To Venus & Back

Tori Amos | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B00001IVJS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (437 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,209 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For many pop-music cynics, excess can be neatly summed up in three things: live albums, double-CD's, and Tori Amos records. Damned if To Venus and Back doesn't hit the trifecta. But perhaps Amos is just trying to prove what we've always suspected: that her muse possesses a sly, ironic wit and has been frantically trying to give us a wink while Tori whipped up her heady cocktail of quiet Sturm, desperate Drang, and angst in the panties. There's teasing moments on this double-dose of Tori's love affair with her own melodic and mystical dramaturgy to support that notion, even in the disc of powerful new studio recordings that inaugurates this set. Dubbing a song "Glory of the 80's" is burlesque enough, but yearning to have oneself cloned as Kim Carnes at its climax is simply inspired. Amos is to Kate Bush's distaff mysticism what Mark McGwire was to Roger Maris; she hasn't so much broken the mold as willfully hammered it into her own image. After Bush hit the snooze-bar on her career in the late `80s, Amos boldly stepped into the fray, building a body of work that demanded to be taken seriously, even while the thrift-store chic set were laughing up their tattered sleeves at her ambitious chutzpah. They're not laughing now; in fact, many may find Venus to be a deliciously guilty pleasure. Amos supporters have long maintained that the key to understanding her intrigue lies in her live performances. Disc two boldly states their case as Amos coos, whoops, and warbles through a hit-sprinkled set, her shrewd, sorely undervalued band hanging with every nuance and turn of phrase. Cynics are from Mars; Tori is from Venus--that's just the way her galaxy crumbles. Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Two CD set in a tri-fold gatefold sleeve. Scuffs on disc will not affect play. Sleeve has rubbing wear. SM.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's good and it's great. March 16, 2001

By Lord Chimp

Format:Audio CD

Tori Amos' studio work on this 2CD set is somewhat polarizing. With From The Choirgirl Hotel, Tori fleshed out her sound by adding denser arrangements with the rest of her band. To Venus And Back, she sticks with this formula but meets with less success. Some of the songs feel overproduced, which handicaps the level of intimacy usually associated with her music. With Choirgirl this worked, but here the results are iffy. Tori doesn't cut loose with her voice as much, there's way less piano balladry, and some of the songs are a little flat. However, the album does have its share of highlights. The ethereal, dreamy "Datura" is wonderfully enigmatic. It's to her credit that Tori somehow manages emotional expression with a fairly detached voice. Also, "Concertina," "1000 Oceans," "Bliss," and the provocative "Lust" are almost as good as anything she's ever put to record, I think. My problem is that sometimes she waxes the techno sound a bit too much.

The live album included is incredible. I've never seen her live, and I'll take for granted that this album is no replacement, but it's great for a live recording. It's full of revelatory moments as Tori radically rearranges many of her songs and boosts the energy level. For some reason, I've never liked a live album on my first listen, but this is my one exception. The haunting "Bells For Her" is entirely different on a piano that isn't all wacky. I don't know where "Cooling" comes from, but it's an incredible showcase of Tori at her best: an emotionally intense piano ballad with utterly beautiful vocals. The violent "The Waitress" is extended by six or seven minutes, and it totally rocks. Overall, the setlist (you can see it above) is basically perfect, and Tori's onstage charisma is remarkable.

With a 4 stars for the studio work, and 5 stars for the awesome live album, things average out to a 4.5. But since Tori rules the universe, I'll round up to a 5-star (although I usually round down).

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars WARNING -- Bogus Listing!!! Do NOT order from DVD LEGACY December 22, 2003

By Stephen V. Morros

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Just like the last person who placed a review here, I ordered the import version of "To Venus and Back" from DVD Legacy and received the domestic version. This listing is NOT what it claims to be. WARNING -- DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars We were also ripped off. March 1, 2004

By DRM

Format:Audio CD

Lorsay never got back to us after my partner and I ordered this item. It is the stock standard issue NOT the wood special edition. Tried contacting Amazon but they referred us to "DVD Legacy". Unfortunately with the to-ing and fro-ing we ran out of time for the Amazon 30 Day Guarantee.