Maps of Music

When the Pawn... (1999)

Where the lyrics of When the Pawn... take you, and where it was really made.

The title is a 90-word poem that was once the longest album title on record at 444 characters, and it began as a reply to a magazine cover story.

Key places

NRG Recording Studios, Los Angeles (1999)

Recording site NRG Recording Studios (Hollywood) — Discogs lists NRG among the studios where the album was recorded, alongside Chateau Brion Studio, Ocean Way Studios, Andora Studios and One On One South. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• When the Pawn... is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple
• Released November 9, 1999 through Epic Records in the United States
• Produced by Jon Brion
• Known for its original 90-word title, which was once the longest album title on record
• The title was written as a poem in response to a negative Spin cover story
• Recorded at several studios, including NRG, according to Discogs credits

Background

• Followed the success and controversy of Tidal, Apple's debut album
• Apple faced public scrutiny after her 1997 VMA speech criticizing the media
• Many songs are thought to reflect her tumultuous relationship with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson
• The couple was together from 1997 to 2002
• The couple began using drugs together, which led to a long road of addiction and later recovery that affected later albums
• The album reflects these circumstances around its production

Recording

• Jon Brion produced the album
• Discogs lists Chateau Brion Studio, NRG, Ocean Way Studios, Andora Studios and One On One South as recording locations
• Matt Chamberlain played drums and percussion on most tracks
• Jon Brion played all other instruments except on one track
• Apple handled vocals and piano

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.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

• The album received positive reviews
• Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars, calling it richer, deeper and stronger than Tidal
• Entertainment Weekly's David Browne awarded an A grade, praising Jon Brion's production and Apple's songwriting
• Pitchfork originally gave it eight out of ten, with reviewer Chip Chanko praising Apple's lyrics
• Vibe's Amy Linden wrote that the album is full of images that resonate
• NME's Piers Martin rated it 5 out of 10
• Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

Reappraisal

• Slant Magazine named it the 79th-best album of the 1990s in 2011
• Spin named it the 106th-best album of the preceding 25 years in 2010
• Rolling Stone included it at number 108 on its updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020

Records

• Debuted and peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 103,000 copies sold in its first week
• Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on March 26, 2020
• Reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart with its lead single Fast as You Can
• The single became Apple's first top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart

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

Trivia

• The title is a poem Apple wrote in response to the unfavorable reactions of readers to a Spin cover story about her.
• At 444 characters it broke the record for the longest album title, a record that was later broken.
• Paul Thomas Anderson, Apple's boyfriend at the time, directed the videos for all three singles.
• Vinyl Me Please announced a reissue in 2020 with a new cover chosen by Fiona, marking the album's first ever vinyl pressing.
• Discogs notes that the album is sometimes referred to as When The Pawn.
• In 2019 Apple collaborated with King Princess on a cover of I Know for Spotify's RISE program.

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

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