Rating: 
Summary: A brillant musical performance written by a gifted musician
Review:
When people ask me what artists music I like, Tori Amos is one of the first to be mentioned. If you have never heard or seen this musical being perform, this is a must have to add to your music collection. As an observer/audience member you will realize that you are witnessing more than just a performance, you are witnessing something much more spiritual. Tori Amos always says that each song she sings is alive because each piece has a theme, a message, a spirit and provokes thought in the listener. Whether it be the poetic lyrics filled with metaphors and hidden sybolism or the beautiful musical arrangements that Tori has written and performs with her musicians, you will be touched by the spirit of each piece and thank the higher powers for the opportunity to be part of such an experience.
"Welcome to Sunny Florida" is a compilation of some of Tori's and her musicians favorite pieces to perform. Tori, now 41 (I believe) shows a different tone to each song which I credit to her being a mother as well as the knowledge she has gained over the years, especially towards her Native American Heritage. The amazing thing about her shows are not only her performance but the respect her fans have for her and her music. The audience acts as if they were attending a recital, listening intently, being respectful, not shouting during the performance, and always showing their love and appreciation for the Musical Goddess on stage for sharing her talent which is unsurpassed in the music industry.
Tori Amos is a dying breed of people called "Musicians" in the music industry. She is a composer, performer, and a singer, something not very common in the music industry which I find rather disturbing since I, like Tori, am an Apprentice Musician. You do not have to be able to read or write music to be a musician but you must always perform music that is true to you and that are able to perform in a way that is true to you as a human being and touches the audience. On the DVD she summarized the music industry beautifully, "When the most important thing in the music industry is two women kissing on stage, that says a lot about the music industry. The music industry is not about music." I could not agree more with her perspective.
Tori is music, mind, body, and soul. She demonstrates that with her musical arrangements of such songs as "Precious Things", "Cornflake Girl", "Concertina", and many more. She always performs on her Bosendorfer's which are Austrian made piano's that date back to 1826 and have been the choice piano for many composers, such as, Frederick Chopin. These pianos are not cheap either, especially the Concert Grand model like she has which I would estimate is well over $60,000.00. (just a guess) But to Tori, it is all about quality and does not believe in doing anything musical in a mediocre fashion. Music is her greatest love in life, next to her daughter and it shows through her album prices (look at the price of this album, $17.98 for a DVD of a full length concert and a CD with 6 new songs all written and performed by Tori Amos.
To sum it up Tori Amos never gives her fans less than they want she gives them more. She makes her albums an affordable price so all her fans could enjoy her musical genius. She charges the same price for a concert ticket anywhere in the venue regardless of location. I saw her in San Diego in 2002 where she sold out 2 shows at Symphony Hall in less than a day. The shows were also back to back, one at 8:00pm and one at 10:00pm, I attended the late performance and she was electrifying. If you buy this DVD/CD you will find yourself wanting more as all her other fans do.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the definitive "Scarlet" tour DVD, but quite good anyway
Review: After the 15 min. teaser DVD that was added to the "Tales of a Librarian" compilation last Fall, we now get the real thing: the entire performance of the last show on the long "Scarlet's Walk" tour last September in West Palm Beach. First things first: the performance that Tori gives is exquisite. Watch also for the very fine work by Matt Chamberlain on drums and Jon Evans on bass (in my opinion the very best bass player out there nowadays). Stand-out songs include A Sorta Fairy Tale, Sugar, Cornflake Girl, and Tombigbee. The reason I cannot rate this the "definitive" Scarlet tour DVD is that, for whatever reason, Tori plays only 3 tracks from the Scarlet album, which is most certainly not reflective of most shows on that tour. Thus regretfully no Sweet Sangria, no Pancake, no Taxi Ride, just to name a couple of frequently played Scarlet tracks on that tour. But other than that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable performance.The set also includes a bonus CD: "Scarlet's Hidden Treasures" (6 tracks, 33 min.), which is a mixed bag. Mostly very quiet and introverted songs, such as Apollo's Frock and Indian Summer, both 8 min. (and overlong) tracks. The best of the lot is Tombigbee, which appears also on the DVD performance. In all, a great addition to any Tori fan's collection. Can't wait for what she'll bring next!
Rating:
Summary: Okay performance, BRILLIANT CD.
Review: As fans and critics will tell you, Tori Amos' live shows are something that have to be seen to really be believed. In 1992, the South Carolina conservatory drop-out took the world by storm with her acclaimed debut, Little Earthquakes. With her confessional lyrics and unique piano playing, she became an instant hit. It's taken twelve years, but finally her fans (known as 'Ears With Feet', or 'Toriphiles') have a live DVD for their collection. (The last live release was on VHS)
Hardcore Tori fans will love the pre-show footage, which contains footage of Tori with her daughter Natashya. They'll also enjoy the long interview with Tori and her mother, Mary. No doubt casual observers will gloss over these features and dive straight into the concert footage, which was filmed in West Palm Beach in Florida-- the last show on 2003's On Scarlet's Walk tour.
