From the Choirgirl Hotel

Infobox Album
Name=From the Choirgirl Hotel
Type=studio
Artist=Tori Amos


Released=May 5 1998
Recorded=September 8, 1997 – early 1998
Genre=Alternative rock, electronica
Length=57:00
Label=Atlantic
Producer=Tori Amos
Reviews=
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ceb8b5b4msqs link]
*"Details Magazine Rating|4|5
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B+) [http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60148499&loc=109&PageFormat=7 5/1998 (p.75)]
*Nude as the News (positive) [http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/494 link]
*Pitchfork Media (6.7/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/14932/Tori_Amos_From_the_Choirgirl_Hotel link]
*"Mojo" (Positive)
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/toriamos/albums/album/224872/review/5942979/from_the_choirgirl_hotel 1998]
*"NME" Rating|3|5
*"Q" Rating|4|5
*"Spin" (8/10) [http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60148499&loc=109&PageFormat=7 6/1998 (pp.127-128)]
Last album="Boys for Pele"
(1996)
This album="From the Choirgirl Hotel"
(1998)
Next album="To Venus and Back"
(1999)
Misc=Singles
Name=the Choirgirl Hotel
Type=studio
single 1=Spark
single 2=Jackie's Strength
single 3=Cruel
single 4=Raspberry Swirl
single 1 date=1998
single 2 date=1998
single 3 date=1998
single 4 date=1998

"From the Choirgirl Hotel" is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. A departure from her previous albums, it was much more lavishly produced and a very radio-friendly project featuring a full rock band sound (instead of Amos' usual minimalist piano sound). Upon its release in May 1998, the album debuted at US #5 and UK #6. While falling short of the # 2 debut for her previous album, "Boys For Pele" (1996), "From the Choirgirl Hotel" is Amos' strongest debut to date in sales, selling 153,000 copies in the first week. [cite web |last = |first = |title = Garth Boxes In Billboard 200's Top Slot |publisher = "Billboard" |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=951854| date=1998-05-14| accessdate=2008-06-01] Amos received two 1999 Grammy nominations: Alternative Music Performance, and Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Raspberry Swirl."

The lead single "Spark" became a hit after its release in June 1998 (becoming her last UK Top 40 hit to date, as well as her highest charting US single, reaching #49), and was followed by "Jackie's Strength" (September 1998) and "Cruel/Raspberry Swirl" (November 1998).

The accompanying tour, Amos' first with a full band (using the album's personnel of Matt Chamberlain on drums, Jon Evans on bass, and long-time collaborator Steve Caton on guitar), was known as the "Plugged '98 Tour" and took Amos through most of 1998.

Album description

The album began recording on September 8, 1997, with mastering complete by early February 1998. Following the trend set by 1996's "Boys For Pele", Amos allowed several songs from the album to be remixed. Remixes of both "Raspberry Swirl" and "Jackie's Strength" were club hits. The album's theme dealt very closely with the first two in Amos' series of three miscarriages between 1996 and 1999 [cite web | last = | first = | title = Vital Tori article from She Magazine in the UK - December 2003 | publisher = | url =http://www.thedent.com/more.php?id=A1096_0_1_0_M] .

Thematically and conceptually, the "choirgirl hotel" of the title refers to the fictional, imaginary place where the songs "live." Amos pointed out that although the songs are recorded, they are also alive themselves - they can be re-modeled and reshaped in concert etc. Amos imagined the songs as living their own lives, all checking into the "choirgirl hotel" (i.e. the album) but living separate lives. In the artwork, Amos included a hand-drawn map detailing the stomping ground of these songs. [cite journal
authorlink = |first = | title = Tori, British Airways Highlife Magazine, |date= May 1998]

The album artwork was created by the UK-based photographer, Katerina Jebb. The artwork features full-body color photocopies of Amos (in various couture outfits) as scanned by a human-sized photocopier. [cite web | last = | first = | title = HEREINMYHEAD.COM - artistic expressions - katerina jebb profile | publisher = | url =http://www.hereinmyhead.com/artimp/katerina/index.html | accessdate =2007-02-22]

Track listing

tracklist
all_writing = Amos

title1 = Spark
length1 = 4:13

title2 = Cruel
length2 = 4:07

title3 = Black-Dove (January)
length3 = 4:38

title4 = Raspberry Swirl
length4 = 3:58

title5 = Jackie's Strength
length5 = 4:26

title6 = i i e e e
length6 = 4:07

title7 = Liquid Diamonds
length7 = 6:21

title8 = She's Your Cocaine
length8 = 3:42

title9 = Northern Lad
length9 = 4:19

title10 = Hotel
length10 = 5:19

title11 = Playboy Mommy
length11 = 4:08

title12 = Pandora's Aquarium
length12 = 4:45

B-sides

The album, as with most of Amos' albums, is also known for its collection of original b-sides. Amos recorded a host of songs that did not make the album, but were released as b-sides to various singles or performed live in concerts. The songs "Cooling," "Never Seen Blue," and "Beulah Land" were originally written and recorded for 1996's "Boys for Pele" album.

References