Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine became an Internet phenomenon similar to Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when the album leaked to the masses and became wildly popular.
The one major difference between the two situations was Wilco's album had been finished prior to being leaked, while the version of Extraordinary Machine that leaked was a rough studio cut that was not yet complete, and not approved for release by Apple nor by producer Jon Brion, who also produced her sophomore album.
Spurred by fans clamoring for an official release, Extraordinary Machine was put out without Brion's baroque pop stylings and honed down to its essential and most striking features: Fiona Apple's voice and a modest accompaniment produced by Dr. Dre protege Mike Elizondo. On Extraordinary Machine, Apple again examines her relationships and herself, creating songs full of passion and emotion. This segment originally aired on May 26, 2006.
Copyright 2006 XPN
