Customer Reviews

When The Pawn...

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All year long I have been waiting to see who would receive the title of "album of the year" on my personal charts. That album has been released by a musical genius who so far has been more misunderstood than appreciated. "When The Pawn..." is the fulfillment of the promise made by Fiona on her debut album; an amazing musical experiment, a great combination of deep (it's deep people, not weird) lyrics, a sultry voice, and excellent musical arrangements. I'm more than glad to see Fiona taking on a slightly new direction making use of elements not seen or heard on her debut album. It is important to note that this work is less piano/melodic driven than "Tidal" -which still ranks as one of my top ten albums of the past 2 decades- and more focused on experimenting with the jazzy-bluesy feeling that this artist had shared with us on her previous effort. Tracks like "On the Bound," "Limp," and "Paper Bag" are outstanding in presenting Fiona's maturity in vocal and writing power. Likewise, they stand out ib their impeccable combination of Fiona's piano and other elements of percussion as well as some loops. In this regard this album compares with Tori Amos' "From the ChoirGirl Hotel" and Suzanne Vega's "99.9F" both of which meant gigantic leaps for the artists into the experimental fields of music. Some listeners may find that a general sense of anger and sadness prevails through most of the tracks, especially on tracks like "Get Gone" (my favorite) and "Love Ridden" but you cannot expect an artist like Fiona, after what you heard on "Tidal" to be singing happy ditties. To make this brief, anyone who is into powerful performers, especially female musicians, will be captured by this gem. If you've never heard of Fiona or if you were turned off by her darkness the first time around, I recommend you to still give it a try, listen to tracks like "To Your Love" or "Fast as you Can" and you'll agree on how extraordinary this album is. I rest my case :)

Fiona Apple returns in rare form in "When the Pawn..." (plus about ninety more words), her sophomore album -- and one of the rare ones that actually improves on the first. Her passionate bluesy-jazzy sound is blended with her strong, sensitive vocals and one soul-baring song after another.

"Hell don't know my fury." You said it, Fiona. Anger and melancholy permeate her songs, including the rage of "Limp" ("But no matter what I try/You'll beat me with your bitter lies") and the restrained quality of piano-bombast "The Way Things Are." Even the musically gentle "I Know" has a deep sadness, starting to move past some of the bitterness and anger coming before it, and early on Apple seems to apologize for her romantic shortcomings.

Female singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen today, but few of them do much more than set basic pop songs to acoustic guitar and piano. But Fiona Apple forges ahead with a noncomformist attitude and strong songs. In a nutshell, she comes across as an excellent musician, with all the power you'd expect from such a singer. And every song is a winner, gut-wrenching and beautiful in its intensity.

Musically, it has almost as much impact as her writing does. The music is often led by Apple's piano -- not tinkly piano, but dark, fast melodies that match her songs in rhythm and intensity. Percussion booms in songs like "Limp," as if giving vent to Apple's feelings. And cropping up from time to time are odd gurgles and squiggles, as well as some well-blended horn arrangements in the background.

Apple's voice is strong and assured, but it also has that rare quality of expressing vast amounts of emotion. Without, I might add, sounding overwrought. Which, since the mood is that of an Angry Young Woman, is a hard thing to pull off, but Apple's richly poetic lyrics ("And you can use my skin/to bury secrets in") make her songs seem intensely personal.

"When the Pawn..." is an almost exhausting experience -- just try listening to the whole thing without getting your heart rate up. From rotten lovers to personal pain, Fiona Apple explores the bitter side of love... and despite its bitterness, it's a gem.

When 1996's 'Tidal' came out, it was clear that its' young vocalist was no flash in the pan. Despite an overall sense of gloominess and woe-is-me, Apple's debut was regarded as exceptionally stunning, drawing accolades for its' unmissable single 'Criminal' and the magical 'Sleep to dream'. It was thus no surprise that people anticipated her follow up album with sky-high expectations of it. In 1999, Apple unveiled her second album, the curiously titled 'When the pawn hits the conflicts...'. The full title actually works out to a mini-poem of sorts, and one that makes LSD-ish sense upon repeated reading. ...Rarely have there been albums where every single song is an unrivalled gem, but this is one of them (non-believers, you'd have to actually buy this CD to know what I'm talking about). Now, both sides of the Atlantic have sung their praises of this album, and I still can't get enough of it, despite listening to the album in its entirety over - literally - more than a hundred times.

