h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have been a fan of Tori Amos since Little Earthquakes came out. She's probably my favorite musical artist. But, really, the best pianist you've ever heard? I suppose if you listened only to Tori Amos and the Spice Girls, she would be the best pianist you've ever heard. Come on, expand a little. Horowitz? Ashkenazy? Andre Watts? Heck, what about Harry Connick, Jr.?

Speaking of being a pianist, I was a little let down by Tori's most recent album, Scarlet's Walk. It seems like she has forgotten that she IS a pianist, and is slowly drifting into that homogenous boring mass called "Pop Music." Did you notice something missing from the album? Perhaps a piece with just her and the piano? I'm pretty sure every previous album had at least one piece that was just her at the piano.

I love Tori, and I love to hear her play and sing, but she is slowly losing her uniqueness. I'm all for growth, of course, but one must be careful. In the beginning, she was a pianist with a great voice and a knack at songwriting. She's turning into a singer/songwriter who can play the piano. We've got a lot of those now, and if she wants to stand out, she needs to remember what it is that sets her apart from the others: she can play them under the table.