Brilliant (Under The Pink - Tori Amos)

Member Name: tvaddict

Product:	Under The Pink - Tori Amos
Date:	26/01/03 (161 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pretty much everything

Disadvantages: The lyrics can be very cryptic

'Under The Pink' is Tori Amos' sophomore release. Although its predecessor, 'Little Earthquakes' strikes more of an emotional chord with me personally, 'Under The Pink' is equally brilliant. On this album, Tori experiments with different sounds, which add a new element to her songs. Her lyrics are also drastically more cryptic on this album. While this fact could hinder song people's appreciation of the songs, I don't feel it detracts from them. Even though not all the lyrics may make perfect sense to the listeners, the underlying emotion always remains firmly intact. This was my first taste of Tori's music, and since hearing some of her other work, my appreciation for this material has risen greatly.

It all starts off with 'PRETTY GOOD YEAR,' which seems to be about life experiences. Many of Tori's songs almost seem to include two separate parts, and this song perfectly demonstrates that fact. The first two thirds or so of the song basically feature just Tori and her piano, until the music changes and Tori suddenly breaks out into "Well, what's it gonna take, till my baby's alright." The last bit of the songs returns to its previous state.

'GOD' is one of Tori's most recognizable and catchy songs. In it, she expresses her frustration with religion, and sings "God sometimes you just don't come through, do you need a woman to look after you." Fantastic.

'BELLS FOR HER' is deliciously atmospheric. It's also the only song on the album that was recorded using an old upright piano, instead of Tori's usual Bosendorfer. The lyrics paint an intriguing story concerning friendship

'PAST THE MISSION' is a favourite of mine. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails appears on this track, and his voice blends perfectly with Tori's. Unfortunately, I honestly have no idea what it is about.

'BAKER BAKER' is a simple,
metaphorically rich song about lost love. While the lyrics could be construed as silly, Tori adds a sort of depth to them that I don't believe anyone else could.

'THE WRONG BAND' is a fun little tune, but it remains one of my least favourites on 'Under The Pink.'

I'm really not very fond of 'THE WAITRESS.' The lyrics, such as 'But I believe in peace bitch, I believe in peace" just don't appeal to me.

I've never gotten sick of 'CORNFLAKE GIRL,' even though I've heard it a ridiculous amount of times. In fact, I think I like it more now than I did initially. It always makes me want to tap my toes. Although I only fully understand the first line; "Never was a Cornflake Girl, thought it was a good solution hangin' with the Raisin Girls," it's a wonderful song. (Really, does anyone honestly know what "Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl." Means?)

The piano intro leading up to 'ICICLE' is exquisite. It's simply a gorgeous song. It also contains themes of masturbation and religion. Not too many people would dare to combine those two topics in a song.

'CLOUD ON MY TONGUE' is similar in feel to 'ICICLE.' They differ in theme, though. I believe this is a love song, but I could be wrong.

'SPACE DOG' is probably the most ambitious song on the album. It combines several sounds, and again, it often feels like more than one song put together. I love it, but again, I have no idea what it means.

'YES ANASTASIA' is an epic of a song; clocking in at nearly ten minutes. I believe it is inspired by Anastasia Romanov. At first, I could never make it through the entire song, but I've come to like it; particularly the last half.

In my opinion, 'Under The Pink' is one of Tori Amos' best works. With the exception of 'The Waitress,' I love every song. I highly
recommend it.

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