The opener, 'On the Bound' is a contradictory anthem of deep longing - despite the fierce independent tone of the title, we find Fiona wailing 'You're all I need' with a passion quite unseen since Sinead O'Connor's classic howls on 'Mandinka'. The second track 'To your love' is a grand ode to love, with the songstress apologising for her seeming indifference - 'Please forgive me for my distance' she whispers. This particular track is very effective, and frankly, its almost bewildering how Apple hasn't got the recognition and album sales that she so obviously deserves. Honestly, don't people know how to appreciate good music anymore? As if to reaffirm my bewilderment, the third, and perhaps most gutsy track on the album, simply floors you. "Limp" which was an official single release from the CD early in 2000 works on all levels - musically, instrumentally, and lyrically. Gripping stuff.

"Paper Bag" and "Love Ridden" are in the same vein as many of the songs on 'Tidal', though the production values and lyrics are far better. Its apparent that Apple has evolved tremendously as a singer and songwriter, and 'A Mistake', another of the album's I'm-gonna-be-me-and-no-one-else tracks is highly reflective of this fact. One thing thats true of 'When the Pawn' is that it keeps reaffirming the Angry Young Woman image more so than 'Tidal' and the listener can get weary of this after a point. At places, its Apple's stunning talents as a writer that retain your interest in the song and not the music (like 'Fast as You can' - perhaps the most commercial of all the songs on this CD), but in most others, its a combination of innovative music and sheer lyrical poetry that keep you hooked. The final songs on the album are 'Get Gone' and 'I know' - both sung about a lover who could have done better, and these are among the slower paced, deeper tracks on the set. Not that I'm complaining. Fiona has proved time and again that shes a true master of the Love Ballad, and what better time to show off this skill?

'When the Pawn' is an album that you come out of feeling light-headed and enriched - something I haven't felt since Tori Amos' 'Under the Pink'. On second thought, that particular album actually left me with a headache, but it broke new ground, which is something that Fiona has done here. What affected me most about this set is that it gets you in a way no other collection of songs has done through the last year. I've listened to Eminem, played my old Rolling Stones records again, and yes, even bought Spear's 'Oops...I did it again', but I haven't ever faced an album with such repeat value. I couldn't possibly recommend this album strongly enough, so all I'll say is : You'd better buy it to believe it. Its an absolute must-have.

When 1996's 'Tidal' came out, it was clear that its' young vocalist was no flash in the pan. Despite an overall sense of gloominess and woe-is-me, Apple's debut was regarded as exceptionally stunning, drawing accolades for its' unmissable single 'Criminal' and the magical 'Sleep to dream'. It was thus no surprise that people anticipated her follow up album with sky-high expectations of it. In 1999, Apple unveiled her second album, the curiously titled 'When the pawn hits the conflicts...'. The full title actually works out to a mini-poem of sorts, and one that makes... sense upon repeated reading. ...Rarely have there been albums where every single song is an unrivalled gem, but this is one of them (non-believers, you'd have to actually buy this CD to know what I'm talking about). Now, both sides of the Atlantic have sung their praises of this album, and I still can't get enough of it, despite listening to the album in its entirety over - literally - more than a hundred times.

The opener, 'On the Bound' is a contradictory anthem of deep longing - despite the fierce independent tone of the title, we find Fiona wailing 'You're all I need' with a passion quite unseen since Sinead O'Connor's classic howls on 'Mandinka'. The second track 'To your love' is a grand ode to love, with the songstress apologising for her seeming indifference - 'Please forgive me for my distance' she whispers. This particular track is very effective, and frankly, its almost bewildering how Apple hasn't got the recognition and album sales that she so obviously deserves. Honestly, don't people know how to appreciate good music anymore? As if to reaffirm my bewilderment, the third, and perhaps most gutsy track on the album, simply floors you. "Limp" which was an official single release from the CD early in 2000 works on all levels - musically, instrumentally, and lyrically. Gripping stuff.

"Paper Bag" and "Love Ridden" are in the same vein as many of the songs on 'Tidal', though the production values and lyrics are far better. Its apparent that Apple has evolved tremendously as a singer and songwriter, and 'A Mistake', another of the album's I'm-gonna-be-me-and-no-one-else tracks is highly reflective of this fact. One thing thats true of 'When the Pawn' is that it keeps reaffirming the Angry Young Woman image more so than 'Tidal' and the listener can get weary of this after a point. At places, its Apple's stunning talents as a writer that retain your interest in the song and not the music (like 'Fast as You can' - perhaps the most commercial of all the songs on this CD), but in most others, its a combination of innovative music and sheer lyrical poetry that keep you hooked. The final songs on the album are 'Get Gone' and 'I know' - both sung about a lover who could have done better, and these are among the slower paced, deeper tracks on the set. Not that I'm complaining. Fiona has proved time and again that shes a true master of the Love Ballad, and what better time to show off this skill?

