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Juice The Hard Word, Interrogation 01.1a She’s always had a way with words. But in this case, Tori Amos’ notoriously
kooky interview style may in fact be driven by sleep deprivation rather than
straight ahead eccentricity. In the middle of promoting and touring new album
To Venus and Back (a double CD with live best of) and just off a tour with
Alanis Morrisette, JUICE found Amos in good spirits indeed. Juice: This section is called the
Hard Word, and it features some silly questions. Tori: Silly’s good. Juice: What do you think of
Stimpy’s new record? Tori: What did you say? Juice: Stimpy Trent Reznor’s new
album? Tori: Oh. Ask that question
again. Juice: What do you think of
Stimpy’s new album? Tori: How do you know all this
nonsense? Juice: I read it on one of the
few Tori Amos websites that didn’t have the word obsessed in the title Are you
surprised that I know that you nick-named Trent Reznor Stimpy? Tori: Uh-huh. Juice: It was in a FAQ from 1994.
I presume 1994 would have been the height of Ren & Stimpy. Tori: It was a bit to do with
that. It’s a joke. Juice: The album ? Tori: No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no. No. In 1994, calling him Stimpy. It was having a bit of a giggle. I
have not had the chance to hear Trent’s album, but it’s something I want to do.
You have to understand, I don’t even have a CD player on the road with me now.
Right now I am negotiating maybe three hours of sleep a night. That’s where I
am right now in my life. But I’ve heard some wonderful things about it. Juice: Is three hours of sleep
what you normally get by on? Tori: No, that’s something I’m
dealing with now. But it’s kind of making me a bit cranky. Juice: Oh right. OK. Tori: We’re in a different city
every day, and I haven’t done this kind of thing in years, you know, all these
television promotional things because I opted to do world tours instead.
Because this is a double album and it’s Christmas, I decided after the American
tour that I just did - mostly with Alanis, but then with the band for a couple
of weeks - I decided I was gonna do Europe like I did in 1992 when Little
Earthquakes came out. So it’s a city a day, and it’s really different kinda
thing. Juice: Well, I’ll save the most
irritating questions until later then, if it’s possible. Tori: No, that’s OK. Bring it on.
Juice: If you can’t give me a
verdict on Stimpy, what do you think of Alanis’ new record? You must be
familiar with that. Tori: Well, I’ve heard her live.
But can I tell you a secret? I don’t comment on other people’s records, because
I don’t really want them commenting on mine. [laughs] Juice: You think it’d turn into a
slagging match? Tori: It’s either that or just a
politically correct answer or it’s gushing. Like when I hear people talking
about the Radiohead record, I think, “Oh, get a life, get in the studio and do
something yourself, you big loser. Go create your own thing, get a life.” My
opinions on other people’s records I leave to myself. Juice: The first thing that came
up when I searched for Tori Amos online was an ad for some shoes you were
endorsing. What’s good about them? Tori: Have you heard of Steve
Madden? Juice: No. Tori: Steve Madden is a huge shoe
boutique in the States, mostly platform shoes. His demographic is generally
just anyone who’s willing to wear very high platform shoes. Point being all the
proceeds from this shoe go to RAINN, which is the Rape and Incest National
Network. So he’s really done a great thing. Juice: Do you ever get over
Catholic guilt? Tori: Well I’m Protestant. Juice: You know what I mean, the
guilt is shared. Tori: There is a lot of shame,
and you’re totally straight for it, meaning they’re tea totallers, the
Methodists. And they had a bit of a hard time with dancing years ago. You know,
it’s that whole Scottish John Knox influence, that was the Protestant side’s
influence. I’ll tell you the difference. The Catholics are able to drink
alcoholic grapes. The Protestants have all the alcohol drained out. So there is
no upside of drinking the blood of Christ if you’re a Protestant. Juice: No drinking and bad
dancing is part of the deal? Tori: Yeah, all of that. So of
course I was gonna become a musician with a wine cellar. Juice: What’s the most romantic
thing you’ve ever heard? Tori: “I want to know what you’re
like when you’re 80.” Juice: What did you last cry over? Tori: What did I last cry over?
That I ordered pomme frites in fucking France and got steak fries like I was in
Texas. I mean how fucked can you get? They were doing steak fries in Paris,
because they thought that was kinda cool. That’s just confused. That’s like
people in Memphis trying to do the polka. “What are you doing?” Juice: What are your thoughts on
Woodstock ‘99? Tori: I have very few thoughts
about it and I try to think about it as briefly as possible. Do you really
think that hate music is going to incite sensuality, deliciousness and peace
and love? Because if you do you’re a very confused person. It’s just gang
mentality, it’s an equation, this is very basic. If you put an equation
together like that you’re not gonna get sensual dancing from everybody or a
love-in. Those things do not add up together. OK? It’s no different than if you
have a bunch of guys that have been working in a fish market all day. I don’t
wanna go down on ‘em. These are equations, OK Simon, basic stuff. Juice: What was the glory of the ‘80s
for you? Tori: The decadence. I’d say on a
scale of one to ten it was a seven and a half. Juice: Have you ever taken it to
ten to get perspective on that rating? Tori: Not in this lifetime. Juice: Describe yourself in five
words. Tori: Ok, you ready? I. Do. Not.
Describe. Myself. |