Maps of Music

Extraordinary Machine (2005)

Where the lyrics of Extraordinary Machine take you, and where it was really made.

Epic shelved the album for years, a Jon Brion version leaked, and Apple re-recorded most of the songs before the official release.

Key places

Largo in Los Angeles (2005)

Recording site Largo — The database lists Largo as a recording location for the album. The article says Apple first performed a song from it at Club Largo, where Brion played a regular Friday-night gig. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Stanley Studios, Venice (2005)

Recording site The Stellar House — Additional recording for the album took place at Stanley Studios in Venice, California. The location is shown at city-center level, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Strings recorded at Abbey Road (2005)

Recording site Abbey Road Studios — Brion and Apple travelled to England at a later stage to record strings and orchestration for the songs at Abbey Road Studios in London. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Jubilee line to St John's Wood station, then about a 5-minute walk.

Album story

Overview

• Extraordinary Machine: third studio album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple
• Released by Epic Records in the United States on October 4, 2005
• Produced by Jon Brion at first; later reworked with Mike Elizondo and Brian Kehew
• Expected in 2003, but the label delayed it several times without explanation
• The delays led to speculation of a dispute over commercial appeal
• A fan campaign pushed for the album's official release
• Cover: photograph of an agapanthus bud, taken by Apple in her front yard

Background

• After touring for When the Pawn... (1999) in 2000, Apple moved to Los Angeles
• Brion's five-year relationship with Mary Lynn Rajskub ended during the filming of Punch-Drunk Love (2002), which Brion was scoring
• Brion asked Apple to make another album, and Apple agreed
• Brion took the project to Epic with strict stipulations, including no deadline
• A tentative November 2002 release date was set

Recording

• Studio work began the following June at Ocean Way Recording, where Apple played Brion the first five songs she had written for the album
• Strings and orchestration were recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London
• Brion considered the album finished from his side by May 2003
• From April 2004, Apple worked with Elizondo on re-recording the songs
• Of the eleven leaked tracks, two stayed unchanged and nine were completely rearranged
• One new song, Parting Gift, was added
• Released more than three years after the original recording sessions began

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart on September 13, 1977, in New York City.
• Daughter of singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart; raised between New York and Los Angeles.
• Began writing songs at age eight; influenced by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

Career

• Debut album Tidal (1996) won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance for "Criminal".
• Second album When the Pawn... (1999) was produced by Jon Brion and received critical acclaim.
• Third album Extraordinary Machine (2005) was remade after Apple's dissatisfaction with the first production.
• The Idler Wheel... (2012) became her most successful album on the Billboard 200, peaking at number three.
• Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020) won Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance.

Recognition

• All five studio albums reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
• Three of her albums appear on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times and Slant magazine ranked the official version number one on their year-end album lists
• Stylus described it as "a rudderless piece of work" and "a bitterly disappointing listen"
• Spin stated "it's kinda been done" and noted Apple reined in her penchant to overwrite
• Slant placed it at number one of the year, Rolling Stone at number four, and Amazon.com at number ten

Reappraisal

• Rolling Stone named it the 49th best album of the 2000s in 2009
• Rolling Stone ranked it number 444 on its 500 greatest albums of all time list in 2020
• Nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album

Records

• Debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 94,000 copies in its first week, Apple's first top ten album
• Fell out of the top ten in its second week, with sales down almost 50 percent
• RIAA gold certification in January 2006 for 500,000 shipments
• Nominated for the New Pantheon award
• As of June 2012, 1 million copies sold in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Andrew Harms of Seattle radio station 107.7 The End began playing unheard tracks from a bootleg copy of the album on February 26, 2005
• Questlove said in a July 2005 online chat that the album was not cancelled and would be a DualDisc, which was later confirmed
• Parting Gift was recorded on the first take
• Blender included Used to Love Him in its May 2005 list of songs to download
• In March 2005, 46,759 people were sharing the leaked tracks on major P2P networks, according to BigChampagne
• The album cover photo was taken by Apple in her own front yard

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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