Thu Mar 04 2021
4
When I was a little girl first hearing this album I was like “geez she’s angry” Grown woman Jordan gets it though
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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Tidal
Fiona Apple
1996
- Album Summary
Tidal is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, released on July 23, 1996 by The WORK Group. Tidal produced six singles: "Shadowboxer", "Slow Like Honey", "Sleep to Dream", "The First Taste", "Criminal" and "Never Is a Promise". "Criminal", the album's most popular single, won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1998. In 2017, Tidal got its first vinyl run as a Vinyl Me, Please exclusive "Record of the Month".
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Sat Jul 17 2021
5
Practically have this album memorized. 9 fantastic songs on a 10-track album. The composition, lyrics, diction are all off the charts and she was 18/19 when she recorded it. Blows my mind.
Tue Jul 12 2022
2
Once again going last allows me to say I agree with all of you in one way or another. I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. “Sleep to Dream” is a banger and though I probably hadn’t heard it in ten+ years I was surprised by how many of the words I knew despite never owning this album. “Criminal,” on the other hand, didn’t spark the same level of enthusiasm now as I had for it when it was released. And that was the one song I definitely associated with this album and, really, with Fiona Apple overall. I don’t know… something about the drum sound? The drums felt mushy to me here with a few exceptions. And like Alex, I too was sadly bored by a lot of this. As in, pretty much every song after “Criminal.” I didn’t hate them and the last song stood out a little, but that one two punch of “Slow Like Honey” and “The First Taste” lost me and I never quite recovered. But! I think you’re right, too, Craig! I did find myself thinking as I was listening that this album probably would be extremely well-received if it came out right now. I think she would be treated differently by the press than she was back in the day and it seems like there are an awful lot of young listeners who are drawn to the vibe of a song as much as they are the catchiness of a melody or anything else. I’ve tried listening to Phoebe Bridgers, for example, and found that dull as paint but boy do people younger than me seemingly adore her. Or put a young Fiona Apple on tour with Billie Eilish and I wouldn’t blink an eye. I think this album would fit right in, yet still be it’s own thing and there’s something to say for that. Also, can you imagine if she had married Paul Thomas Anderson? Maybe she would’ve shown up in INHERENT VICE and that would’ve been weird.
Mon Jan 25 2021
5
Holy fuck. i had been avoiding this album much to my detriment. its one of the best albums I've ever heard. its also likely going to be a favorite. also sorry, my wifi had been out all week but I'm back and I'm finna go through these albums
Thu May 20 2021
5
God damn what an album. Every song is varied and yet fit together excellently. Her voice seems to add something different to every single track. It's one of those albums where as soon as you try to think of your favorite track, a small part of the first track to naturally pop into your head - maybe a specific rhythm, an interval, an instrument, the tempo, anything - reminds you of another equally good track, which then reminds you of a third, and so on until you've gone through every track and returned to the first one again. And you can do so many such loops because every time a track pops into your head you identify a new aspect of it that you liked.
Mon Apr 04 2022
2
Melodic and beautifully sung but unaffecting and forgettable. Maybe it's me.
Fri Aug 19 2022
2
pretty boring. all of the songs are pretty much the same. also there is like 2 fucking minutes of instrumental at the end of each song thats infuriating. highlights are criminal and the first taste.
Tue Aug 30 2022
2
First cut is hideous. But, it’s liking watching breaking bad, you have to get thru the first episode. However, it never gets great. Over and over same stuff. If you want to be depressed then this will be your friend. Shadow boxer was definitely the hit but also the only standout song. Not sure whatever happened to Fiona…
Tue Dec 13 2022
2
I don't really get what this was or why it has made this list. Beige
Fri Oct 23 2020
5
ICONIC ALBUM
Mon Sep 21 2020
5
Woah! What an amazing album. This is my first time listening to Fiona. Shocking, right. What a vocalist and what a lyricist. Every song is amazing and just hauntingly beautiful. Long live Fiona!
