Extraordinary Machine

Fiona Apple | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 4, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000B0WOEO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (289 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,708 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #38 in Music > Alternative Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fiona Apple, brooding, brainy belter and capital-A artist of near forbidding depth, begins her much gossiped-over third CD on a lark. The title track, one of two songs produced by Jon Brion before the label dispute that prompted hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo (50 Cent, Eminem) to step in, sounds like a Judy Garland number slathered with irony or something Rufus Wainwright might have had a hand in--strings soar, beats bump around skittishly, and notes require a ladder. But playful as it is, by the time the chorus kicks in it's clear why the world has missed Fiona Apple so much. Young female artists who have stepped into the spotlight since she fled it six years ago-- Nellie McKay and Joss Stone spring to mind for their cleverness and heat, respectively--seem slight in comparison. With every track ticked off, in fact, Extraordinary Machine moves listeners a little closer to what might be a correct assumption: that everything they've dipped into since 1999's When the Pawn ... was filler. Fans will feel it especially on "O'Sailor," a gimlet-eyed lament, and "Tymps," a tight piano track with a tip of the hat to hip-hop. It's "Window," though, with its lyric about "a filthy pane of glass" fogging up a clear view, that sums up the experience of this CD best. "I had to break the window," Apple sings, smoky-voiced as ever. "It just had to be." With Extraordinary Machine, she shatters already sky-high expectations. -Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

Critically Acclaimed Fiona Apple Returns with her First Studio Recording in Five Years. Fiona Apple Established Herself as a Visionary Singer/Songwriter at the Age of Nineteen with her Debut Album Tidal in 1996. This Stunning Album Went on to Earn her a Grammy Award in 1998 for "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance" Establishing her as an Uncompromising and Original Artist Gaining Intensely Loyal Fans all Over the World. CD/PAL Dvd - Live Performance Footage. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Effort, October 5, 2005

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Extraordinary Machine (Audio CD)

Fiona Apple's first new album in six years, Extraordinary Machine, faced a Wilco Yankee Foxtrot Hotel dilemma when her label, Epic, held off releasing it because they thought it was too uncommercial. Due to an aggressive internet campaign and the leaking of the songs, Epic changed their mind and gave Ms. Apple the green light. The album is a stunning collection of songs, many of which were written in the aftermath of Ms. Apple's break up with director Paul Thomas Anderson. Due to this circumstance and the fact that she is no longer a teenager as she was on her first release, the songs have an air of maturity that her previous efforts lacked. The album features producers Jon Brion (who worked the original sessions, but only ends up as a producer on two tracks, Brian Kehew and Mike Elizondo who work with hip-hop artists shows up on the album. Mr. Kehew & Mr. Elizondo don't turn the album into a hip-hop affair, they beautiful match Ms. Apple's smoky voice and soft piano with simple loops that accentuate not dominate the sound. "Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)" is a perfect example of their work. They also move away from the baroque sounds of the internet album by adding guitars, horns and slamming drums to the mix. Ms. Apple is the real star though and her work on the piano driven "Get Him Back", the wicked "Red Red Red", the intense "Window" and the great "Better Version Of Me" show that she is ready to take the leap into superior singer-songwriter territory.

105 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY!, October 4, 2005

By 

Benjamin Norman "Trance Pants" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Extraordinary Machine (Audio CD)

After two years of waiting, grumbling, downloading, and sighing for lack of, we finally have Fiona Apples amazing third album, Extraordinary Machine.

You can definitely tell that she has matured a great deal since "When the Pawn...". She made a lot of changes from "Tidal" to "When the Pawn..." and made a lot of changes from then until now. She seems to have fused the sounds from both albums together, making a musically biting, yet soft album that incorporates a few new sounds as well. For instance, "Tymps" has a very...hip hop feel to it. It's the danciest track she's EVER done, and I think it's absolutely amazing.

She embraces her soft side from the getgo, letting EVERYONE know that this is still very much her, regardless what "Fast As You Can" and "Limp" had to say about it. Her lyrics are great, and I think the ode to her own amazing abilities is extremely well-done. I find this song very fun to listen to, and relaxing at the same time.

The next track, Get Him Back, is a rompin' tavern song (at least I can imagine it being one, with that piano!). Her voice sounds great on this song, and the lyrics are clever and interesting. One of my favorites!

