For more than a year there have been two unreleased Fiona Apple songs making their way around the file-sharing networks - Extraordinary Machine and Better Version of Me.
As it turns out, the songs are from an unreleased album that Ms. Apple cut nearly two years ago. Apparently her record company, Sony, didn't feel that the music was in line with "current tastes" and scrapped it. I guess the good folks at Sony know that we're only interested in the pre-packaged crap that's been served up regularly for the past few years and God forbid they should release something unique and original.
How do I know that the songs are unique and original, you ask? Well, firstly, a DJ at 107.7 in Seattle has gotten his hands on the entire album, also called Extraordinary Machine, and has been regularly been playing tracks on the air. Secondly, all kinds of sites have sprung up where one can download tracks.
I checked a couple songs of the songs out today and they are different than Ms. Apple's previous hits, e.g. Shadowboxer, Criminal, etc., but certainly not unworthy of commercial release, especially coming from a proven talent. But if Sony is too spineless to take a risk on something new then only option is for the people to take matters into their own hands. Go out and listen for yourself before the RIAA gets wind of things.
(A good article on the whole affair can be found here.)
What the fuck does Sony know? Here's a hot upcoming release from them:
Michael Bolton
The Collection (3 Pak) (LEGACY 094168)
ยท CD
As the company that hung onto Betamax and the Mini Disc longer than ABC hung onto the Love Boat, I can can say I'm not suprised over their lack of support for Ms. Apple.
Even the Beatles got the shaft, Capital pressured the release of Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane before the album could be completed. Instead, we got a botched Sgt. Pepper instead of their childhood concept album. PO'd, the Beatles started Apple.
Posted by: The Buttnutt | March 17, 2005 at 12:05 PM