Reviews (page 10 of 14)
She was 18-19 when this came out. I was 21 so it didn’t seem weird then. It does now.
Vom Genre her ned ganz mis, aber trotzdem voll okay.
Album 764 of 1089 Fiona Apple - Tidal (1996) Rating : 2.25 / 5 I've had this in my CD case for nearly 30 years and not sure I had ever really listened to it. I didn't miss a lot. It was meh but not up to par with other releases of the same genre during that period.
Rather pleasant
Fine, but annoying.
I enjoyed the first half more than the 2nd half. Overall I enjoyed the album though, will be listening to some more of her work.
I understand the importance of it but it's not really my cup of tea. sleep to dream is good though.
Heard before. I like her voice. Laid back, bluesy, sensual. Liked a lot of songs. + Sullen Girl + Shadowboxer + Slow Like Honey + The First Taste + Carrion
This record starts off really great. The singles are singles for a reason. It gets very durge’ish as it goes along.
Lots of piano! Some moody 90’s music, reminds be a little bit of Alanis Morissette
Not bad. Not my type of music to listen to for enjoyment.
I like this one pretty well, holds up well as a decent 90s female vocalist album. Impressive for a debut album, but unfortunately I got it just a couple weeks after Jagged Little Pill and it pales next to that one.
Rainy late night drive from a murder mystery party. Slow like honey and the first taste brought this up
My first full Fiona Apple album. The songs were all rather long and it became a bit of a chore by the end with no respite, but some gems to be found too. Sullen Girl and Tastes Like Honey were my favourite songs. Overall, interesting accompaniment for the most part, and Fiona Apple's attitude added a bit to the performance. High 3*, probably 6.8/10
The album is sexy as hell. I remember seeing the video for Criminal back in the day but never fully appreciated Fiona until this moment.
3 estrelas
This is her 2nd album in the T1001, the other one BLOWS. This one I knew from it's release in '96. It had hits, it had videos, it got airplay and she was smokin' hot & could sing. "Sleep To Dream" was always on the radio but the real gem was "Criminal" which got her on everyone's radar and sold her a bunch of CD's! The disappointment to most of the purchasing crowd is that the radio songs didn't mesh with the sleepy-jazzy mix of filler songs and her perceived image. She was pushed by her label to make a few hits, and she delivered. "Shadowboxer" was the third track that got some airplay but I don't remember her having another hit after that. If you have a hard time sleeping just throw on the last 5 songs on this album, it'll help! Not T1001 for me, but "Criminal" & "Sleep To Dream" are top 90's songs without a doubt and you still hear them today. 3 stars for hits, impact at the time and longevity, the but back half of this album is a giant miss.
I still really like the song, Criminal, but the rest of the album is a little slow and boring for me
Felindra cherry - Wavy
Meh. The couple of hits still hold up but the rest of the album is pretty repetitive.
Not bad at all for a debut. The album with like 54 words in the title gets pretty far ahead of this one, but the Criminal video was a gift.
I expected to like this album a lot more. Criminal is a song I've always loved and I kind of expected more of the same, but it was much more subdued than I thought it would be. Not a bad thing, its still a good album with the right mood and setting but not something I would rush back to listen to very often. Standout tracks are Criminal, Sleep to Dream and The First Taste. 6/10
Through listening to this pretty decent album I realised that Fiona Apple is absolutely capable of producing something I love, because this is the kind of music that really appeals to me. However, as of yet that potentially 4/5 star album is unrealised. Maybe the next Fiona Apple album will be kino?
Still like Criminal the most. Rest of the album was easy listening, but no other standouts for me.
sleep to dream het sehr cool ahgfange! hans denn aber leider chlii langwilig gfunde jaa weiss nöd, chan wenig degege sege ussert "meh" sue het e cooli stimm, s album isch bis jz rechr villsitig aber macht echt wenig mit mier slow like honey het sehr e intimi atmosphäre, mega schön the first taste het en geile rhythmus!! au wenns schad isch, dass es sich eso wiiterzieht aber cooli abwechslig never is a promise isch sehrsehr schön! die sanfti giige als understriichig wauwiii! bis jz glaub s beste pale september au schön langsam ihlullend, die zweit hälfti, bzw. chli die langsame trurige holed mich meh ab hahaha s gitarresolo am schluss isch scho gad echli cheesy he ja. ide zweite hälfti paar seehr schöni lieder aber allgemein ischsmer chli zu seicht gsi
It's good, just not for me. Helps to be an angsty teenage girl, the ton and lyrics probably more relatable then.
Criminal is a classic, not too shabby from this lady
Sleep to Dream and Criminal are great, the rest didn't really land with me.
A fav for me in the 90’s Reminds me of good easy art times.
I only knew two things about Fiona Apple; she sang the song, Criminal, and gave a cringe-worthy speech at some award show. That being said, I was surprised by this album as it is full of songs that reminded me of old torch songs. It’s very mellow and does not at all sound like something a teen would produce. I am especially impressed as it appears she wrote most of these songs.
Liked this one more than I thought I would, solid vocals and 90's rock. Not my preferred genre, but an ok listen. Best song: Sleep to Dream
More alt-girl cool rock. Or cool girl alt-rock. I can dig it, but don't love how inconsistent the style and mood are across the album. This record is best when it gets dark and quiet - when it lands, it lands really well! Favourite tracks: Shadowboxer, Slow Like Honey, Pale September
There are some really good songs on this album, and I’m positive if I listened more, I would grow to like them more. This style just isn’t in my current listening tastes.
