Get Into Trouble With Tori Amos

Tori Amos is nobody's dummy. She tests your mind in a temptress probing fashion. You won't get away with Cliff's Notes when putting her under the microscope. From "God" to "Spark" to "Caught a Light Sneeze", Tori pulls you out of your comfort zone. To her credit you want to pay closer attention to lyrics. Right from the jump she'll uncork a lyric that gives you pause. In "God"'s case the opening statement is "God sometimes you just don't come through". Not exactly something many would turn and walk away from without some rigorous debate. "Spark" starts with "She's addicted to nicotine patches". Essentially Tori has introduced a curious character who demands further exploration. Bursting onto the scene from her "Unrepentant Geraldines" album is "Trouble's Lament". Dust off the hardback classic literature of yesteryear. Tori's spinning her extremely, dare we say excruciatingly complicated yarns again. Trouble grabs the attention in this theatrical opus. It definitely gets an in-depth back story. One learns early on that she's an orphan of sorts, that she's looking for a home. She had a falling out with Satan (who among us hasn't, right?). How thoughtful it is that it warns her when Danger's on the loose. Sally Field's Sybil would be right at home sipping tea and swapping stories with Tori's British proper gallery of demons. Tori channels her witchcraft from a special "on" inspiration that would have Salemites too intimidated to crucify her for any reason, however justified it may be. Tori's piano,like a witch's brew, stirs and stirs to an agreeable simmer. Not that she's going to have you resting on her creative laurels. The tempo pulls off a nifty change up which leaves pipe and slipper comfy behind, swapping in rugged hair on the chest machismo not out of place at a longstanding rodeo roundup. It's here where the session drummer grabs onto Tori's train of thought, succumbing to the brief ride he's peeking in on. Tori Amos doesn't have a resignation bone in her body. Who else would brashly accuse God of not doing his job properly. Come to think of it how is it that Tori remains in the land of the living after that sassy little exchange? It can't be because He's thinking to himself, "Maybe she has a point". So color me perplexed that Tori insists that her peer group cry no tears over Danger's dogged pursuit. He knows where to find her. She's prepared for whatever tricks it has up its sleeve. If Ke$ha is community college level female performance then Tori represents the suits at Harvard. She doesn't have to stoop to your level. It's you who must meet her mind on her terms. Her high notes sound possessed, not by the devil, but but devil may care submitting to the thrill of artistry. Tori hasn't lost much inner seductress during her twenty years and counting foray into the music business jungle. Yeah, she's not hard on the eyes. Don't ever let that keep you from allowing you to by distracted by the sexiness between her ears. She's carnal lusty orgasm for the Mind Floss magazine set. I take my figurative hat off to her. The trouble she's unleashed could potentially leave us whispering for days. Either she's fully involved or ensconced in some private bungalow reigniting the cosmic magic which makes her tick. The only identifiable trouble is ascertaining what Tori plans to do for an encore. That's also the implied subliminal thrill.