Woj tells me about a review of The Beekeeper from the February 20, 2005 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.

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You can read it online at sfgate.com or below.

TORI AMOS

It's not hard to see why Tori Amos has a thing for bees. Sting, honey, mysterious flight pattern: If they ever fancied changing jobs, they'd make great metaphors for her sexual-mystical songs. There are 19 such songs on "The Beekeeper," recorded in her 300-year-old barn in the English countryside (the North Carolina native married an Englishman and moved into King Arthur's old 'hood) and assembled into a song cycle. Being Amos, the story's oblique but explained (sort of) in the DVD that comes in this exquisitely designed package. It involves six gardens (seven if you use the free pack of wildflower seeds to grow your own), the power of nature, the power of men, women in Christianity, mothers, lust, betrayal, love, war, terrorism and orange underwear (those last two in a song where Amos does a duet with Damien Rice). Musically, it's more honey than sting, slinky and sensuous, no savage, emotional shock-and-awe moments. The most tender, thoughtful songs -- haunting "Toast," bonus song "Garlands" and the poignant, beautiful title track -- have an English pastoral feel, though more ("Original Sinsuality," "Sweet the Sting") have gospel roots, with Amos on Hammond organ, backed by a gospel choir. Either way, it's a breath of fresh air. -- Sylvie Simmons