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Fiona Apple

post #1 of 17
9/6/08 at 10:46pm
Thread Starter 
Ok. I feel ignorant that I've ignored her material for this long. The likes of Liz Phair and Debbie Harry had me wrapped around the gonads for years that it blinded me to the greatness of Miss Fiona Apple. Don't know why I never even posed a slight curiosity to her material (I think I might've subconsciously pigeonholed her as "one of those bland alternative feminists" when I first saw the vid for 'Criminal', a song which I like now), but When The Pawn... is a fabulous album. Her vocals are sexy, cerebral, anthemic...and so rock n' roll. The title track to Extraordinary Machine is mesmerizing just for its playfulness and the sweetness of Fiona's delivery.

Song that's owning me right now: 'Fast As You Can'. And 'Limp'. Those lyrics. Yowsers.
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post #2 of 17
9/6/08 at 11:13pm
Which Extraordinary Machine did you get? The official one?
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post #3 of 17
9/6/08 at 11:34pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, the official one.

Does the bootleg version of the album differ all that much from the re-recorded one? It's my impression that a good chunk of her fanbase favors the original sessions with Jon Brion. I'll eventually hunt that down.
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post #4 of 17
9/6/08 at 11:47pm
The bootleg is more straightforward, it has a simpler sound compared to the officially released version.
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post #5 of 17
9/6/08 at 11:48pm
It's not that "much" of a difference, but really I haven't bothered with the official since it was released and I happen to like those songs quite a bit. So count it as a vote for "track down the bootleg".

Hijack aside, pretty good album and discography to get into. And for some reason, Oh Sailor might be one of my fav singles of her.
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post #6 of 17
9/7/08 at 12:26am
You have to track down the Jon Brion version.

The "official" version is pure shit as far as I'm concerned.
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post #7 of 17
9/7/08 at 12:38am
Oddly enough, my favorite album of hers' is the leaked, original version of Extraordinary Machine. I think it's the greatest evolution of her style. I've been a big fan since the beginning, and am wondering how far her sound is gonna go. The melodies are gorgeous- she's probably my favorite modern day female singer.
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post #8 of 17
9/7/08 at 2:38am
I also prefer the bootleg, but, really, the best two songs on either version are "Extraordinary Machine" and "Waltz," and those are the two that changed the least. But "Not About Love" got destroyed - you'll see why people prefer the bootleg when you hear the original version of that song.

I will say that Tidal is still my favorite of her albums (even though the other two are probably objectively a bit better).
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post #9 of 17
9/7/08 at 3:17am
Off of EM, "Oh Well" is definitely my favorite song.

Personally, "When the Pawn..." is my favorite Fiona album overall if we're talking about Official releases, but...

Tidal - There are plenty of great songs on there too. "Carrion" and "Never is a Promise" tend to own me all of the time.
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post #10 of 17
9/7/08 at 9:34am
Hmmm, I feel like I'm missing out since I have the official version of EM, which I love to pieces. Must track down bootleg version. Either way, I love love love love Tidal and EM so much. Great albums from a talented lady.
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post #11 of 17
9/7/08 at 10:07am
In the official version's defense, it did improve on O' Sailor and Tymps/Used To Love Him, plus it has Parting Gift, which is my favorite track on either version of the album.

I'll agree that Not About Love got absolutely butchered, though.
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post #12 of 17
9/7/08 at 2:35pm
If anybody was looking for the alterna-version you can PM me.
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post #13 of 17
9/7/08 at 6:02pm
Apple is my third favorite female singer behind Bjork and Lauryn Hill. In terms of Em, I love both versions, it reminds me of the Beatles Anthologies because we get to see how the songs evolved (for better or worse, i guess). The official is better in the sense that it sounds crisper and cleaner but the bootleg is essential if you're a fan. I love the early versions of "Red, Red, Red," and "Oh, Well" the most because they are so passionately angry, one can truly imagine her being scorned by a lover or whatnot right before she entered the studio.

It's been three years since Em, I hope we don't have to wait much longer for the follow up.

(After I just listened to this album in months, edited to include my love for the brass section in "Window.")
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post #14 of 17
9/8/08 at 2:37am
I've loved her stuff from the start. All three of her official albums are better than great. Tidal is still my favorite of her albums. "Shadowboxer" and "Sullen Girl" own me every time I listen to them. As for Extraordinary Machine, both the official version and the 'original' bootleg are very good, but I think I prefer the official one overall. I found an mp3 of her covering Elvis Costello's "I Want You" live recently and it's amazing. Her cover of "Across the Universe" is also a must-have. I've yet to hear one, but I'm going to have to look for one of her shows online sometime. She's one of my favorite female artists ever.
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post #15 of 17
9/8/08 at 3:22am
You should also look for her cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me".
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post #16 of 17
9/10/08 at 4:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RyanC View Post
I found an mp3 of her covering Elvis Costello's "I Want You" live recently and it's amazing.
I only have Tidal and lately, I've been considering getting more of her music. This just convinced me. Thank you for the link.
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post #17 of 17
12/27/08 at 3:37pm
Fiona on Stern around 10 years ago

She gives a stunning performance of Sleep to Dream starting at the end of the 2nd part.
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