A review of Scarlet's Walk appeared in the college newspaper the Daily Bruin on November 5, 2002 and became available via University Wire. Thanks to Lucy for sending this to The Dent.

Tori Amos takes musical odyssey
By Christopher Cobb, Daily Bruin

Tori Amos is an acquired taste. But if you've acquired the taste, "Scarlet's Walk" will satisfy.

After "Strange Little Girls," an album composed of a barrage of covers from the Beatles to Eminem, Amos returns with some original material. But the album itself is not a return to the performer known as Tori Amos. With "Walk," Amos channels an alter-ego, Scarlet, who is on a road trip across the United States. There is less piano than is generally expected from an Amos effort, while the tunes themselves and orchestration are somewhat straightforward and not a great departure for "Scarlet."

In fact, the liner notes to the album include colored routes across the United States that correspond with particular songs. The familiar "a sorta fairytale" follows the Pacific Coast Highway down California, before meandering east into Arizona and New Mexico. The title song begins in southern Virginia before venturing into the Carolinas.

Even Alaska and Hawaii are included in the odyssey, captured in "Amber Waves" and "another girl's paradise."

The challenge for listeners is in the attempt to understand what "Scarlet" is about. With the complexity of Amos's lyrics, this is no easy feat.

Weighing in at almost 74 minutes, "Scarlet's Walk" is a mammoth album. For those interested or already into Amos, make sure to take it along on the next road trip.

Go Back To Articles

Go Back To ToriNews