Tue Dec 08 2020
5
Fiona é incrível e esse CD tem algumas das melhores músicas da carreira dela. Ainda descobrindo na personalidade dela e seguindo algumas fórmulas, mas você já sente o que viria pela frente. Um dos meus CDs favoritos
Tue Mar 16 2021
5
uma deusa uma louca
Tue Nov 09 2021
5
so beautiful FUCK
Tue Nov 16 2021
5
There is a theatrical quality to Fiona Apple's voice that uniquely colors this record, which is inherently a marriage of alternative indie and soft-rock/jazz. Resonant and deep characteristics of her voice paint robustness - while unconventional for female vocals, it stands as a mesmerizing complement to the overall arrangement. Musically conducted in unison and uncomplicated, 'Tidal' serves as a great invention that subtly yet faithfully reflects Fiona Apple's life journeys.
Fri Apr 23 2021
4
Yes, I fancy her. I would shave off her pubic hair and keep it in a jar to eat at a later date.
Mon Feb 15 2021
3
Le piano est très fort, il est en parfaite symbiose avec la voix. Une découverte très plaisant à écouter. J’ai bien aimé Je l’évite, écouter l’album en boucle, les tounes se ressembles beaucoup Je levite le piano fou raide
Mon Feb 14 2022
3
I was always given the impression that people with external genitalia we're not equipped to "get" Fiona Apple. So I didn't really listen to anything she'd done until this album. I was pleasantly surprised by the first few tracks. Then I was pleasantly surprised by the next few tracks. Then... the whole thing fell apart. "Slow Like Honey" marked the beginning of the end. The album just drowned itself in self-indulgent, singer-songwtiter twaddle. Shame.
Fri May 14 2021
2
Instrumentals were nice. Apple sounds like she's trying too hard to be breathlessly sexy. She failed
Tue Jan 11 2022
2
i can totally see why people like her however.. her voice just really annoyed me for some reason. it just wasn’t appealing to me and the vocals, although really good, bothered me.
Tue Dec 20 2022
2
Girl next door aesthetics applied to the female diva stylistic. Female Jeff Buckley vocals, set back by the unimaginative musical backdrop. Probably influential, since everything that came after it sounds exactly the same. Shame, since all the Billies, Marinas, St. Vincents of today really watered down the style, despite the higher production value.
Wed Apr 05 2023
2
The good news here is that Fiona Apple seems to have remembered how to end a song. The not so great news is that it is still Fiona Apple, containing all the likability an artist should have to achieve her success, but just leaving the experience in a scattered, existential crisis of why this album should be heard prior to death.
Tue Apr 18 2023
2
I thought I'd find her voice more grating than I do. Not my thing, but... I get it.
Wed Apr 26 2023
2
She's very talented but didn't really grab me.
Wed Apr 26 2023
2
Too down tempo and jazzy for my liking. She does have a nice voice however.
Tue Jul 12 2022
1
I don't get this. A couple of slightly tickly songs - 'Shadowboxer', 'Criminal' - cant compensate for what is a mostly dull excursion. I don't like Apple's voice very much, the songs are overly (as in, unnecessarily) long, and an underheated production job certainly doesn't help. This review is boring I realise, but I don't think I'm doing the album any disservice as a consequence.
Sat Feb 27 2021
5
Love the silky jazz. Instant add.
Fri Jan 15 2021
5
Didn't like it at first, but it's a masterpiece
Fri Jan 22 2021
5
Totalny pop banger
Sat Jan 16 2021
5
Was sad it over. Good to great 4.5
Fri Jan 15 2021
5
Yasss
Wed Apr 21 2021
5
Really cohesive album - songs blend together well.
Sat Jan 16 2021
5
😍😍
Thu Jan 14 2021
5
the criminal video still peak 90s cinema
Thu Mar 04 2021
5
She's awesome.
Mon Apr 19 2021
5
hell yea fiona apple kicks ass! great debut album. Criminal is awesome. just a banger. The First Taste is also a good one
Mon Feb 15 2021
5
Loved it
Thu Apr 01 2021
5
One of the most influential albums from my youth
Fri Jul 23 2021
5
still know all the lyrics. Love her
Sun Jul 25 2021
5
9/10. Was stuck between a 9 and an 8 on this one, but I am feeling generous today, and if something stands out to me as good while I am working, that's a good sign. Shadowboxing was a good track, and I remember liking Sullen Girl as well, but I wasn't paying as much attention to what track I was listening to later on, but everything was pretty solid.
Thu Jul 29 2021
5
Wow. One of the most immaculately produced albums I’ve ever heard. Everything is powerful, dark, and sexy. The singing and playing are all too-notch, and lyrically each song has a little bit of fierceness and a lot of mood.
