Search - Jemma Pryce, E-Clypse :: The Pretty Good Years: A Tribute To Tori Amos

"Pretty" on the inside? no.

11/21/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"For the unauthorized "Tribute to Tori Amos", "The Pretty Good Years" may sell well, if only for an interesting look on some past Tori hits. You'll be disappointed. This is always going to to happen- expectations of a clone of the original singer will dash your possible liking of the newer one. If only that were so. It's not that at all for this album."Years", which is fully performed by British band E-Clypse and vocalist Jemma Price (mostly known for a previously released tribute to Kate Bush), is occasionally bareable. There are points where the music is distinctly Tori Amos-sounding. Still, part of the amazing thing about Tori was the fact that she could write, sing, and perform all on a single song. Obviously, Price doesn't do this. The piano is top notch on "Silent All These Years", but it's not Tori Amos playing. It's not the same.Price's voice, which may be best described as a combination of Annabella Lwin (from 80's band Bow Wow Wow known for their hit "I Want Candy") and Berlin (another '80's vocalist). It's thin. It's high. It doesn't stretch well. Her pitch on songs like "China" and "Caught a Lite Sneeze" are only occasionally on the mark, while she rips "Hey Jupiter" apart, shredding every essence on emotion the song possessed. It is true, however, that it's almost impossible to perform a song written by another artist, because the words will never mean exactly the same to you. There's still no excuse for drab, toneless talking on songs like "Winter" and "Leather".Her best attempt is the album's opener, "Cornflake Girl", which rises hopes of a good CD. Her sound is slightly higher and nasal that one may expect, but she eventually glides well through it, even if it does feature a slightly less than welcome tinny sound at some points. It beats her worst attempt- a dreadful "Professional Widow"."Professional Widow" is one of the most controversial songs of Tori's career. In the song she says three of the "seven words you can't say on television" (or some variation of them) five times in total. Price cowardly wavers her voice around them, especially one the final word of the song, making it sound like a donkey braying.Price tries her best on songs like "Baker Baker" and "Crucify", but her voice is far too hard on the ears. Where she should be high, she's high, where's she's supposed to be low, she's high.Interestingly enough, although the album is titled "The Pretty Good Years", the song "Pretty Good Year" is nowhere in sight. Thank you, Jemma Price, for partially knowing your limits."

Watch Out!

Eleanor Green | Indiana | 02/02/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"When I purchased this CD I thought that it would be by multiple artists. Boy was I wrong! How unoriginal could a person possibly be. This girl sings all Tori's songs just like Tori does, only not as well. DO NOT buy this CD if you are a Tori fan. You will be disappointed, if not angry."

Not a tribute but a Copy

yi jee young- top2002@hotmail.com | Seoul, Korea | 01/05/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say of this cd though I'm not good at English. I'm tori fan from Korea. Please understand if there's any broken on my expression.Actually, sounds on this cd is good enough to hear to. Sings good, instruments are performed appropriatly. Specially, singer is very similar to Jewel,all songs even mainly played by accustic gitar. But that is just all about this cd. While listening, at once, you'll feel kind of unpleasant thing about all of this. They plays totally COPY than Tribute to Tori. Very well maden, but has no worth as a tribute--I personally think it's too early to make any tribute to tori--. If they play copys of Tori like this in some club, yeah, I maybe would give them a clap. But, No, this is really not that situation. A Tribute album is played by good famous musician. From the music, we feel greatness for a song, performer and also for tributed musician. And music has played diffrent, because performer has reanalyzed original one. But This album, sounds just like tori songs copyplayed. Nothing new. I think this was wrong from the planning idea basically. Maybe you're interested in this cd just because you're so into Tori and you maybe wonder how similar copy sounds like real Tori by curiosty. Now, after I buy this cd, I can say your curiosty is wrong. This album take advantage of it.Nothing you can get from this one. Tori fans you don't need this one at all. You'd much better get buy Tori's other single cd or boot. You'll just anew how great how beautiful Tori's original songs are and you'll even feel guilty for Tori."