Song Premiere: Tori Amos' 'Big Wheel'
- Posted on Mar 27th 2007 10:00AM by Jessica Robertson
- Comments (27)
When you're a 43-year-old mother who grinds her way along the piano bench the way Tori Amos does, you've won the right to call yourself a MILF. But we don't need to tell her that. Amos owns and flaunts such a label on 'Big Wheel,' the first single from her forthcoming ninth studio album, 'American Doll Posse,' reminding us not to forget. As if we could.
"'Big' -- one of my favorite words, along with 'little,' " Amos tells Spinner of the adventurous and feisty new tune.
"Now, if I'm a guy, I'm probably going to prefer the word 'big' when associated with my abilities. As a woman, I don't mind at all if the whole world thinks that I have a big aspiration to straddle that piano stool every night for over 100 shows by Christmas. I don't mind that at all."
Quite frankly, we encourage it.
Reader Comments(1 of 2)
annaat 3-27-2007
haha! The song is excellent, I am so thrilled. M-I-L-F..what a badass mama. I hate when musicians growup/getmarried/havekids/getsoft. Frankly, I was a little worried that was happening to Tori. Obviously, this song gives me hope (:
Thanks for giving us the best Tori coverage!
Brentat 3-29-2007
You should never worry about Tori. She's very comfortable with her work and obviously puts a lot of effort into her productions.
Siat 3-30-2007
Tori's new stuff is great! Really want to see her live again, hope she's got some UK dates to promote the new album. Definitely one of the sexiest women in music!
Bryan Huntierat 3-31-2007
Ahh yes!! Momma T's back!! Alright girls, Dust off your Best Manolo's and lets do this again!! I cant wait for a tour!
BubbyHeadat 4-03-2007
I love Tori's music. I've been a fan since L.E. "Big Wheel" sucks. Is this Carrie fuckin' Underwood or Tori Amos? Sounds like she was desperate for a new sound and rushed and threw together this honky tonk shit. Some Tori fans make me sick. She could make a song of herself retching in a toilet accompanied by C chords all throughout the song, and they'd still go on like it's a fuckin' Beethoven masterpiece. She doesn't always hit. I think this one is a big miss. Not quite worse than "Ireland" yet. Bring back "Pele" Tori. Bring back "Choirgirl" Tori. Any Tori, but "coffeehouse/Lite Rock/ over the hill" Tori.
Male Goddessat 4-03-2007
I have loved Tori for years,but her new music is lame.I think these last seven years of Bush,has done even more harm to people's minds than I originally thought!!!!!
enyaleat 4-03-2007
I've listened to big wheel once and I'll admit, it didn't hook me on the first listen. But to compare tore to Carrie Underwood is ridiculous. I think we can recognize that there is a country flare without comparing her to someone that was made famous by reality TV. Regardless of the lack of hook, I think it's good. The reason Tori fans would appreciate the sound of her retching in a toilet is that we hear the talent in everything, not just the sounds that appeal to our ear's current taste. We hear her life, her influences and her objective. You hear the sound of what you didn't expect. There is NO question she is talent, that she's brilliant and that ALL her music is good...regardless of whether or not we like it. Tori is the artist that forces you to expand your palette, so gain the "acquired taste", to try the foie gras...and you do it all because you trust the chef.
elayneat 4-05-2007
I've listened to big wheel once and I'll admit, it didn't hook me on the first listen. But to compare tore to Carrie Underwood is ridiculous. I think we can recognize that there is a country flare without comparing her to someone that was made famous by reality TV. Regardless of the lack of hook, I think it's good. The reason Tori fans would appreciate the sound of her retching in a toilet is that we hear the talent in everything, not just the sounds that appeal to our ear's current taste. We hear her life, her influences and her objective. You hear the sound of what you didn't expect. There is NO question she is talent, that she's brilliant and that ALL her music is good...regardless of whether or not we like it. Tori is the artist that forces you to expand your palette, so gain the "acquired taste", to try the foie gras...and you do it all because you trust the chef. Oh, and if there were a political influence, it was Tony Blair since she lives in the United Kingdom, not the United States.
