Customer Reviews

Tidal

5 star:		(216)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Tidal is a poweful, passionate, poetic piece of work, from a woman whose art, voice, and personality would seem to possess all of the aforementioned qualities as well.

From the first track, Sleep to Dream, Fiona grabs you with her strong vocals, both in their performance and their lyrics. Fiona effortlessly transitions from such passionately angry pieces as Sleep to Dream to quieter, piano-centered pieces like Sullen Girl, giving us, through voice and lyric, a musical journey through the range of emotions that make up the ebb-and-flow of a young woman's journey through romantic life (that ebb-and-flow being the inspiration of the album's name, Tidal.)

Other notable pieces are of course the quite famous Criminal, with its jazzy, self-impugning look at romantic sin; The First Taste, combining a dance beat with all of Fiona's subtle lyrical poeticism, and the perhaps underappreciated Never is a Promise, a breathtakingly beautiful, melancholy song about the limits to which one can communicate one's essence, even to those one most deeply cares about.

Fiona sings with a maturity, her lyrics reveal a depth, her music demonstrates a passion most would say was "beyond her years." To me, Fiona demonstrates clearly that popular music created by a young person (Fiona was only 18 when this was released), need not sound like the general conception of what popular music created by a young person sounds like (e.g.. the Pop Princess Cabal.) No, this is the beautiful work of a profoundly mature young artist, and it is one that you cannot afford to miss.

Fiona Apple has become one of those few singer-songwriters who is known for her talent, with only two albums to her name. Her debut "Tidal" is more uneven than her sophomore album, but Apple's rich voice and exquisite musicianship make up for the occasional lyrical stumbles.

"You say love is a hell you cannot bear/And I say gimme mine back and then go there for all I care," Apple sings in the first song, her alto suspended somewhere between a purr and a snarl. Backling her up is her own textured piano playing, backed by a heavy bass lick that pops up every few seconds like a tribal drum.

But unworthy lovers aren't the only topic that Apple tackles here. She also explores personal changes ("And I suddenly feel like a different person/From the roots of my soul come a gentle coercion"), hurting others in love, and "You'll say "don't fear your dreams"/It's easier than it seems."

Her songs are painfully deep in themselves, but it's all the more shocking and stunning when you realize that she was only eighteen when the album was released. Her music exudes the sorrow, anger and emotion of a woman twenty years older, mixed in with the ever-changing personality of a young girl. Music like this can't be calculated; it can only ever be real.

Her youth does show in songs like "Pale Summer," or certain awkward lines like "Oh, your love give me a heart contusion/Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red." It sounds a bit too overblown, in a high-school poetry way. But Apple has a rare way with simpler lines, giving them a verbal punch that a shadowboxer couldn't match. "I have never been so insulted in all my life/I could swallow the seas to wash down all this pride!" she snarls in the first song.

But honestly speaking, Apple could sing some really dreadful songs and they would still sound good -- her voice is another thing that was much older than she was, the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a thirtysomething torch singer. Her husky alto carries the songs with a rare intensity, backed with swelling strings and her delicate piano melodies.

There are a few lyrical stumbles in Fiona Apple's debut "Tidal," but it's still a pop masterpiece. Beautiful, intense, heartfelt and heartbreaking.

Fiona's voice is a distinct beauty. Her songwriting is beyond her years--powerful and honest.

I didn't like Fiona when I first heard her way back in '96 (seems like eons ago). I thought "shadowboxer" was boring. A year later I still didn't like her or her new song, "sleep to dream"--it was boring too. But I began to respect her, artistically. I knew she had talent and could sing and write very well (a combination lacking in today's music). By the end of 1997, I fell in love with her song, "sullen girl" and the rest of her album, through a friend's copy of "TIDAL".

Now "sleep to dream" is one of my favorite songs, and I also like "shadowboxer". "Sullen Girl" is a song anyone, male or female, could relate to in regards to the lyrics:'Days like this, I don't know what to do with myself . . .' Of course the song turns out to be about her rape. The rest of the album is flawless. Even the slower, less appealing tracks, "The Child is Gone", "Slow Like Honey" have a unique, beautiful sound. It's hard to pick a favorite track cuz there's so many good ones--"Never is a Promise" is a meditation on hopelessness and that familiar suicidal urge, "Criminal" is one of the best songs to hit the airwaves in years, and "The First Taste" is perfect.

Overall, this is an impressive debut. It's rare to find a young female artist who can sing AND write so well.

