the title song 'a sorta fairytale' is definitely convincing, the kind of tune that gets stuck in your head and will. not. go. away. note that neither the 101 Mix nor the Single version are the same as the (Scalet's Walk) album track, which includes a full new verse.

the b-side 'operation peter pan' is an extremely fair &sweet little song, with only tori vocals and (surprise!) acoustic guitar (yes, no piano), &if it sounds like a lullaby to you, that's because it is. (take a careful peek at the liner-notes for an official "tori statement").

finally, the multimedia track is a short 320x240 quicktime clip, with a polaroid-styled slide-show going on while you can listen to tori talking about the album/song concept, with ASF as the background music: a pretty thing, overall, and I guess you shouldn't expect much from a CD single multimedia component -- however, I would've preferred something better conspicuous, like the full ASF video, for instance.


Save your money! Just buy the "Scarlet's Walk" CD!   December 5, 2002
Invisiboy2001 (Chicago, IL United States)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

I love Tori Amos and I was never disappointed with any CD of hers I purchased...until now. This single contains three musical selections: two versions of "a sorta fairytale" and a non-album track called "Operation Peter Pan." The non-album song (which is an okay song and the only reason to buy this single) runs about a minute and a half--so it's not really worth the money.

The versions of "a sorta fairytale" on this CD are both subpar. Both songs are trimmed down versions of the album version of the song, with the 101 mix varying only slightly in instrumentation from the regular single version. The worst part of these edited versions is that important lyrics and moods are altered or completely eliminated, therefore undercutting the beautiful meaning of the song. To boot, the edit is so bad that the listener can actually tell where the song was sliced and diced...it's so painfully obvious that there is more to the song than was is delivered on this CD. I have my doubts that Tori Amos ever approved of these versions of "a sorta fairytale." She is such a perfectionist, and this single just stinks. It's tough to imagine Tori lowering her standards to this level.

The CD "Scarlet's Walk" is a wonderful CD and I recommend that whole-heartedly. But you can skip this CD altogether. You are not missing a thing.


101 Sorta Fairytale   November 6, 2002
Mozo (Manitowoc, WI United States)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

Very good single. I can't wait to get her latest release. The 101 is an exceptionally good mix and surpasses the album version. A type of song that gets stuck in your head and can be played over and over. This single has a potential for mainstream play on the radio. So far, Tori has enjoyed a very loyal, almost cult-like following. If this single hits the top ten, I hope long time fans will not change their opinion about her. Moreover, if she does get a long overdue recognition for this release, I hope it won't change the way she approaches music. Tori fans (fanatics): BUY this single for 101 version, even if you have the original album.


A Sorta Great Single! :)   April 5, 2003
Stephen Adkins (Saint Augustine, Florida)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I just received my copy from Amazon on Thursday and I really like it. I love "A Sorta Fairytale" (3:58) but wish that the edit hadn't been so poorly done. You can tell where the track has been chopped. The "101 Mix" (3:58) is good and has more of an echoing voice sound as well as different instrumentation. The track "Operation Peter Pan" (1:45) is a very good song though it is rather short. On the back sleeve of the single, where the track listing would normally be, there is this little note from Tori:

"Operation Peter Pan spanned from 1960-1962 whereby over 14,000 children were sent away from their families in Cuba, some never to reunite again. Pan Am took the children to Miami, Florida, "Never-Never Land", and the children became known as the "Peter Pans". I wrote this song for my daughter, and it is sung for all the daughters and mothers, fathers and brothers who felt this pain of separation all because of governments and their politics."

The multimedia track "A Scarlet Story" (1:45) is Tori's Voice talking over a slide show of the pictures from her album while "A Sorta Fairytale" plays in the background. I have both versions of "Scarlet's Walk", the limited edition box set and the standard CD.

I read ...that the next single will be "Taxi Ride" and I'm very happy about that. I absolutely love that song and feel it is one of the best from the album. The site said that the song would have a "radio edit" and I downloaded that version from there but can't tell any difference. It's the same length as the original. That's good too because the original is 4:00 and that's prety normal for radio play anyways.

"A Sorta Fairytale" is a great single and is worth having for the multimedia track and "Operation Peter Pan". Order your copy today and don't forget that the DVD single of "A Sorta Fairytale" will become available April 8, 2003!


Another "gotta have it" Tori CD single   December 5, 2002
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I don't really even consider buying CD-Singles for any artist other than Tori Amos. A Sorta Fairytale is another in a long line of incredible Amos singles. Strange Little Girls was an interesting album, but what I continually yearn for are brand new Tori Amos songs, and it has been awhile since any were available. A Sorta Fairytale is like an old friend, reflecting the kind of sound and emotion I equate with the early Tori Amos music I fell in love with. The song is a little more snazzy than her earliest Little Earthquakes masterpieces, but it feels like a song I have known and loved for years, a comfortable old friend who communicates with me in much more than mere words. We have two versions of the song here-the original album version and "The 101 Mix." I have to be honest and say that I often cannot really notice the difference between two different mixes of the same song, and that is the case here, but the song's so enjoyable that you want to listen to it more than once, anyway. The extra song included here is Operation Peter Pan; despite its relatively short length (1:45), it's pure Tori and a great song to have in your music library. Finally, we also get a little vignette in pictures of the story behind the title song accompanied by Tori's typically deep and guru-like summation of what the song really means and how it came into being. As a dedicated Tori fan, I am thrilled with the material making up this CD-single.