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To Venus and Back is a two-disc album set released by singer and songwriter Tori Amos in 1999. The first disc, called Venus: Orbiting, had eleven original studio songs and found Amos experimenting heavily in electronica. It spawned the singles "Bliss" (August 1999), "1000 Oceans" (August 1999), "Glory of the 80's" (Europe only, November 1999), and "Concertina" (U.S. only, February 2000). The second disc, called Venus Live: Still Orbiting was a thirteen track album compilation of live tracks from her 1997–1998 tour. The album, priced higher than previous releases because of its two-disc format, sold 112,000 copies in the US in its first week and debuted at US #12[1] and UK #22, breaking her run of three consecutive UK Top 10 albums.
In November of 1999, the album achieved RIAA Certification, reaching Gold and Platinum sales status simultaneously, due to the release being a double CD set.[2]
The album, which began life as a proposed B-sides album, is sparser both in production and arrangement than From the Choirgirl Hotel, but is similar to its predecessor in that it features overt electronica influences and a relatively subdued piano sound. The album finds Amos' voice and piano subverted in a sonic maze of electronic washes and effects, and some songs, notably "Juarez" and the epic "Datura," are largely built around these effects. Topics covered on the album include unsolved murdered female maquiladora workers in Mexico on the U.S.-Mexico border, hallucinogenic plants, and Napoleon Bonaparte. The album is recognized as one of Amos' most experimental yet melodic, and received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its originality, innovation and unpredictable song structures, and others scolding it because of its overuse of electronic instruments (which was also praised by some) and lack of the ‘classic’ Tori Amos sound, most present on albums such as Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink.
The album received two 2000 Grammy Awards nominations: Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Bliss" and Alternative Music Performance for the album.
In November 1999, Tori Amos was quoted by Pulse Magazine as saying that this record says a lot about the shadows and the shadow world.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Amos.
| Disc one |
| # |
Title |
Length |
| 1. |
"Bliss" |
3:42 |
| 2. |
"Juárez" |
3:48 |
| 3. |
"Concertina" |
3:56 |
| 4. |
"Glory of the '80s" |
4:03 |
| 5. |
"Lust" |
3:54 |
| 6. |
"Suede" |
4:58 |
| 7. |
"Josephine" |
2:30 |
| 8. |
"Riot Poof" |
3:28 |
| 9. |
"Dãtura" |
8:25 |
| 10. |
"Spring Haze" |
4:44 |
| 11. |
"1000 Oceans" |
4:19 |
| Disc two |
| # |
Title |
Length |
| 1. |
"Precious Things" |
7:37 |
| 2. |
"Cruel" |
6:47 |
| 3. |
"Cornflake Girl" |
6:31 |
| 4. |
"Bells for Her" |
5:42 |
| 5. |
"Girl" |
4:15 |
| 6. |
"Cooling" |
5:09 |
| 7. |
"Mr. Zebra" |
1:17 |
| 8. |
"Cloud on My Tongue" |
4:58 |
| 9. |
"Sugar" |
5:10 |
| 10. |
"Little Earthquakes" |
7:37 |
| 11. |
"Space Dog" |
5:46 |
| 12. |
"The Waitress" |
10:24 |
| 13. |
"Purple People" |
4:11 |
[edit] Charts
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1999 |
Billboard 200 (U.S.) |
12 |
| 1999 |
Billboard Top Internet Albums (U.S.) |
1 |
| 1999 |
Official UK Album Chart (UK) |
22 |
| 1999 |
ARIA Album Chart (Australia) |
6 |
| 1999 |
Austrian Album Chart (Austria) |
17 |
| 1999 |
Top Best Selling Albums (Canada) |
18 |
| 1999 |
Finnish Album Chart (Finland) |
30 |
| 1999 |
IFOP Album Chart (France) |
31 |
| 1999 |
German Album Chart (Germany) |
11 |
| 1999 |
Norway Album Chart (Norway) |
10 |
| 1999 |
Dutch Album Chart (the Netherlands) |
24 |
| 1999 |
Swedish Album Chart (Sweden) |
49 |
| 1999 |
Swiss Album Chart (Switzerland) |
27 |
[edit] Singles
| Title |
Chart |
Position |
| "Bliss" (1999) |
Billboard Hot 100 (U.S.) |
91 |
| "Glory of the '80s" (1999) |
Official UK Singles Chart (UK) |
46 |
| "1000 Oceans" (1999) |
Billboard Single Sales (U.S.) |
22 |
The album was supported by a short tour in 1999, the "Five and a Half Weeks Tour", which Amos co-headlined with Alanis Morissette beginning a month prior to the release of To Venus and Back. Many referred to Amos as the "opening act" for Morissette because she always performed first; however, this was due only to the logistics of setting up a grand piano for performance. An Amos-only stint, the "To Dallas and Back" tour, also took place, but promotional plans were cut when Amos suffered her third miscarriage, again at three months, on November 11, 1999.
[edit] References
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Tori Amos |
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