Sony has yet to find the magic song on Brion's latest production, Apple's new record. The album has been finished for months but sits on the shelves at the label as, Brion says, execs search for a single.
Eppy has an interesting take on some of the reasons why Fiona Apple's latest album may end up being shelved by Epic and a few of the business concepts that go into that decision process. It's worth a read.
As far as the album itself goes, Billboard gives a street date of July 22, while Rolling Stone lists "winter" in an article written in October 2003. Your guess is as good as mine as to when it might ever see the light of day.
I rather liked Apple's first album, and the second was disappointing (in that typically sophmore jinx sort of way), but I'd be open to giving her third outing a try.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sven
i have to disagree. i think her second album grew incredibly stronger musically. while flatlining on lyrics, i still believe that the second album was better.
2 - Annie
I don't know if you've ever had the misfortune of having your heart broken, but I guess that's what you need to have experienced to fully appreciate When the Pawn... I think it was beautifully written. At first, I only really liked a few tracks, but every once in a while, I'd play some of the others, and one by one, I realized the beauty in each of them. I am eagerly awaiting this 3rd album, and am starting to get angry about the pushbacks. Anyway, do listen to Pawn again, and consider all of the magician symbolism. Maybe you have to be a woman to understand...
3 - Annie
I don't know if you've ever had the misfortune of having your heart broken, but I guess that's what you need to have experienced to fully appreciate When the Pawn... I think it was beautifully written. At first, I only really liked a few tracks, but every once in a while, I'd play some of the others, and one by one, I realized the beauty in each of them. I am eagerly awaiting this 3rd album, and am starting to get angry about the pushbacks. Anyway, do listen to Pawn again, and consider all of the magician symbolism. Maybe you have to be a woman to understand...
4 - Chaminda
I am also looking forward to the new album. However I like the second one (Pawn) much more than the first (Tidal). It's mainly due to Jon Brion's increased presence I think, but I find it to be a much more mature album. Let's hope this third one is even better. (and it gets released).
5 - Dave
heck no, her second album is the best by far. She has good songs in the first album, but the guy who mentioned job brion's increased presence is right. She benefitted so much from having more than a simple piano.
On the new record front, GODDANG!!!!!!! Please, sony, just release the damn thing. Pick a single, and i guarantee people will buy the whole album, me included. She shouldn't have her music shelved, and I think that's ridiculous
6 - Marisa
I am so pissed about this whole scenario! I can't beleive they might have Fiona's music shelved! She is such an amazing writter, her lyrics are so deep and so personal but you can just relate so well, both albums are awesome and Im sure the 3rd will be just as great!
7 - bjene
for serious, WTP came out when i was a freshman in high school, now im done with my first year of college! im losing patience with sony. im surprised that a copy hasn't surfaced on the internet. but if one does, im still going to buy the album if it ever comes out. jon brion is brilliant and i am confidant that his work on the new fiona album will be nothing short of genious.
8 - Raffaella
Oh DEAR. :-(
How silly can execs be? Just trust your artist and her fans!...
(Blog in Italian)
9 - Dave
yeah, totally, brion's work is irreufatble, and , so far, so has hers. I really hope they jut dont think its a summer album, and release it early fall.
10 -
sophomore slump? get real. the first was (emphasis) better, though the second is much more musically rich and better thought-out. maybe you should study up on music arrangement, but she does all her own, and the second album is a feat of engineering and songwriting and i want a third like fat kids want cake. like legless nam vets want their leg back. that's it.
11 - stsheep
it's obvious that "when the Pawn...."
is much better than the first album!
12 - Jakob
Because of artistic nearsightedness like this, the music world will soon see a new kind of celebrity in emerge. A person has yet to become famous completely from the internet, but, with music companies the way they are, musicians with a fan base are going to bypass them. That would be nice--if we were actually getting the product the artist intended.
13 - HisMuse
I can't believe this. If they shelve it I'll be pissed. I too think her 2nd album truly showed her talent...particularly her writing. You could tell it was from the heart.
14 - amy
i loved her first album, but i think i love the second one more. Now i have been waiting for about 4 years (since i heard she was working on a new one) for the third album to become my favorite. i think we've all been waiting so patiently for something we want so badly....what a waste to have it sit there! I think the suspension's been building long enough...i'm exhausted from waiting
15 - bongo
hola.
so when did you say her 3rd discs is gonna hit us ?
eep.
love life
16 - Cara Ng
fiona apple is an incredibly brillant artist and i am outraged that epic keeps pushing the release date back and back. i have been anxiously awaiting a new album ever since "when the pawn..." was added to my cd collection. i have been a huge fan of hers ever since "tidal" came out and while i think her first cd is a classic and a tad better than the second i will love her music no matter what. she has been such an ispiration to me in really being able to relate to an artists lyrics and i think her arrangements are so moving and haunting at the same time. her first cd was released almost 10 years ago and im still listening to it all the time! thats when you know a great artists when you hear one. release the third one goddammit! i need my fiona fix.!
17 - Ngbabyangel
oh by the way i read in MTV magazine in the beginning of the summer that her new cd may be released this september and its called "extraordinary machine."
here's hoping...
18 - thedrumone
keep your eyes peeled for a copy of her new one to surface on the net. that will happen eventually i'm sure. sony is lying about the single problem. they are delaying the record for other reasons that they won't share with us. something with her contract...money i'd bet is at the root of this, not the song to plug. they put these recordings in front of large numbers of qualified people long before it comes out. most of the time, the potential singles are known before they press record. in other words, get real. fiona and jon know what the hold up is. wish they could say. if they do say what's going on, it might never see the light of day.
19 - Jen
this is the stupidest thing i ever heard, its ok to have no talent artists like the simpsons sisters who cant even sing!! but a true talent like fiona apple gets shelved the music industry is indeed a big joke!!!
20 - Mister
I'm glad I'm not the only one getting irritated. When the Pawn was the best CD I've bought in years! Sony is losing all credibility. I wish the whole thing would leak...but moreso I wish they would just release it. Think of how this must make Fiona feel. She was reluctant to do a 3rd CD anyway from what I've read. This can't be helping her love the music industry. Maybe she should sign with Righteous Babe. The top exec over there would release the album I'm sure. Meanwhile, I am impatiently waiting.
21 - A Man Who Knows
I agree 137% with everyones comments. I have been waiting forever for a 3rd album and wish we were waiting on a 4th. Thank you Fiona Apple for everything you write.
22 - ngbabyangel
i check back here almost daily and i would love to talk to someone who's posted a comment. if someone wants to chat my screename is ngbabyangel and im on AIM. hope i here from someone.
23 - miss
I cant wait to hear the third albulm too.........feels like we have been waiting forever.......
Although i have now heard her first song "extradary machine" - quite different
24 - Grant Trowbridge
SONY--don't make me sic michael jackson
on your kids~!
i WILL BUY her album
now am i speaking your language?
I love her music, period.
"Extraordinary Machines"-
you can tell by the title it's gonna
be a good one
Fiona is a genius,
I don't care if her songs don't get
played on teh radio that much...
She's more interesting than any other
female performer
quit dickin' us around and give us
what we want, NOW
25 - brad donald
i agree with each of you.fiona is one of the few gifted musicians,especially in comparison to who's performing now.she's an immense genius who paints exactly what she wants with every note and lyric.a true artistic goddess.