"Frog on my Toe"

Altough I am a hardcore Tori fan (hence, my username!), I have never much cared for the song "Talula." I am not afraid of her wierd lyrics, but this is one song I have never been able to penetrate. I bought the single simply because I collect her albums, and I love b-sides. Buy this single just for "Frog on my Toe." Ignore its silly name- it's one of Tori Amos' most haunting and lovely b-sides, though many fans would probably disagree with me. The album's other good song is a cover called "London Girls," which is a catchy and upbeat ode to.. London girls! The other b-side, "Samurai," is all right, but doesn't really go anywhere. An 11-minute remix of "Talula" rounds out this single. All in all, an interesting buy.

Gotta love anything Tori

I have to say that I love anything Tori does. And I really enjoy it when she goofs off and is just"herself" on her albums, instead of being the so called "Norm" of what an album is suppose to be. For that is a true artist! Only a true fan would enjoy the talks, the thrilling power, and breaths she takes when singing a song. I'm glad she doesn't hide it. I have this album and it is a nice break from the studio "perfection" recording. It is nice to hear someone be human and themselves. For that is what has made Tori, Tori and has gotten her where she is today. Highly recommend this and other Tori singles that are full of this fun stuff, if your open minded.

Rarities but no real treasures

True Fans of Tori will always have a favorite B-side. But I doubt you will ever encounter a fan who claims a b-side off of this single to be a favorite.

The opening remix of Talula is superior, although only slightly distinquishable from the original, it punctuates the song in the right moments and adds a rollicking beat.

"Samurai" is a scattered and trailing offering at best. Tori sounds as if she is scatting/making up the song along the way. The song has jazzy and bouncy piano backup, and it interplays nicely with the bass riff - but the content of the song refuses to allow the song to transcend to anything other than a curious improvisation.

"Frog On My Toe" is the best B-side on this single and is the only track that deems this single as purchaseable. It starts out clever, and slightly ironic mention of the track title frog, but then ventures off into a tribute to a grandfather who offers the tragic life advice "to have the grace to be a lady with disgrace." However, this song once again just trails and even though the content is poignant enough for it to be a good track, it never finds the right hook or bridge to lift the song from its rambling.

"London Girls" is a short folksy track that wins you over despite its cutesy stereotypical content. It is the only B-side on this single that actually has song structure, but that also makes it the most predictable, which is hardly a quality that can be found in Tori's best music. This track is charming, but little else.

Had Tori taken the time to actually write these songs they would have turned out to be excellent tracks. However, they reek of being unfinished and are clearly songs that she started for "Boys For Pele" but then discarded for other ideas.

The concluding remix of "Talula" is unbearable. I am far too big of a fan of pop songwriting to be able to fathom how anyone can listen to the deconstruction of one line from a song stretched out into 11 minutes.

This single is a definite purchase for die-hard Tori fans, and perhaps even moderate ones. Tori appreciators should spend their Tori bucks on the EPs which contain more polished B-sides, such as "Winter," and "Jackie's Strength."