Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
The American dream is sold upon a lie we have told ourselves, its victims are those who hold the illusion up, the dead, the slaves, the ones who emotionally could not cope with the fantasy, the president who sought change but paid with their life, the native, the ones before the European invader who now rule the roost from coast to coast and from the gulf to the borders of cold forests and a less intense lifestyle, having their stories cut short and mostly lost except through perseverance and the beauty of aural reassurance and passion.
The American dream is a slice of history that relies on the lie being upheld, and in the wake of September 11th 2001, that dream has threatened to crack wide open, and the individual can see their trails, their journey through the eyes of the oppressed and the drama of the accompanying metaphor.
Tori Amos’ splendid concept release, Scarlet’s Walk, released just over a year from the horrific events in 2001 still resonates, and now for the first time issued in a vinyl format, the listener is granted a revisit, a re-evaluation of the sheer intensity and brilliance that grabbed the audience as the seventh studio album, and which propelled Ms. Amos into a new and determined era, one that captivates and perhaps asks the fundamental questions on just how colonisation has cost the Native American their stories, their life in the wake of the shattering experiences on their land.
The concept album is always one in which the artist can truly allow to express their feelings in such a way that that the music transcends the genre they prolifically perform in, it becomes almost cinematic, the scenes of the songs opening a world of comment and desire, and Scarlet’s Walk is no exception. The female narrative, the many voices, the sense of anguish, loss, betrayal, fear, anger, rage, of love, and history of that of one of the most cherished institutions of the American people, the road trip.
An album of such quality always deserves its place in the pantheon of music greats, and there is no doubting the sense of beauty that weaves its way the combination of soaring vocals, deep meaningful philosophy, and the gorgeousness of the musicianship, and as a vinyl issue allows songs such as Amber Waves, the fantastic A Sorta Fairytale and Wednesday, the drama of Strange, the bitter sadness of Don’t Make Me Come To Vegas, the telling understanding I Can’t See New York, Mrs Jesus, and Another Girl’s Paradise, to renew the love of an album that is arguably in the top three albums of Ms. Amos’ long and valued career.
Scarlet’s Walk is a phenomenon, of that it is indisputable, and every track takes the listener on that one invaluable truth, that the journey needs to be more than fun, it needs to teach us a lesson, it needs to remind us our fallibility and the lies we have believed, and most of all to feel shame and love in equal measure for our mistakes and the ways we make amends. Simply outstanding.
Ian D. Hall