Nothing I would particularly seek out, and a bit boring. 3 stars
While this is Fiona's most commercially successful album, it's also the least representative of her, and the least essential. There's some good stuff here -- "Criminal", "Sleep to Dream", "Carrion", and "Sullen Girl" are the highlights for me -- but, she hadn't really found her groove in terms of songwriting yet, and a lot of the rest of it is just merely okay. 3.5 stars.
I usually listen to each album that I review once, but this one got two listens as the first time round was with a car full of people so it didn’t really get any of my attention. When relistening today, I found it to be quite a lively, calming, chilled out album. There weren’t any tracks that I recognised, so I’m not sure which were considered the bigger hits, but Criminal stood out to be as the best of the track list here. I doubt I’ll be returning for another listen, but I did enjoy my time with this album.
I like her voice the songs are generally pretty good but nothing ascends to greatness.
It’s good!
Not bad, not great, just... a thing? I don't really get it, I guess. Pop-rock with a side of jazz, I'd listen again, but only if someone else suggested it.
90s lady pop music of a jazzy variety.
Owned this one back in the day. Great voice. Great debut.
Respectable piano and drum dramatics.
Kinda mid, overhyped 3/5
A solid debut from Ms. Apple but a work she would only grow from
Bunch of songs are way too long. The slow ones were putting me to sleep toward the end. Did enjoy the originality though. She's basically a more punky Regina Spektor.
Some pretty good songs on this album. She has a great voice and the different instruments they use to layer the songs sound great. Added a few songs to playlists and when in the mood this feels great as background listening at an afterparty while cooling off.
i think i heavily disliked fiona apple because she was interrupting my very rude alternative rock and grunge airwaves in 1996, but this is pretty good throughout
Languid and jazzy, sometimes meandering and low-every. My favorite new-to me track was The First Taste--Sade vibes. The greatest strength is her poetic, emotive, lyrics.
This stuff is not particularly my thing, but I do recognize that Fiona is indeed talented. She is a small person with a big voice. Some of the songs are edgy. I am interested in seeing what her other albums are like.
Rigtig godt album. Synes ofte sangene har nogle gode outros. Blender jazz pop med chamber pop. Chamber pop er lush Sound som blander rock og pop. Der er orchestral Sound og strings. Top 25 debut albums of all time i følge Rolling Stone Magazine.
Nice and soothing, a tad bit boring. This album definitely has some impressive songwriting and is sequenced very well.
Listenable but not my thing
не так тяжело как остальные альбомы Фионы, но грэмми я бы не криминалу дала (дженерик) а другим не похожим на её творчество (номинация песня не похожая на творчество Фионы)
really pleasant listen. remembered me a little bit of michael buble
It's a nice enough album. The artist has a nice enough voice. But there are not many songs on here that I would ever seek out to listen to again. The album also tends to wander too much across different styles, which might be a plus for some, but is not so for me.
I've listened to one other Fiona Apple album (Fetch the Bolt Cutters) listening through it once, and remember it as being quite strange. This one is from an entirely different era, so I have no idea what to expect. Sleep to Dream Dense production. Interesting verse structure. Transitions suddenly. Strangely catchy. Concludes solidly. Great. 4/5 Sullen Girl Stylistic shift from the previous track. I do enjoy the ocean imagery, fits well with the deep piano playing. The instrumental evokes a wave effect alongside the drums, adding some beautiful rhythm. Passionate performance carries throughout the track. Surprising. 5/5 Shadowboxer Deep moody vocals, sounds almost confrontational. Great tempo. Chorus feels a bit weak on first impression. The strings sit oddly in the mix. Slightly jazzy. Enjoyable. 3.5/5 Criminal The writing seems very of the era. A bit boring instrumentally. I don't really like the chrous, comes across as cheesy. I do like the synth(?). Fine. 3/5 Slow Like Honey Slow, calming. Not sure about the mix, especially the bass. I appriecate the measured vocal performance. Lyrically solid. Great. 4/5 The First Taste Sparse, intimate to start. Quite different instrumentally, though I'm not sure it works. Conflicts with the vocals, is too loud in the mix and feels distracting. I like the structure of the song. Has issues, but ultimately seems decent enough. 3/5 Never is a Problem Subtle. Well written lyrically, descriptive. Fantastic chorus. Beautifully performed. Fantastic. 5/5 The Child is Gone Nothing really comes to mind immediately. I think the lyrics are interesting, she has a particular writing style that seems to carry over throughout the album. Not to interesting, but above average. 3/5 Pale September Sullen and vulnerable performance. Slightly unclear. I enjoy the progression of the chorus. Sort of makes me sleepy, though not necessarily a bad thing. Enjoyable. 3.5/5 Carrion The subtle guitar is nice. The instrumental shift in the chorus is too loud in relation to her voice, drowns it out. Flat performance. I don't think the closing instrumetation has the punch it intends to have. Disappointing closer. 2.5/5 Great effort for a debut at 19 years old. The songwriting is obviously great, it's perfomed splendidly and there are some moments where the vocal melodies are absolutely fantastic. While it is hard to evaluate lyrics on a blind listen I do recognize their consistent quality and a signature style throughout the album. However there are moments where the production choices do let her down. I also think instrumentally there really isn't too much interesting going on. I feel myself more attracted to the songs where it's less instrumentally dense, and I do think that the weaker tracks are the ones where they go overboard with it to the point of it being distracting. While I do think it is well performed it isn't always that it works for me. I don't find every track on here engaging, finding it slightly difficult not to drift off at times. Still the tracks that work, really work, finding myself enamoured by them. Some making me exlaim my appreciation for them aloud to myself. I find myself wanting to check out more of her discography after this. Inconsistent but still good, would recommend. Fave Track. Never is a Problem Least fave track. Carrion
I wouldn't say i've actively avoided listening to Fiona...but it's never been something i ever sought out. Nothing personal - nothing targeted. Just never really fell into sync with my listening profile. Let's see what this is about! Ok - Criminal fuckin rips. Wow. I'm gonna play it back again because it was so good. Shadowboxer is also right up my alley. B Side definitely does slow down a bit - but still lyrically beautiful. Overall very surprised this falls right up my alley given that I've honestly never given it the time of day before. Could be something that i've aged into the taste, or just a classic case of I've never heard of this before!
