Tori Amos

I think we had this discussion. I'll check.

Edited by Snow Dog - October 11 2009 at 06:23

Saying that we may as well let in Elton John would be really weak, and each artist is evaluated on its own merits (of course people make associations with other acts which is fair if it's apple vs. apple comparisons).  Truth be told, from my too limited knowledge, I'd rather see Elton John in, but he has already been rejected for Prog Related (not that I would care much to see EJ in, but I wonder if Tori Amos made anything as prog-sounding as "Funeral for a Friend" or auditioned for any Prog bands as Elton John did, and was rejected for, King Crimson and Gentle Giant... plus there's the Elton Dean connection).

I haven't listened to that full album, but I have yet to hear Tori Amos music that sounds sufficiently prog to my ear (I have checked out music that was suggested as being her most Prog and it didn't strike me as that suitable for the archives, but people hear with different ears and make different associations.... Sometimes one does need to hear full albums to get the Prog flavour).  Obviously many do hear proggishness in her music, but I think most would think Prog Related at best, and getting into Prog Related is a diffcicult process with strict guidelines that include the artist/band influencing Prog as well as being influenced by Prog (as Kate Bush is a Prog Related artist, being influenced by Kate Bush would not be sufficient, that would make her more of a related to prog related artist),  I haven't read through the other thread to see if any conclusions were reached.  Crossover would be the only other category to consider, I think, but I could not see her there based on what I know.  I do concede that I do not know enough.  And having concept albums is, of course, not nearly enough.  Alice Copper, for instance, isn't in either (though I might think he has a case).

Anyway, discussion really should be continued in the last Tori Amos thread.

Of course there is merit to the suggestion as she has been suggested a few times and various people have supported the addition:

Topic: Tori Amos-Deserves to be in Prograchives
Forum: Suggest New Bands and Artists

Topic: I suggest Tori Amos
Forum: Suggest New Bands and Artists

Aside from people not having heard full, appropriate albums, a problem seems to be that a sufficient case has not been built for Tori Amos fulfilling the necessary criteria for her gaining access to Prog Related: From, hyperlink ahead --> Prog Related

Prog Related is the category that groups bands and artists that: - Without being 100% Prog, received clear MUSICAL influence of this genre, AND - Are widely accepted as MUSICALLY influential to the development of Progressive Rock by the community, AND - Blend characteristics of Progressive Rock with mainstream elements creating a final product that despite not being part of the genre is evident that are close to Prog. ... Prog Related bands are not considered part of the genre, but they have contributed in some form [to] the development of Progressive Rock.  The inclusion of a band is exceptional and only after verifying that it's a contribution for the better understanding of Prog among the members and visitors instead of a source of confusion for the community.

Having proggy albums is not enough, she should also be infleunced by Prog artists and influence Prog herself.

Alright, I was expecting to lose this anyway. It's just I don't have such a technical grasp of what prog actually is and mentally it's easy to confuse being "prog" with just being generally wierd/arty. But it's right to have more stringent specifications or otherwise everyone who's ever done anything a bit unexpected from Bjork to Pearl Jam to REM (and hey, Green Day did two rock operas) would be in.

Slartibartfast wrote: Snow Dog wrote: I think we had this discussion. I'll check. Yes a rather lenghty one. http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53018&KW=Tori+Amos&PID=3020756#3020756 Oh no, we have not discussed this at all.

npjnpj wrote: I fully support Textbook's suggestion for prog-related (as is probably well-known by now). When I read the comparisons to Elton John and Journey here, it's clearly because those people have never actually sat down and listened to one of he albums, especially the later ones. For a woman she's thematically surprisingly like Jon Anderson on steroids (...or testosterone?)

That's weird, I've never considered her Jon related but I can kind of see that.

mmm... I don't know why The Chroma Key is consider prog and Tori Amos don't... really... I really support the fact that she make conceptual albums... and she's very experimental... to say something... The Beatles aren't really prog but they included it... so I don't see why she cannot be prog-related... and her music is not similar to Elton John... so I support the idea... Tori Amos made great music, with good instrumentation, complex harmonies, a lot of experimentation and doing Conceptual albums... I say yes... she should be...!!!