The reality is that Tori Amos is an incredibly talented artist, but she is not to everyone's taste. Nor is she entirely consistent purely within her own work, but more on that shortly.

As a sampler of her work, this is certainly honest; to those of you who have never heard her work before, it gives a very accurate overview of her entire career, taking representative songs from each album (except for the penultimate two due to label difficulties). The early emotive brilliance of Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink are well served by 'Silent All These Years' and 'Winter'. The highly personal (and gospel tinged) nature of Boys For Pele is shown by "Way Down" and "Mr Zebra".... If you were to choose to purchase any of Tori's past albums on the basis of liking a song here, and looking up which album it was included upon, you would be unlikely to be disappointed with it's companions upon the original platter. If you have ever heard just one Tori Amos song that has moved you in any small way, this would be a good place to test the waters before fully diving in to her entire back catalogue. I must admit that I though that I think Little Earthquakes by itself would be a much better starting point...

But back to this CD, and this is likely to get me plenty of "unhelpful" reviews, it must be understood that not all that is included here is magnificent. If you are a long standing Tori Amos fan, but are not blindly partisan, that is if Boys For Pele and the collection of cover songs Strange Little Girls put you off somewhat, this re-working of past classics will likely disappoint you. Very little has been changed from many of the original versions, so whilst what you are purchasing remains for the most part the songs you know and have grown to love dearly, the changes that Tori has made are mostly a regression in quality. Whilst taste in music is a subjective judgement, it's hard to see any addition to the songs as contained here which doesn't contradict the very things fans loved about the originals. Precious Things is still Precious Things, except that any hint of anger or bitterness, which made the original so evocative of that "kicked in the guts by love" feeling, seems to have been flattened out in this version, making it seem a much more pedestrian rather than a precious song. Sweet Dreams seems to have lost it's quirky beat. Winter on the other hand has instead gained a noticeably jarring drum beat in the background at one point..
Were this album a collection of complete remixes, it would perhaps be easily recommended to people who already have the albums, simply for a radically different perspective. But this is simply a collection of songs you've already got, but with lots of small irritants added to them, and as such I don't believe I can recommend this to those of you who actually have the originals.

And yet what of the new content included? Most of the reviews so far have enthused mightily upon them; Were they two songs of Tori Amos at her most phenomenal, I'd have no qualms about recommending this CD to anyone. It was in hope of a new `Song For Eric' or `Here. In My Head' that I purchased it myself... her fans need no further evidence of her ability; Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink have been closer friends to me than most people. However... My own view now is that the two tracks here, `Angels' and `Snow Cherries From France' remind me of nothing more than Tori at her most bland, at her most muzak-ical. Think of them as songs that didn't make To Venus And Back, due to being a bit flat and un-engaging. I thus find it impossible to then state that this CD is worth the price that is being asked for it on the basis of new content alone.
That's a minority opinion amongst reviewers here it seems though, and perhaps one that future listeners would not agree with either. So the question is whether you are prepared to take a risk on paying for a complete album in order to hear them and decide for yourself? Just how important is it to you to have everything Tori Amos has ever released in your CD collection? If, like myself, you value the quality of the music above all else, this is not an album you really need.


Never heard Tori? Really? Well, here you go!   January 23, 2004
Princess Alice (Neverland)
38 out of 43 found this review helpful

While I usually don't like to recommend best-of or collection compilations of artists as starters, I think this one does a good job of touching on the various aspects of Tori. Only setback is a collection can't give you that same feel of a single album--a single entity--and the message and culture that comes with it.

Tales of a Librarian seems to focus on her debut album quite a bit (whilst her live CD focused a lot on Under The Pink). So, from Little Earthquakes, we have: Precious Things, Silent All These Years, Winter, Crucify, Me And A Gun, Tear In Your Hand, and Sweet Dreams (well, the latter is a b-side from that era). A very fine set of songs! Each of these songs are special to me in one way or another, and I'd say they represent the best from Little Earthquakes.

On to Under the Pink! Cornflake Girl; always fun to hear. God is alright. Upbeat. And, as I scan the track list again, Baker Baker makes up the only other song. A neat little song, but I'd rather hear something like Icicle or Yes, Anastasia. Probably just me, though.

It's too bad that Boys for Pele isn't as well-liked as some of the other ones. It has a strange charm to it, and I always seem to listen to that one more than the others. Anywho, all of the Pele songs are grouped together here in the middle: Way Down, Professional Widow, and Mr. Zebra. Everyone loves Mr. Zebra; gotta have that one. And although I enjoy the original version of Widow, I've always disliked the remixes. Understandable that they'd include a remix since it's a club favourite (I wouldn't know). It's too bad Marianne, Hey Jupiter or Blood Roses weren't included. Again, probably just me. (Blood Roses wouldn't really fit the theme of Angels and Mary and God).

Choirgirl is a neat album, and it houses one of me favourite tunes: Spark. And, sweet delight, it's on here! Heh. The first time I listened to this CD and Spark came on, I made everyone shut up so as I could take in the whole song. Anyway, there's also Jackie's Strength (a pretty song), and Playboy Mommy. I've always been fond of Playboy Mommy. It has a nice groove to it.

Bliss (from Venus), is a neat combination of acoustic and electronic. I like. There aren't any songs from Strange Little Girls (aw, no Rattlesnakes) or Scarlet's Walk (I have a feeling it was made before Scarlet's, and wasn't released until now because of label issues).

