'To Venus and Back' Label: Atlantic Our opinion: ****1/2

Tori Amos

Yes, she claims to talk to faeries. And said that Vikings and prostitutes inhabit her mind, but these are just a few reasons why Tori Amos is so genuine. There is her music. When she began as a solo artist in 1991, Tori's Little Earthquakes screamed Kate Bush. A beautiful voice--infusing pop, sex, religion, and rage--accompanied with piano poundings rivaling Bela Bartok and Elton John. As her music progressed, Amos dabbled in other genres--dance, R&B, gospel--but with 1998's From the Choirgirl Hotel, her most accessible and probably best album, she helped define modern rock.

With her new double-disc, To Venus and Back, Tori gives us a delicious sampling of studio and live tracks. On the first disc, Venus Orbiting, there are eleven new songs. Some are beautiful the ballad "1000 Oceans" or haunting, "Bliss," an examination of father-daughter relationships. Others are fun, "Glory of the 80's," where Tori sings, "I'll clone myself like that blonde chick that sings Bette Davis Eyes," or down-right disturbing, "Juarez" recalls a slaughtering of young women in a Mexican desert ("Just 'cause the desert likes young girls flesh."). Several tracks refer to her more experimental, electronic-pumped music, think the sexually-girl-powered anthem "Raspberry Swirl" from Choirgirl. Don't worry, friends, Tori still kicks ass on the piano, like on "Datura," where keys splatter and tinkle beneath Amos' operatic pitches and spoken words. No song on Venus Orbiting is laden with ennui. In fact, Tori's breathy voice has never been stronger or sexier. But if you're expecting fey harpsichords and wheezing, abundant on 96's Boys for Pele, I'm not sorry to say their gone.

The second disc, Venus Still Orbiting, features live cuts. These thirteen songs are already available with Tori and her piano, so it's incredibly interesting to hear tracks like "Sugar" backed with a full band. Next to Ani Difranco, Amos gives one of the best lives shows around, which is why Venus Still Orbiting is so vital. Not only does it document Amos' unbelievable live performances, but also the dedication of her fans. Venus Still Orbiting digs onto the evolution of a diva, from piano-accompainment to experimental, full band sounds. Diving heavily into her first few discs, Amos delivers a gorgeous rendition of "Cooling," never before available on CD; a delicious ninety-second, name-dropping waltz, "Mr. Zebra;" a smooth, energetic version of "Cruel;" and an altered-state of "Cornflake Girl."

It's so difficult to describe the music of Tori Amos, it's not rock, it sure as hell isn't pop. To paraphrase Popeye, "It is what it is." I could make comparisons to Beth Orton, PJ Harvey, Rufus Wainwright, Bjork, or Radiohead, but the only attribute these artists share with Tori are innovative musical natures. Ultimately, Tori Amos is an original, a true goddess of music.

by Rob Peery