Tales of a Librarian
{{Infobox album
| name = Tales of a Librarian
| type = compilation
| artist = Tori Amos
| cover = Torilibrarian.jpg
| alt =
| released = November 17, 2003
| recorded = 1990 – Summer 2003
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 78:00
| label = Atlantic
| producer = {{hlist|Tori Amos|Eric Rosse}}
| prev_title = Scarlet's Walk
| prev_year = 2002
| next_title = The Beekeeper
| next_year = 2005
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Tales of a Librarian
| type = compilation
| single1 = Mary
| single1date = 2003
| single2 = Angels
| single2date = 2003
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.6|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r659786|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
| rev2 = Mojo
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}[http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60613385&loc=109&PageFormat=7 Mojo review]
| rev3 = musicOMH
| rev3score = (positive)[https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/tori-amos-tales-of-a-librarian musicOMH.com review]
| rev4 = Q
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}[http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60613385&loc=109&PageFormat=7 Q review]
| rev5 = Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite book |last=Edmonds |first=Ben |editor-last1=Brackett |editor-first1=Nathan |editor-link1=Nathan Brackett |editor-last2=Hoard |editor-first2=Christian |editor-link2=Christian Hoard |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |year=2004 |location=New York |publisher=Fireside Books |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |edition=4th |pages=17–18}}
| rev6 = Uncut
| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}[http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60613385&loc=109&PageFormat=7 Uncut review]
}}
A Tori Amos Collection: Tales of a Librarian is the first retrospective compilation album by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Given the option to be involved in the project, Amos elected to take a central role in the production of the collection, released in 2003 on her former label Atlantic Records.
Amos described the compilation as a "sonic autobiography", a title derived from her dislike of the term "greatest hits".{{cite web |title=Tori Amos - Tales of a Librarian |website=yessaid.com |url=http://www.yessaid.com/librarianinfo.html |accessdate=2006-11-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509122331/http://www.yessaid.com/librarianinfo.html |archivedate=2007-05-09 }} Recording under the premise that a librarian is a "chronicler", Amos pieced together the collection in accordance with the Dewey Decimal System; so, for example, "Sweet Dreams", which contains the lyrics "Land, land of liberty / We're run by a constipated man", is listed as "973.938: History of North America -- Politics of Illusion".{{cite web|url=https://mobile.nytimes.com/2003/12/05/movies/greatest-hits-live-albums-compilations-tales-librarian-tori-amos-collection.html|title=Tales of a Librarian|work=The New York Times|author=Kelefa Sanneh|date=2003-12-05}} Amos revisited the mixing of many of her own favorite songs from her career, focusing on those she thought were not fully realized in their original recordings and those that she felt explained her life story. Additionally, Amos added two new songs and two re-recorded B-sides: "Angels", "Snow Cherries from France", "Sweet Dreams", and "Mary", respectively. The latter two compositions were originally recorded in 1990 during sessions for Little Earthquakes (1992).
"Mary" and "Angels" were released as promotional singles from the album.
