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List Price: $7.98 | | Label: Atlantic / Wea
Salesrank: 7708
Released: January 23, 1996 |
| Our Price: $2.84 |
| Used Price: $0.46 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Boys for Pele Track Listing:
1. Horses
2. Blood Roses
3. Father Lucifer
4. Professional Widow
5. Mr. Zebra
6. Marianne
7. Caught a Lite Sneeze
8. Muhammad My Friend
9. Hey Jupiter
10. Way Down
11. Little Amsterdam
12. Talula
13. Not the Red Baron
14. Agent Orange
15. Doughnut Song
16. In the Springtime of His Voodoo
17. Putting the Damage On
18. Twinkle
Editorial Review:
Boys for Pele, the title of Tori Amos's epic third album, is as awkward and confusing as the music inside. Though it sounds like a recruitment slogan for Little League soccer, the name actually refers to the lost temples of feminine divinity. Pele, you see, is the Hawaiian volcano goddess; the boys, well, they're the sacrifices that quell the rumbling lady's rage. Attempting to regain fires stolen long ago, Pele rewrites the crucifixion to star a girl Jesus and in doing so conjures a forgotten matriarchal mythology. While Amos's characters--Jupiter, Muhammad, Lucifer--are male by name, the aural landscape into which they're thrown is as symbolically and expressionistically female as Georgia O'Keeffe's skull-and-roses paintings. Pele is a complex and formless--and often impenetrable--work of gothic-pop chamber music, both beautiful and ghostly in its nearly complete reliance on Amos's rolling Bosendorfer grand piano, chilling harpsichord (which she bangs like a courtly punk rocker), and acrobatic voice (as earthy as Joni Mitchell's and as otherworldly as Bjork's). Unfortunately, she takes us only halfway: her songs engage and challenge us to understand, but the imagery offers few clues to help us crack their frustrating opacity. Pele ends up as much a pretentious and self-indulgent trip as it is a synthesis of talent, imagination, and skewed vision. Still, there's reason to celebrate that an album as formalistically and thematically alien to pop audiences as Pele would win such quick success upon its original release. --Roni Sarig
Boys for Pele Reviews:
Jump into the fire 
2009-11-23 - Probably the most eclectic album from an artist who is often described as an eclectic artist, Tori Amos' "Boys For Pele" is a caterwauling tornado of metaphors, whacked out lyrics, driving piano and many, many harpsichords. Skating above it all is Tori's voice, alluring and mystifying as ever, waging a lyrical war about the conflict of the sexes. At 18 songs, it was also likely impossible for her to maintain her usual universally high quality of songwriting. The best run the gamut from beautiful piano balladry ("Hey Jupiter"), a medieval waltz ("Blood Roses") to the confessional Joni Mitchell type of song Tori became known for in the first place ("Putting The Damage On").
Judging from the way the original album was sequenced, Tori meant this to be considered in four parts. There's the "Beauty Queen" segment, followed by "Mr. Zebra," "Way Down" and "Agent Orange." Each of these short transitional pieces lead into a mood/theme change. Each of these bends to its own wind, with the bluesy "Way Down" segment being the oddest of the bunch. (And if this album ever gets a re-issue, I hope the original glitter mix of "Talula" is featured; the version on most CD's has been the version featured on the Twister Soundtrack.) That may even be in incorrect assessment, as the lyrics at times border on babble. Sample; (From "Marianne") "The weasel squeaks faster than a seven day week, I said Timmy and the Purple Monkey are all down at Bobby's place." "Boys For Pele" is not Tori's easiest album to penetrate.
Be that as it may, it is also her most musically accomplished, eccentric and diverse. If you can deal with that fact and don't hold against her that "Boys" is light years away from Little Earthquakes, you may enjoy the ride.
One of my favorites all 'round 
2009-10-28 - This is one of my favorite Tori albums all around, and I have heard them all. If you don't own it, buy it.
has some good tracks 
2009-10-14 - Boys for Pele is not my favourite Tori album, although I think it has some of my favourite songs. People complain about her albums being too long these days, well I always thought that this one was too long! :P
I love the harpsichord, the brass band, and the general spookiness of the album, but really, I think it's too long. Horses(without Beauty Queen), Blood Roses, Father Lucifer, Mr. Zebra, Marianne, In the Springtime of His Voodoo and Putting the Damage on are just incredible tracks. The extended version of Way Down from Tales of a Librarian should have been on there. I can do without Little Amsterdam, Professional Widow and Agent Orange. All in all, it is a very experimental album, and I am glad it exists because my life would be incomplete without Father Lucifer and Horses, but Christ, it is just too long. :<
An Album for All Moods
2009-08-15 - I was in love with Boys for Pele from the moment I listened to it. Reviewers have complained that it's all over the place, but that's one of the things I love about it. You can be in almost any mood and enjoy at least a couple songs here at any given time.
Beauty Queen/Horses - A fairly mellow, relaxing song. Great way to start off an album that packs as big a punch as Pele. You catch more bees with honey . . .
Blood Roses - . . . than with vinegar. Which is what track two is. There's a lot of anger in Blood Roses. It's a good one for when you're in a dark place or in the mood to vent poetically. And the harpsichord is just beautiful here.
Father Lucifer - This is a weird one. But what else can we expect from a song inspired by Tori's hallucinogen-fueled spiritual love affairs?
Professional Widow - Widow is another angry, fast song. The sheer passion of Tori's vocals here is something that should be heard at least once.
Mr. Zebra - Kind of a wind down from Widow. Airy, light, almost childish. But in a good way.
Marianne - One of the most depressing songs on the album. You have to be in the right mindset to get through this one.
Caught a Lite Sneeze - Not one of my favorites. Some of Tori's finer vocal work, but not as interesting as the rest of the album. The good news is, it's much less heavy than Marianne.
Muhammad My Friend - A softer, breathy take on very complex subjects, such as religion and where the femminine fits into that. Or, rather, doesn't.
Hey Jupiter - Once again, you have to be in the right mindset. This is a very sobering song. It's one of the more heartbreaking songs about loss in my entire (extensive) CD collection.
Way Down - Along the same lines as Mr. Zebra, but I sense some much darker undertones in this one. Maybe it's just me.
Little Amsterdam - Possibly the moodiest, most straightforward story song on the album.
Talula - A breath of fresh air after the haunting Little Amsterdam. A jingly tune that brightens the mood of the entire album.
Not the Red Baron - A bittersweet song that, in my opinion, could have been a minute or two shorter.
Agent Orange - Another short, upbeat song.
Doughnut Song - The anger heard earlier in the album comes back, but in a sugary falsetto voice.
In the Springtime of His Voodoo - Confusing, faster song.
Putting the Damage On - Quiet. Lovely. Heartbreaking.
Twinkle - The perfect ending to the album. Leads them out of the chaos as gently as Horses led them in.
One of my fave cds of all time
2009-06-15 - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R15ZSGXO6P9SD9
