Under the Pink [Pink Vinyl] [B&N Exclusive]

by Tori Amos

Overview

Tori Amos'second full-length solo effort has often been considered a transitional album, a building on the success of Little Earthquakes that enabled her to pursue increasingly more adventurous releases in later years. As such, it has been unfairly neglected when in fact it has as good a claim as any to be one of the strongest, and maybe even the strongest, record she has put out. Able to appeal to a mass audience without being shoehorned into the incipient "adult album alternative" format that sprang to life in the mid-1990s, Amos combines some of her strongest melodies and lyrics with especially haunting and powerful arrangements to create an artistic success that stands on its own two feet. The best-known tracks are the two contemporaneous singles "God," a wicked critique of the deity armed with a stiff, heavy funk-rock arrangement, and "Cornflake Girl," a waltz-paced number with an unnerving whistle and stuttering vocal hook. While both memorable, they're actually among the weaker tracks when compared to some of the great numbers elsewhere on Under the Pink (other numbers that more openly misfire are "The Waitress," a strident and slightly bizarre rant at such a figure, and "Yes, Anastasia," which starts off nicely but runs a little too long). Opening number "Pretty Good Year" captures nostalgia and drama perfectly, a simple piano with light strings suddenly exploding into full orchestration before calming again. "Bells for Her" and "Icicle" both showcase what Amos can do with prepared piano, and "Past the Mission," with Trent Reznor guesting on gentle, affecting backing vocals, shifts between loping country and a beautifully arranged chorus. The secret winner, though, would have to be "Baker Baker," just Amos and piano, detailing the story of a departed love and working its cooking metaphor in just the right way. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	07/16/2021
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0603497845378
Rank:	1031

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tori Amos   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Merry Clayton   Guest Artist
George Porter, Jr.   Guest Artist,Bass
Trent Reznor   Guest Artist,Vocals
Paulinho Da Costa   Percussion
Carlo Nuccio   Drums
Jimbo Ross   Viola
Melissa Hasin   Cello
John Wittenberg   Violin
Nancy Roth   Violin
Dane Little   Cello
John Philip Shenale   Strings,Organ (Hammond)
John Acevedo   Viola
Francine Walsh   Violin
Cynthia Morrow   Viola
Steve Caton   Guitar
Ezra Killinger   Violin
Scott Smalley   Conductor
Nancy Stein-Ross   Cello
Chris Reutinger   Violin
Michael Harrison   Violin
Ezra Klinger   Violin
Dominique Genova   Double Bass

Technical Credits

Shaun DeFeo   Assistant Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Paul McKenna   Engineer,Producer,Bass Engineer,Drum Engineering
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Kevin Killen   Mixing
John Beverly Jones   Engineer,Piano Engineer,Vocal Engineer,String Engineer,Percussion Engineer
Mark Hawley   Engineer
Julie Larson   Production Coordination
CJ Bolland   Remixing
Tori Amos   Composer,Producer
John Philip Shenale   String Arrangements
Ross Cullum   Mixing
Cindy Palmano   Photography,Art Direction
John Fundi   Assistant Engineer
Avril McIntosh   Mixing Assistant
Robert Mills   Copyist
Alan Reinl   Design
Eric Rosse   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Piano Engineer,Vocal Engineer,Guitar Engineer