I was first compelled to explore the music of Fiona Apple after hearing the complications her third album "Extraordinary Machine" has had in getting released, due to her record company's refusal to put it into manufacture because of the lack of any 'radio material'. I for one was disgusted by this, and my disgust was confirmed even more when I finally bought this album. I always kind of knew that buying an album by Miss Apple would be a wise move, but I didn't know just how good...

Let's just get a few things straight; this album is absolutely f**king incredible. Nothing less than an alternative female rock masterpiece, and undoubtedly one of the greatest albums I've ever purchased. "Tidal" is its name, released in July 1996, when Fiona was a mere 19 years old. It was certified Gold in December of the same year, and has currently racked up US sales of 3 million. Apple possesses a raw yet smooth voice, which is rather smoky and jazzy. Her music is primarily rock but boasts hints of jazz and pop. Her songwriting is incredible, totally something else. She's quite the poet.

The album opens with the amazing "Sleep To Dream." The thumping beat that opens this song soon manifests into a raging and man-hating rock classic! Fiona's vocals here are amazing, and the song has great lyrics. "Sullen Girl" is one of the most amazing songs on the album. It's such a beautiful and tranquil song. It's a really brilliant break-up song, with visual lyrics such as "Calm under the waves in the blue of my oblivion." There's some very relaxing sounds swirling around in the background towards the end of this song, making it very memorable and a perfect song to relax to. Fiona is like a mermaid in this deep ocean of a song. "Shadowboxer" is a real grower, which I didn't really like much to begin with. After a few listens, though, I absolutely love it. This song is so powerful and moving, and it all comes from that amazing voice. Here, Fiona's vocals bellow all over the arrangement which works amazingly with the piano. The song tells the story of a destructive relationship, with almost a hint of physical abuse. This may not be the case, but the ambiguity adds furthermore to its intrigue.

"Criminal" is one of the songs that was released as a single from the album, and perhaps the most well-known. The song is an uptempo rocker with lyrics about how Fiona sees herself as a criminal because she toyed with a boy's emotions. It's a great song and was a huge hit. I love the bridge halfway through the song as Fiona's vocals climb and climb until she's absolutely belting her acid-tongued voice out. Stunning. "Slow Like Honey" is another beautiful and relaxing song, and the most Jazz-like song on the album. The piano creates this unusual atmosphere in the song as Fiona sings a Joni Mitchell-type classic. This song may take a while to really grab you, but once it does you'll be listening to it on repeat for hours. I just can't describe it anymore, but it's very surreal. "The First Taste" is the most experimental song on the album, and features a catchy piano riff that kicks in after the unforgettable line, "I do not struggle in your web, because it was my aim to get caught. But daddy longlegs, I feel that I'm finally growing weary of waiting to be consumed by you." One of the best parts of the song comes when Fiona sings, "Full is not heavy as empty, not nearly my love, not nearly my love, not nearly." Close your eyes at this point and you'll find yourself somewhere totally different. "Never Is A Promise" is probably the most beautiful song on the album and runs for almost six minutes. It's a slow and moving song that features little snippets that may last only a second or two, but which are so memorable that will be drawn back again and again. The lyrics are amazing, the most noticeable being ones such as "I realize what I am now too smart to mention - to you." What I love most about this song is the vocal style Fiona adopts; almost weary, lagging and tired of being hurt. Beautiful and astounding.

"The Child Is Gone" is a mid-tempo number with a swaying piano riff and some unusual lyrics. I'm not quite sure what this song is about, but I do like it. This album has 10 songs of pure genius, and while some are better than others, they're still all pretty damn good. "Pale September" is one of my favourites due to the amazing piano melody that Fiona incorporates into the song. It almost sounds like a lullaby, but rather ominous too; like something doesn't bode well for the future. The lyrics, however, contrast this; they're absolutely stunning. If you read the lyrics slowly and take in each word while Fiona sings them, you'll be transported - visually - to another place. "Carrion" is another great song, but probably my least favourite from the album. This is the last track on the album, and it closes the album in fine style. Fiona's vocals are very hushed, almost whispered, which creates an intimate setting between the listener and herself.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Fiona Apple has only had two albums released to date, the aforementioned "Tidal" and its 1999 follow-up "When The Pawn..." I bought both albums at the same time, and actually liked the latter much more. Tidal took a while to grow on me, but after repeated listens I can't stop listening to it. It's really impossible for me at this stage to saw which album I like the best - that kind of answer can only be given, at least in my case, in about a year. What this album brings for me is beautiful melodies, gorgeous vocals, thought-provoking lyrics and just something different to my already alternative CD collection. Only ten songs on this album, I hear you cry? Fear not, because in the case of Fiona Apple, less is most definitely more.