Sun Aug 15 2021
5
This album is so fucking good. Fiona Apples vocals are unbelievable, she has different delivery on each track its Super impressive. Add in some really good song writing and instrumentation and you really got something special. God the jazz influences on slow like honey are just so good. Incredible.
Mon Aug 30 2021
5
I was excited when I got assigned this album as Apple's reputation was high and was not disappointed. A great album for chill vibes, for house duties and walking. Listened to Criminal several times today which says enough for the 5 star rating.
Tue Sep 21 2021
5
Loved it then, loved it now.
Sat Sep 25 2021
5
Había escuchado muy poco de ella, despues de este disco FAN! Todo muy bien, gracias 100001 discos por obligarme a escucharla
Sun Nov 14 2021
5
A soaring debut!!!!
Sun Nov 14 2021
5
Excellent album. Beautiful vocals and songwriting, great consistency,
Tue Nov 23 2021
5
Fiona Apple will always gets 5 stars from me. She is one of the most authentic, human, and original artists that I know of. She puts herself out there in a way that can make her vulnerable and I think it's really brave. That she consistently manages to make that vulnerability sound so beautiful and powerful is nothing short of amazing. She is one of those rare artists who I view as having a nearly flawless discography because she only makes an album when she truly has something meaningful to express.
Mon Dec 06 2021
5
soncially cohesive, even on tracks like slow like honey and never is a promise, where it seems to diverge from the usual 'sleazy' like guitar sounds, it makes its way back from the jazzy piano tunes. I still think the songs with the sleazy guitar sounds with fionas aggressive tone are standouts
Thu Dec 16 2021
5
JA!! ÄLSKLINGEN NU DU
Mon Dec 20 2021
5
I think I knew at the time (but I had since forgotten) that Fiona Apple was still a teenager when Tidal came out but this album has never sounded like a teenager wrote it. It is emotional, raw, and definitely more musically complex than the standard radio fare of the mid to late 90s. To teenage me, these songs were permission from an older, wiser, much cooler girl to be whatever I wanted to be, whether that was sultry, angry whatever. It's a message I still need to revisit sometimes and this album will forever be in rotation for me.
Mon Dec 20 2021
5
I first heard this album live when she played the Capital Ballroom in Washington, DC. The album had barely been released and Shadowboxer was just starting to get some airplay on the alt-station here. I instantly fell in love with her sound - the growling, alto voice that can soften achingly on a dime, the almost classically-based piano creating the bedrock of the songs, the bass-heavy riffs and lush instrumentations that fill in the gaps. A 19-year-old writing so clearly, so confidently, so movingly about her experiences, some so horrific that might rather forever silence a young woman, elevates the music to another level. Many laud the musical experimentation with which Apple pushed the envelope in her later albums, but this one is stronger to me for being more traditional. There is a counter-point between the sound, reminiscent of adult contemporary artists like k.d. lang, and the poeticized angst of her painful youth - and that brings her message and music home with more feeling, more resonance. This album only gets better with repeated listenings, deeper as more time passes. A masterpiece of a debut.
Mon Dec 20 2021
5
This album is unbelievably brilliant. It's mature and soulful and witty and snarky and just really, really impressive. And... yeah, what's that, Kate? She was 19 when she made this!? I just don't know what to even compare that to. I'm more used to 18-19 year olds singing someone else's lyrics in the poppiest most button-pushing way possible. How was Britney Spears' debut just 2 1/2 years after this? The only thing I can think of that comes anywhere close to what Fiona Apple pulled off would be maybe Lorde, who was a couple years younger when "Pure Heroine" came out, but while it was impressive and refreshing it is nowhere near the level of "Tidal." If you're not blown away by Fiona Apple, you might not like music.
Thu Jan 06 2022
5
2022.01.05
Fri Jan 21 2022
5
9/10
Mon Jan 24 2022
5
20/10
Sun Jan 30 2022
5
Really good album. I can’t believe she has such a vocal range at that age, but she was excellent. The music was really well crafted too. Just a great album.
Sun Feb 06 2022
5
Every song is great. 4.5* therefore 5*.