'When the Pawn' is an album that you come out of feeling light-headed and enriched - something I haven't felt since Tori Amos' 'Under the Pink'. On second thought, that particular album actually left me with a headache, but it broke new ground, which is something that Fiona has done here. What affected me most about this set is that it gets you in a way no other collection of songs has done through the last year. I've listened to Eminem, played my old Rolling Stones records again, and yes, even downloaded Spear's 'Oops...I did it again', but I haven't ever faced an album with such repeat value. I couldn't possibly recommend this album strongly enough, so all I'll say is : You'd better buy it to believe it. Its an absolute must-have.

When 1996's `Tidal' came out, it was clear that its' young vocalist was no flash in the pan. Despite an overall sense of gloominess and woe-is-me, Apple's debut was regarded as exceptionally stunning, drawing accolades for its' unmissable single `Criminal' and the magical `Sleep to dream'. It was thus no surprise that people anticipated her follow up album with sky-high expectations of it. In 1999, Apple unveiled her second album, the curiously titled `When the pawn hits the conflicts...'. The full title actually works out to a mini-poem of sorts, and one that makes LSD-ish sense upon repeated reading. ...Rarely have there been albums where every single song is an unrivalled gem, but this is one of them (non-believers, you'd have to actually buy this CD to know what I'm talking about). Now, both sides of the Atlantic have sung their praises of this album, and I still can't get enough of it, despite listening to the album in its entirety over - literally - more than a hundred times.

The opener, 'On the Bound' is a contradictory anthem of deep longing - despite the fierce independent tone of the title, we find Fiona wailing 'You're all I need' with a passion quite unseen since Sinead O'Connor's classic howls on 'Mandinka'. The second track 'To your love' is a grand ode to love, with the songstress apologising for her seeming indifference - 'Please forgive me for my distance' she whispers. This particular track is very effective, and frankly, its almost bewildering how Apple hasn't got the recognition and album sales that she so obviously deserves. Honestly, don't people know how to appreciate good music anymore? As if to reaffirm my bewilderment, the third, and perhaps most gutsy track on the album, simply floors you. "Limp" which was an official single release from the CD early in 2000 works on all levels - musically, instrumentally, and lyrically. Gripping stuff.

"Paper Bag" and "Love Ridden" are in the same vein as many of the songs on 'Tidal', though the production values and lyrics are far better. Its apparent that Apple has evolved tremendously as a singer and songwriter, and 'A Mistake', another of the album's I'm-gonna-be-me-and-no-one-else tracks is highly reflective of this fact. One thing thats true of 'When the Pawn' is that it keeps reaffirming the Angry Young Woman image more so than 'Tidal' and the listener can get weary of this after a point. At places, its Apple's stunning talents as a writer that retain your interest in the song and not the music (like 'Fast as You can' - perhaps the most commercial of all the songs on this CD), but in most others, its a combination of innovative music and sheer lyrical poetry that keep you hooked. The final songs on the album are 'Get Gone' and 'I know' - both sung about a lover who could have done better, and these are among the slower paced, deeper tracks on the set. Not that I'm complaining. Fiona has proved time and again that shes a true master of the Love Ballad, and what better time to show off this skill?

'When the Pawn' is an album that you come out of feeling light-headed and enriched - something I haven't felt since Tori Amos' 'Under the Pink'. On second thought, that particular album actually left me with a headache, but it broke new ground, which is something that Fiona has done here. What affected me most about this set is that it gets you in a way no other collection of songs has done through the last year. I've listened to Eminem, played my old Rolling Stones records again, and yes, even bought Spear's 'Oops...I did it again', but I haven't ever faced an album with such repeat value. I couldn't possibly recommend this album strongly enough, so all I'll say is : You'd better buy it to believe it. Its an absolute must-have.

Whereas Tidal was the product of an unhoned prodigy's raw instinct, When the Pawn... is a tempering of Fiona Apple's lyrical and musical sense into a disciplined and thoroughly enjoyable whole.

Firstly, her singing: Now fully in command of her smoky, dark voice, Apple's delivery is greatly improved, with a confidence never before exhibited. It helps that her melodic sense has taken a quantum leap in the past three years; there are no longer any more quaint, unsure moments like "Shadowboxer" on Tidal. Producer Jon Brion (Aimee Mann) must also have contributed his infallible ear to the arrangements because When the Pawn... offers a much richer, more distinct sound, and overall a more addictive one. Apple's piano sounds great, the fiery parts recalling Tori Amos' ferocious work on her From the Choirgirl Hotel album or Laura Nyro in her '60s heyday, and even when the songs lapse into sections of jazz-blues jamming (usually more fun for the players than the listener), on this record they merely serve to augment the spontaneity of the songs and the immediacy of the performances.

