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HomeMusicPopSinger-SongwritersWhen The Pawn... |
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|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
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1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Her best album, so far... Nov 24, 2008
Better than her 1st album, if that's possible. She is in constant development in both lyricist and arranger abilities. All songs are great, and Fiona defined the feeling of the late 90s.
On the Bound is a sensational song, with extreme power and depth. The production is high level, and her voice delivers exactly what we expect from the mood of the song.
She is a true artist, label that is given so easily by the media these days, to the so called "talents". But not with Fiona, she deserves all acclamation that she got, and much more.
This is a true masterpiece of modern intelligent music!
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Neither memorable nor personal enough Nov 22, 2008
Along with Tori Amos, Fiona Apple repopularised the piano as a rock instrument in the 1990s amidst a stream of annoying grunge and techno. Influenced by long-forgotten 1970s albums like Turn of the Cards, Tori's first two albums were exceptionally personal and melodic works that for me as a first- and second-year student of Melbourne University, became beacons of hope in a musical landscape that seemed to be deteriorating all the time.
When she first emerged in 1996 with Tidal, I thought (oddly) Fiona Apple was from my native Australia and she seemed interesting enough that I bought "When The Pawn" almost as soon as it came out despite not being pleased with the new direction she seemed to be taking. With hindsight, I feel at present that my judgement has been vindicated. Just as Tori tried some quite silly experiments on her third album, on "When the Pawn" Apple is trying to be a "twisted" rocker. In the process, both her voice and piano lose out. What is undoubtedly meant to be eerie soundscapes on most tracks on "When the Pawn" tend to come off as half-hearted, notably on the opening two tracks. In other parts of the album, Apple simply comes off as tuneless.
With the exception of "Fast As You Can", which really does pull off the trick of being utterly creepy, none of "When The Pawn"'s songs have a really memorable line or lyric: instead, they sound like Alanis Morrisette trying to be an art-rock singer. The lyrics, too, tend to be too much of the angsty, Melissa Etheridge-style "wronged lover" school to really be effective: there is not nearly enough personal reflection or serious storytelling.
All in all, if you want to see a record that is truly "pretentious" whilst not achieving much, you've come to the right place. Stick with Tori's first two albums if you want some really genuine piano rock, though.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
I Had to Buy a Second One Feb 08, 2008
This is the second time that I've purchased this album...I bought it the day that it was released back in 1999, and I finally wore that copy out a few weeks ago. While I love everything Fiona Apple puts out, this remains both my favorite CD of hers and of all time. This is one of those rare albums where every single song is amazing, and you can listen to it without having to touch your "skip track" button. While "Fast As You Can" was the biggest hit as a single, songs like "A Mistake" and "To Your Love" can only be described as Beatles-esque. "The Way Things Are," "Get Gone," and "I'll Know" are some of the (if not the) most insightful and thoughtful songs about being in an unsatisfying relationship that I've ever heard. Fiona weaves charming plays-on-words effortlessly into beautiful and vivid storytelling, all set to truly unique musical arrangements.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Apple Sauce Jan 12, 2008
Have not heard much from Ms Apple except for radio play. Ordered three compact disks at once. Have been working my way thru them. Neither good or bad. Interesting production.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
The Best Apple CD Jul 05, 2007
I feel that this is the best of the three Fiona CDs. This is probably my most listened and most coveted CD, not just by Apple, but in general. She is an amazing singer/songwriter and this album is a display of that. You WILL NOT be disappointed by this purchase.
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