O'Sailor was one of the songs released on Itunes before the CD was released. It's got a very bluesy, merry-go-round sound to it that compliments her smoky voice perfectly. This is one of those "Tidal" fused with "When the Pawn..." songs I told you about. I really enjoy this.

Better Than Me is another fun, bouncy song. I tell you, I love the piano! I just love it! You'll like this one. The chorus is fantastic. This song also utilizes some interesting synth work we haven't heard from her before.

Tymps (The Sick In The Head Song) is the most fun you can have on this CD while still remembering that it's heartfelt, soulful Fiona that's singing. Add the beat and you've got yourself a DEFINITE radio track. Take THAT stupid record labels!

The album continues in this general trend, vascillating from slow to warm and fast, till it concludes with the truly clever, interesting, and downright wonderful track, "Waltz (Better Than Fine", which utilizes, as the title suggest, a waltz as background music. It's pretty soft, at the beginning, but as it progresses it gains edge and volume. You gotta hear this to understand just why I love it so much.

Oh, and some background on this album incase you aren't aware.... In 2003, this album was up and ready to go, but her label "shelved" it because they didn't feel it had a leading radio single to push sales of it. Then, an internet DJ apparently leaked the tracks all over the internet, and when mad Fiona fans heard it, they only got madder. Why keep this brilliance "shelved"? What the hell? "Free Fiona", a website dedicated to getting this album released was then erected (which she thanks in her liner notes) and I wholly attribute this release to their efforts. Fiona, you ROCK, and your fans ROCK HARDER! I love you all!

Pick this up, if not for Fiona, then for the love of music. Do it. Now. Stop reading this, and press "buy".

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, but still great, October 4, 2005

By 

A. Beckett "iccarus" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Extraordinary Machine (Audio CD)

I've been a fan of Fiona Apple ever since picking up a copy of Tidal back in college. Since that time, I've pretty much always had a tape, CD, or .mp3 player with at least one of Fiona Apple's songs on it. Her voice and talents on the piano can't be matched by any other artist I've ever heard. So, it should be easy to see that I'm very happy the drought of new Fiona material has ended with the release of Extraordinary Machine.

I should also add that I have heard the "leaked" version of this album, which was done with producer Jon Brion. The music they created together in that version is amazing and I was eagerly awaiting something just like that when I picked up the official release. This is not the case though.

If you have heard the leaked version of this album and feel that anything less than owning an actual copy of that is a waste of money, then it might be better to not buy this album. I'm not saying this version is bad...it's still amazing when looked at on its own. I'm only trying to convey that some of the tracks have been changed drastically in terms of backup instruments and vocal effects, to the point where they have taken a slightly new direction. Most notable in those changes are revamped versions of Window, Tymps (the sick in the head song), O'Sailor, and Not About Love. All of those tracks are still wonderful works of art, but they feel a little different on this album. There were changes in just about every track, but those are the ones that stand out most to me.

Two of the Brion tracks did survive the change to producer Mike Elizondo. Extraordinary Machine and Waltz remain the same as what many Fiona fans have heard over the past several months. Brion's influence is still present in many of the other songs as well, although most of the tracks do have a slightly more hip-hop sound to them. That is largely the result of using a producer who has worked with many of the greats of that genre. They still sound great and should be enjoyed by any music fan.

This album does include the addition of the song Parting Gift, which is a melancholy tune with just Fiona and her piano. Her voice really shines through the entire song and it is quickly becoming on my favorites of the new album. This song alone almost makes it worth owning the record for me.

I purchased the DualDisc version of the CD, which has many great little extras added in. The camera work on the live performances is a little shaky and out of focus at times, but it does provide a look at Fiona and Jon in a very intimate club setting. Fiona plays no piano in most of the videos. It's mainly Jon playing acoustic guitar while Fiona sings. Most of the features were actually already available on the official Fiona website, so you may not get much new material if you've viewed the media there. The video for Not About Love is pretty humorous, and is another added bonus of the DualDisc release.

Overall, this is a great album and I would say just about any fan of Fiona should pick it up. I'll be proud to have it sit in my collection, ready to pull out when I'm one of those moods where only Fiona will do.