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“Each song that Amos generates becomes its own environment, sustaining elements of myth and legend, of her musical forebears and her own innovations, of autobiography and fiction, wildness and precision. Asked the secrets of her trade, she shares not merely a handful of tips but a spirit of adventure, the exhilarating sensation of diving in.”
–Ann Powers, from Chapter Three, “Saraswati: The Art of Composition”
Tori Amos is a writer of song. But in order to understand the lyrics and music this remarkable composer has woven into our collective musical tapestry, one must understand the woman—her personal history, her joys and struggles, her creative process. From the multi-platinum recording star whose seven albums have earned her eight Grammy nominations and album sales of more than 12 million copies worldwide comes TORI AMOS: Piece by Piece (Broadway Books; Hardcover; February 8, 2005; $23.95), a rare meditation on an artist’s life and creativity.
In collaboration with Ann Powers, one of the most respected music journalists of today, Amos shares her self and her passion with readers through a series of face-to-face dialogues with Powers, e-mail exchanges, and the context and perspective of those in her inner circle. Complemented by twenty-five exclusive photos and “song canvases” that trace the evolution of particular songs, TORI AMOS: Piece by Piece reveals a rare window into the artistry of one of the most prolific women in contemporary female music.
Beginning, appropriately, at the beginning, Amos describes how growing up as the daughter of a Methodist minister and an Eastern Cherokee mother influenced not only her spirituality but her music, forcing her to examine what role the gospel of God and the oral tradition of Native Americans would play in her life. Her grandfather, Poppa, played a pivotal role in shaping the woman Amos would become, instilling in her a love of the earth and an awareness that her talents were a blessing not to be taken for granted. Her mother played an integral role as well, handing down her love of books, a passion that Amos would share and that would ultimately become the backbone of her creative process.