Cover story: Swedish Doll Photographer: Blaise Reutersward by Robert Schrader Blaise says, "[Shortly after I arrived], Tori played all her new songs for me in her recording studio…. It was just the two of us and of course one of my strongest musical experiences ever. This session is deeply planted inside my head. All through the shoot and forever." My Posse Can Do: A look at Tori's American Doll Posse by Missy Smith Women who are open-minded and perceptive can also be fierce warriors. Those that celebrate a woman's beauty and sexuality can also zoom in on her emotional and intellectual complexities. I cannot only be the small sum of my experiences, Tori writes in ADP's booklet, but must be a channel for those that I have never had and maybe never will. Otherwise I can only hear the music through my finite human filter instead of hearing independent frequencies. Five girls. One voice. This is Tori's American Doll Posse.

Feature articles: Greek Girls. by Maureen Paley "Kidnapped from her mother and brought to the underworld by Hades, [Persephone] was eventually returned to the earth part-time. Her arrival here signals the start of spring, and her eventual return to the underworld, the start of winter. Some say this symbolizes the marriage ritual: the stealing of the bride from her family to her groom." "Where Have We Gone Wrong, America?": An Analysis of "Yo George" by Alex Ramon "'Yo George' is a brief, blunt attack, in which Tori (in the guise of "outwardly political" Posse member Isabel) addresses Bush openly. The song's directness is evident both in the sarcastic familiarity of its title--the informal hipster-speak greeting used by Bush himself when addressing Tony Blair at last year's G8 summit--and in its content, for, lyrically, "Yo George" must rank as one of Tori's most straightforward compositions. Compared with the tracks mentioned above--songs which weave political commentary, hermetic personal references, myth and metaphor into the same structure--"Yo George" seems simple and obvious. However, closer inspection of "Yo George" reveals a number of complexities, notably a historical awareness that makes the song a subtler political statement than it initially appears." High Concept: The History of the Concept Album by Liz Garlinge American Doll Posse arrived on shelves recently in a flurry of publicity. There were excited paragraphs (and varying opinions) about the musical styles, the five personas and the costumes. The words "concept album" were never far from the reviewers' keyboards. It set me wondering: what is a concept album? What are ADP's peers? Winged Painters and Frozen Frames: Tori Amos and the Visual Arts by Elyssa Pachico "[T]here's no denying the influence that painting and photography has always had on Tori. The visual arts often provide Tori with a way of metaphorically describing the songwriting process, even though she is the first to admit that despite all her other talents, she is no art critic. "I just pick up paintings," Tori confessed while leading a Course on Creativity at UCLA in 1995. "I'm kind of not really versed in that world, but I just get a lot of books and I look at them and just … don't know what I'm really looking at."

Multimedia: Review: Smacked Up Side of the Head: The American Doll Posse leaves the sweet sting of The Beekeeper in the dust by Renee Roberson "With 23 tracks, ADP is a lot to absorb, much like the 1996 release Boys for Pele, where Tori's intensity reminded me of a caged bird who had finally been released. …Back then, Tori was just getting over her break-up with Eric Rosse and fantasizing about tossing former lovers into a volcano. Here, she is still happily married to Mark Hawley, settled into motherhood and obviously fantasizing about tossing George W. Bush into a volcano." Tori Amos and The Sims 2: His Game Slaps You Once in a While by Lauren Razavi "If you were to list ten media that Tori Amos has impacted, the gaming world isn't likely to be one of them. And why on earth would it be? Aside from some soundtrack features, few musicians have obvious associations with games. One game, however, shares some subtle but interesting links with the artist." Where Are They Now? Looking in on Matt Nathanson by Lynne Stahl "Unsurprisingly to those familiar with Tori Amos, the entries from his stint on the Original Sinsuality tour feature rave reviews of the food: "…i won't even mention the food that we get post show, that's supposed to be for back at the hotel. they call it 'after show' food.. i like to call it 'can't see my man parts in the shower by the end of the tour, not cause they're particularly small, but because i'm shaped like a weeble' food." Review: Orphans of the Industry: a review of Kristeen Young's The Orphans by John Higdon "[Kristeen's] fury was contrasted by her Kate Bush-like "little girl voice," lifted to operatic heights…[on one song], released into a blood-curdling scream on another. She was dramatic and petulant, prone to discordant chords and abrupt changes."

Ears with Feet: Focus on Violet of Undented by Beth Nelsen "Violet says, "It was in May of 1992, when Tori was on the initial LE press tour…. She played a cabaret club in San Francisco--the kind of place with lamps on each table and servers that bring you drinks during the show--and it was so intimate and relaxed, not highly-produced and stressful the way the shows are now. I was sitting about 10 feet away. Tori came out on stage and began playing "Little Earthquakes." She was only a couple of bars into the piano intro when some goober off to the right yelled out the name of another song ('Mother,' I think it was). She stopped, glared in his direction, said, 'Fuck off, I just started,' and went right back to playing."

PLUS: Ask the Expert by Nadyne Mielke, focusing on Collectibles, Jon Astley & Peabody's sports.. News by Woj,on the new album and tour; upcoming book releases and more.. Tori Stories by Martin Eden - The debut of our new comic strip!