Right around the time Fiona Apple was garnering just as much airplay as she was accolades for "Tidal," her debut album, she also showed a knack for raising eyebrows: there was the video in her underwear, not to mention her denouncement of an MTV award as she accepted one. But for whatever maturity she lacked in public presentation was more than made up for in her music, as this lush and jazzy project proves.

The album kicks off with a bass-heavy drum lick and a husky a capella line: "I tell you how I feel but you don't care/I say tell me the truth but you don't dare/you say love is a hell you cannot bear/and I say give me mine back and then go there, for all I care." Clearly this is not the work of a producer-guided youth; Fiona is world- and love-weary beyond her years, evident in both her embittered lyrics and her husky alto. "Shadowboxer" was a loungey, sophisticated piece that nonetheless found its way to radio, and when a song like "Criminal" seemed tailor-made for radio, it was a mere coincidence; no artistic integrity spared here.

Other gems include the jazzy, Joni Mitchell-esque "Slow Like Honey," and the slinky groove of "The First Taste" (for the latter, imagine Sade with a dark side). Throughout the album Fiona further exerts her originality with arrangement; it's not every day that you hear acoustic piano and vibraphone in modern pop music. However, a trio of ballads in the second half of the album were arranged a little too similarly to have any one of them particularly stand out; a better result for listening to "Never is a Promise," "The Child is Gone," or "Pale September," while all perfectly acceptable and lovely ballads, would be to listen to them on shuffle in a multiple-disc changer.

But any complaints with "Tidal" are petty. With an album this strong, original, and just plain gorgeous, it is hard to find much fault with Fiona Apple...public antics and all.

Fiona Apple Maggart, a skinny, sad teen stomped upon the ground in 1996 with her debut entitled "Tidal". An attractive girl with beautiful wide eyes(both sad yet childlike at the same time) that never smiled, Fiona was an original. A small girl with scornful, soulful pipes with as much conviction as Ella Fritgerald and even Billie Holliday. Arriving in a music scene(1996) that was coping with the demise of grunge and gearing up for teen-pop and more pop-aimed rap(after the death of Tupac Shakur), Fiona didn't fit in with the commerical landscape. Never a "Lilth Fair" scenster, Fiona beat to her own drum. Sad, confused, angry, and loopy, Fiona sang with a soul WAAAYYYY beyond her then-18 years. A victim of rape and emotional abuse, this teen's angst was like no other.

"Tidal" is mindblowing. Dark, murky, and soulful. You fill different after you listen to it. As a songwriter, her songs are blunt, emotional, pensive, and self absorbed yet strangely revelant. This is a woman who knows she's screwed up but unlike Alanis Morrisette she isn't going to ground herself in her pretenions. She's world weary... Opening with "Sleep To Dream", a stalking theme of romantic collaspe with biting lyrics and thundering piano taps. "Sullen Girl" is powerful as Fiona poetically reancts her rape. In fact this whole album is just powerful...for lack of a better word. "Slow Like Honey", "Never Is A Promise", the murky "Shadowboxer", "Criminal", "Carrion"...it's very hard to believe that a 17 year old girl wrote this. But she did. Her soulful vocals ache with disappointment, regret, and pain. Amazing...

"Tidal" is one of the best albums of the 1990s and one of the best debuts ever. Fiona's somphmore release "When The Pawn..." was more mature and poised. And even topped "Tidal" as it was more three-dimensional. Although Fiona's indoscryatcies and unapolegtic stance has scared off many, her gift can't be denied. This is deeply emotional stuff right here. And in that, Ms. Apple has no peers.

