Shiny & New Turns 2: #3 "Pretty Good Year" - Tori Amos

"Your best friend agreed / Still / Pretty good year"

Me and Tori Amos. We have an unstable relationship. She’s a moaning, melodramatic, whiney, irritating banshee... but I love her. I don’t want to. She doesn’t deserve my love, but I can’t help it. You know, I’d much rather just be a die-hard Dannii Minogue but beggars can’t be choosers. I was forced (yes dear readers, forced against my very own will) to listen to Tori and immediately took a disliking to the smug cow, but her music was undeniably gorgeous. Fulfilling, breathtaking, transporting music. My boyfriend gave me her most accessible work, as you do, which happened to be the album Under the Pink. Begrudgingly, I gave it a listen. I was immediately seduced by “Cornflake Girl”, as many have been, yet it was “Pretty Good Year” which caught me by surprise.

I remember listening late at night in bed on my iPod – many a good listen has happened in those environs – and being completely enraptured by the unassuming, meek piano melody and her (a rare occurrence) crystal clear lyrics. As the piano evolves into a more playful role, the layered vocals in the “Amerrrrikah!” outburst and undercurrent strings serve to keep you locked unlawful Tori trance. And then all of a sudden – she ruins it. Bringing back the wailing and screaming three quarters of the way through, upon the first listen I was so angry. Here I was, actually enjoying a Tori Amos song for once and the cow has to go and ruin a beautifully intimate and gorgeous song with a brash, crude and annoying interlude. But you know, that’s the whole point of repeat listens.

She didn’t ruin the song. Of course she didn’t. It makes the song even better – it fucks it up a bit, catches you off guard. And it’s artists like Tori Amos who demand repeat plays from the listener. You cannot understand a composition of hers in one, two, maybe even ten listens – she makes you go round the houses. But two years later, I’ve come to terms with it. It’s a hell of a lot more of a satisfying experience than the throw away pop which clogs up much of my iTunes (everything ha sa time and a place) and the ability to change opinions on music, or any form of art for that matter, whether it’s from good to bad and back to good or whatever, should be cherished.