Sadly, this DVD doesn't come close to portraying the raw power of a real live performance. It seems fairly polished and quite a few songs lack passion. The censorship of 'Professional Widow' is an outrage; it's so passionate but unfortunately it's edited! Gah. The camera editing is incredibly choppy, and it seems that the producers have gone for an artistic sort of look; one shot that stands out in my mind is one that lasts for several moments with a blurred image of Tori. The angles they use are just wierd. Despite this, it's still an interesting look at one of the decade's most prolific musicians. Amos ranges from moments of absolute vocal brilliance (her renditions of Hey Jupiter, Father Lucifer and Precious Things are spectacular) to moments that aren't really as brilliant (Leather, A Sorta Fairytale).
The DVD is definately worth the price of purchase, but what makes this collection even more special is the inclusion of the 'Scarlet's Hidden Treasures' EP. A collection of six B-Sides from Scarlet's Walk (Tori's last original album), these are absolutely stunning and a really excellent thing to own.
3.5 stars (rounded up to four)
Rating: 
Summary: Not As Good As You'd Hope
Review: I love Tori and have been a fan since '92. I was very excited to watch this DVD because Tori is excellent live and this tour was amazing. Frankly, the DVD is highly disappointing. Her performance is uneven--going from excellent (Crucify) to very bad (Mohammad My Friend). I found myself zoning out at times because of shear bordom. Some songs she sounds absolutely beautiful (cooling) and some she just sounds bad (A Sorta Fairytale). The editing is terrible becuase of the headache inducing jump cuts. But because it's Tori you can ignore these little irritating idosyncracies. There is one thing that is unforgivable and if I were Tori I'd be mighty angry: the edited Professional Widow. It angers me when some puritanical, self-righteous loud mouth decides that EVERYTHING needs to be edited. It totally destroyed the song and ruined the whole DVD watching experience. I love how our supposed free speech is really not so free. Thank you FCC, thank you. On the upside, the bonus CD Scarlet's Hidden Treasures is excellent. These songs have a classic Tori feel and are absolutely beautiful. She has never sounded better. I especially like Seaside (so beautifully melancholy) and Indian Summer (so softly political).
DVD- 2 Stars
CD- 4 stars
Overall - 3 stars
Rating: 
Summary: This DVD makes this RAINY instead of SUNNY!
Review: I reluctantly purchased this album because I figured I would give Tori Amos ONE last chance. Guess what? I've HAD it with her music. I totally give up. First impression: The woman is boring in concert and the music is just blah. Her lyrics are so absurd and irksome -- I laughed at some reviews whent hey said that the "explosive" version of Crucify was the best -- guess what?! they're wrong. It's drudging and has no life to it, just like many of the other songs on this particular DVD. Yeah, there's some nice songs from Scarlet's Walk and it was nice to see Matt Chamberlain painfully drum out her music -- little 6 song CD is the only reason I give this work 2 stars. Granted, Tori is somewhat talented in my opinion, but stop releasing albums - especially live ones. 2 stars. Only for the true Tori fan!
Rating:
Summary: the 6 songs
Review: i think everything that could be said HAS been said about the actual DVD. some people aren't even mentioning the 6 songs on the bonus cd, so i figured i would. these songs are amazing and are TOTAL tori amos here. the whole scarlet's walk era didn't really include what the long-time fans would consider "typical" tori amos as far as lonnnng piano improvs, unimaginable lyrics...don't get me wrong, scarlet's walk is a piece of musical ART, but in my mind it is a complete 180 from, say, boys for pele. but these songs give hints of pele in them. 'apollo's frock' starts out with a good 2.5 minutes of pure piano. you get LOST in her piano playing, its unbelievable that one human being can produce sound like this. same with 'indian summer'...it actually reminds me of 'yes anastasia' as far as length, emotion, and like i said, the fact that you get lost in the music and the words. i'll always love everything tori produces, there's no way around that, but i think i will always favor the acoustic tori just a touch more. however, 'bug a martini' and 'tombigbee' are classics and i can picture them being huge concert hits in the future. she already has 'tombigbee' down perfectly. even if you're not THAT big of an amos fan and don't want to watch the DVD, which in itself is genius, pick this up for the 6 songs. it's hard to even put them to justice here.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: I've been a Tori fan for a long time, and I awaited this dvd with great expectations. I wasn't disappointed. The live performances are breathtaking, and the interview bits are so moving. I love seeing Tori speak because, even though many people are turned off by the way she speaks, her words are so genuine and moving. The extra cd is wonderful too. I love Bug a Martini - it gives me visions of zipping through snow-covered European mountains on a train in the 50's with a camera disguised as a pen and poison in my hat pin.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't capture the experience
Review: I've seen Tori live, 8 days after 9/11 in Philadelphia, just 50 miles from NY, it was the single, most mesmerizing concert I've ever been too. Tori is an amazing composer, vocalist, lyricist, performer and musician, so why does this DVD just not quite get it?
The camera never strays from the source for one. Tori is a beautiful woman, a sensual woman, an intelligent and brilliant woman, but 80mins of close ups do not come close to a live experience. This is not a high-res or high-def film either and often when you see Tori, even on those rare moments when the camera pulls back, you see nothing else. It's very claustrophobic. The blacks all blend and the reds pop out at you and the rest of the colors are just a blur. The other musicians don't exist and neither does the crowd. We never see the stage or the auditorium, we never feel like we're there.
Then there's Tori. I want to get her a bottle of Hot Oil treatment and some Pro-V conditioner after viewing this. Really, her hair looks fried, wirery and out of control. Add to that, someone put so much make-up on her that for the first few songs she looks like she just got a botox injection. She's so stiff and expressionless through the first song she seems like she's not sure where or why she's there.
About halfway through she starts to wake up, starting the show with the slow-tempo'd Sort of Fairytale just wasn't a good idea.
Then her make-up "artist" comes out and I just wish she'd wipe the garbage off her face, instead she pats her down and puts on more.
Concert films work best when treated like documentaries, this new DVD trend of slick, close-up, 90 min music video style editing ruins the experience.
Tori: 5 stars
DVD: 1 star
Rating:
Summary: The Goddess Strikes Again
Review: Is it possible to wear out a DVD by playing it constantly? If so, I may well be on my way to buying this one again.
If you like her, you'll love her after you see this. If you don't like her, you'll love her after you see this.
Buy this DVD, and pay no mind to the nay-sayers on this site who can't appreciate the true beauty of this amazing artist.
The only drawback to this Tori production would have to be the editing. Excuse me, "Give me peace, love and a... what did she say?" If you're a true fan, you now what she's talking about.
Anyway, well worth the money. Long live the Goddess.
Rating:
Summary: An Evening with a Goddess
Review: Let me begin by saying that I've been a complete Toriphile for years and truly feel as though she can do no wrong! That said, I love this DVD. However, even I must admit that it is not without its errors and pitfalls.
One of the downsides to this DVD includes the annoying edits on Professional Widow. I really don't understand why the editor felt the need to cut out certain words during the performance, yet leave them in for the interview. Furthermore, there is a clear shot of Tori flipping the middle finger to the crowd. Why leave that in but cut out the vocalization of the swear words? In addition, I felt that the interview was a little short. I would have liked to have heard more about what Tori had to say regarding her music and her touring experiences. The edits between shots can be poor at times as well. During many a song, the shots are out of focus or jump from one viewpoint to the next without any transition. Nonetheless, these minor annoyances are not enough, in my opinion, to degrade this DVD to any less than five stars.
The interview with Tori, though short, is great. It's a more personal experience than merely listening to her music. I also love the interview with Tori's mom. It's a little sneak peak into Tori's childhood, and the start of her career. Her improvisational transitions are excellent, and different for every show. Indeed, as Tori herself states, each song and performance are fluid entities that can take on a new shape and form, and grow as inspiration changes. No song in this live performance is quite the same as its studio version, nor is it quite the same as any other live performance. This DVD does a great job of capturing just one of Tori's amazing "fairytale" experiences on the stage. Though I still highly recommend attending her show live, this is a great way to bring the experience into the comfort of your living room (and for a cheaper price than her concerts as well!).
The included six song CD, "Scarlet's Hidden Treasures," songs cut from the Scarlet's Walk CD, is also incredible. I especially love Seaside, Bug a Martini, Apollo's Frock, and Tombigbee (also included in the live footage). These songs, to be sure, will be coveted by those who run out to collect every EP and B-side Tori puts out, and can be seen as a standalone reason to pick up this DVD.
I was lucky enough to have seen her while she was on this Scarlet's Walk/Lottapianos tour, and this DVD serves as a way to relive the amazing and nostalgic experience (even if the set list was somewhat different). However, one doesn't need to have seen her perform live, on this tour or ever for that matter, in order to appreciate the DVD & CD set. This is a must for the diehard Tori fan, and a fun and enticing addition for the casual listener as well.
I anxiously await her forthcoming CD Beekeeper, as well as her forthcoming book!
|
