Scarlet's Walk

Infobox Album
Name = Scarlet's Walk
Type = studio
Artist = Tori Amos


Released = October 28, 2002 (UK)
Recorded = Cornwall, winter/spring 2002
Genre = Alternative rock, baroque pop, piano rock
Length = 74:09
Label = Epic
Producer = Tori Amos
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:q2jm7i34g72r link]
*Blender Rating|5|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=10 link]
*"Pop Matters (9/10) [http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/amostori-scarlets.shtml link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/245420/toriamos?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscography RS 908]
Last album = "Strange Little Girls"
(2001)
This album = "Scarlet's Walk"
(2002)
Next album = "The Beekeeper"
(2005)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = album


Lower caption = Limited edition cover Singles
Name = Scarlet's Walk
Type = studio
Single 1 = A Sorta Fairytale
Single 1 date = 2002
Single 2 = Taxi Ride
Single 2 date = 2003
Single 3 = Don't Make Me Come to Vegas
Single 3 date = 2003
Single 4 = Strange
Single 4 date = 2003

"Scarlet's Walk" is the seventh album released in singer-songwriter Tori Amos' solo career. The 18-track concept album details the cross-country travels of Scarlet, a character loosely based on Amos, as well as the concept of America post-September 11th (2001). The album was the first released by Amos on Epic Records after her split with former label Atlantic Records. After a period of trouble with her last label, Amos proved her fan base was still with her when the album debuted at US # 7, [cite web | last = | first = | title = Chart Beat Bonus | publisher = | url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1757676 | date =2002-11-08|accessdate =2007-05-27] selling 107,000 copies in its first week, [cite web | last = | first = | title = E! News Em's "8 Mile" Outstrips Christina | publisher = E! Online| url =http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=5e786ebd-a98e-47d7-b61a-0e7e5c8cf9f7 | accessdate =2008-02-15] and reaching RIAA Gold status about a month after its release. [cite web | last = | first = | title = Scarlet's Walk was officially certified Gold | publisher = | url =http://thedent.com/more.php?id=A690_0_1_0_M | date =2002-12-05|accessdate =2007-05-27]

Track listing

tracklist
all_writing = Amos

title1 = Amber Waves
length1 = 3:38

title2 = A Sorta Fairytale
length2 = 5:30

title3 = Wednesday
length3 = 2:29

title4 = Strange
length4 = 3:05

title5 = Carbon
length5 = 4:33

title6 = Crazy
length6 = 4:23

title7 = Wampum Prayer
length7 = 0:44

title8 = Don't Make Me Come to Vegas
length8 = 4:51

title9 = Sweet Sangria
length9 = 4:01

title10 = Your Cloud
length10 = 4:30

title11 = Pancake
length11 = 3:54

title12 = I Can't See New York
length12 = 7:14

title13 = Mrs. Jesus
length13 = 3:05

title14 = Taxi Ride
length14 = 4:00

title15 = Another Girl's Paradise
length15 = 3:34

title16 = Scarlet's Walk
length16 = 4:16

title17 = Virginia
length17 = 3:55

title18 = Gold Dust
length18 = 5:54

; Bonus DVDtracklist
all_writing = Amos
title1 = Gold Dust
note1 = Video Version
length1 = 5:44
title2 = A Sorta Fairytale
note2 = Single Edit) (Video Version
length2 = 3:59
title3 = Taxi Ride
note3 = Overlay with Polaroid feature.
length3 = 4:00
* Polaroids
* Commentary by Amos on "Gold Dust" and "A Sorta Fairytale" videos.

ingles and B-sides

ingles

The first single from the album was the catchy, radio-friendly track "A Sorta Fairytale" (released September 2002), which proved to be one of Amos' more successful singles, landing her in the ARC US Top 40 [cite web | last = | first = | title = The ARC Archive @ Rock on the Net | publisher = | url =http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2002/11-09.htm | date =2002-11-09|accessdate =2007-05-27] and in the US Top 10 Adult Contemporary charts. A commercial single was also released in the UK with a B-side entitled "Operation Peter Pan", based on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. This served as the last commercial CD single of Amos' career to date.

"Taxi Ride," a partial "homage" to the late make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin, a friend of Amos' who died in May 2002, served as the second single from the album. An on-line contest was held asking fans to direct and submit a music video for the song. The song reached the Top 40 Adult Contemporary chart in the US. The third single, "Strange," was released to radio in a redone version that was given a Country and Western feel with twangy guitars and additional vocals. A Timo Maas dance remix of "Don't Make Me Come to Vegas" served as the fourth single continued Amos' fortunes on the dance charts. Of the last three singles, only the latter was released commercially, exclusively on a 12" vinyl single in the US.

B-sides

The album, as with most of Amos' albums, is also known for its collection of original B-sides. Amos recorded a host of songs that did not make the album, but were released as B-sides to various singles or performed live in concerts.

∞ - Denotes position on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles

Release history

In addition to the standard CD release, a limited edition of "Scarlet’s Walk" was released in a special box set containing the album, a bonus DVD, a map detailing Scarlet's journey, stickers, a bracelet-charm and mock Polaroid postcards. The album also provided entry to "Scarlet's Web" a web site that was the sole source for special concert ticket offers, photos, merchandise, and unreleased B-side tracks. The elaborate packaging of the limited edition version of the album garnered Amos a Grammy nomination.

In an attempt to prevent Internet trading of the album, Amos, in conjunction with her husband and crew, used glue to bind closed portable CD players containing the album. These were then distributed to the press on the understanding that they would be returned within forty-eight hours. If an attempt was made to open the player, both it and the disc inside would shatter. The success of this attempt was so great that the record industry began to follow suit. As an additional incentive to buy the album rather than download its contents illicitly, the CD also served as a key to access "Scarlet's Web", a website which featured several songs ("Tombigbee", "Seaside", "Mountain") as well as various photographs and journal entries that were not available elsewhere.

References