The new songs are neat. Angels sounds like a toned-down groove derived from Strange Little Girl (song, not the album). I'm not the biggest fan of Mary. Maybe it's the harsh chorus. And Snow Cherries From France is a good way to finish things off.

As far as the DVD goes, I've read some negative stuff about it. I must object! Maybe it's because I love Tori's work and am completely moved everytime I hear her live (whether it's with a band or just her solo), but I loved the performances on the DVD. Besides, with the whole collection at the same price as one CD, the DVD is practically free. Who's complaining? Tales of a Librarian is a nice addition to veteren and newcomer alike.


Great Songs, But Flawed Compliation   December 13, 2003
Paul Allaer (Cincinnati)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

After 12 years, 7 albums and countless singles, here appears the first ever compilation of Tori Amos. "Tales of a Librarian" (20 songs; 78 min., plus bonus DVD) is neither a "best of" nor a "greatest hits" but simply a compilation of great Tori Amos songs.

The first half of the album is the "rockier" one, with such classics as "Precious Things" (Tori's best song ever?), "Cornflake Girl", "God", "Spark", "Crucify" and the new song "Angels" which sounds straight out of "Scarlet's Walk". The second half is the more reflective half, with "Mr. Zebra", "Me and a Gun", "Baker Baker" and the new ballad "Snow Cherries from France", quite beautiful.

The problem with this compilation is that it ignores, for whatever reason, the latter part of Tori's career: only 1 song ("Bliss") from the terrific "To Venus and Back", nothing from "Strange Little Girls" and, due to contractual label issues, also nothing from last year's "Scarlet's Walk". That means only 1 song from Tori's last 5 years! Also missing from earlier albums are essential songs/hits such as "Caught a Light Sneeze" and "Hey Jupiter". Why?

The bonus DVD puzzles me completely. Sure, the 3 songs on it (recorded at a soundcheck on Tori's 2003 summer tour) are terrific, in particular "Honey", with Matt Chamberlain (drums) and Jon Evans (bass) providing excellent support. However, considering that a DVD can contain 3+ hours of content, we get 15 minutes?? What is the point of that?


Great Tori Collection   December 27, 2003
Aaron (Ohio, USA)
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

For the most part, this is an outstanding collection of some of Tori's best works. Of course, you can't please everyone and a couple of my personal favorites aren't here *China, Hey Jupiter, Northren Lad* but oh, well.

Many of the stand-outs on here are from her debut "Little Earthquakes." These include the haunting "Crucify" along with the beautiful "Winter" and "Silent All These Years." "God" from "Under the Pink" is here and respresents one of Tori's most controversial moments. "Boys For Pele" is horribly misrepresented on here which is my biggest complaint. "Professional Widow" is in a horrible remixed form and the other two tracks from this album are the short tracks "Way Down" and "Hey Zebra." I would've rather seen "Hey Jupiter" or "Putting the Damage On." Thankfully, the highlights of "From the Choirgirl Hotel" are presented being "Spark" and the gorgeous "Jackie's Strength." New tracks include "Mary" "Sweet Dreams" and my favorite "Snow Cherries From France."

To sum it up, a strong collection, but I wish something from "Scarlet's Walk" would've been added *namely "A Sorta Fairytale."


a must own for Ears With Feet   December 12, 2003
Joe Sherry (Minnesota)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

"Tales of a Librarian" is the new cd from Tori Amos. While at first glance it may seem like a Greatest Hits album, it is not. All 20 songs were selected by Tori, so rather than this being a collection of her singles, this is a collection of Tori's favorite tracks. There are 16 songs from her first five albums (nothing from Strange Little Girls or Scarlet's Walk), 2 former B-Sides (Mary, Sweet Dreams), and 2 new songs (Angels, Snow Cherries from France). These songs have been remixed and remastered, and in some cases, rerecorded. For most of the songs, there is little noticeable difference. I have read that the vocals have been brought up on "Winter", but I couldn't tell any difference from the version on "Little Earthquakes".

There are songs that you are different. Both "Cornflake Girl" and "Tear in Your Hand" have some extra lines sung on top of existing verses. "Professional Widow" is a dance mix, and while I would have much preferred the slower, mournful "Merry Widow" version, this is a new look at the song. The album also features some of my favorites like "Playboy Mommy", "Silent All These Years", and "Precious Things", among many others.

I am the happiest about the inclusion of "Mary", which has long been one of my favorite b-sides. The other b-side, "Sweet Dreams" has a much different sound than you will find on the single for "Winter". I wasn't too impressed with "Angels", but "Snow Cherries from France" is a much better song (despite the silly title).

There is also a bonus DVD included in this set. There are 5 songs on this DVD. Three of them are videos made from a sound check before one of Tori's shows. The three videos are "Honey", "Northern Lad", and "Pretty Good Year". There are also two audio tracks: "Mr Zebra", and "Putting the Damage On". While it was nice to have three videos, this was not a very impressive DVD.

I'm a huge fan of Tori Amos, so I naturally love the album. It's great to have this many great songs on one album rather than being spread across 5 albums. The DVD did not really add anything to this collection, but as a fan of Tori Amos, there is nothing to complain about here. This is a must own set for Ears With Feet (Tori's term for her fans).