Mon Feb 14 2022
5
i'm literally listening to her right now LMAO and i love tidal ofc
Sat Feb 19 2022
5
I loved this album for a long time. From the opening drum beat to the last pluck of the hard, this is mellow and subdued and lovely.
Sat Feb 19 2022
5
Such a beautiful voice
Fri Mar 04 2022
5
Fiona feels like a rawer and rougher Norah Jones, and I absolutely adore that.
Tue Mar 08 2022
5
A fantastic album, from a wonderful artist.
Fri Mar 11 2022
5
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before
Wed Mar 16 2022
5
I would listen to Fiona Apple’s answering machine and still fully believe that it is High Art. She is just so phenomenal. This isn’t my favourite album of hers however, it is SO GOOD.
Wed Mar 16 2022
5
Absolutely 10/10 for me I remember being 17 and obsessing over Fiona's vocals in Shadowboxer and Criminal, and then in lockdown I came back to this album after years. Not to be dramatic but Sleep to Dream felt like a mantra to me when I was stuck at home trying to plan out my next steps and keep my head above water
Tue Mar 22 2022
5
Love it. Love her.
Mon Mar 28 2022
5
Pros: - It's so good. - Her sound checks so many boxes of what I would like for an artist. It's approachable, it has great hooks that are not only catchy but unique, it is confident, it's exploratory, it's memorable. - Her lyrics are so incredible and unique and have a quality that makes them sit in your head long after the song is over. - Amazing for a debut album. It sounds like someone who has been working on their sound for years and years! Cons: Misc:
Mon Mar 28 2022
5
YESSSSS. For both objective and personally subjective reasons, this is easily a 5 star album for me. She is so raw, and in your face, and unafraid to be "imperfect" with her sound, but it all somehow sounds beautiful just the same. "Criminal" was obviously a cornerstone in my early development of musical taste way back in middle school, and this whole album has been revisited several times since then, most recently two weeks ago! Love her, and love her art. Forever a fangirl! <3
Thu Mar 31 2022
5
4.5/5. Very good and nice and lush and chill
Thu Apr 28 2022
5
One of my all time faves. I love Fiona. We were approximately the same age when this album came out. I was a senior in high school. I had always loved music, but I had never related to an album as much as I did this one. I haven't listened in years (other than occasionally catching Criminal on the radio) and I remembered every word. Masterpiece.
Thu May 12 2022
5
What a debut. Such mature singer songwriting from someone so young, powerful voice, powerful mood. It’s really very good indeed.
Wed May 18 2022
5
LOVE
Wed May 18 2022
5
é inacreditável que esse álbum tenha sido gravado quando a fiona tinha só 19 anos! confesso que nunca parei para prestar atenção nas letras, mas ela carrega tanta emoção na sua voz, uma energia, uma raiva na interpretação, em meio a arranjos tão bem trabalhados que uau. é uma das maiores cantoras em atividade, sem dúvida.
Mon Jun 06 2022
5
Beautiful example of an alto voice in early pop. Incredible vocals.
Fri Jun 10 2022
5
Excellent album. Sultry and melodic. I think I actually own this CD, stored deep in the archives. Would listen again.
Tue Jun 21 2022
5
I have to be honest, the album didn't start to capture me until 'Criminal.' It was that song which made me start to appreciate Fiona Apple's voice and lyrics. I'd listened to 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' once before and didn't really feel much, but this album felt like it had more passion and zest behind it. 'Slow Like Honey' showcased a broader range which I appreciated. 'The First Taste' is mystic and... man I'm starting to feel like I'm listening to a masterpiece honestly. She has such a quiet way with words that shines through on a full listen. I wasn't impressed to start, but Apple not only won me over but completely wowed me by the end.
Wed Jul 06 2022
5
Holy cats, she wrote these songs when she was 17?!
Tue Jul 12 2022
5
This is a 5-star for me. A little bit of that is sentimental, but I admire the shit out of her songwriting. She's one of those songwriters who goes wherever she wants with a song and never loses me. I remember hearing her first few singles on the radio and feeling like they were lightyears beyond what was getting a lot of play.
Fri Jul 29 2022
5
Pretty good.
Tue Aug 02 2022
5
YES SLAY FIONA I LOVE YOU LET'S GO TIME FOR MY FIONA ERA
Tue Aug 09 2022
5
The power at which this album hit me when I first heard it, and again while I listened to it entirely through multiple times. This woman is unparalleled in her lyrics, her voice and range, and rhythms. Just stunningly beautiful.