It’s aight’
Sort of what I expected it to sound like, not a genre that will ever be a go-to-listen for me, however it's genuinely very good, some great compositions and her voice is excellent.
I have some deep nostalgia for the first half of this album (up to and including criminal), but feel like the second half kinda drags a bit. She’s got a great voice and solid song writing.
OK, 3/5
Mellow jazzy pop, enjoyed more than expected. A high 3.
2025-02-16
Nice voice and piano. Always heard the name but never listened to anything. I knew the opening lines to criminal. Overall it was an enjoyable listen and left a favorable impression of the artist
Good groove, felt kind of sassy. Definitely liked some songs a lot and others I didn't care for
Ihan ok taustamusiikkina, muuten ei kiinnostele.
I definitely understand why she's controversial. I'm not going to take sides. 3.
Un pò troppo vacuo per i miei gusti, troppo blando e slavato
I do like a good gutsy female vocalist and this fits the bill. I will be looking for more of her stuff
Decent but not my cup of tea, like I wouldn't turn it off if it came on in the car
Strong 6- light 7 good production but some bad vocals and a bad start as well gets better in the middle.
Great singer no doubt. The album as a whole feels a bit of the same from track to track.
In Fall of 1995 I went off to college. In the dorms at college I was randomly assigned a roommate. That roommate was a dude who was absolutely obsessed with Debbie Gibson. Posters, yearly birthday cards, the whole thing. So he was primed when Alannis released Jagged Little Pill. I probably heard that album 500 times over the course of the first school year, blasting out of our shared CD player. The next year when Fiona Apple released Criminal as the first single off of Tidal, that song (along with the evocative music video) became his new obsession. I worked at the Walmart electronics department at the time and had to watch the first 30 seconds of the video on loop for every 6 hours shift so I friggin' hated that song. With 30 years of hindsight, I can now appreciate the quality of this album, even if it still isn't really my jam. Fiona Apple resides somewhere between Tori Amos and Alannis on the female dark quirky pop music spectrum. She has forged a long career for herself that I would not have predicted while I was hating on the Criminal music video during my shift at Walmart all those years ago. This album is well written and well performed, but maybe a touch to 90s cheesy for my tastes.
Omppunaiselle 3... Aikoihin... Jo on.... & Elettty
Nice easy listen 3/5
Quite ok. Nothing great. Not offensive that's for sure. Three.
It was a solid listen, just didn't really stand out all that much, even after two playthroughs. Maybe a 3.5 rounded down. Certainly was a massive upgrade from listening to Napalm Death.
A pretty strong debut for the most part. Fiona Apple sounds like a seasoned vet despite being only 18-19 during recording. A lot of the tracks venture a bit in an artistic sense (which is very noticeable at the end of almost each track), but the overall theme of self-discovery and angst stays consistent I guess. This is one of those albums that burns brightly early and leaves you a little fatigued after the halfway mark to be honest.
3.5. Hi ha hagut cançons que m'han encantat i n'hi ha hagut algunes que se m'han fet una mica pesades. Overall, m'ha agradat bastant el "flow" de l'àlbum i és un tipus de música que gairebé mai escolto però que aniré ficant-me més sovint
Liked her other albums more.
Ihan keskikelpoa poppia. Vähän semmoinen jazz ja rock fiilis tässä on. Parhaat: Criminal, Shadowboxer
3*
Good album but outside of criminal I can’t see myself listening to it much.
Another new one for me - this was real mellow to have on in the background and I wasn't really focused on the lyrics, but I sense that if I were to listen to this more, I'd really get into it. Definitely the kinda atrist I like so a new one on the listen list
mixed feelings. definitely good but almost felt boring by the end
Great music to put in the background when you’re trying to get that hippie chick.
Ganz nett, mir blieb aber nichts besonders in Erinnerung - Musikalisch für mich mittelmaß, vielleicht sind die Texte ausschlaggebend
Another appropriate early January listen.
I've seen other complaints about this and wanted to get it out of the way. Yes, the songs go on a bit too long. If there is anything we know about Fiona Apple is that she doesn't do anything just halfway. I was surprised about the jazzy feel of this album at times. I didn't think Fiona Apple would sound like a lounge singer, but she does, especially on Slow Like Honey. This is probably on me for assuming but Fiona Apple isn't as angry on here as I thought she might have been. There are good songs on here and I like this better than Fetch the Boltcutters. I didn't listen to this album back when it came out and I appreciate the sound but probably isn't an album I would re-visit.
Muy buen álbum. Increíble que alguien con 19 años pueda escribir poesía de este calibre. La música no es nada especial, aunque su minimalismo está hecho con muy buen gusto y complementa muy bien las letras melodramáticas. Le daría más puntuación, pero la segunda mitad se me ha hecho un poco tediosa. Sin embargo, los primeros 5 temas son buenísimos. 3.5
HAHAAA fiona apple my bread and butter. E ngoj tash apet kejt yessss.
Favourites: Sleep To Dream; Shadowboxer; Criminal; The First Taste
Great song writer, easy listen, can imagine my wife being an angsty teenager listening to this.
For some reason I confused Fiona Apple with some or even several other singers from this era and was thinking maybe I would get bored with this album. I did not. It has that kind of jazzy feel but remains more contemporary in a popish way. It has aged perfectly well and could have been made yesterday so that is a plus. I actually don't know much else about Fiona Apple or where she is now, but than again, the whole music world has been run over by neoliberal ideologies and only a few "known" names are really ever in the press. So be THAT, but it should make me reflect a bit and look up some of these musicians regardless of A list status now a days...
Good background music
korreeekt, néhány szám uncsi számomra szóval nagy a kontraszt mert vannak nagyon bombák is, háttérzenének amúgy korrekt meg azért fiona apple egy girlboss kedvenc: sleep to dream
A cohesive album, sounds like it was written in a particular mood with a particular vibe and it flows well together.
You would be forgiven for mistaking Fiona Apple's voice for the likes of Amy Winehouse at times, or at others for Patti Smith's. In truth, her powerful, jazz-inspired vocals are really the strongest part of this record, with impressive variations in pitch and tone throughout. This album captures a dark and mysterious mood which is driven by the sullen, meandering piano chord progressions which seem to always take you in a different direction to one you were expecting. However, given the fairly similar tempo and soundscape of most tracks this mood arguably becomes monotonous, with few variations of style to break this up. As stand-alone songs, many of the tracks in this album hold their own and are genuinely unique, but when played consecutively on a 50-minute long-player, I found myself looking for a breath of fresh air.
A great debut album with a solid vibe. It's honest and skilfully done. Doesn't blow me away but solid album and worth a listen for sure.
Some strong instrumentation, vocals and lyrics. The compositions are good but feel safe. The production feels slightly flat.
Nice voice, but didn't think the music was that special
I owned this already and have listened to it many times - I'm less of a fan than my wife. I went to college with the guy Shadowboxer was about. That taught me an important lesson - he was a really ordinary guy, likable and attractive, but not, like, otherworldly. So artists are humans with relationships like mine, huh! Everything isn't always dialed up to 11 unless they do that in their art! On relistening, i noticed a few things: -There's a lot of Elton John in her piano. That's great! I love Sir Elton! -There's a lot of hip hop derivative drum work and that's an odd choice. Feels appropriative, and that's not usually a critique I appreciate, because music is like herpes, once you hear music from other cultures, it's difficult/impossible to pretend you didn't. But this feels more like "We set Elton John to some beats we got from the Meters." Very 90s move, one not discussed as often as I'd hope. Natalie Imbruglia did it in Torn, Fiona did it, Alanis did it, Liz Phair didn't that I remember. -In the video for Criminal, Apple was treated like some voyeur's idea of a teen sex victim. That's fucked up. But this whole album has a seductive teen vibe (The Child Is Gone) and I'm wondering how much was engineered into the music as opposed to just the video. -I don't think this album has aged all that well. Was she exercising agency? Was she a teen sex victim? Were the Calvin Klein video visuals a commentary on that or drafting on it? I don't want to have to wade into detailed oral histories to enjoy a record tbh. There's a lot of weird fetishism here, like this sexy Jewish girl doing flirty hip hop inflected jazz, and maybe she breaks free of it on "When the pawn..." but maybe not. In terms of the songs, I think the singles were pretty well selected here, although Slow Like Honey and Never Is a Promise are kind of weak. I like Criminal and Shadowboxer, even though they both make me feel like I should take a shower. I love Fiona's piano playing but don't love that someone found an apparently pretty naive teen and had her do kiddy porn for her music videos.
6/10 There is just some energy missing in this album. Fiona has a beautiful voice, but the album ends up becoming a bit dreary and slow. It loses all its energy on the song 'Never is a Promise' and doesnt pick itself up again. Favourite songs: Sullen Girl Shadowboxer Least favorite songs: Slow like honey Never is a promise
I like some of her more recent stuff but didn’t know this album. After one listen I liked some of the tracks but thought that it sounded more middle of the road than I expected.
The name is familiar and I knew 3-4 songs on this album but I'm not sure what happened to her after this release. It's a decent debut but you have to be in the right mood for it because it's pretty dramatic and angry. I do like her voice but I'm only good for 1-2 songs before the glitter peels off. There's a few really slow songs and a couple that sound the same so some skips. I give the sullen girl a 2.75.
Fiona is no sour Apple. I liked this album more than expected. Only song I remember is the hit "Shadowboxer" but most of the tracks are good ones. Pop this on with a nice dinner and bottle of wine. Pure golden, delicious...3.0.