A work worthy of an artist on the rise, When the Pawn... is a work that Fiona Apple should be very proud of. She has succeeded in mining her best assets while leaving her past faults behind.

...as long as they got the voice for it. This is the first album i've listened by this artist, and what brought me to her music is her quite original voice...simply much more feminine than those sickly sweet voices we hear on the radio. A low key, warm voice, with a certain edge to it. The music is even better, it is mostly piano, but mixed with the usual rock components, with a lot of rythm and breaks, so that each song has emotionnal and more rythmic parts. I don't like solo piano artists, but i love this album, because of the gathering of all these elements. An album gifted with a sublime voice and a talented music, which will get to you.

For those of you unfamiliar with Fiona Apple, her music is dark, dreary, occasionally uplifting, and always emotional. The songs have a structure more associated with pop music (maybe Alicia Keyes or Natalie Imbruglia) , but her deep voice shows that there is something more profound and disturbing under this facade. In her previous album, Tidal, with a few exceptions, Apple would sing the poetic verses that she wrote earlier in her life with piano accompaniment. This got a little tedious after a while. This follow up album corrects many of the problems of the first CD. In Tidal, it appeared as if she was holding back. There was definantly emotion and anger, but this rarely came through. In When the Pawn...we get Apple in all her anger. Tidal also suffered from a repetitious song structure and limited musical experimentation. With her second effort, Fiona experiments with long jazzy interludes and a variety of accompanying sounds to add texture to her music. The overall result is one of the most complete, powerful, and inspiring CDs ever released. With this album, Fiona really reached her potential.

When the Pawn...opens with On the Bound, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. It is a dark sound with background sounds that really give the song a driving and grating feel. Here she proclaims "Hell don't know my fury" and by the end of the album the listener will have a better understanding of this fury. Yet, the track also shows her vulnerabiltiy that will also become a theme of When the Pawn... She sings "I dont know what I'm doing,/ dont know should I change my mind, I cant decide,/ there's too many Variations to consider." She continually undermines herself throughout the CD and shows her weaknesses. She puts her heart, her mind, and her soul with others, as she repeats "You're all I need." Yet, there is a questioning of this total devotion as she ends the song with "Tell me you belong to me/ Baby that it's all gonna be alright/ I believe that it isn't." Fiona finds independence and power in her pessimism. This is the only way for her to overcome her wishful desires, which she sees as weaknesses.

To Your Love finishes up where Fiona left off. In this song she is further questioning her own feelings. She begins "Here's another speech you wished I'd swallow." Here again, she is using pessimism and sarcasm to give her self indepedence and power from her emotions. But then we hear self-doubt of even her pessimism. Her chorus "The pain is evident in my existence/
Please forgive me for my distance/ The shame is manifest in my resistance" laments that she cannot get close to somebody because of her negative outlook towards emotions. She confesses "But by the time I'm close to you, I lose" and "I just need to be reassured". The tables have turned since To your Love. Instead of a source of power, her doubts prevent her from happiness, from true friendship, and from true love. Quite a beginning to an album.

Then we get Limp. In my opinion Fiona's best song and the reason I initially bought the CD. Lyrically, the song is incredible. Musically it is a wild ride. I was always a little confused as to what exactly this track was about, but now I have my own theory, although I could be wrong. To me, this song is focusing Fiona's apprehensions towards men/ sex and showing how her being raped at an early age has distorted her images of men in general. Arguments and frustrations that she has had in other relationships take on the imagery of a rape. She writes "You'll beat me with your bitter lies/So call me crazy, hold me down/Make me cry; got off now, baby-" thus interspersing relationship troubles with the trauma of molestation. She compares her frustration towards men to her anger towards her violation "And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists/I never did anything to you, man." And finally, she uses the image of "Lying limp in your own hand", a blatantly sexual reference, to compare the rape to the breakup of the relationship. Like the rapist who became 'limp' at the end of the act, the target of her lyrics also will eventually lose his power over her as the relationship disolves. Thus, male limpness becomes a source of empowerment, where the sexual drive is no longer a factor in binding her to the male.
Even if you don't accept this interpretation, you have to admit the song is complex and pure poetry. I should also mention that the best part of the song is the power of its delivery and the jazzy interlude that takes over midway through.

