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New York Post (US)
April 24, 2007

CRUCIFIX-IN' FOR TROUBLE

By Dan Aquilante

ANYONE who's followed Tori Amos' career would hardly be shocked that "American Doll Posse" - due in stores next Tuesday - is sometimes political, often personal and totally provocative.

Just take a look at the CD's cover art, which features a photo of her standing in a shimmering lavender dress with a Bible in one hand, the word "shame" scrawled on the palm of her other, and blood running down her leg.

Amos, 43, whose father was a minister, explains: "The preacher's daughter in me is just asking [in that photo] where women stand in Christianity.

"What do theologians abhor more than anything else?" Amos asks. "They believe in the father God, the authoritative male image. I thought, OK, I'll bring on the mother God."

But why the Bible, why "shame" and what gives with the blood?

Amos pauses and tries again. "In Christian mythology the two main female figures are Mary and Mary. One is the mother, who is stripped of her sexuality, and the other is a woman who has her sexuality, but no sacredness or respect. I'm trying to illustrate that duality."

In the upbeat rocker "Big Wheel" - the first single off "American Doll Posse" and one of this week's featured free songs at nypost.com - Amos kicks the bearded God in the slats, singing, "So you are a superstar/get off the cross, we need the wood." Later in the same song, she takes on the role of Mother Nature singing, "I've been drinking down your pain, gonna turn that whiskey into rain."

Amos, a charming provocateur, says, "I hope you laughed - sometimes people miss the humor of the words."

According to Amos, "Big Wheel" was one of those songs that wrote it self.

Setting the celestial scene, she says, "It was the Summer Solstice last year, and we'd been working in the studio record ing. That night the song came to me in a dream.

"Everyone was still asleep, and I got out of bed and ran to the piano to try to get down as much of the melody and words as fast as I could. I felt so alive while I was trying to hold the dream before it slipped away. My whole body was alive. By the time everyone was awake, the song was fin ished."

Some of the tunes on this 23-song disc took a little longer to write, but what they share in common is whip-smart humor that is just as likely to get you mad as make you laugh - and nobody's safe.

On "Yo George," President Bush takes a lickin' as she sings, "Is this just the madness of King George/Well, you have the nation on all fours."

Amos says she has no fear of political or religious fallout or repercussions.

"I've never been America's sweetheart or the church's sweetheart," she says. "That's OK. I've never said I was the sweet drink at the wedding - I think I'm more of a dirty martini."

dan.aquilante@nypost.com

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