America’s favorite drama queen has taken a shot of testosterone. Last week, Tori Amos released her sixth album, titled “Strange Little Girls.” This time, the uniquely talented songwriter gets by with a little help from her friends¥guy friends, to be more specific.
Recorded in Cornwall, England, “Strange Little Girls” is a 12-track collection of songs originally written and performed by men.
I usually loathe cover albums, but this is not just any cover album¥this is the most provocative and spellbinding female recording artist of her generation challenging the mores of sexual politics. Amos gives these songs new meaning as they come from a woman’s perspective.
Neil Young, Depeche Mode, The Beatles and even Eminem are covered on the album, but Amos does not simply impersonate their vocals and instrumentals.
Early in the CD is “Strange Little Girl” by the Stranglers. The tune rocks with cavorting drum beats and overlapping guitar chords, but the driving force lies in Amos’ dexterous hands on the Wurlitzer as her vocals surge from delicately quivering to madly assertive.
Next, Amos performs Depeche Mode’s breakthrough hit, “Enjoy The Silence.” Unlike the trendy British rockers, Amos dispenses with the upbeat tempo and strips down to the bare essentials¥her piano and her voice.
Some might find this void of melody appalling, but it gives the lyrics more potency. It’s like drinking straight vodka instead of mixing it with orange juice.
Midway through the album is “Rattlesnakes” by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. This tune has a John Denver-like country tinge to it, but Amos’ carpal work on her organ makes it purely enchanting.
Amos gives a rollicking new spin to Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold.” In the original version, Young, with an acoustic guitar in his hands and a harmonica between his lips, tells the tale of an aging journeyman in search of salvation.
However, Amos’ rendition is more in the style of Courtney Love than the legendary folk singer. I don’t get it, but I sure dig it! Following her sublime skewering of “Heart Of Gold,” Amos’ musical intimacy returns with the next track, “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats. It could best be described as a lullaby for adults.
The Beatles may be the biggest band of all time, but even they are not immune to Amos’ melancholy sampling.
Amos performs a 10-minute rendition of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” with intertwining news snippets on gun control. Despite the CNN influence, Amos once again steals the show with her spacey organ talent and softly raging vocals.
The most striking track is Eminem’s “O97 Bonnie & Clyde.” In the original ditty, Eminem raps a disturbing narrative of a father who butchers his child’s mother and throws her body into Lake Michigan.
Eminem’s fans seemed oblivious to the sadistic lyrics as they grooved to the infectious beat.
This time, Amos dons a sinister Vincent Price vocal tone and performs with the aid of a haunting violin and cello ensemble. The result is a momentary audio horror movie.
This sells the song for what it truly is. Like any Tori Amos album, “Strange Little Girls” ends with a strong close. This time, it is Joe Jackson’s “Real Men.”
The tune condemns the ignorance and arrogance of male chauvinism. Coming from Amos, the lyrics are even more compelling as they question “who the real men are.”
On “Strange Little Girls,” Amos brilliantly plays a musical, gender-reversed role-playing game that knocks the old man that is sexual politics from his rocking chair.
Whatever this album lacks in originality, it makes up for with purpose. This is truly music with a cause.
With all this appraisal, you may be wondering why I gave “Strange Little Girls” a measly three-star review.
Well, this could be the greatest cover album ever made, but it’s still a cover album.