Tori Amos - Tales of a Librarian (1 Viewer)

[John Berggren]

I've just picked up the new Tori Amos collection "Tales of a Librarian" and I couldn't be more excited. It's a retrospective of her work with Atlantic records (she's now under Epic/Sony).
Rather than a simple best of/greatest hits, she's chosen songs that she thinks defined her during that period of her career. She's also gone back to the original master recordings and reproduced every song. Her husband Mark Hawley and Marcel Van Limbeek have remixed and re-engineered every song on the record. So far, to great effect. These are meant to be as close to her original versions of the songs before label interference.
She's gone back and wholly re-recorded "Mary" and "Sweet Dreams". She's also included 2 new songs "Angels" and "Snow Cherries from France".
I am only 4 songs through the collection now, but so far the changes have only improved the original songs. I'd already streamed "Mary" when it debuted on the internet, but the sound quality diminished the full effect that's heard on CD.
I'm itching to get back to my car today to hear more.
Is anyone else picking this one up?

ALSO I'd heard that a set number would include a bonus DVD with soundcheck footage, but it seems that this is the only version that Best Buy is carrying. Excellent Deal for $12.

 

[Mark Hedges]

I saw the set w/ the DVD at Best Buy today ($15, I think). I wasn't planning on picking it up because I already have almost all of the songs on her other CDs. Do you think the remasters are that much improved over the originals?

 

[John Berggren]

It would benefit you to know that I'm an undying fan of Tori Amos. I have every CD and Single she's produced. If there is ever a new song available, I'll go out of my way to get it, and I've never been let down.

That said, I think so far what I've heard is worth it, but I haven't heard the full album. The new versions aren't all dramatic, some are subtle. The Cornflake Girl change is fairly dramatic.

I'll post back as I've heard more of the CD, but for $12, I can't help but recommend it.

 

[kamyiu]

she's released quite a few singles, that's impressive. i have all the singles up until venus, which kinda killed my enthusiasm for tori. scarlet's walk was a slight return to form, but didn't hook me in all the way.

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

A throughly enjoyable outing. Tori even knows how to make a "Best of..." album something interesting.

After one listen, I'd have to say "Winter" is my personal choice for most improved. With its full orchestration restored, its even more monumental and majestic than the original, if that's possible. "Sweet Dreams" sounds less whimsical and more serious, but that's perfectly understandable given the current situation.

"Snow Cherries from France" is my favorite of the two new songs.

 

[Joseph Young]

This is great news. I likely have everything on the CD (and then some) except for the new singles, but this is a no brainer. Thanks for the heads up.

~j

 

[DonRoeber]

I'm also a very big tori fan. I've got all of the CDs, nearly all of the singles, a few LPs, and a few bootlegs. I haven't picked up Tales of a Librarian yet; I've ordered it as christmas gift for my wife. I did however burn a CD with the same tracklist as Tales, and I'm impressed with how nicely it flows. Some of my favorites from Pele aren't there, but I can't imagine how they'd fit into a retrospective CD anyway. Looking forward to hearing the remastered versions of the songs.

Hey, does anyone know where I can get the muzak version of Cornflake Girl? I heard it once in a BurgerKing, and it still haunts me to this day. I need to force other people to listen to it

 

[Rob M.]

ALSO I'd heard that a set number would include a bonus DVD with soundcheck footage, but it seems that this is the only version that Best Buy is carrying. Excellent Deal for $12.

I picked up the CD/DVD set at Best Buy tonight, on sale for $11.99. Seemed to be the only version in stock.

 

[Robert Burkes]

I picked up the CD/DVD set at Best Buy tonight, on sale for $11.99. Seemed to be the only version in stock.

Me too. The DVD is short, but very cool. I wasn't anticipating enjoying the photo gallery as much as I did, but damn, she is such a beautiful woman. John, you should try to exchange yours for the one with the DVD... especially since you paid the same price we did. Later!

 

[John Berggren]

I may have been unclear, I've actually yet to see a version that does NOT include the DVD.

The DVD is very cool. I'm especially happy to have the 5.1 version of Putting the Damage On. I wonder if this is the same "reengineered" version available "exclusively" on I-tunes.

The photo gallery was awesome. They included almost all of my favorite photos, but didn't include my very favorite: Tori in blue lying on a rock. They included 2 other photos in that series, so you can probably guess which one I'm talking about.

