This being a blog about what music I'm currently listening to, I have to make a guilty confession: I've not been 100% truthful to my readers. I explain. I've been obsessing about Tori Amos musical career for almost 20 years now and I've just realized I've yet to write a post about her. So here it is. And I promise to write more posts on her in the future as penitance.

After the last two posts, it only seems fitting that the Amos album I choose to write first about is American Doll Posse, this one being about the many roles women play in the society, while at the same time using five alter egos (the titular Posse) to sing about what was going on in America at the time of its release. The result is a sprawling double-album of 23 tracks that manage to run the full gammit of piano-led ballads to schizophrenic rock extravaganzas. And schizophrenia is the key word here because Amos is able to encompass so many styles and music signatures in the songs contained in this album that sometimes you feel that you're listening to five different albums at the same time.

The end result is an album that pushes our perceptions of what female singer/songwriters should be all about: fearlessly provocative and endlessly talented in her case. I leave you with Big Wheel, the first single that had very limited airplay due to the inclusion of the acronym MILF in the bridge... Just goes to show how far behind we all still are...

I'd like to go full circle with this string of posts dedicated to glam rock and close off with Jobriath's sophomore and ultimately last album, Creatures From The Street. Made just one year after his mercurial debut album, here we see the singer/songwriter venturing himself into whole new musical worlds and reaching far into his own private galaxy of sound sensibilities (sorry about the space metaphors but with Jobriath I guess it just comes naturally, as I'm sure a lot of you out there will agree).

I personally think this is a much better album than the first one, more sonically accomplished and a lot more adventurous. We can even find traces and hints of what he could've done next hadn't his career been cut off short by lack of promotion and proper album sales. There's also a couple of big orchestra numbers that might have been included on that musical he said to have been composing at the time of his death. Great stuff it is, too.

I'm going to leave you with my favorite track from the album, the enigmatically titled Ecubyan. Take care, y'all.

Another soundtrack that I personally think is worthy of your complete attention, especially if you're into the sort of music I've been recommending in the last few posts, is the one for Brian De Palma's glam rock fantasy meets Goethe's Faust, Phantom of the Paradise.

The music, composed by Paul Williams who also plays a quite faustian part in the movie, moves from 50's beach pop, to glitzy glam, to mainstream pop in the course of the film's duration. It's quite the ride and it really helps the storytelling, which is another way of saying that this is one of the best rock musicals to be found anywhere. Fans of the Rocky Horror Picture Show should really get to know this lesser-known but nonetheless great little movie as I'm sure they'll love it just as well.

But let's let the music do the talking. Listen to Old Souls, a wonderful ballad sung by the main female character played by talented actress Jessica Harper. Love her voice, too.

Apparently, Jobriath wrote or was writing a musical called Pop Star at the time of his death and only God knows how great that would have been had he finished it. I don't know if John Cameron Mitchell knew about this or not but Hedwig and the Angry Inch I guess could pass as that unfinished musical. At least in my mind, anyway.

Again, Glam Rock scene in all its glitzy glory, lots of funky clothes, great, great songs from beginning to end and a must-have soundtrack for any discerning music fan. Mitchell also plays the main part and he does it memorably, infusing his performance and the delivery of every song with such emotion and passion, it becomes a sort of cathartic experience not only for him I'm sure, but for the viewer as well.

"Transexuality gone wrong" never seemed so glamorous and heart-breaking at the same time and you can't help sympathizing with the main character even if you try. Its most poignant moment, though is this: Wicked Little Town.

Inspired by Klaus Nomi I decided to go all out on the glam rock scene on this post and a few further ones that I've got planned for you.

I first got introduced to this particular genre of music when I saw the glitzy and marvelous Velvet Goldmine when it came out. Directed by one of the few true artists working in the business right now - Todd Haynes - it managed to perfectly convey the magic and the very particular brand of audacity of the Glam Rock bands of the time.

Unbeknownst to me until very recently, one of its major inspirations was Jobriath and if you've seen the movie, you can spot a similar album cover to the one on your left when a character goes to buy it at the record store and takes it home to listen to it in the comfort and privacy of his bedroom. Now that I've got it and have listened to it (Jobriath's debut album, that is), I can see and understand why he's worthy of being resurrected and given such a big spotlight: it's a great little album all around.

His life and career was meteoric (much like his music, too) and his flame burned bright and sadly, much too fast. Being the first openly gay singer/songwriter didn't help either. Or maybe it did, when all was said and done. But enough chatter - let's listen to Space Clown, one of the highlights of the album. Take care.

If you knew me, you'd know that I don't quit. Well, at least in certain things I find worthwhile. Good music is one such thing, most definitely.

That said, I had to know more about Jean Pierre Ferland, the author of the song from Charlotte Gainsbourg's new album that kept playing in my head and in my CD player: Le Chat du Cafe des Artistes. A canadian, he is responsible for one of that country recording masterpieces, Jaune, the album you see on your right. So far, I haven't managed to listen to the full album yet (a sacrilege, I know) but what I have heard so far has served to prove what has been said over and over again: that it is an album of many moods and many hidden secrets, with songs unfolding its beauties with each new listenings and arrangements so exquisite you find yourself drifting effortlessly to another state of mind almost instantly.

But I'm going to leave you with the aforementioned track, mainly to serve as a means of comparison with the Ms. Gainsbourg effort in the post just below. Enjoy it.

I don’t know if you have noticed but I don’t usually feature a lot of male singers on Aural Journal. The reason being because there aren’t that many that I genuinely like or admire. Rufus Wainwright is an exception. A big one. This guy is amazing.

POSES was the album that introduced me to his particular brand of music, one that is strong on melody and with a highly developed chord structure. I must admit I had a bit of a problem with his voice at the beginning but I’ve grown to admire it too, what with its strong delivery and charming monochordic twang. Plus, the songs are all great. And by great, I mean phenomenally great and catchy as hell. Naturally, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

He went on to make even better albums (WANT ONE and TWO are both masterpieces in the full sense of the word) but this is the one that started it all for me. From the charming opener CIGARETTES AND CHOCOLATE MILK to the enchanting GREY GARDENS, there’s one for every mood of the day in here but I will leave you with one of its highlights, a song that ironically wasn’t written by him, rather by his father, Loudon Wainwright – it’s called ONE MAN GUY. Enjoy it and while you’re at it, have yourself a merry little Christmas.

The key to the success of Nancy Sinatra is her perkiness. Sure, her songs are great and her very straightforward way of singing are also big ingredients of her mass appeal but you have to admit that the lady does have an attitude. It's the kind of girl who doesn't take "no" for an answer. Lucky us, then for her musical legacy is nothing short of pop treasures along the way.

Boots is her debut album and it sold by the gallon. A household name in merely weeks of starting her career, she was guest to Ed Sullivan and just about any prime-time TV show that you can think of. Of course, her family name did help a bit, though she did not live or make her career on its shadow. These Boots are made for walkin' is still today, by any terms, a great pop single: a catchy tune, feminist-tinged lyrics and a disjointed beat and groovy bass line to help establish the perky mood of it all.

After discovering the album (a winner on all fronts and it's no surprise why it sold so many records), I fell in love with its opener: a cover of the Rolling Stones As Tears Go By, in my view a better version than the original. Go and take a listen and see what you think: