Fiona Apple
“Extraordinary Machine”
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Many fans believed that the first version of Apple’s new album was being suppressed by her label, but it turns she simply rerecorded it not with producer Jon Brion but with Dr. Dre sideman Mike Elizondo. Unfortunately, the Brion version is the superior of the two for the very reasons Apple probably sought to change it: Without Brion, songs such as “Not About Love,” “O Sailor” and “Better Version of Me” lose some of the spark that formerly made them special. The upside is that these songs are still very much Fiona Apple songs, and her ability to transcend the more conventional surroundings is a testament to her talent.
Best track: “Extraordinary Machine” is one of two songs unchanged from the original 2003 sessions.
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Edited by Curt Wagner ([email protected]) and Victoria Rodriguez ([email protected])