BubbyHeadat 4-05-2007
Another brainwashed fan with no true opinion who likes EVERY song just so it doesn't make them appear to be less of a fan. Anything to be viewed as Tori's "#1". :bore: :yawn: :snooze: :DEAD:
P.S
Some artists use the political bullshit that's going on in the world as an excuse for song material. What's going on with Bush/Blair is obvious, but when has there ever been a time when there wasn't any fucked up shit happening in the world. To all of a sudden turn the table and focus on political issues when Bush/Blair are at their worse is fishy. I'm not directing this at Tori in particular, just artists in general.
ellenat 4-07-2007
Tori Amos is American, so why wouldnt Bush be an influence and why would it matter where she lives Bush affects most western countries with his shit everyone is aware of it. using the world around you is what artists have always done and why wouldnt they? it's the world they live in. everyone has there own opinion of songs i personally love big wheel i think its catchy and querky which completely describes tori but its a personal thing you cant chastise someone for liking or disliking a song and start saying they are a mindless fan or not a fan at all! Tori Amos continually creates fresh new things and thats whats great about her she doesnt stick to a particular scaffold and doesnt drum out the same old crap over and over again. Tori creates music in many forms, you have to love her for that even if you dont love a particular song! I can't wait for her album to be released and hearing shes coming to Australia was the best news i heard all week haha yay tori!!
Mattat 4-11-2007
um... to the person who compared tori to carrie underwood... try listen to some of the other songs coming from this album, this is tori's best work since choirgirl. and "pele" & "choirgirl" Tori is NEVER coming back. Get over it. She did and so should you. Like she said, "If at 40 years old, you're still hung up on yourself, you've really missed it haven't you? and that's quite tragic."
yoltaat 4-11-2007
I've been a tori fan since around the mid 90's. For me it's really about what tori can do with the piano and melody, and big wheel doesn't show that. and really-- the whole M-I-L-F just seems lame....maybe I just got older and don't find this very rebellious? look at bjork...her new album is coming out and from the tracks i've heard, it's still very her, yet a new spin on it, a new adventure. I'm hoping the other tracks prove me wrong, but this might be where i fall off the tori fan wagon...all these stupid 'girls' and blogs are just dumb marketing ploys.
msrat 4-12-2007
I like this song... it's a new sound, but then again I'm not a hardcore Tori Amos fan. I'm really glad to see she's moving away from that jazzy lame stuff from The Beekeeper. I mean, not all her songs on this CD sound like this, Listen to the other one on her website. I think this is going to be a very interesting, love-it-or-hate-it album. I'm going to buy it :).
PrincessPPPPPeachat 4-13-2007
Bjork's new song "Earth Intruders" rocks! This new Tori song doesn't. She's turned into fuckin' Gretchen Wilson on this song. It just sounds so much like generic modern country. Someone at youtube learned this song by ear and played it on the piano. There's not much to it. Simplicity, and not in a good way. What happened to her talking about the "warrior" in her was coming back. She knows her long time fans don't care for this newer music. I guess MILF is her "warrior". *valley girl voice* Um, like gag me with a spoon. LOL. Tori made some attempt to set herself apart from other music in the 90's , the raging piano playing and weird instrumentation. Where the fuck is that now? Anger has nothing to do with it either. Scarlet's Walk wasn't "angry", and it didn't sound like this washed out background music she's making now. I can count on one hand how many songs from Beekeeper that I liked, and judging from the songs from ADP that I've heard so far and the album reviews, it's gonna be about the same or less. To whoever said her longtime fans should get over it.... you're probably the type of die hard that contributes to the reason why people hate Tori fans. I guess this is where she's gonna lose a large chunk of fans. Seriously if this album is worse than Beekeeper then I'm done as a fan.
