The Garapata Keeps Moving Forward

Slowly things are getting better.  Navigating these waters is a tricky business.  Too much and you may find yourself confusing clouds for signal flares.  Too little and you may find yourself marooned in an island of self-pity and doubt.

Rocky celebrated his birthday quite recently, with a touch of geekiness, Pottermania, Foreign Adorkabletude and Japanumami.  Prince found himself in a situation where his life could have been in danger.  Thankfully, both events turned out okay.  And while there are occasional moments of confusion and uncertainty, there are things that shine bright and cannot be denied.

Tori Amos has released a new song too.
Called Flavor, the song seems to remind me of her musical approach during To Venus and Back.
http://soundcloud.com/transistor-six/toriamos-flavor/s-7KPzC
Admittedly, I am still kind of hoping she steps back towards the glory days of Under the Pink and Boys for Pele.  I doubt she will ever match up to her intensity in Little Earthquakes.
Sadly, Gold Dust (her upcoming album) doesn't have that many new songs.

1. FLAVOR
2. YES, ANASTASIA
3. JACKIE'S STRENGTH
4. CLOUD ON MY TONGUE
5. PRECIOUS THINGS
6. GOLD DUST
7. STAR OF WONDER
8. WINTER
9. FLYING DUTCHMAN
10. PROGRAMMABLE SODA
11. SNOW CHERRIES FROM FRANCE
12. MARIANNE
13. SILENT ALL THESE YEARS
14. GIRL DISAPPEARING

"Gold Dust is about celebrating over 20 years of all the conversations that have happened which inspired many of these songs and it's a collection of new recordings of where they are now and who they have become."

I love you Tori, but this feels sort of like a cop out to me.  The album has far too many old stuff in it.  And seems to once again be trying to keep things in a safe side.  Where's the daring and fearless approaches you've shown before?

Had a fantastic massage.  Needed that for quite some time.  And while the family business was juggling another mess, I found myself still happy to know things aren't as dark as they felt they were a month ago.  While I used to struggle to grasp the silver lining behind the clouds, this time, the rays of light were like a rainbow of promise.

While Coron and Boracay fell apart (along with around Php10,000 down the drain), and while my bank accounts are still reeling from nearly being reduced to barely a third of their savings, we've already prepped for, Rocky and I have made  reservations for a trip to Singapore.  We're keen on catching Jersey Boys and while it isn't til November, I feel pretty good about it.  In as much as November is still quite a while away, and Rocky and I aren't exactly back together, I don't feel that out-of-sorts about it.  I guess there's a bit more optimism now.

Life goes on.
I've walked 500 miles for sure.

And I'm going to walk 500 more.

Tori Amos reminds me of Sandman once again

When I first heard Tori Amos' first album, I was amused to hear a greeting for Neil Gaiman in it.

In her new album, she makes me remember Neil Gaiman again.  I'm starting to gain a better appreciation for Tori Amos' new album, Night of Hunters.  Especially now that I found online a list of what songs were used for each one.

I particularly found the song The Chase interesting because it reminds me of the battle Morpheus had against the demon to regain his items of power in Sandman issue #4.

"I am hope."

Here's the original piece that inspired the new Tori Amos song.  I do love also how Job's Coffin is an original inspired by a song she wrote based on a classical one.  Talk about inspiration drawing from inspiration!



And for those wondering about the rest, here's the full list.

Each song on Night of Hunters is based on a classical composition.
1. Shattering Sea
     Alkan, Prelude op. 31 no. 8, The Song of the Mad Woman on the Sea Shore
2. Snowblind
     Granados, Anoranza (from 6 Pieces on Spanish Folksongs)
3. Battle of Trees
     Satie, Gnossienne no. 1
4. Fearlessness
     Granados, Orientale (from 12 Spanish Dances)
5. Cactus Practice
     Chopin, Nocturne op. 9 no. 1
6. Star Whisperer
     Schubert, Andantino (from Sonata in A major D 959)
7. Job's Coffin
     inspired by Nautical Twilight8. Nautical Twilight
     Mendelssohn, Venetian Boat Song (from Songs without Words op. 30)
9. Your Ghost
     Schumann, Theme and Variations in E flat major WoO 24, "Ghost Variations"
10. Edge of the Moon
     Bach, Siciliano (from Flute Sonata BWV 1031)
11. The Chase
     Mussorgsky, The Old Castle (from Pictures at an Exhibition)
12. Night of Hunters
     Scarlatti, Sonata in F minor K. 466 + Salve Regina (Gregorian Chant)
13. Seven Sisters
     Bach, Prelude in C minor
14. Carry
     Debussy, The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (from Preludes I)

Happy Pride

Yellow bird flying
Get shot in the wing
Good year for hunters
And Christmas parties
And I hate
And I hate
And I hate
And I hate
Elevator music
The way we fight
The way I'm left here silent

Oh, these little earthquakes
Here we go again
Oh, these little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces

We danced in graveyards
With vampires till dawn
We laughed in the faces of kings
Never afraid to burn
And I hate
And I hate
And I hate
And I hate
Disintegration
Watching us wither
Black winged roses
That safely change their color

Oh, these little earthquakes
Here we go again
Oh, these little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
I can't reach you, I can't reach you
I can't reach you, I can't reach you
Can't reach you
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again

Oh, these little earthquakes
Here we go again
Oh, these little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces

Never was a Cornflake Girl?

Oh Tori... looks like you were.
:-P

Tori Amos is back with Night of Hunters

Tori Amos has resurfaced with a new album that combines beautiful classical tunes by Chopin and Bach and others with the emotionally vulnerable and visceral creativity of her musical touch.  Add to that mix the occasional participation of her 11-year old daughter, Natashya Lorien Hawley and her niece Kelsey Dobyns and you end up with an album that reminds one of her earlier albums and yet propels her forward in her creative path.

Night of Hunters, which comes out September 20, is an experience to listen to.  Away from her usual band, she works with the Apollon Musagete String Quartet and clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer to create a multi-faceted blend of songs that sound both familiar and new.   With titles such as Shattering Sea, Battle of Trees,  Edge of the Moon and Star Whisperer, among many others, Tori crafts an interesting interplay of old and new with each piece as strains of the familiar classical pieces flutter beside her strange and delirious lyric play.  Already I find myself having a few favorites, with Cactus Practice making me smile the way The Happy Phantom used to be my blanket against sad days and Job's Coffin making me seriously wonder if she is also preparing the two young girls for a serious future career in the music industry.  I find myself hearing strains of Emiliana Torrini and the delicate vulnerability of a budding Bjork in their voices.

Admittedly, however, I am not completely in love with the album.  In many ways I feel Tori was smart to dive back towards songs that displayed on the forefront her mastery of the keys, but in many ways as well this move feels possibly too late (?)  While her earlier albums had an honest confessional quality to them, Night of Hunters feels more like a creative thesis or an imagination-driven statement that wants to be noticed.   Still, I have faith in Tori.  While I may be long gone from the days of being a faithful Ears With Feet or Toriphile, I do still plan to treat this album like a bottle of long sought-out wine.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll learn to appreciate it with a few more gulps before I finish the bottle completely.

Listen to the WHOLE album legally by clicking here.