Having listenned to the CD twice through, I'm finding that every song is a bit different save for Me & A Gun and Jackie's Strength.

My favorite changes are for Precious Things and Tear in Your Hand. Of course Sweet Dreams and Mary are incredible.

I really can't think of anyone who's a fan of Tori's Atlantic music who should NOT buy this release. She's really made something special rather than just a simple "best of" compilation.

 

[RobBenton]

They provide a surround mix on the dvd of 2 songs.. it is only Dolby digital but still sounds good and is a good (yet mild) surround mix. Why didnt they just do the whole thing as a dvd-a? This would be a perfect album for that and a great way to get some people interested in it.

 

[RolandDeschain]

This CD Rocks!

Outstanding! Right on the iPod!!

 

[Robert Cowan]

i think this cd is amazing. i liked the subtle remixes, especially on winter... on my speakers, its like the voice is right in front of your face, its incredible. a very good buy.

 

[TheLongshot]

Why didnt they just do the whole thing as a dvd-a?

Maybe that's a plan for the future, and the DVD is a toe dipped in.

Most of the new mixes are pretty subtle, except for "Cornflake Girl". Pretty good for the most part.

Interesting that she avoided putting the "hits" off of "Boys For Pele" and went instead for the lesser known songs. I wonder what the reason for that is?

Jason

 

[John Berggren]

Interesting that she avoided putting the "hits" off of "Boys For Pele" and went instead for the lesser known songs. I wonder what the reason for that is?

This album is fulfilling a contractual obligation for Atlantic to deliver a greatest hits/retrospective album. Rather than pursue her "greatest hits" and just make it a singles release, she's selected songs that she feels defined her through those albums, and continue to define her today.

Pele is the album that she says she's most removed from today. She made the album while she was hurting from the end of her relationship with Eric Rosse. She just doesn't feel that way anymore.

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

Jason

She also mentioned in a recent interview that Pele was an extreme time for her, and that her intention was to capture those extremes.

The dance remix of "Professional Widow" and "Way Down" are a good representation of just how extreme and diverse her music got in that period.

Very, very hard to pick the greatest album she ever did, but if forced to chose, I'd have to say Boys for Pele.

Listen to the whole thing from start to finish in a dark room with headphones on, and you'll be in a different state of mind when you press the stop button. Almost reminds of Dante's Inferno...a journey into darkness with a ray of uncertain hope at the end ("Twinkle").

 

[John Berggren]

Next up is the DVD portion.

Rumor has it that there will be a concert DVD upcoming. I know she recorded the final show of this last tour with that intention. She **has** recorded prior tours as well, intending to release a concert video/dvd, but they had not come to fruition.

I'm also waiting for Warner/Atlantic to get their act in gear and release the Videos collection. It's been "on hold" for several years, but presumably complete. I'd love to see it remixed in 5.1 with an amaray keep case for the trouble of waiting.

 

[Mark_TS]

"I may have been unclear, I've actually yet to see a version that does NOT include the DVD."
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In Europe they are releasing 2 versions: one with the DVD-the other not.
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I second the motion for TA: THE VIDEOS on DVD!
I have a worn out tape, and was eagerly waiting for the DVD of this.

WHAT IS THE STORY?
I was sure WEA would use LIBRARIAN as an excuse to release this.....

 

[Luis Esp]

It's interesting on how for the all the press she's doing for this cd she has yet to sing either of the two new songs.

On Sharon Osbourne the other day, she sang "Crucify", while on Leno she sang "Winter".

 

[John Berggren]

WHAT IS THE STORY?

The plan for The Complete Videos on DVD came about during the pre-release for Strange Little Girls. At this time, negotiations were going south fast for Warner/Atlantic to continue as her label.

As soon as news broke that Tori was moving to Epic, the DVD began to be delayed, and finally cancelled. I assume they didn't want to provide her any "Free" publicity.

I think it could make a nice bit of money, so I'm not sure why they don't release it anyway. I'd also like to have the post-Choirgirl videos on disc.

One thing I will say, is that the two video collections I have (Bjork and Erasure) along with the DVD for ToaL do not anamorphically encode their widescreen portions. This is very dissapointing. If a video is made in widescreen, it should be anamorphically encoded on disc.