Wed Sep 07 2022
5
This is one of my all-time favourite albums. I am still stunned by the maturity of Fiona Apple's songwriting. She wrote these songs when she was in high school. I was also writing songs in high school. Suffice it to say that they were not like this. When this record came out I listened to it in secret, partly because it was mainstream and popular which I didn't think was cool, but mostly because I was so jealous of her. I didn't understand how this girl (who was my age!) was writing lyrics like "You'll never touch these things that I hold/The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own/You'll never feel the heat of this soul/My fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown/To you" when my lyrics were more like "I'm so alone, no one will ever understand me, I'll write it in a poem, very very sadly". It's been 25 years since this record came out and I still kind of want to be Fiona Apple.
Fri Sep 09 2022
5
Fiona Apple good
Fri Sep 09 2022
5
queen
Wed Sep 14 2022
5
didn’t totally finish but will go back to this one. it’s been saved.
Fri Sep 16 2022
5
Very good songs, good beat. Like Tori worked with a blues writer.
Sat Sep 17 2022
5
Fuck yeah Fioana Apple. Love her and love this album.
Mon Sep 19 2022
5
Amazing singer and songwriter. Forgot how good this album is.
Tue Sep 20 2022
5
awesome voice; record holds up very well
Tue Sep 27 2022
5
Great vocals mixed with a great mixing track. Side A has a lot of energy and variety. It gets a little slow towards the end of the album, but the instruments perform CPR to keep it alive to the end.
Thu Sep 29 2022
5
Another one of my faves, and another that I'm lucky enough to have on vinyl. I think it was only pressed once, since it was released in the vinyl dark days of the 90s. The songwriting, performance and production are all perfect on this album. It almost sounds like she's in the room with you. I don't enjoy this one as much as her two later albums with ridiculously long titles. But it's still a solid 9/10 for me.
Fri Sep 30 2022
5
Fantastic fantastic fantastic!
Wed Nov 02 2022
5
It’s wild that an album this good is a debut from a teenager. I hadn’t actually listened to the whole thing in a row before today so this project is already paying off.
Tue Nov 08 2022
5
Listened to this on my 2017 double LP 45 RPM 180 gram pressing. Such an amazing album it shocks me it was written and performed by a teenager. The vinyl really warms the vibraphone tones and her alto voice really suits the frequency range of vinyl. Do yourself a favor and find this record on vinyl and listen with open back headphones. It will change your life. What a record and what an artist. Easy 5/5.
Tue Nov 08 2022
5
What a wonderful album.
Fri Nov 25 2022
5
Gotta admit, I never gave Fiona Apple the time of day because I thought she was a whiny poser (the full title of When the Pawn... didn't help). From the moment the album started, though, it was clear this is a pretty amazing album that I should have given a chance long ago. More importantly, reading about her life (on the most authoritative source: Wikipedia), I never realized the struggles she's gone through (I won't summarize them here). She also has done a lot of great charity work. It's all a good reminder not to pre-judge anyone. The 1001 albums continue to help break through my biases and preconceptions. Now that I'm listening to her with fresh and open ears, it's clear why this was such a breakthrough album. So, how to describe the album? Jazzy, sultry, edgy, deep. Her voice is captivating - as in it holds you captive and doesn't let go. There's anger in her voice and knowledge. How the hell was she 17 when she wrote most of this? Also, the instrumentation and production is outstanding (looks like credit to Jon Brion, who has worked with a ton of great acts). I'm regretting dismissing her and will definitely dig in to her catalog. Best tracks: Sleep to Dream, Criminal (what a song, and those lyrics pack a punch - I also noted that it sounded like there was a mellotron on Criminal, but turns out it's a "Chamberlin" which was a precursor to the Mellotron - look it up, it's pretty interesting), Sullen Girl (powerful song and lyrics), The First Taste (nice groove), and Carrion (really like the outro).
Fri Nov 25 2022
5
Rounding up to 5 stars because it's hard to believe that Fiona Apple was only 18 years old when this was released. The vocals, lyrics and music are hypnotic.
Mon Nov 28 2022
5
love
Fri Dec 09 2022
5
Her voice and emotion and words. The fierceness and honesty. Love Fiona. Great album.