extraordinary machine

Fiona Apple made the most of  melodies and maladies,  fighting folderol to get a better version of this astonishing apparatus.  After the tour for her 'When The Pawn...' album ended in 2000, the singer songwriter moved to Los Angeles.    Apple admits:  "The first couple of years, I didn't have anything left in me to write about.  That was a good thing, because it meant I'd done my job on the last batch of songs. I was riding a wave of independence. I wasn't trying to write; I just figured if the songs came to me, they came to me, and if not, 'Oh, well, it's been fun.'"



She began working again with Jon Brion, who had produced 'When The Pawn...', at the Paramour Mansion in 2003. Sessions continued at Cello Studios and strings and orchestration were done at Abbey Road Studios in London.  Apple says:  I gathered scraps for songs.  And I ended up writing the rest on the way, a totally new approach for me. The upside was that I'd finished all these songs that otherwise might've been left in 'I don't care' land; the downside was that I didn't have enough time to live with the songs before recording them, so I really didn't know what I wanted."

As the release of 'Extraordinary Machine' continued to be delayed, the songs were leaked online and fans started a campaign petitioning Sony BMG Music to released the album.  Apple was still not satisfied with the songs and began working with another producer Brian Kehew who brought in Mike Elizondo to co-produce a second version of the her third album.  They reworked all but two of the songs at Elizondo's Phantom Studio at his home in Westlake Village.   

 When 'Extraordinary Machine'  was finally released in October of 2005, it made it to number seven on the US pop album chart and eventually sold over six hundred thousand copies.  It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Vocal Album".     Apple beams:   "I've got a bundle of songs of which I am exceedingly proud.  And I'm excited to see how I handle the whole trip this time around, being that I'm finally at the point where I can call myself an adult without losing myself to the giggles."







http://www.fiona-apple.com/







"O' Sailor"  



"Parting Gift"  



"Not About Love"  









'Extraordinary Machine' 
full album:




All songs written and composed by Fiona Apple.

1. "Extraordinary Machine"   3:44
2. "Get Him Back"   5:26
3. "O' Sailor"   5:37
4. "Better Version of Me"    3:01
5. "Tymps (the Sick in the Head Song)"   4:05
6. "Parting Gift"   3:36
7. "Window"   5:33
8. "Oh Well"   3:42
9. "Please Please Please"   3:35
10. Untitled   4:08
11. "Not About Love"   4:21
12. "Waltz (Better Than Fine)"   3:46



'Extraordinary Machine' 
unreleased version produced by Jon Brion






1. "Not About Love"   3:46
2. "Red, Red, Red"   3:30
3. "Get Him Back"   4:32
4. "Better Version of Me"  3:33
5. "Oh Well"   3:51
6. "Oh, Sailor"   6:25
7. "Used to Love Him"   3:43
8. "Window"   4:33
9. "Waltz"   3:45
10. "Extraordinary Machine"   3:41
11. "Please, Please, Please"   3:55




live at Club Largo


1. Extraordinary Machine
2. River, Stay away from my door
3. Paper Bag
4. Fast As You Can