The Original Bootlegs [Box] by Tori Amos (CD, Dec-2005, 12 Discs, Epic USA)

Yes, it's not a 5/5 review. 4/5, though, is a very good review, in my opinion: but it's not perfect.

I will have to agree, in most part, with all other reviewers on this boxed-set collection: it is a bit like heaven in a box!

Those who are fans have really no choice but to add this to their library of Tori cds. And the package itself is immaculate, a lesson in taste and simplicity, looking quite like a stand-out among all other cds in my house.

But here's what bugs me. All of the cds have tracks that repeat themselves on all editions. As a completist, sure, this might not bother someone, but as a music lover, I would have prefered tracklisting to have been a bit more varied. Yes, the shows recorded here have a fixed line-up, but Tori Amos is a genius artist that can do whatever she pleases on a piano and before an audience, and she knew she would be releasing 6 live cds of this tour of hers... I am sure she could have been more prolific and varied things a little. How many times do I have to listen to Original Sinsuality and The Beekeeper? Not 6 times, I think..

That said, it is an essential purchase for any Tori fan, and unfortunately very rare to come by in a record store here in Europe. I as lucky enough to find it here on eBay from an american seller who sent it perfectly packaged and quite fast. To all other fans of piano and that enjoy Tori, I advise, check the track listing on each CD and opt for the one you like best, and get it instead (you can buy them seperately).

Cheers!!
T.