The August 2005 issue of Me Magazine in the Philippines includes a review of The Beekeeper.

More Details

Thanks to Hoochie Merman for telling me about this review, which you can read below:

The Piano Girls Still in Circuit
By Alden Copuyoc and Karl Domingo

"The Beekeeper"
Tori Amos
Sony

Tori Amos's The Beekeeper is another masterpiece from the piano goddess herself that pirouettes on the turf of divine femininity -- the union of a woman's musical and spiritual maturity and her cajolement to the life of one of the most influential yet strangely ignored biblical characters Mary Magdalene.

Combining the musical virtuosity of her Boys for Pele, the lyrical honesty of Little Earthquakes, and the conversational accessibility of Scarlet's Walk, Tori's latest album traces vignettes of her life and drama again as she sifts through Mary Magdalene's and processes her theories in humanity and religion into one digestible form -- music. Joining the neutral strength of Cuban percussions, the masculinity of the Hammond organ and the femininity of the shrilly sounds of the Bsendorfer grand piano, Tori produces a brand new sound that is entirely hers, cementing herself once again as one of the most intelligent literate females in the history of music.

The album opens with "Parasol," her most mature opening track to date, tackling how a woman can fight an unseen war when she begins to come to terms with herself. The song's infectiousness dwells on the repetitive charm of the chorus, releasing more power in every reiteration.

The lustful "Sweet the Sting" then follows it, where the harmony of the grand piano and the Hammond organ unify in musical synergy. The third track, "The Power of Orange Knickers," a duet with Irish crooner Damien Rice, is the most dramatic track of all. Here, Tori wails of love lost again as Damien consoles her with his low singsong voice.

Other notable tracks include: "Cars and Guitars" which talks about love reconciling differences; "Ribbons Undone" which dwells on Tori's motherhood and "The Beekeeper," which would remind anyone of her To Venus and Back album.

The Beekeeper is a proof that although the piano prodigy has grown, she considers motherhood, not as a phase of calmness and rest, but, just like any other true artist, a valid creative force.