The Tori Thread

[sound world]

Damn, no 'cello.
Couldn't resist that.
I will actually listen to the music sometime, too busy right now pretending to be a composer myself.

[blue]

Damn, no 'cello.
Couldn't resist that.

Right over my head mate, no idea what that means.

I think the whole album is up on youtube if you want to check it out sometime.

[blue]

Gah, just been catching up on the Tori news and it seems she's released an instrumental version of the album - but only to DIGITAL retailers! Aaargh!! I can't believe it, I've been hoping and hoping there would be an instrumental release and it's happened in a way that means I can't get hold of it, not having my own internet anymore. Goddammit Tori, just when I was starting to forgive you for all the nonsense of the last decade.

This really, really sucks. Musically NOH is one of the most beautiful things she's ever done, it was worth releasing the instrumental version in a CD as well, surely? Not everyone has the internet. *cries*

[RobB]

In the UK i think the figure is that 40% of adults don't use (or have access to) the internet so you are now alone. And even those who do, might not want to download material. I certainly don't on principle. If an artist won't release an album on cd (or vinyl) then i'll ignore it.

Hopefully Tori is testing the market for the instrumental album and will release a cd version in the new year.

[blue]

Is it as much as 40%? Wow, that really surprises me.

What's particularly annoying about this is that Tori has always been rather rather dismissive of the whole online/downloading music scene, even releasing her last few albums on vinyl because she prefers the sound. I suspect that this digital-only release is just a quick cash-in because so many on the fanboards have been clamouring for an instrumental version, due to the chamber arrangements/variations being so utterly yummy.

On the other hand though, if she'd planned all along for the instrumental release it would explain why she kept the melodies of the original pieces pretty much intact on the piano. Hmm.

Maybe a future re-packaging of the original album with the instrumental version as a 'bonus' CD? Lord, I do hope so. I absolutely adore the chamber arrangements in their own right.

[RobB]

40% sounds a lot but of course thats for adults. I guess if you factor in the kids as well the percentage would be lower as far more 0's to 18's are on the internet as opposed to the 60's to 78's age range group.

Funnily enough Ms Bush was bleating about the importance of albums and cds and overall quality as well recently although that didn't stop her from allowing fans to download 50 Words For Snow several days ahead of the 'physical' purchasing fans.

[paul-pgss]

I really want to buy the new collection Gold Dust. Tori re-recorded tracks from almost every album (To Venus and Back is missing though) live with the metropole orchestra. Since I started to like Night of Hunters recently this album might be the final one that brings me back into Tori

Having said that, you don't want to look at the Flavour video. Tori looks completely botoxed into some bloated grapefruit (the red unnatural wig doesn't help). I have always thought that Tori would embrace the process of getting older... but she's turning into a singing Joan Rivers. Ugh.

[RobB]

She doesn't look that bad although I'm not overkeen on her rather dramatic eye makeup in some of the scenes. That does make her look rather weird. I quite like the song / performance and may well investigate once the album becomes available in the bargain bins in six months time.

[blue]

I've totally missed out on the Gold Dust release era as I can't watch videos or hear sound files on my phone, but I've been following the reaction on the tori boards as best I can, and it seems to be very good indeed. Her fans are terribly hard on her, so a positive reaction bodes well. I got paid on Friday so I've ordered the album from amazon (how weird that you can buy stuff on your phone!) and am very much looking forward to hearing it.

I loved the orchestral arrangements in the live concert she did with the Metropole, so I'm expecting to enjoy this album.

[aermancer]

She doesn't look that bad although I'm not overkeen on her rather dramatic eye makeup in some of the scenes. That does make her look rather weird. I quite like the song / performance and may well investigate once the album becomes available in the bargain bins in six months time.

Aww Tori helped somebody stand up, bless her heart!!

The music's not bad anyway

[blue]

On the album front, I've been listening to it over the last few days and sadly, I think the underpowered and passionless vocals really mar what could have been a triumph. She recorded the vocals just after the concert two years ago, when she was just beginning to get over the awful vocal issues that had plagued her for about five years. It's obvious from the performances here that she was so focused on the pitch issue, getting the notes right, that she couldn't take risks or really put any emotional expression into her singing. Which is sad coming from one of the most vividly expressive singers of the rock era. The result is very clipped and tepid vocals that make her sound completely emotionally disconnected from some of her most powerful songs.

The orchestral arrangements are lovely, which makes it all even more of a pity. Her voice now is much stronger, as evidenced on the tour with the string quartet in support of Night of Hunters and all the radio performances she's given since then, so I wish she'd scrapped the original vocals and redone them. I can appreciate that would have added to the expense of the project, but it would have done justice to the orchestral arrangements and indeed to the songs.

[d.a.walker]

Oh dear

I wish I could say I liked Gold Dust, but I'm bitterly disappointed to be honest. If it were an instrumental album it would have been fantastic, but the vocals (and layered vocals also) are awful.

Precious Things should have definitely been left of this album as it highlights the lack of power in her voice markedly. And Flying Dutchman, possibly one of my all time favourite Tori songs should be best remembered in it's original form, not the lacklustre incarnate on Gold Dust.

After NIght of Hunters I really expected something special here, but it just feels so flat for what could have been an awesome opportunity. I'm still longing for a return to an album that is a 12 track genuine slice of Tori and not another "stage show". The whole image thing is getting very dull.

The Flavor video seems to be a showcase once again for Tori and her pretty shoes. And what they hell was the deal with the eye makeup????

[blue]

Oh dear

Precious Things should have definitely been left of this album as it highlights the lack of power in her voice markedly.

Yes, Precious Things was the killer disappointment for me on this record, because I was so looking forward to it after the live performance with the orchestra in Amsterdam. The arrangement is awesome. It's the timid and lackluster vocal that totally lets it down. When you think how visceral the original is, it's a crying shame.

That said, I've grown to like a couple of the tracks more with repeated listening - Jackie's Strength is lovely, and the vocal just sounds sadder and more weary than the original. She actually sounds kind of heartbroken on the line 'I got lost on my wedding day'. I like Star of Wonder as well, though not as much as the studio version on Midwinter Graces. And I found Winter strangely moving from the word go, on that she does sound like the same woman who sings the original, older and more fragile 20 years down the line. Love the great cymbal crashes in the orchestra as well.

Apparently she has told some fans that she's considering releasing live recordings from both the string quartet tour for NOH and the orchestral tour for Gold Dust, with the stronger vocal performances they will hopefully make up for the disappointment of the GD studio album.

[blue]

Poster for the forthcoming Tori musical, The Light Princess, has appeared in the last couple of days:

[blue]

I think this is the sort of feel she's been going for with some of her album artwork in recent years, only the people at the National Theatre obviously know what they're doing.

The actress who will play the lead, and who appears in this poster, is a blonde in real life so I'm assuming it's significant that she is now a redhead like Tori. Night of Hunters seemed to mark a return to the idea of Tori placing herself in the centre of her work again in a more personal way than she had done for several years, so it looks like The Light Princess could be continuing in that trend. If that is the case I'm more interested to see it, given the narrative premise of the story.