Piece by Piece is an autobiographical book by singer/songwriter Tori Amos

Tori Amos

Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...

 and co-authored by rock music journalist Ann Powers

Ann Powers

Ann Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...

. It was published in the U.S. in February 2005 and in the U.K. in June 2005.

Synopsis

The book is told in a conversational style with questions posed by Ann and responded to by Tori. They compiled the material for the book through phone calls, e-mail conversations and in-person interviews. Along with details about Amos' career, music and personal life it also delves into mythology

Mythology

The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

 and religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 in a fashion often associated with Amos. The lyrics "piece by piece" feature in the song "Datura" on the 1999 album To Venus and Back

To Venus and Back

To Venus and Back, the fifth album released by singer and songwriter Tori Amos, is a two-disc album set including a studio album and a live album. The first disc, titled Venus: Orbiting, features eleven original songs that finds Amos experimenting heavily in electronica...

.

Commercial and critical success

The book received mixed reviews from critics, who generally agreed that Amos' writing on the music industry and recording process was the stellar part of the book. Blender magazine cited the work as "no mere star memoir . . . it’s more like a soul-map of Amos' stride from pop tart to poet provocateur." Regardless of reviews, the book was more successful than expected and was published in conjunction with Amos' solo album The Beekeeper

The Beekeeper

The Beekeeper is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It deals with the topics of death, adultery and romantic conflict, and makes brief reference to ancient Gnostic mysticism from the Apocryphon of John...

(2005). The book peaked on the New York Times bestseller list at #12.

Content

The work consists of eight chapters, each of which includes "song canvases" explaining Amos' inspiration and process for developing particular songs.

• Introduction: The Soul's Dance
• Chapter 1: Corn Mother: Genealogies

Song canvases: "Ireland", "The Beekeeper", "Mother Revolution"

• Chapter 2: Mary Magdalene: The Erotic Muse

Song canvases: "The Power of Orange Knickers", "God", "Marys of the Sea", "Lust", "I'm Not in Love"

• Chapter 3: Saraswati: The Art of Composition

Song canvases: "Garlands", "Parasol", "Sweet the Sting", "Sleeps with Butterflies", "Cars and Guitars"

• Chapter 4: Demeter: The Journey into Motherhood

Song canvases: "Pandora's Aquarium", "Muhammad, My Friend", and "Ribbons Undone"

• Chapter 5: Dionysus: Bringing the Music Forth

Song canvases: "Wampum Prayer" and "Winter"

• Chapter 6: Sane Satyrs and Balanced Bacchantes: The Touring Life's Gypsy Caravan

Song canvas: "Martha's Foolish Ginger"

• Chapter 7: Venus: Creating a Public Self

Song canvas: "Goodbye Pisces"

• Chapter 8: The Lioness: Surviving the Music Business

Song canvases: "Take to the Sky", "Hoochie Woman", "Witness", and "Barons of Suburbia"

• Conclusion: Quan Yin: The Art of Compassion

Song canvas: "Jamaica Inn"