Under The Pink – Sean McCarthy

Little Earthquakes was the sound of a diary opened up. Long
before Alanis Morissette became the media-dubbed “pioneer” of
confessional female angst music, Tori Amos’s landmark breakthrough
laid the foundation for artists like Morissette to flourish.
However,
Little Earthquakes was so emotionally raw, so stark that it
was almost impossible to imitate, like
Nevermind or
Ten.

The few critics that Tori Amos had in the early ’90s were no
doubt curious as to what Amos would do for her follow-up. With
Little Earthquakes, she pretty much laid herself out to the
public. Reopening the wounds covered on her first album would have
cheapened the impact of
Little Earthquakes and limited her range as an artist. For
Under The Pink, Amos chose to record a straightforward
album… as straightforward as Amos could get.

Gone (mostly) are the first-person narratives of
Little Earthquakes. However, her favorite topics (god,
religious persecution and sex) are still prevalent, but with more
rockin’ arrangements. Amos also adds a much-needed tongue-in-cheek
humor to
Under The Pink. “God” is more of a coy ‘wink wink’ tease
that the divine creator really needs a date and for all its anger,
“Waitress” is really just about wanting to take out a waitress who
gives you shitty service; even Jerry Falwell can probably relate to
that.

Probably the biggest surprise on
Under The Pink is “Past The Mission.” When I read the liner
notes and saw Trent Reznor was supporting vocals, I was expecting a
superstar pairing of the most dynamic voices of the early ’90s. But
with the first listen of the song, you can barely hear Reznor’s
voice; it’s slightly louder than a faint whisper.

Under The Pink had some of Amos’s best songs smack in the
middle of the album. Listen to “Cornflake Girl” now and the impact
remains the same; longtime listeners may even feel some frustration
that Amos hasn’t opted to succumb to her Led Zeppelin fixation in a
long time. “Icicle” is perhaps the song that defines the album;
it’s humorous, fiercely intimate and fragile.

While
Under The Pink was intended to be a straightforward album,
it’s far from boring. Those who were initially scared off by the
intensity of
Little Earthquakes could warm up to
Under the Pink, while the album retained Amos’s quirkiness.
She released her breakthrough, followed it up by releasing her
straightforward rock album and would go on to record her ‘epic’
album with
Boys For Pele. While it will almost be impossible for Amos
to top her debut (not counting
Y Kant Tori Read),
Under The Pink remains Amos’s most consistent and listenable
album.