I would just ike to star off by saying that I AM and fellow "Ear with Feet", and I have been in love with this album since the day that it was released. There is no reason for people to make unfair, harsh, comparisons to Tori. I am a huge, I mean HUGE, Tori fan, and I just don't see any common thread to compare Fiona with Tori. Sure, they both play piano, but their styles are so different. Tori has a very classical piano-playing style that is the result of playing piano since she could crawl. She also studied piano at the prestigious Peabody Institute, where she was the youngest student ever accepted. Fiona, on the other hand, is a self-taught piano-player. Fiona grew up as a major jazz fan, and taught herself piano by reading the songbooks of such famous jazz songstresses as Etta James and Billy Holiday. Their influences are far more relevant than that of Tori. In fact, when Tidal was first released, it was filed under the catagory Jazz, a catagory in which Tori most definately wouldn't be placed in (well, maybe "In the Springtime of his Voodoo", but that's another story). To make a long story short, Tori and Fiona are two very talented singer-songwriters who make music so different, they shouldn't even be compared. Tidal and When the Pawn... are two very strong recordings that are sure to stand the test of time, just like all of Tori's masterpieces. So to all of you ears with feet just like me, it's ok to like Fiona! I doubt that Tori would be angery! In fact, dosen't Tori tell us to be more accepting of others? Now if you want something to dissect and criticize, then look no further than Christianity... oops! That, too, is another story! Thanks for reading my review. I hope that I have helped in some small way to define the Tori/Fiona barrier.

Long live Tori and Fiona!

This is one of the most awe-inspiring debuts that I have ever heard in my entire life-to think that an 18-year old girl could write such lyrics and melodies makes my heart skip a beat. Fiona Apple writes and sings like she's been around for one hundred years- there is weariness and a time-honored sadness which radiates through her smoky alto and her refined, mature and simply beautiful music and lyrics. What I love most about her is that you can't dump her into a category-there aren't many artists out there like her and her music (despite what you may have heard) is unclassifiable. No doubt, Apple is in a genre all by herself. Tidal did not come out of my cd player for about a year when I first got it, and I still listen to it all the time. And every time I listen to it, I hear something new-a different nuance hidden beneath the rich layers of the music and the fantastically unique instrumentation that I hadn't heard before. It is a true pleasure to listen to it-it manages to be both emotionally stirring and relaxing at the same time. Her voice is amazing-it isn't as technically good as it is in terms of texture and emotional expression. When she sings, I believe every word she is saying-so much soul lies in her singing that every phrase comes out individually and is open for the listener's interpretation. Not only does she sing with a soul that is WAY beyond her then 18 years, but the timbre and tone of her voice itself is stunning-rich, and smoky-she can be sad, sexy, melancholic, or all these at once and more. For me, the true mark of a good singer is not how many notes they can sing, or how long they can belt out a tune for- it is how well they are able to capture the emotion of what they are singing- Fiona's got it by miles and miles. The lyrical writing on this record is some of the best I've ever heard- Fiona doesn't write songs- her songs are like poetry within music. Some have complained that her lyrics are pretentious or too metaphorical. I think that they are perfect because she finds a way to convey her emotions in a way that is not only true and real, but that sounds beautiful and poetic.

As for the music, this is one of the precious few albums that I own to which I can listen to the whole way through- as a full recording rather than a separate set of songs. True, some songs are exceptional, while others are simply good- but no one song is conspicuously worse than the other- every song is like a chapter within the album-if one song was missing the album would be incomplete. Just to make it easier, I will group the album into two categories: the "good" songs, and the "exceptional" ones. Here goes:

"Exceptional"

Criminal- I don't know how this song became a mainstream hit-it's just on a different caliber than all the other tripe that gets played on the radio. This song is dark, sexy, jazzy, and even sad if you really listen to it. "But I need to be redeemed from the one I've sinned against because he's all I ever knew of love," sings Fiona with equal measures of passion and bitterness in the song's excellent chorus. The whole song is driven and reckless- it doesn't stop to breathe for a second.

Slow like Honey- This song is amazing. It is very slow and jazzy, with some of the best lyrics that I've ever heard in a love song. "Does that scare you? I'll let you run away, but your heart will not oblige you, you'll remember me like a melody
Yeah, I'll haunt the world inside you" Fiona's voice sounds incredible in this song- it as at its most beautiful as she purrs and caresses her way through this haunting jazz ballad. The accompanying music is rich and mysterious, Fiona's piano-playing adding a lovely extravagance to the whole thing.

The First Taste- This song is the most experimental on the record- it has a funky beat and some very unique instrumentation. The melody is beautiful, sort of Spanish style and the lyrics are pure poetry."I lie in an early bed, thinking late thoughts, waiting for the black to replace my blue, I do not struggle in your web because it was my aim to get caught, but daddy longlegs I feel, that I'm finally growing weary, of waiting to be consumed by you, give me the first taste." Her voice is soft, and completely entrancing.

