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Live at Montreux's one disc has two parts: the more subdued 1991 set, where Tori - already accomplished pianist and singer - surprises an unsuspecting audience with the brilliance of her crystalline vocals, viciously heartsore lyrics and the pop appeal of tracks like the by-now mega-famous co-dependent anthem, "Crucify".
Many of the songs later appeared on her breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes (1992). Showing her difficult side (or one of them), Tori insists on performing a terrible track full of pretentious lyrics called "Leather". It’s still early days and now and again, she attacks the mic too hard, and her breathy panting sounds and grunting annunciation is artlessly discomforting a times.
Every track is about a painful experience, and much as we’ve all been there, this can become a bit groan-inducing after a while. When she re-uses her supposedly casual quip, "Welcome to my living room", the next year, it comes across as a little pre-meditated.
A moment of rare record company honesty, or a sign of a rush-job done just in time for the year-end shelf-stock? The tacky album art screams "Christmas cash-in!" But criticisms aside, you should probably accept Tori as she is, whines and all, because she’s brilliant at what she does.
A few highlights on this CD include her covers of Led Zeppelin tracks "Winter" and "Whole Lotta Love" that, like all the best cover versions out there, tease fresh feelings from the classics that helped inspire her.
Many of the songs later appeared on her breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes (1992). Showing her difficult side (or one of them), Tori insists on performing a terrible track full of pretentious lyrics called "Leather". It’s still early days and now and again, she attacks the mic too hard, and her breathy panting sounds and grunting annunciation is artlessly discomforting a times.
Every track is about a painful experience, and much as we’ve all been there, this can become a bit groan-inducing after a while. When she re-uses her supposedly casual quip, "Welcome to my living room", the next year, it comes across as a little pre-meditated.
A moment of rare record company honesty, or a sign of a rush-job done just in time for the year-end shelf-stock? The tacky album art screams "Christmas cash-in!" But criticisms aside, you should probably accept Tori as she is, whines and all, because she’s brilliant at what she does.
A few highlights on this CD include her covers of Led Zeppelin tracks "Winter" and "Whole Lotta Love" that, like all the best cover versions out there, tease fresh feelings from the classics that helped inspire her.
