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Tori Amos Reveals Sinful Cover Art, Tracklisting
- Posted on Mar 10th 2009 8:00AM by Jessica Robertson
Tori Amos is in a good mood when she phones Spinner from her Cornwall, England studio. She owes her glee, in part, to a white chocolate chip cookie, which she informs us her 8-year-old daughter, Natashya, baked for her. "Husband didn't marry me for my baking," she laughs.It's just weeks away from Amos' scheduled performance at SXSW, where she'll unveil new tunes from her tenth studio album, 'Abnormally Attracted to Sin,' due May 19. In addition to debuting the album cover and tracklist with Spinner, Amos discussed her new work, how to divvy up the Democrats and Republicans, and what she considers to be the greatest sin of all.
What was the impetus behind this new collection?
I'm drawn to questioning what traditional authorities have defined sin to be. As a minister's daughter, I've been exposed to the traditional belief system. [Sin] has been used to shame and control people. If you're controlled by a religious structure, then you're going to have a very different outlook on life and what you're open to than if you're not controlled by these old, crumbling concepts.
The new album, 'Abnormally Attracted to Sin,' takes its name from a line in 'Guys and Dolls,' said by the character Sarah Brown. Do you feel a kinship with her in any way?
No, because I'm not torn by my religious beliefs. A lot of the problems we have right now in our world are because of intolerance dictated by the big religions.
Do you feel it's your duty or obligation to expose these truths in your work?
I find that right now, in this turbulent time where there's so much strife all around the world, there is an opportunity for religions to open their doors and their hearts -- to become compassionate for someone else's beliefs instead of intolerant. That's always really disappointed me about people who talk about being religious, and yet they're the most judgemental, usually. Right now, we're at war, and I wrote quite a lot of this album while I was on tour last time. I traveled the world, I played in Israel, I traveled through countries where the major religions exist -- and the one thing that I started to do more than ever was to really ask questions about "What do I believe in?" Traveling and seeing how women see themselves in different cultures ... how the community thinks of them becomes so important for some of them, more than how than how they even feel about themselves. And some of them are dying -- they're dying in their lives. You might be approved of in your community, but your heart is completely breaking. And I don't find that a tolerant society -- that is not the compassionate Christ path to me. I began to see that kindness and tolerance were not found in institutions, but found in individuals who seemed to be breaking away from the old patriarchal viewpoint.
Did you have a similar experience growing up in a Christian household?
I was brought up in a home that was ... we were brought up in the Christian doctrine, and that's just what it was. We believed in it, and I think the question is: What is that doctrine? Because it's not about the open heart. Maybe it takes times like we have right now, times of so much upheaval, where you allow yourself to really find out what it is that you feel about something. My daughter has all kinds of questions all the time, and if she were brought up in a less tolerant household, she would be broken, no question about it. But she has a grandfather who was a Methodist minister and she has a part of her family who are very much practicing Christians, yet she loves them. But she is not interested if they agree with what she thinks because she is allowed to believe in what she wants.
One of the current arguments at large in America is whether or not gays should have the right to marry. Religion is often used in the argument against gay marriage. Why do you think that union is so threatening?
We go back to that word -- intolerance. That, to me, isn't what America ever was. It wasn't about telling another person how to live their life. I always said in a perfect world, you keep the Democrats out of your bank account and the Republicans out of your bedroom. But in life, why do you have to have anybody else in your bedroom if you're a consenting adult? That is the need people have right now, it seems, to dictate to another person how they should live there life. I find that the greatest sin of all. The record explores all kinds of feelings and depending on your state of mind, your set of circumstances could result in a very different outcome.
What can you tell me about the visuals that will be accompanying each of the songs on this album?
I'm calling them "vignettes" because it's more akin to a mini-film. This all started on tour last time, when we were filming the live shows. The director was putting together montages, and as I saw the montages, new music was already coming. I started to put the new music to the mini-films that were being made out on the road.
When I travel I get all kinds of ideas. I'm forced to see things that I wouldn't and question. When you asked me about 'Guys and Dolls,' I guess I was never a Bible-thumping Christian; I was always trying to question because I had so much religion in my upbringing. I was drawn to those people and those ideas that weren't accepted necessarily, and it's not because these ideas in reality are "evil" -- that's just the perception that's being given. The reality I was brought up in was, "Anything that doesn't work within the Christian doctrine is sinful." And that's a lot of stuff.
'Abnormally Attracted to Sin' Tracklist
1. 'Give'
2. 'Welcome to England'
3. 'Strong Black Vine'
4. 'Flavor'
5. 'Not Dying Today'
6. 'Maybe California'
7. 'Curtain Call'
8. 'Fire to Your Plain'
9. 'Police Me'
10. 'That Guy'
11. 'Abnormally Attracted to Sin'
12. '500 Miles'
13. 'Mary Jane'
14. 'Starling'
15. 'Fast Horse'
16. 'Ophelia'
17. 'Lady in Blue'
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Add a Comment
She sings about Lucifer, calls him Father, she has religious beliefs, she is a satanist who sold her soul for fame. Like so many others, like those in "The Forever 27 Club", they are immortalized through their music and movies but had to give up their lives and soul at age 27. Very sad indeed.
March 14 2012 at 9:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
jamesandamy
this discussion is funny...the christians are casting their pearls before swine...and the swine are the only folks with anything interesting to say...and nobody can spell worth a damn...leave it to tori to bring out the worst in the best of us...and the best in the worst of us...long live tori...
March 22 2009 at 3:49 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
cornflakeboi1234
I have been a Tori fan from day one. Why don't we get back on the topic, which is Tori, not religion. It should not matter what her religious beliefs are. What should matter is that she is a very talented musician. She composes the music, writes the lyrics, and plays the piano beautifully.
