Tori Amos
Strange Little Girls

THE REVIEW

The year is 2001, one of the most important singer-songwriters of the '90s decides to release a cover album… Why?

Boh, we'll probably never know, in my view, after the emotional-intimate turbulences of the previous decade, Tori, newlywed and new mom, finds herself fulfilled and ideas are scarce. The following years, in a way, will give substance to this hypothesis not so much for the technical quality, which will remain indisputable, but in a certain sense for an inability to find a common thread between her ideas and genuine writing. We must admit, however, that albums like "Scarlet's Walk" and "The Beekeeper," if written by some trendy pianist now, would be hailed as masterpieces, but with people like Tori, we expect more…

However, in mid-2001, this "Strange Little Girls" is released: 12 tracks, 12 songs written by men, 12 themes dear to women. This is essentially the common thread that characterizes the work… A work that, to tell the truth, is difficult to classify as a Cover Album because Tori not only reproduces the songs but often takes them apart and then rearranges them according to purely subjective parameters, and this is the strength and also the weakness of this album: because as often happens, subjectivity brings both positive things and inevitable criticism, but as usual, the redhead goes straight along her path.

So, it happens to hear songs by Eminem or Slayer reinterpreted as poignant piano lullabies or others, as in the case of Depeche Mode, offered in their rawest form, but this is Tori… take it or leave it, a rather unusual operation often so minimal as to be oppressive and where the various fans of the mentioned artists might also be dissatisfied. A few years later, a similar work (speaking of deconstruction/reconstruction and not obviously of technique and use of instruments) will be proposed by A Perfect Circle in "Emotive," but that is another story…

Unfortunately, when discussing Covers, a track by track is inevitable. Be patient; I'll try to be brief:

New Age, Velvet Underground: one of the few quite faithful to the original, piano and minimal arrangement with Tori's voice excellently filling the voids.

97' Bonnie and Clyde, Eminem: Amos completely disrupts the rhythm and transforms a violent and misogynistic rap into an obsessive piano lullaby where her voice is only in the background. Eminem will not appreciate it.

Strange Little Girl, The Stranglers: a rock ballad transformed into a sweet piano pop song, one of the less somber of the album, very successful.

Enjoy the Silence, Depeche Mode: a symbol of '90s electronics presented in its piano framework, Tori swims here in her natural environment.

I'm not in Love, 10 cc.: similar discussion to the title track, but here there's an underlying bitterness in the decidedly spartan arrangement.

Rattlesnakes, Lloyd Cole: in my opinion, one of the most successful, with the piano prominent but the redhead does not give up on the underlying blues.

Time, Tom Waits: Tori performs an act of love here, I wouldn’t want to say anything, listen without prejudice.

Heart of Gold, Neil Young: the most faithful, but still offered in a more dramatic version.

I don't like Mondays, Boomtown Rats: Amos simply plays with the melody here and doesn't leave space for too many frills.

Happiness is a Warm Gun, The Beatles: Mentioning the fab four is always risky, but our gal isn't scared and completely deviates from the structure of the piece. Enriching the controversies are the voices of the two Bushes and those of the news of Lennon’s death in the central phase, none of which is coincidental.

Raining Blood, Slayer: Tori rewrites everything from scratch, and it was inevitable. Slayer thanked her personally by sending her a shirt of "God Hates us All"…

Real Men, Joe Jackson: both artists have the piano as their principal instrument, so the American singer-songwriter doesn’t change much, just a couple of verses. Jackson noticed and in a concert in Europe, he reproduced the piece as reinterpreted by Amos, wondering first if Tori had changed the words on purpose (rhetorical question?)

In conclusion, no conclusion and no rating for those who want to hear the definitive word.