Tori Amos

A Collection: Tales of a Librarian (Atlantic)
by Tim Den

A gathering of Tori Amos‘ best works, plus an accompanying DVD, four new tracks, and a gorgeous booklet: How can you go wrong? Alright, maybe the new tracks aren’t so hot (“Mary” and “Sweet Dreams,” both written in the early ’90s, are some of Amos’ most bland) and not much from her later Atlantic albums are covered, but you could do a lot worse for a “best of.” Amos obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the packaging, sequencing, and choosing of songs, since everything is arranged neatly and brilliantly as library references. And damn it if she doesn’t look better than ever, 10+ years after Little Earthquakes. For the completists, get this if only for its looks. For the casual fan, nothing’s more perfect.
(www.toriamos.com)