What are the qualities you (anyone) likes best about her? What aspects of her music? Her personality?
Well, I have read her book that she co-wrote with another woman, that in essence is an autobiography/biography combined, so ever since reading that book I feel like I have a bit more of a glimpse into who she might be.
I like that she is complex.
She seems to have a lot of layers, I like her creative process, I like how she's evolved as a person and artist over the years and seems to add to her knowledge/wisdom, and doesn't necessarily remain stagnant. She has been through a lot of emotional things, and has broken through all of those life struggles with new awareness, and hasn't been overpowered by them. Her pain has forged who she is, as has her happy moments in life, and she seems to recognize it for what it is, and doesn't necessarily run away from it but explores all the depths of human emotion and personalities. She seems to have a strong sense of self, and I like that she's 'real'. She seems fearless and confident, although I think that's come on over the years. And there is a bit of a humbleness to her, in how she approaches life and people. But she's strong too, and knows who she is and what she wants. And yet she also writes and seems to acknowledge that who/where she is today may not be where she is in the future -- that her autobiography will continue to unfold.
I guess when I read her book I resonated with a lot of it; I can't relate to all of her little eccentricities, especially regarding more of her spiritual self, and I'm definitely not dramatic and externally vibrant like she, but as a whole, I really felt I understood everything she wrote, and why she operates the way she does. Now, this certainly doesn't mean I'm anything close to Tori Amos...but I really connected with everything she wrote. I guess I connect with the emotional and intellectual side of her -->Perhaps her approach to life and individuality, even if our conclusions may differ.
Regarding her music, I have loved the evolution. The lyrics come from a deep place, and she experiments with vocal sounds and composition. She doesn't seem 'stuck' in a certain genre and wants to explore other areas. Truthfully, most people who like her first few albums haven't been able to follow into her subsequent ones with the same zeal. I can see that point; her first ones continue to hold a special place for me. Her fourth album, where she really broke into new sound/territory, I found very unappealing for the first yr or two. However, the fourth album is now a personal favorite of mine. And subsequent albums took some getting used to, but again I can appreciate each of them. Her 'Venus Orbiting' album is another favorite, and I love her most recent 9th album. Her 6th and 8th albums are probably overall my least favorite. I don't know...I just love the music, and she was classically trained in piano and vocals so I can appreciate that too.