March 17 2009 at 10:59 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
indigo2
oh I love her black eyes that match her fingernails...
March 16 2009 at 4:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
indigo2
1 reply to indigo2's comment
okay people, please...I have a word here to say. There is a dark side on this planet. I used to be a big fan of Tori for years. Until I saw her dark side. Actually it was a pic of her on flicker taken off from comic con. Her real face was exposed in this pic, to really see what she really is. For those who have a highly evolved spiritual nature, I assume most on here don't because of the way your acting. The picture exposed her face on what she really looked like. Of course it was removed within a few hours. My point, I refuse to support the dark side of this planet that have been running the show for thousands of years. She is a part of that order and has always been. If you want to be a part of that..well good for you. Then spend your money towards the new world order. Boooooooo
March 16 2009 at 4:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Cyberia
LMFAO. Please - get help.
September 09 2010 at 6:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
wct314
Ok, so, Everyone who has commented thus far, please forgive me for some that I haven't read, but there's been a great deal of ranting back and forth. Usually I wouldn't waste the time with this, but I'm a Tori fan, and also what I've considered a good person at heart who loves and believe in the higher power. With all due respect to everyone's opinion, get real. I wouldn't dare try to assume so much with what Tori's specific beliefs are. After paying much attention to her career for years, I can say that she's always on the look out for new opinions, and personal growth. I don't believe that she's been convicted so much by one belief that she signed her soul over to it. Satanism, for someone to even find a round about way of summing up her interview with Vox, to say she worships it, would be a very simple look at the interview. Her words through interviews and her music, I think, only express observations with a creative and open mind. With that said, give her break and don't be so harsh. If you know more about her, you would be sure that she would not be judging any of you on such a simple-minded basis. Whether you believe in Christianity, Judaism, or the blessed church of Bill Clinton ;) lol, whatever, have care and consideration for your fellow man , or lady in this case, if your soul may have the capacity, she means no harm. And further more, in defense of just observing these realms of belief, how can one believe without challenging that belief? As far as a mother goes, I haven't hung with her recently ;) lol, but she seems to mean well, and from her heart, I think she's has more potential than what many parents do as what it takes to raise a child in such a difficult world, so don't worry about Tash, I'm sure she well taken care of, and good for her being able to believe in what she may want to. Ok, now i'm done with my rant, to others with negative or positive views here, next time you feel compelled to be so quick to post, donate blood, or something constructive with yourself other than freak out on a blog, there's more to life than critiquing others lives. Ok, this is my first and last post ever to make that point more valid. Good luck Tori with the new album! Love to all, whatever your opinion maybe...
March 16 2009 at 12:06 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
mubhceeb
I don't want your prayers thank you very much Marty! What are guys even posting on this site for anyway? Isn't any form of music, that isn't of the "happy clappy" variety considered the "The Devils' music" anyway? why not go and troll some Homophobic hate site instead of posting on a music forum?
Apologies for the incorrect spelling-I expect that's a sin in your eyes, along with free thought and freedom of expression!
There is something I thank God for-and that's for being an aetheist! After all, if you truly believe God created you then he created them too.
mubhceeb
1 reply to mubhceeb's comment
I really couldn't give a shit about Tori Amos' religious beliefs(although I'm aware that it informs her music greatly). She can wrapp herself in shrinkwrap stand on her head and resite the phone directory backwards for all I care. More crucially, she is one of the most important artists of the last 20 years, in my opinion.
The replies from many of the posters on this forum have reinforced what I have long expected, that people with extreme religious beliefs are some of the most self righteous, ill informed bigots on this planet, an opinion bourne out of experience, I assure you.
So go listen to what ever colourless, anaemic dross you consider to be music and I'll listen to the good stuff.
Long live Tori Amos.
co
Marty
Your foul mouth, misspelled, accusatory response to us "self righteous, ill informed bigots" says 10 times more about you than it will ever say about Christians. You and Tori both are undoubtedly scarred by people not Christianity. Don't confuse the two; One is Perfect and the other far from it. Only, when you submit yourself to God and ask for His forgiveness will you ever know the Truth. Until then, you will continue your walk in this world living a lost, fearful, and unfulfilled life.
You call us self righteous but in reality we're just a group of people who love our God and will defend Him at all cost. We don't claim to be perfect; only saved by grace. But....when a pop icon stands before the public and claims to be an authority on Christianity because she was raised the daughter of a preacher and thinks that gives her the right to bash our faith. But according to you, if we defend ourselves and our faith we can count on being called stupid, ignorant bigots. Quite the double standard there, huh co?
God created you and still loves you and wants nothing more than for you to come home. I'll be praying for you!
medicatedSpiral
most of you who claim to be Christians are being EXTREMELY judgemntal and hypocritical. get a little educated as to who tori is and watch some of her interviews or read some of her ideas. the bible was written by MAN..yeah thats right a man with a half-witted mutant hanging between his legs. Humans have a desire to know everything but in my opinion that takes away fro mthe mystery that is life. i feel so incredibly sorry for the poor soul that lives his life by a damn book. just because i', not a Christian doesn;t mean i'm a bad person and jsut because Tori has decided to question those beliefs doesnt mean that she's a bad person and she was brought up as the daughter of a methodist minister so i'm fairly certain that she has a first hand experience to a christian household. Those who question authority are the people who think for themselves and actually USE their brains. Religion to me is a simply a form of controlling people by fear..nothing more. Tori Amos is an AMAZING person adn sure we've all made mistakes but we ar ONLY human.
March 12 2009 at 2:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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