The Beekeeper
Tori Amos
Damien Rice
Engineer: Marcel Van Limbeek, Mark Hawley,
Producer: Tori Amos
Epic (USA), 2005
1 CD
Catalogue #: 92800
EAN: 0827969280027
UPC: 827969280027
You save: 20%
Personnel: Tori Amos (vocals, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards); Damien Rice (vocals); Mac Aladdin (guitar); Jon Evans (bass instrument); Matt Chamberlain (drums); London Community Gospel Choir, Kelsey Dobyns (background vocals).
Recording information: Martin Engineering, Cornwall, England.
Like Tori Amos's previous studio album, SCARLET'S WALK, THE BEEKEEPER is a largely stripped-down affair that places emphasis on the singer's heavily conceptual lyrics and supple voice. The basic backing band from the former disc returns, and the musicians' ease with Amos's music gives the record a relaxed, natural feel.
Throughout, the music is melodic, inviting, and sometimes even danceable. "Sweet the Sting" mixes church organ with an old-school soul beat and Latin percussion, resulting in a track that has less in common with Amos's usual overt sexuality and more with Barry White-style make-out music. "Sleeps with Butterflies" is a gently jazzy soft-rocker, while "Jamaica Inn" recalls the deceptively dark folkiness of Nick Drake. Lyrically, the album draws heavily from ancient religious texts, with an emphasis on women's role in Christianity a la THE DA VINCI CODE. One of Amos's most reflective albums, THE BEEKEEPER is also one of her most intensely thought-provoking outings.
Tracklist
Tori Amos
Rising from the ashes of the amusingly named rock band Y Kant Tori Read, Tori Amos debuted with LITTLE EARTHQUAKES in 1992, a stunning set of brutally honest and emotionally wrought songs that recalled Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush without being slavishly indebted to them. Since then, when not dispensing revelatory cover versions of songs by Nirvana or the Rolling Stones, Amos has mostly concentrated on intimate stories of her religious upbringing, childhood traumas, sex, self-discovery and various unhappy relationships. A skilled and imaginative pianist and a versatile vocalist, Amos makes music that's often inspiring but rarely comfortable.
Damien Rice
Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice started out in 1997 in a band called Juniper, which was signed to a major deal but fell apart before it could make a full album. Shortly after that, Rice hit the road as a solo artist. His first album, 2003's O, introduced the world to a hushed, gentle voice conveying melodic, emotive songs centered around simple acoustic arrangements. The record became a hit both in Europe and in the U.S., traditionally a tough market for new U.K. artists to crack.
