks whohave scurried about the 'net and numerous record stores in searchof such rarities as her Forgotten Earthquakes b-sides release. And this album couldhave been comprised of outtakes from her performance on the "Regis& Kathie Lee" show and I would have shelled out the cash.

Before To Venus And Back was released, Amos said the album wasmeant to be a series of b-sides taken mainly from her recording of"from the choirgirl hotel" as well as a live CD. But Amos'sinspiration, "the fairies," blessed her with some songwriting chopsand before she knew it, an album was formed. Though she has saidthis is not the official follow-up to from the choirgirl hotel, she did admit that this collectionis more than an assortment of b-sides.

Unfortunately, when Amos said this, I began to give the firstside of her album a little more weight. And sadly, it is adisappointment. By fully implimenting her backup band andincorporating way too much electronica this time out, the firstside of To Venus And Back, lacks a certain warmness that hasdecorated all of Amos's albums.