Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
|
List Price: Our Price: $12.99 You Save: $0.99 (7%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Little Earthquakes
Free Music Review: Great Debut
Hit: 5 Stars
As you know, Little Earthquakes was Tori Amos' debut and sold consistently in the US (#54), UK (#14), and Australia (#14). Unlike may others, I do not think that this is Tori's best, but far from her worst.
This album begins with the albums most successful single "Crucify". This is a very raw and honest song where Tori sings about freeing herself from chains, crucifying her self - the actual song has a lot to do with personal demons, although it did get to #15 in the UK. "Girl" follows. It is one of my favourites and would have made a great single. I am guessing this song is about independance, and is a bit autobiographical. "Silent All These Years" is Tori's first ever single. It peaked at #26 in the UK (1992 r/r) and #65 in the US (97 re-release). "Precious Things" is the albums masterwork. There are so many themes and complexities in the lyrics, and they really do get interpreted in many different ways. As you may have noticed, tracks 1-3 have brilliant climaxes in the third verse and in this soing there is no exception. The entire song is 'angry', and alternates between the relatively thin texture of the verses, to the loud and thick texture of the chrouses. This is my favourite song from this album.
"Winter" follows and is my second favourite. This was the only hit for Tori in Australia, except for Cornflake Girl and Professional Widow, peaking at #49. It got to #25 in the UK also. In my opinion, this is the best Tori ballad ever. It is very haunting but also beatiful and really sounds like "Winter". "Happy Phantom" is a fun song with early Kate Bush influences. A nice contrast from thr first five tracks. "China" follows and to be honest, I don't really like this song. It was a poor dicision to release this song as a single (#51, UK), and apart from the climax, it is just not very interseting. "Leather" is a great song and another of my favourites and it is about sex.
"Mother" is another great ballad, and my second favourite Tori ballad ever. It grew on me, because it only has two layers: piano and vocal, so I found it just a bit boring at first, but I love it now. (The intro is fantastic by the way). "Tear In Your Hand" is an okay song which sounds very American, which is followed by the epic, acapella "Me And A Gun". The title track closes the album beatifully, and the repeated line "Give me life / Give me pain / Give me my-self again" ends the album with you in awe.
9.5 / 10
You are probably thinking that this album deserves a 10, but for me, the album has to be absolutely fatastic to get a 10.
I love the electronica Tori, so Choirgirl is my favourite album of hers followed by Pele and the very underrated Venus (studio disk).
Free Music Review: Raw and yet so very beautiful
Hit: 5 Stars
Simply put, Tori Amos is a genius. This is possibly one of the greatest CD's I currently own. There was a period where Little Earthquakes was all I would listen to. It's such a great introduction to the wonder that is Tori Amos. After listening to it, I was pushed to buy all her other albums, which I'm glad I did because she's awesome! The album opens with "Crucify", and right away you're taken away. Little Earthquakes is so confessional and spooky at times, especially tracks like "Precious Things" and "Me and a Gun" where she sings about being raped. She has an amazing voice and her style of songwriting is so unique and strange you can't help loving her. My favourite song on this album is "Mother". When I saw Tori Amos live in concert, she played this song and it was the most beautiful thing. Another very pretty song is "Winter", a song that tells about a father and a daughter. Tori Amos never shies away from her twisted sense of humour either, and she shows it in "Happy Phantom". I really liked the song "Little Earthquakes" as well. All in all, this is a CD everyone should at least hear if not buy and treasure for years and years.Free Music Review: From The Ashes Of "Y Kant Tori Read"
Hit: 5 Stars
It would be hard for Tori to comeback from the flop that "Y Kant Tori Read" was, it was universally panned and sales were just as lackluster. So many were surprised when she released this phenomenal classic, that garnered wide acclaim and good sales. Over the last decade or so this has grown to become a cult classic that many people have used a launch pad for immersing themselves in Tori's music. For me, "Little Earthquakes" is probably tied with "From The Choirgirl Hotel" as her best album that I own. But, comparisons aside this is a wonderful album, the songs are perfect yet delicate and a raw emotional journey of a person. The songs are at times challenging to listen to "Me And A Gun" but retain their raw beauty. As you probably read already this is an extremely piano driven album, and this style became her trademark.
Okay down to business, the opener "Crucify" is easily one of the best songs on the album and is one of Tori's most-loved songs. The song is superbly written with lovely lyrics, this is my favourite Tori song so naturally I'm loving this album already. "Girl" tells the tale of someone trying to be what everyone else wants them to be without being themselves. The sampled strings are superb and I love the message being conveyed.
"Silent All These Years" became Tori's first radio-hit and a fan-favourite. The songs seemed to drag upon first listen but eventually gained my love and respect. Again nice orchestration that blends with the piano well. "Precious Things" is another Tori Amos standard that has a nice overall feel to it, nice variation.
"Winter" is a lovely song that sounds like it could have come off "Under The Pink" I like the 'winter' theme of the song. Tori's voice is as powerful and alluring as ever here.
"Happy Phantom" is the first jazz-like song on the album, I like the up-beat feel and how she just 'lets go'.
"China" starts off the second-half off the album and has some nice basic percussion playing quietly in the background, overall a superb song that doesn't break the mould of the album.
"Leather" makes nice use of the sampled strings, the way they give the song it's variation is great. I like the syncopation.
"Mother" has a lovely piano vibe to it and has the usual abstract lyrics we have come to love from Tori. The chorus is nice too. "Tear In Your Hand" is a beautiful song with a nice selection of instruments. I like the whole sound of the song.
It seems more guitar orientated than the rest of the album.
"Me And A Gun" is sung completely in a capella and is based on her sexual assault wwhen she was 21, it's a challenging listen yet lovely all the same. "Little Earthquakes" is the longest track on the album and has a more electric atmosphere to it, it may be long but that gives you more time to appreciate this piece of bliss.
Overall, this album is great, the raw emotion is unbelievable and it isn't hard to see why so many people have embraced this album and furthered their obssession with Tori's music, she is a special artist, she can convey simple emotions in a complex way through her songs. So go buy this album, I urge you.
Free Music Review: kATE BUSH? MADONNA?
Hit: 2 Stars
I purchased this CD based on the reviews and a friend's recommendation. I found it OK after few listens. My problem with it is that eventhough it was different, it was also uninspiring. I did not know whether I was listening to Kate Bush or Madonna. The lyrics did not move and the music would build up but lead nowhere. As a whole, it was original but lyrically weak and gave me the feeling that the artist is trying too hard to be different and sophisticated.
Free Music Review: An Auditory Trainwreck.
Hit: 4 Stars
This LP is difficult to listen to. For anyone who's dealt with demons, this is the casting out. Listen and be haunted. You may have pain while doing so, but you'll be smiling after and a better person for it.
(-: