Pele, the Apiary Tender // A Review of "The Beekeeper" by Tori Amos

Tori Amos has chosen the most perfect song to open her album “The Beekeeper”. Entitled ‘Parasol’, it sets the tone for one of the most well-produced and beautifully delivered albums of the decade. As she whispers “When I come to terms with this, my world will change for me”, the sonic landscape has never sounded so promising. The song is a simple melody, yet perhaps is the best opening track on a Tori album thus far. And so continues “The Beekeeper”. Song after song, style after style, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary Tori Amos album. As artists evolve with time, its evident that their music changes too, sometimes with unfavorable results (Alanis Morissette, Liz Phair), but many a time they get it right (Tori, Fiona, even Lee Ann Womack). And this is a classic case of an album where all the elements converge at exactly the right spot, to deliver a solid 80 minutes of gratifying and astonishing music this side of Leonard Cohen.

Of course it pays if you’ve always liked Tori Amos. The groundworks done then. But even if this album is your first exposure to her, its bound to delight. The liner notes inform us that the entire record is structured in terms of a garden, but I preferred to ignore the intended symbolism of the songs and focus on the music and lyrics as they played out in sequence. Personally, I think that’s the best way to enjoy this record. The most immediate point of note is that every song here is a child of a different musical genre. While there are trademark Tori songs such as the title track and the poignant ‘Ribbons Undone’, there are songs with styles unheard of on an Amos album. Take ‘Hoochie Woman’ for instance. The track blends Motown, gospel and blue bar jazz that result in one stunner of a number. And then theres the catchy, singalong ditty ‘Ireland’ which will bring a smile to even the most jaded music lover.

Theres a new spirit here that was not previously evident on Tori’s albums. On ‘Scarlets Walk’, she created another masterpiece, but the work did not seem coherent, despite being advertised as a musical journey through America. Over here, the quality far surpasses even the most glitzy of ad campaigns surrounding the product. You could wrap this in brown paper and throw it to me unmarked and I would still marvel at the quality. Not to say that it is not without flaws. The primary one is that its just too long to garner a new audience, and some tracks meander a little. Crowd favorite ‘Ribbons Undone’ is a slow piece that I just cannot get into. As with the meaningless ‘Marthas Foolish Ginger’ which is a disposable track if there ever was one. But even a track as dismal as this one has something going for it in terms of melody, and that’s the strength of this record. Each song contains more than one layer of structure, lending it an air of repeated listenability. In this aspect, its similar to Fiona Apples “Extraordinary Machine”, another record with jaw-drop potential.

First single ‘Sleep with Butterflies’ is as infectious as any of Toris’ other singles, but is the least meaningful track on the record. I particularly liked the lyrical quality of the title track and the beauty of ‘Jamaica Inn’. For every solemn song, theres a track with a jump-with-joy quality that you cannot help but fall in love with. ‘General Joy’ for example, is one of those songs that you’ll find yourself in the shower every morning. Another highlight for me is ‘Barons of Suburbia’ and the short but sweet ‘Original Sinsuality’. But what exactly is the message of this album? Well, most of Toris’ albums have a deeper meaning that she is not afraid to reveal in interviews. But “The Beekeeper” is a little more open to interpretation. While “Little Earthquakes” was about a young girl learning to express her feelings and convey her hidden secrets to the world, “The Beekeeper” is about that same woman many years later, all grown up, yet content in the solace she has found in the world. This solace leads to comfort, and the comfort leads to a relaxed state of mind that can now focus on life and identity with more clarity. The songs on this record bring this out with crystal-clear delivery, and the message is never diluted. Tori Amos has grown up, become a wife and mother, and has only begun writing the best songs of her career.

A few things to remember. “The Beekeeper” is a special record. Its very much like “Boys for Pele” in that regard – it inspires awe. I’ll be honest here and say that I didn’t like it at all upon first listen. But then like all good things once given a chance, it grew on me. To say that I’m a fan of this album is putting it mildly, but I do love it dearly. Its an old friend now, I know it well – it knows I love it and keeps unraveling new secrets for me each time I play it. Whats really exciting is noticing something on a track that you haven’t heard the first time. I discover something new about this album each time I play it – an instrument, a layered vocal, a little melody that I missed the first time – its all there, and its so maddeningly addictive. It helps to just play the record on continuous mode in the background for a while, and by that I mean for a whole week, perhaps more. Its calming for one, but also enriches the atmosphere in ways that one cannot truly describe.

Finally, I would rate “The Beekeeper” as Toris’ best album alongwith “Boys for Pele”. They both hold epic status in my eyes, followed only by “Little Earthquakes”. To realize that Toris making her best music at this stage of her career when other singer songwriters such as Jewel and Beth Orton have fizzled out, is a telling eye-opener. But there you have it. I must mention here that “The Beekeeper” sessions also led to Tori recording a song called “Garlands” that you can get only on the Limited Edition of this CD, and that appears on the DVD. I guess they left it off due to disc space, but its sort of like a summary of the general mood of this music. This album can be listened to while driving the car on long journeys, or on your walkman during your lunch break. But its most mesmerizing when you’re alone at home, contemplating the meaning of your life and your significance in this world that doesn’t make any sense. And then “The Beekeeper” comes on and you realize that its great to be alive.

Thank you Tori!