Track listing
=CD=
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Amos
| extra_column = Original appearance
| title1 = Precious Things
| length1 = 4:29
| extra1 = Little Earthquakes (1992)
| title2 = Angels
| extra2 = previously unreleased
| length2 = 4:27
| title3 = Silent All These Years
| length3 = 4:10
| extra3 = Little Earthquakes
| title4 = Cornflake Girl
| length4 = 5:05
| extra4 = Under the Pink (1994)
| title5 = Mary
| length5 = 4:42
| note5 = re-recorded
| extra5 = B-side to "Crucify" (1992)
| title6 = God
| length6 = 3:54
| extra6 = Under the Pink
| title7 = Winter
| length7 = 5:43
| extra7 = Little Earthquakes
| title8 = Spark
| length8 = 4:13
| extra8 = From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998)
| title9 = Way Down
| note9 = Extended
| extra9 = Boys for Pele (1996)
| length9 = 1:50
| title10 = Professional Widow
| note10 = Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) (Radio Edit
| extra10 = Boys for Pele
| length10 = 3:48
| title11 = Mr. Zebra
| length11 = 1:05
| extra11 = Boys for Pele
| title12 = Crucify
| length12 = 5:00
| extra12 = Little Earthquakes
| title13 = Me and a Gun
| length13 = 3:43
| extra13 = Little Earthquakes
| title14 = Bliss
| length14 = 3:35
| extra14 = To Venus and Back (1999)
| title15 = Playboy Mommy
| length15 = 4:06
| extra15 = From the Choirgirl Hotel
| title16 = Baker Baker
| length16 = 3:12
| extra16 = Under the Pink
| title17 = Tear in Your Hand
| length17 = 4:38
| extra17 = Little Earthquakes
| title18 = Sweet Dreams
| length18 = 3:39
| note18 = re-recorded
| extra18 = B-side to "Winter" (1992)
| title19 = Jackie's Strength
| length19 = 4:25
| extra19 = From the Choirgirl Hotel
| title20 = Snow Cherries from France
| extra20 = previously unreleased
| length20 = 2:56
}}
=Deluxe Edition Bonus DVD=
==Live==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Amos
| title1 = Pretty Good Year
| note1 = Recorded live during soundcheck from Welcome to Sunny Florida, September 4, 2003
| length1 = 3:47
| title2 = Honey
| note2 = Recorded live during soundcheck from Welcome to Sunny Florida, September 4, 2003
| length2 = 4:00
| title3 = Northern Lad
| note3 = Recorded live during soundcheck from Welcome to Sunny Florida, September 4, 2003
| length3 = 4:27
}}
==Others==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Amos
| title3 = Putting the Damage On
| note1 = Remixed; runs over photo gallery.
| length1 = 5:08
| title2 = Mr. Zebra
| note2 = Instrumental; runs over photo gallery and navigation menu
| length2 = 1:05
| title1 = Putting the Damage On
| note3 = Instrumental
| length3 = 5:08
}}
=[[iTunes]] bonus tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/a-tori-amos-collection-tales-of-a-librarian/3654964|title=A Tori Amos Collection - Tales of a Librarian|publisher=[[Apple Music]]|date=17 November 2003|accessdate=14 January 2024}}</ref>=
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Amos
| extra_column = Original appearance
| title21 = Putting the Damage On
| note21 = Album version
| length21 = 5:08
| extra21 = Boys for Pele
| title22 = Pretty Good Year
| note22 = Live from Sound Check
| length22 = 4:12
| extra22 = Under the Pink
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Chart performance for Tales of a Librarian ! scope="col"| Chart (2003) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web | title = ARIA.net Week of 08/12/2003: Issue #720 | publisher = Pandora | url = http://www.aria.com.au/Issue720.pdf | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20031206130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20031207-0000/Issue720.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2003-12-06 | accessdate = 2008-09-15}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
| align="center"| 93 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Austria|72|artist=Tori Amos|album=A Tori Amos Collection - Tales of a Librarian|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|34|artist=Tori Amos|album=A Tori Amos Collection - Tales of a Librarian|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|93|artist=Tori Amos|album=A Tori Amos Collection - Tales of a Librarian|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland2|67|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Italy|65|artist=Tori Amos|album=A Tori Amos Collection - Tales of a Librarian|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|77|date=20031123|rowheader=true|access-date=November 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|74|date=20031123|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|40|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 15, 2021}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|artist=Tori Amos|title=Tales of a Librarian|award=Gold|type=album|region=Australia|certyear=2008|access-date=December 28, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|artist=Tori Amos|title=Tales of a Librarian|award=Silver|type=album|region=United Kingdom|certyear=2013|certmonth=7|access-date=July 4, 2012|id=10097-3036-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Tales of a Librarian|artist=Tori Amos|type=album|nocert=true|salesamount=295,000|salesref={{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045442/ask-billboard | title=Ask Billboard | magazine=Billboard }}|access-date=April 12, 2012}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Tori Amos}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tales Of A Librarian}}
Category:Tori Amos compilation albums
Category:2003 compilation albums