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Tori Amos: Piece by Piece
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Tori Amos: Piece by Piece
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by Tori Amos and Ann Powers
Sales Rank: 48619
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List Price: $15.95
$10.85
At Amazon
on 12-29-2007.
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Features
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Broadway January 10, 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0767916778
ISBN-13: 978-0767916776
Product Dimensions:
8.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
After over a decade of making big-selling albums, but also being pigeonholed as an eccentric New Age princess, singer/songwriter Amos redefines her image in this appealing mishmash (coauthored with critic and Experience Music Project curator Powers) of her essays, quotes from her conversations with Powers and oral history observations from her band mates, husband, managers and friends. Readers may still find a few sprinklings of fairy dust in the proceedings, but Amos comes across as thoughtful, likable and witty, fully aware of her role as a female musician in the mainstream pop world yet determined to keep her work true to her spiritual and feminist perspectives. The book's structure lets Amos and Powers retain elements of a traditional biography--they candidly detail Amos's family history, her shaky entry into the music business, her relationships with formal religion and her multiple miscarriages before giving birth to her daughter--but it sidesteps a straightforward "this is my life" story line and lets Amos focus on how her experiences have shaped her songs. Powers and Amos also discuss practical issues about the music business and the roles female artists can take--or sometimes can't take--in controlling their public personae. With undoubted appeal to Amos's legion of fans, the book could offer additional interest to artists of all stripes, who may find reflections of their own experiences in hers. Illus. Agents, the Bridge Entertainment Group and Sarah Lazin. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Amos' music is the stuff of legend, literally: haunting music paired with lyrics that often mix mythology with the deeply personal. Her first book is a series of conversations between herself and journalist Ann Powers, with contributions from the people closest to her, such as her husband and the members of her band. The conversations run the gamut: Amos muses on everything from mythology and religion to songwriting to the hardships and joys of touring. But what really makes the book brilliant is Amos' interest in examining the roots of creativity and femininity. Her ruminations on creativity will resonate with any artist who has ever felt a kind of divine inspiration. Her observations about the challenge of the reconciling of the sexual and the sacred in women are equally astute. Amos also reveals a great deal about her personal history and family influences, from the maternal grandfather who shared rich Cherokee stories with her to the paternal grandmother who sought to control Amos' behavior through religion. Amos frankly discusses finding her own space and power in a world full of mixed messages and judgmental attitudes. Fans will also particularly enjoy the sections in which Amos analyzes the specific inspirations for several of her songs. Not just utterly engrossing, Amos' book is inspiring. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
This review is from: Tori Amos: Piece by Piece (Hardcover)
This book records an ongoing dialog between musician/songwriter Tori Amos (Little Earthquakes) and rockumentarian Ann Powers (Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America, Women Write About Rock, Pop and Rap. Through a variety of conversations, Amos discusses her music, her personal life and the direction of her career. With sensual and stunning lyrics, Amos is a presence to be reckoned with, a young woman on the cusp of a great musical career with seven successful albums already to her credit. It would be a mistake to misinterpret Tori's passion as an expression of sexuality: "for her it's claiming her sexuality and merging it with her spirituality." Every performance is transformative, an expression of the immediacy of her emotions linked to the keyboard beneath her dancing fingers. Piece by Piece is an intriguing concept. Using a multi-part format, the authors draw from a number of sources, a collage of thoughts, past history and musical perceptions that give some idea of how involved the artist is with her work, her family, friends and life as a musician and songwriter. Every aspect of Amos' like is examined, the personal as well as the professional, because Amos uses all of her experience to inform her music, the passionate expression of a young woman with much to offer. Amos imbues her work with the spirit of her soulful journey, cherishing her hard-one relationships with husband and child and the source of her creativity. Powers witnesses Amos' words, often expounding on the meanings in a broader context of artist in the world, adding another dimension to the musical achievement. Surprisingly complex, Piece by Piece brims with unexpected insights, musical interpretations and a view of the world through the eyes of an artist who is not intimidated by life. Archetypes loom large in the discussions between Amos and Powers, who frequently wax philosophical, drawing from the universality of human endeavors and the innate need for connections with the past. This is a woman who has chosen Mary Magdalene as her erotic muse. Looking to her own Indian American roots, Amos dips into the gospels and oral tradition for inspiration, a deep respect for the earth and a love of books, thanks to the profound influence of her mother. Myths and archetypes abound and women are central: the Native American Corn Maiden, Demeter and Persephone, Aphrodite and Venus, an appropriate counter-balance for Mary Magdalene. Amos views the challenge this way: "to be able to traverse pop culture's addictions to imaging, all the while infusing your pencil not with lead but with estrogen." Both conversational and thought-provoking, the dialog is enhanced by a series of photographs and "song canvases", each detailing the evolution of a particular song. Published to coincide with Amos' new album, The Beekeeper, Tori Amos, Piece by Piece is the perfect complement to a body of significant work from Amos. Whether read cover to cover or a few pages at a time, this inventive book speaks volumes on the nature of creativity and one woman's passion to speak her truth. Luan Gaines/ 2005.
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Tori Amos: Piece by Piece
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