Love Ridden is a more mellow song that discusses an aftermath of a breakup.

Paper Bag is one of my favorite songs musically. Lyrically it reminds me of a scene from American Beauty.

With Mistake we get a return to the theme of equating weakness with her inability to get close to others. This time, she calls this pessimism a mistake.

Fast As You Can is another great song musically. Its fast paced delivery really draws you into the song. Apple returns to the theme of getting power from being withdrawn (in defiance of her previous song). Her procomation that she is "blooming within" says it all. Her 'craziness', her distance is what makes her what she is. She can deny that this is an important part of her self-identity.

Way Things Are is a more uplifting song. Instead of lamenting the mistakes or blaming men for her own pain, Fiona here is resolved to the "way things are." She realizes that she is perhaps "much better off" and that she is "able to move on."

Get Gone is another great sounding track. Here she shows her desire to withdraw and separate from others. Much like Limp she equates sexual conquering with the end of the relationship (how literal this is supposed to be is unclear) as she sings "You got your game, made your shot, and you got away/ With a lot, but I'm not turned-on." Sex for Apple here is neccessarily an act of powerlessness, as in a rape. She says quite simply "I'm not benefitting." Wheather or not she derives pleasure from it is immaterial, the fact is that, for Apple, sex is a way for men to force a kind of closeness that makes her weak and vulnerable.

I Know casually closes out the album. It is a bit mellower than other tracks.

I've concetrated on Fiona's lyrics only because they are amazing. Musically this album is wonderful and I apologize if I haven't got this point across. I consider this to be one of the best CDs ever. I would recommend it to anyone.

I bought this CD after hearing 'Fast as you can' on the radio.. I'm usually not one to buy albums after just hearing one song, but I'm a sucker for female vocalists and Fiona has a great voice. Luckily, I wasn't disapointed. Fiona has a great rich and full voice with a nice range. The emotions in the songs seems genuine and there's good variation of rhythms and sounds throughout. Most songs are just her with some strong piano and percussion and occasional brass or sax, and her voice is always the centerpiece. My only complaint might be that her song composition might be a little on the simple side on a few of the songs, being a little short on lyrics and high on repetition, but this is a great CD from start to finish.

'Fast as you Can' is probably one of the best tracks, just because it has really interesting beats and composition, but the last track 'I Know' is just a gorgeous ballad, really showcasing her incredible voice.

Roughly 3 years after the impressive, although flawed, debut album Tidal, Fiona Apple returns with a powerful, angry gem that perfects everything she failed on with Tidal. This sophomore effort is sheer perfection and one of the best records to emerge from the 90's alternative scene. Here is my track-by-track breakdown of Fiona Apple's When The Pawn:

1. On The Bound-The music on this song is interesting and lilting, sounding almost like something from a carnival. It contains a few musical interludes that are absolutely great, and the chorus is sung with fiery, raw passion: "You're all I need!" Fiona cries in anger and desperation.

2. To Your Love-Has unique instrumentation, driven by a keyboard, drums, and Fiona's vocals. This song is caustic and powerful, especially the choruses and bridge.

3. Limp-One of the hit singles lifted from this release, and it's fairly short (3:30) and simple, which means it can be boring occasionally. It has a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, musical interlude, and chorus. It's lack of a bridge is disappointing, but it's still an amazing song.

4. Love Ridden-An anemic ballad that would be better if put on Tidal. Pretty and emotional, but nothing special. It's not a skipper, though. "Nobody sees when you are lying in your bed," Fiona croons. "And I want to crawl in with you/But I cry instead."

5. Paper Bag-I LOVE this song!!! One of my favorite Fiona songs of all time! It's catchy and ingratiate, with stunning lyrics. From here on out, the album just gets better and better.

6. A Mistake-A good song with an interesting arrangement, catchy melody, and good lyrics.

7. Fast As You Can-Once again, great instrumentation, great vocals, and great lyrics.

8. The Way Things Are-Another favorite. Everything about it is good. Love the piano and drums together.

9. Get Gone-An exceptionally pissed off song that is also one of my favorite Fiona songs of all time. The lyrics and chorus are incredible; the anger in Fiona's voice just oozes through the speakers, as if she's bleeding herself dry.

10. I Know-The perfect closer to the album, a beautiful ballad that is definitely superior to Love Ridden. It's so sad, and the high notes Fiona hits are beautiful.

When The Pawn is a stunning, angry masterpiece that trounces Tidal in every aspect. With this album, she gets everything right.