Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already been 20 years since the release of Boys For Pele. This was quite a different record for Ms. Amos, a bit more loose and experimental than her previous efforts. But it ended up paying off quite well for her, becoming her highest charting record and her third platinum release in a row. To celebrate, we have a deluxe two-disc set, with the bonus disc comprising B-sides, outtakes, and live stuff from the era.

“Professional Widow” and “Caught A Lite Sneeze” were the two main singles from the record and are still the pair that everyone runs to and praises the most from the lot. They still sound the closest to her early sound. The opening track, “Beauty Queen/Horses,” is a strong start to the record, a really good track that still sounds great all these years later.

I was never the biggest Tori Amos fan, and after 2002’s “A Sorta Fairytale” I lost track of her and never really paid much attention from then on. This record was just okay to me at the time and it’s never really been one that I run back to frequently.

“Hey Jupiter” is one of the most interesting and best tracks on the disc and it is one that to this day still gets continued repeats. But the record as a whole doesn’t have a whole lot of gems like that or something like “Little Amsterdam,” which sounded like something from Under The Pink. There are plenty of tracks like “Mr. Zebra,” “Not The Red Baron,” and “Doughnut Song” that feel like a bunch of afterthoughts that were half-finished and never really go anywhere; they’re just there to pad out the record to an overly long length.

The bonus disc is a varied catacomb of different stuff from alternate versions of “Hey Jupiter,” dance remixes of “Professional Widow,” and varied live tracks from the era. This is definitely well suited for the diehard Amos fans, but most of it’s not for the everyday listener. Overall, this is a decent package and one that Amos’ fans will devour from beginning to end.

Rating: B-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated

Comments