Nothing against Fiona Apple, but if I’m not mistaken this is the second of her albums on this list. Nothing against Fiona Apple, but I would not have thought her to be someone who produced 2 albums worthy of this list. As for this album specifically, I think I like this album a slight bit more than the other one we reviewed, but again it’s not something that blew me away.
When this came out, her videos got a lot of play on MTV. But they all seemed to fall into the category of ‘lady singers who wriggle around on the floor, singing everything unnecessarily provocatively’. It was just like what Jewel and Britney were doing. Boring, undermining, powerless pickme bullshit. So, I never wasted my time listening to her. It’s a shame. This woman is clearly talented, but she marketed herself as a sexy, defenseless wittle gworl. She should have had a better career. This record is decent, but she lost me a long time ago.
Abwechslungsreich, melancholisch und kritisch. Kann man gut durch hören. Manche Harmonien gefallen mir nicht. 3,5 Sterne
Mid af
Pretty good. I surprised myself because I didn’t think I would like this album. However, Fiona’s sultry, velvet vocals were quite nice and a departure from her previous album I listened to.
If I got a big enough bucket, could I catch a cloud?
Eh, kinda just boring woman music. Sorry ladies 😐
Uh. Sure whatever. I really want to like this, but there’s never a point that feels…impressive? Bombastic? Worthwhile? I dunno. I think her voice is let down by the instrumental, which I can only describe as “mid nineties jazzy piano beats to sleep to” it all melds into this singular mass that never gets good. It never gets bad either. A 2.5 all around
Didn’t hit as hard as Fetch the Bolt Cutters. It’s less fierce and more drawly. The First Taste slaps though, and I did enjoy the album in general more on the second listen, so maybe it's a grower. Will revisit eventually anyways.
Have listened to Fiona Apple before, haven't really got into it. Sort of slow and a bit boring. Gave it two listens. First half is decent, but think it drops off a bit.
Aside from the (few) hits, hard to distinguish between songs, but an amazing performer.
Great voice, album kind of dragged on toward the end, hard to believe that she was only 19 years old when this was released
Fiona has a great voice. Excellent Debut Album.
2.5
Pretty decent album, nothing too exciting but I can see people enjoying this pre-2000s. It was alright for a background listen but I feel like it'll be a little bit too meh if you properly focus on it.
El disco es muy bueno. Tiene una gran calidad. Las mezclas de piano y guitarras es top. Tiene más arreglos en cada tema y varía la dinámica de los mismos.
3+
Okay... moody
I don't get it. Fiona Apple seems to have a good reputation, and this album IS in the 1001 Best Album listing, but I only hear a fairly average, over-produced album of OK songs. Nothing special, really. Sorry Fiona.
Meh
Top
Criminal is a GREAT song. A solid album all around.
Some great songs and a solid album.
The 90s were a weird time for music.
Had a much more sultry, lounge singer vibe than I was expecting, but in the end nothing really stuck out to me.
I like the way she sings. It feels mysterious and is captivating actually. Makes you want to listen to lyrics even more. 3.5 gonna keep it a 3 but some good reasons for a 4.
Solid. 3.5
Really great and a 90s vibe that is hard to describe. Did get a little stale by the end.
this album dropping when i was the tender age of 0 means i mostly associate fiona with legions of vh1-airplay adult-alt knockoffs of this sound and like, while this record feels clearly successful in its aims of being pop-soul singer-songwriter shit, it is also responsible for some of the worst tunes to touch my ears and some crimes cannot be forgiven
Really grew on my on repeat listens w headphones!
Back when this came out it was my first introduction to Fiona Apple's music Shadowboxer Criminal, Sullen Girl and Never is a Promise, were all in a big rotation. It was nice to hear the remainder of the album.
Starts well then turns bland in the 2nd half
Core blimey
This was also nice but not my jam, good vocals. 3*
I got tired of this halfway through. And she's slightly off key all the time, which is annoying.
This one is a bit of a strange one for me. It feels pretty average, maybe a bit above average, but doesn't seem to be super special. The wiki article is very small, critical reception was on but not blown out of the park. I'm struggling to figure out what makes this so important. The music is fine, the first 5 tracks were close to a 4, but then it took a dive on the last half of the album so it lands on a solid 3 for me Standouts Shadowboxer Sullen Girl 3/5
Not sure i get fiona
Would love to see her branch out and explore her vocal range. Incredible voice, but this is one long continuous song.
Ok
Not bad but a bit down tempo for me (maybe just on that day!)
Sleep to Dream and Criminal feel really out of place in comparison to the rest of the album. They're so upbeat and funky and the rest of the album was this slow moody theme. I have to criticise the rhythm of the melody in Sullen Girl that's overlayed with the instrumental track. It's weird and doesn't sit right. Slow like honey was good, gave me James Bond theme song vibes but then The First Taste was like if James Bond had wandered into a Cuban beach club on a Thursday night and fell in love with the beautiful and mysterious lounge singer performing on stage. However! I did love the percussion instruments used in The First Taste so that kept me from scoring lower. This album just perplexed me. I can't figure out if I love it or if it's weird, or if it's weird and that's why I like it. Another one which would have been better to score using a 10 point scale but oh well.
A bit too melancholy for me. But decent.
mjoah, ganz ok
chillige lounge musik aber nicht mehr
Nett. Interessante Stimme
Decent, if unmemorable album. Writing this review a few days after listening to it and I can't really remember any songs, but it was relatively enjoyable to listen to.