Never Is a Promise- This is one of the most perfectly written songs that I've ever heard. And it's even better live. The arrangements are simple but beautiful-Fiona on her piano and a lovely string arrangement accompanying her. Her voice is filled with so much emotion, she sounds as if she will cry any moment. "But as the scenery grows I see in different lights; the shades and shadows undulate in my perception, my feelings swell and stretch, I see from greater heights, I understand what I am still to proud to mention...to you." This song quietly builds up its intensity until it swells to a most beautiful, but very subtle climax towards the end of the song. Throughout the chorus, Fiona sings in a very high-pitched voice, making her sound almost childlike. This however, works perfectly with the song, as it adds to the vulnerability and fragility of the recording. Never is a Promise is a genius piece of songwriting straight from Apple's heart- I get shivers down my spine each time I listen to it.


Carrion- This is the perfect closing track- its mood and music end the album on the perfect note- melancholic, but hopeful. "My feel for you boy, is decaying in front of me, like the carrion of a murdered pray, and all I want is to save you honey, or the strength to walk away," Fiona sings in the song's intense and driven chorus, with a very effective, but subtle use of electric guitars. The distinct contrast between the chorus and the verses works very well- the verses are very quiet and all the emotion seems to be concealed, until Fiona lets it all out in the song's emotional chorus. Her voice is again not doing very much, but manages to sound amazing. Each time she repeats the chorus, she says it with more and more conviction and intensity.

I won't go into details about the "Good" songs-if you like the exceptional recordings that I have discussed above, you will for sure enjoy the remaining songs on the album- all of which are superb in their own right, but not "classics" such as the ones I have mentioned here. I love this album, and I love listening to it because it is so honest and pure and beautiful. While her follow-up album was excellent and in no way inferior to "Tidal," I prefer her debut because there was a certain rough and unpolished quality to the music, the singing, and the instrumentation. While Fiona certainly needs to come out with a new set of music, sometimes I feel that it's better if she doesn't- I fear that it won't match her past efforts because this minute musical legacy that she has created here is certainly hard, if not impossible when you consider that both her debut and her sophomore effort were amazing. And if she never does, that's disappointing, but forgivable- I will forever think of her as an original artist with a smoky, deeply penetrating voice that wrote those heartfelt, poetic lyrics and rich, gorgeous melodies.

"You say love is a hell you cannot bear, and I say gimme mine back and go there-for all I care." Love those lyrics. Sleep to Dream is an angry, accusing song, you can tell this girls mad! Great eerie music on it, good to listen to if you have imsomnia, real dizzy and floating sounding especially the end of it. I also listen to it when I'm mad and upset. Next is Sullen Girl which is heartbreaking and Fiona captures it beautifully, she sounds like shes known pain, love the lyrics too, "but its calm under the waves, in the blue of my oblivian." Everyone can relate to that song. Shadowboxer, great song, Fiona sings it wonderfully. Criminal kind of radio friendly, its probaly got the less soul and heart on the album but I'm not trying to imply that its Brittiany Spears or anything like that. I love the way Fiona sings on this track and its one of my favorites, I could listen to it over and over again. Next is Slow Like Honey which is the most beautiful song on the album. Its a smokey,drifting torch song. Slow, dreamy,and sexy. The First Taste-stunning,love the exotic music. Fiona used some wonderful, freaky exotic instruments on this album. Never is a Promise is beautiful-it always makes me feel like crying. Odd, lovely, sweet, sorrowful melody. Very gorgous. The Child is Gone is a good song, as always Fiona sings it beautifully. "Pale September, I wore the time like a dress that year, the autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin." Beautiful poetic lyrics, lovely haunting music. Carrion is just the supreme best sounding song on the album. "Won't do no good to hold no seance. What's gone is gone and you can't bring it back around." A bluesy breezy song with great lyrics and I love that ending-its great how this album experiments with different sounds. Fiona Apple is one of the few truly gifted singers today and when Jewel, Alanis Morrsette, and Sara McLachen become distant embarrassing memories, Fiona will still be remembered as a truly inventive and talented artist.

Fiona Apple's new album "Extraordinary Machine" has been shelved by SONY because they say it doesn't have a single. Fionahaswings.com along with Yahoo! Group LOVE RIDDEN have come together to unite Fiona fans to help get her record released. If you are a fan of Fiona Apple or just a music fan who hates being told what you should listen to by corporate giants visit www.fionahaswings.com for information on helping the cause.