Scottat 4-13-2007
To princess PPP --
"seriously......done as a fan" -- tori doesn't make her music for YOU, dear. she makes it because she's a musician and it's who she is, and what she loves. and she's totally cool with you and the rest of the f-in world not liking her music, because just the act of making it and living it is what it's about for her.
Crystalline888at 4-13-2007
***Not quite worse than "Ireland" yet***
Fuck you, I like "Ireland."
***She could make a song of herself retching in a toilet accompanied by C chords all throughout the song, and they'd still go on like it's a fuckin' Beethoven masterpiece.***
No, I hate most of the professional widow remixes, I can't stand "raining blood," and I really don't care for severl songs on "A Pianio..."
***She doesn't always hit.***No, she doesn't.
***I think this one is a big miss.***
And your opinion matters more than anyone else's...why?
****Some artists use the political bullshit that's going on in the world as an excuse for song material***
Oh yes, much like Bob Dylan did, eh? And we see where that got him...oh.
Um, what's wrond with protest as song material? that's what writing had always been about. According to you, we shouldn't have any nursery rhymes or fairl tales either-those were just writers using politics as material.
As far as the country thing...ummm...Cornflake Girl, anyone? You know, one of her most popular songs?
Yeah, I don't care for the super marketing either, but the woman's been screwed by her record company so long-at least she's finally getting some promotion. People seem to thin she's been the hypothetical weird kid sitting in the corner (outside of mainstream) by choice. Why is it okay to put up with marketing tools from EVERY OTHER BAND ON EARTH...but she's not allowed to try and make a living?
And yes, to call oneself a MILF, at the age of 40, IS rebellious. If only because people will think it's lame, over the hill, desperate...It's too bad that, as women, every phrase that we have to describe ourselves as anything remotely powerful is twisted around on us to make us caricatures of ourselves.
ellenat 4-15-2007
hahahaha so true scott
BubbyHeadat 4-15-2007
Crystalline is the reason why everyone hates Tori fans.
***I think this one is a big miss.***
And your opinion matters more than anyone else's...why?
I never said my opinions mattered more, I said I THINK it's a big miss, and even without the emphasis on "think", it still would've been MY opinion. I'm entitled to that just like you're entitled to think "Ireland" is some masterpiece whereas I think it's a big piece of shit that belongs in a car commercial advertising soccer mom vehicles. you're super retarded for getting upset over another fan's opinion. You're comparing a well written song like "Cornflake Girl" to this tripe? LOL LOL LOL!!!!! Any idiot can see how much more complex the instrumentation was on Cornflake Girl. "Big Wheel" and "Cornflake Girl" sound like they come from two totally different genres. "CG" isn't honky tonk Big N Rich style country. I think "CG" has a more Celtic element to it. Regardless, country music has nothing to do with my dislike of "Big Wheel".
MrJumboat 4-15-2007
Heard the new tune on the radio, didn't know what it was, had to look it up--and yay! It was Tori! I like her from back in the "Crucify" days, though I haven't been with her on some of the albums since then. Delighted to hear her, and to hear she's got her edge back.
It's not just that she's calling herself an MILF--it's the whole attitude, and that's just one of the lines that etches it. It's "I'm an M-I-L-F, don't you forget!" Like she's saying, "Listen, buster, I know you think you're God's gift, but save it, because I'm the big wheel here and if you don't have the wit to realize how much luck is in your lap, I might just walk away and find some other arm candy that can keep up with me." Great fun to hear.
Evieat 4-16-2007
The country rock sound is not typical Tori, but is does go with the theme of American life, southern girls, big wheels, and whiskey. A fantasy ideal of American life in the "heartland". I give it 4 stars. Personally, I like that Tori tries different styles on her songs and hardly does the same thing twice, it keeps her music interesting. When I want to hear early Tori, I'll listen to Little Earthquakes.