Pretty good album that I have never heard before. Some of the less popular songs like "The First Taste" seem really interesting and I would like to listen to them on a better sound system than the one I listened to this on. I'm sure I will be listening to this one again.
This album is so interesting....Fiona Apple's songs are like Leonard Cohen's songs in that I listen to them for the lyrics and not the music. There are so many honest reflections here. Nothing sugar coated. Nothing idealistic. But the music is...forgettable to me. All except for "slow like honey." A song I will never tire of. Other than that song I'll probably never listen to this whole album again. But it does, holistically, affirm that Fiona Apple is formidable. A perceptive honest voice that's wise without being bitter.
Pretty boring piano music, but very well-produced. Just very forgettable.
I knew a bit about this record when I was a kid, and I wasn't sure this was going to age well... but it's pretty good actually. Criminal is especially a total jam and helps put the rest of the album in context, and couple more tracks that had the same kind of mass appeal would make this a really great record rather than 'just ok'
I was only familiar with Criminal on the album. I like some aspects of album, but I'm not a huge fan of Fiona's vocals. During this time (1996) I much preferred Alanis, Beck, Fugees, and Rage. In singer songwriter genre at the time, I preferred Sheryl Crow. Is Fiona more talented? Not sure, and I don't listen to Fiona or Sheryl regularly any more. That said, I'm glad I listened to Tidal in its entirety. Some good, "new to me" music.
Jazz rock and its undertones of love and angst
Beautiful. Contains a lot of pain and suffering.
Pretty melancholy. Not usually my thing, but it kinda rings with me. I saw her open for Page/Plant in the 90s ish and was, I think, more impressed by her live show.
If you like moody blues, this’ll be an album for you. But it does start to feel pretty monotonous by the end.
It’s really amazing, pretty car mellow pop aesthetic. 8.01/10. First songs are kinda like ehhhhhh but then it picks up its pace and then you don’t notice so it’s really good.
suuuch a nice listening experience! i didnt know much fiona apple before this but will be exploring more :) criminal is a fav for me here. indie girls win again! (3-3.5)
God it’s so deeply 90s -She's got such a great voice but for some reason I've never been a huge fan (even though I fit right in her prime demographic). I wonder if it's because I really like listening to the lyrics and Fiona Apple stretches out the words so much it's difficult to really get the lyrics. A very vibey album.
This was an enjoyable listen. I might come back to Fiona Apple at some point.
It is a really good album but she moved on to much better things later in her career
Went into the album pessimistic for some reason but I liked it. Very pleasant sounding and the voice works too. Does get a little tedious towards the middle/end and wish the songs had a little more variety, but pretty good. 6.5/10 (3.25/5)
Didn't resonate with me back in the day, but can see she had some very strong albums in the 90s (and recently)
love fiona’s words and who she is / what she’s all about. However, the sound of the album, overall, isn’t something i’d choose to listen to, instrumentally. I really like the song the first taste - sounds so different to the rest of the album and a nice way to break the songs up.
Very sensual. I kind of liked this album. Although, she does smack her lips a bit much for my taste.
- i'm generally not big on slower songs (that aren't instrumentals), or at least i'm pickier with them - still, it's nice to have a change of pace once and a while. so this was nice - don't have much to say! - a couple of songs went on my playlist but not too many. not my thing really, but i enjoyed myself! :^)
Started strong and lost energy along the way.
Rock. Normal. Me aburrió un poco. Canta muy bien.
I had discovered her later song A Mistake from a Battlestar Galactica fan video or something like that. This reminded me of a more chilled ‘90s Laura Nyro.
A good piano R&B/soul singer/songwriter album.
Admittedly, not usually my first choice but this was OK. Criminal is flat out a solid song. Wish it rocked out a bit more though. I do like that it's at times touch but at times vulnerable. This one might grow on me.
Once again, a pleasant listen. Apple has a beautiful, soulful voice but it all felt kind of samey to me. No bad tracks but very little standouts as well
Good sad girl music. To much of it by the end.
There's a couple of good songs here. Any my wife loves this album. But there's too much that's exactly the same for me.
Like a sultry Florence and the Machine, but didn’t really hook me. Criminal is the best song.
I listen to these albums the first thing in the morning as I start my work at home day. This was a pleasant enough way to start the day. Don't think it's ever going to be in any regular rotation though ...
Tidal is very strange, a mix of very high highs and mediocre hills. Some songs I absolutely love and some just don't click for me at all. Not a bad album but one that doesn't quite work for me.
This seems pretty good but it drags a bit, just for me.
If Joni Mitchell tried to make an Allanis Morisette album
Fine. Very 90s
Canta demais! Porém é um pouco meloso pro meu gosto...
didn’t listen to the full thing, pretty chill though 3/5
Some good songs some filler. Just a'ight.
Decent album, but I expected to like this more than I did.
Never heard this before. I enjoyed this. She's a really strong songwriter. There seemed to be a few (what I think were unintentional) off-key notes in her singing. The songs stay in the same genre but vary enough that the album doesn't get boring. "But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights The shades and shadows undulate in my perception"
Strong three, got a little repetitive by the end
Heard of Fiona Apple but never listened to this album before. I thought the first half was stronger than the second.
Criminal makes this album go from 2 to 3
Good album, but some songs kind of do blend together with each other. Why didn't I ever listen to this whole thing when it first came out and settled for only knowing Criminal and Never Is a Promise this whole time? Those two are great songs and all, but I just might like Shadowboxer even more.
