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I buy a lot of CDs. And I live under the misconception that people care about my opinions. And I like to catalog things. Therefore I've decided to keep track of all the CDs I buy and what I think of them.
 


Sunday, October 30, 2005 :::

Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple
Rating:

Why I bought it: Fiona is good stuff.

What I think about it: The original version of this CD, which was leaked on the internet and much ballyhooed, was produced by Jon Brion, a bonafide genius. It was then shelved and reworked with some new electronic flourishes by someone else before finally being given a proper release. The good news is that Fiona Apple writes songs that are absolutely impossible to ruin. The bad news is that the new version seems a little flat compared to the original. Real orchestrations have been replaced with fake keyboard strings, and the manic building crescendos of songs like Tymps, Better Version of Me, and Get Him Back are gone, replaced by some pretty underwhelming arrangements that never come close to delivering the same impact. The only song that really benefits from the new production is Not About Love, which admittedly always seemed a tad messy in the original version. Luckily, the opening and closing tracks weren't tampered with at all, and the one new track, Parting Gift, is a nice addition. All in all, it's still an amazing CD with articulate lyrics, snappy hooks, and catchy tunes, and it's only a small step down from the initial leaked version from which it originated. But just for future reference, nobody should EVER second guess Jon Brion. Ever.

Song(s) worth a listen: Extraordinary Machine ; Tymps ; Oh Well ; Not About Love ; Waltz

Listen at amazon.


::: posted by dan at 8:38 PM :: #


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