So, in 2003, Fiona Apple finished recording her third album, Extraordinary Machine. However, in a sign of typical record-executive brilliance, Sony/Epic executives did not think it would sell enough copies to justify the cost of promoting and distributing it—Despite the fact that her first two albums went platinum in the US. Rather than spend more money, Sony/Epic decided to cut their losses and not release the album at this time, and so the masters are collecting dust in a warehouse.
Two tracks from the album have been leaked to the internet by Apple’s people, and I think they’re pretty nifty. Here they are, if you’re interested:
Better Version of Me
Extraordinary Machine
If you like what you hear– if you’d like to see record companies release more art that takes risks and less flavor-of-the-month, bling-bling, American-idol crap—or if you just support an artist’s right to have their work released, go to the Free Fiona website, which is organizing a letter-writing campaign to Sony this coming January.
…and, if you don’t already own them, pick up a copy of Fiona Apple’s first two albums: Tidal, and When The Pawn… from Amazon (they’ve got them for 10 bucks each). Maybe an increase in the sales of her back catalog will shake the shit out of the brains at Sony/Epic.