It’s OK
Not my jam but inoffensive
Good voice, good songs. Not something I'd really choose to listen to. Criminal a pretty damn good tune though
3rd or 4th best fiona apple album for me and its a pretty big leap to the top 2. Since I'm pretty sure they're not on this list: Idler wheel is a 5 and fetch the boltcutters is a 4
not bad
Never connected with miss Fiona all that much. Sorry !
A new one for me and wasn't sure what to expect. The first track had a triphop vibe and I enjoyed the first half of the album. The latter half wasn't as strong but overall a decent listen from someone I wasn't aware of
Darn good freshman album with a talented singer and musician. Unfortunately, there were too many production elements that resulted in drowning out the delicacy and mastery of Fiona's voice.
The VNFiona Apple flavour of sad-girl indie-pop has inspired hundreds of not thousands a far less talented and far more annoying copycats through the years. For better or worse that warrants a listen. 7/10 There's power in these songs.
Great album... likely her best
Went in knowing Criminal, but Carrion was fun. Overall a low-key album.
Didn’t like
So I get all the South Park Fiona Apple jokes now
Pidin tästä! Toki aikakautensa kuuloinen, mutta tasapainoinen levy! 3/5
Täs on pari tosi hyvää biisiä ja loput vähän tasapaksumpaa. 3,5/5 jää nyt kolmeen
Oon kuunnellu Applen uudempaa tuotantoa enemmän ja vähemmän tätä vanhaa. Ihan kelpo poppista kyl!
Lyrics were good powerful. Vocals were not bad Interesting for pop but not in different ways. 3.5/5 Feel bad for giving it so low but this is a list of the greatest albums
It is fine. She can sing, but it is an odd album to listen to if you are not in a morose mood.
OK album. I liked this one just fine, but I didn’t have connect too much overall. ***
Don't have it.
Great start but started to drag a bit by the end
The mid 90s were a good time for female vocal-led singer/songwriters. I've been intrigued by Fiona Apple, but never really listened to much of her music. This album was fine, but quite didn't grab me, I wanted to like it more than I did. Criminal is classy track though.
3/5
Gentle, musing, piano with vocals. Just a touch jazzy?
🎧Good stuff here. I love Shadowboxer and of course Criminal is a classic.
Lush instrumentation and great singing. I loved the first four songs, but it was losing me on the rest until the last song.
Acceptable
Her voice is wonderful.
I really like Apple's more jazz focused work as opposed to her rock efforts. The jazz genre seems perfect fit for her style with lots of creativity on which she can focus. Nothing wrong with staying in a narrower lane. Give her 3/5 overall with 5/5 within the sultry and jazziest melodies.
Väldigt mysigt album!! Criminal och framförallt Carrion var mina favoriter❤️
Väldigt bra album, har inget dåligt att säga, men fastnade bara för typ en eller två låtar. Bästa låt: Carrion
Very missy higgins
Some songs have interesting stuff going on (the vocal style in Sleep to Dream, the groove in The First Taste, the strings and piano in Never is a Promise, the strings in Carrion), but there's also a lot of generic pop with uninspired breakup-themed lyrics that doesn't really speak to me at all. The vocal and style is quite mature, though the lyrics aren't for the most part. It's a bit poppy for my taste, I would like some more experimentation, and the lyrics aren't great, but I like the arrangements, so I think I'll give it a 3 - close to a 4.
If I ever made an album, the album cover would be a close-up of my face. Full thousand yard stare. Criminal made me feel like I was walking into a bar owned by the 1920's Italian Mafia.
1996 19-yr-old artist. Good on her. Piano and vocals
What if Elton John was cock 7?
Got her most recent album served up to me a while ago for this, which I didn't like very much, but I think probably that listening order did her dirty. Would have been much better to have heard this first for context on what her deal is
Indie album, was alright but wasn't my style
Jessica Rabbit in the streets type beat.
Difficult to review. The music reminds me to Brecht/Weil a little bit. I cannot understand, why the artist has been Grammy - awarded as "Rock Performance". From my point of view, rock is somthing different. When I watch the complete publications (5 Albums from 1996 to 2020) I cannot see big changes. All in all definitively not "Easy Listening" and - sorry - not my taste.
I had so much good will for this but it just didn’t do it for me and that is about all I can say
the first taste is really good carrion is also good sleep to dream is a good opener, reminds me most of what I consider fiona apples “style”
Sleep to Dream Shadowboxer Criminal
I didn't mind it but I found it greatly unremarkable. In fact the album looped once until halfway through and I had no idea until I went to the bathroom
I did enjoy this but each song felt like it was slightly missing something. My favorites were “Sleep To Dream” and “Shadowboxer”
Just ok for me.
Interessant.
This was a chill listen, and I was not aware of her age at recording which is impressive. It does have the one big hit, however, I was largely bored with the rest of this. She has the vocals for sure, but this wouldn’t be something I would routinely select.
While it’s a little sleepy on the backend, this album is a very interesting listen and would fill a number of mood moments. The production is progressive enough that this album would fit just fine if launched in today’s musical market. It’s also understandable that Fiona often gets associated with other like-minded and like-sounding female artists such as Tori Amos, but surprisingly I find Fiona’s sound a little more enjoyable. And to think that the shells of these songs were written by her as a teen and the album in full was released when she was only 18. Incredibly impressive.
Rock. Normal. Me aburrió un poco. Canta muy bien.
Very nice sounds.
Not good, not bad
This turned out to be much better than I expected and an enjoyable listen for the most part. Definitely deserves 3*
It's fine, good songwriting and arranging but leaves me slightly cold over all.
Love the sultry voice, but a little goes a long way and I think that’s why I didn’t pick up Fiona Apple in 1996. I really like the big songs from the album, Sleep to Dream and Criminal. I also really enjoyed Shadowboxer and Slow Like Honey. I’d like to give this a 3.5 but I can’t so 3 it is.
I can recognize the talent Apple has, and I don't think this is a bad album, but it is very much not for me, and I mostly had to just tune out to make it through. However, I applaud the part it played in brining strong female voices to music in the 90's and the part that played in feminism.
weird
I remember when this record came out. My buddy David got a promo from Coconuts Records where he worked and brought it back to the dorms. My opinion now is the same as then. This is very pretty music. The arrangements and singing are soulful and have still held up all these years later. The production is lovely. The mastering and dynamic range feel open and present without being over loud, even though the disc was cut in the heat of the loudness war. But. Apple's lyrics are sometimes awkward, and I can't get over it. Two months younger than I am, she made this record at 19. At the time, everyone was very excited at her precocious musicianship. And the record IS well written for someone that young. And just imagine how we young men felt about her videos! But this is the 1001. Kate Bush, Billie Holiday, and Joni Mitchell are on this list. There are no excuses or asterisks. This record just doesn't live up to that high standard of the legends of her genre. Still, this record is a great start, and I'm now quite excited to listen to her more mature album(s) on this list. Three stars.
Sleep to Dream Shadowboxer The First Taste
This sucks to say but I really wanted to like this one but it just did not hook me. After three or four songs in, I felt like I've heard enough, only to be met with more of the same damn song and dance for the rest. Maybe another day, but that is not today sadly.
The thing that surprised me the most about this album, honestly, is something another review for this album pointed out: if it were released today, or at least a few years ago, no one would bat an eye at it. In a world with Billie Eillish, it (Apple's voice here especially) doesn't sound out of place. And that's crazy, because not only was this album released back in the 90's, but by a 19 year old. How the hell did this woman at that age have such foresight to make this thing? I have to marvel at it. That being said, because it sounds so modern, it's not really for me. Like I said in my MELODRAMA review entry whatever, a lot of current popular just doesn't do it for me. Even Billie Eillish; I listen to new.wav's blink-182-style'd cover of "bad guy" way more than the original. The specific vibes this album gives off just aren't for me, y'know? I'unno. And I'unno how to end this, so I'll just say that when it comes to me and chamber pop, I way prefer LIL' BEETHOVEN and PET SOUNDS to what this is layin' down.
Ik ben zeker een fan van goede pop muziek, maar dit album is vrij sloom, begint slecht, en weet het tij niet echt te keren.
Sleep to Dream 3.5 Sullen Girl 3.3 Shadowboxer 3.5 Criminal 3.4 Slow Like Honey 3.1 The First Taste 3 Never is a Promise 3 The Child is Gone 3.1 Pale September 2.8 Carrion 2.7 Score: 3.188888889
=:0)
A good album to listen to over dinner. Somewhat depressing and reflective in tone
This is one of those, “who the hell is this?” albums when I saw it and then, “oh, I know this!” when listening. Enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
Meh. Too sad 4 me
Give me strength to avoid such nonsense
Quite enjoyed. Relaxing, if a little bleak.
pretty
Didn't hate it.
Wasn’t my thing at all but some enjoyable moments
Not what I expected. Pleasant listening.
7/10
its good but i prefer when the pawn 3.5
Very fun
5.5/10 Highlight: Criminal
Much more accessible than bolt cutters. I enjoyed it in the first listen. I still think “I want you to love me” is her best song and I am still listening to it, but Tidal as an album is significantly better. I think she conformed more earlier in her career, which for a first time listener is easier to digest.
I thought the album started off pretty strong and slowly faded into mediocrity. I definitely enjoyed this one more than Fetch the Bolt Cutters and I liked how the same chord progression was built into multiple songs to make the album feel more cohesive. You can definitely hear the 90s alternative influences and that helps it catch my interest, but it’s still not anything incredible. I’d probably give it two and a half stars if I could, but I’ll round up to three willingly because Criminal is an all-timer for me.
I like it. Too many genres.
She was a great and unique voice that stood out in her era. Still stands out today, but underappreciated.
it was decent some good tracks a little slow at times but overall a 2.9/5
Shades of Cheryl Crow, Carole King. Not my Tasse de The. But quite listenable. Seems to build and get better towards the close
I couldn't really get into Fiona Apple. It certainly rates high from a musicality perspective, which is where my 3rd star comes from, but it didn't strike me with any particular feels.
Ah Fiona. This is much more conventional than her later stuff but still has that out there vibe. By the second half I kind of forgot I was listening to music. Shadowboxing is good. The whole thing is good but it definitely takes its time in a way I don’t completely appreciate. Very high 3.
Nice soft music but nothing special for me
Reminds me of Joni’s Mitchell, not a terrible album, although I don’t think I’d listen again
I almost like Shadowboxer and Criminal
Frowny. 3
Early works providing foundation for career
Pretty voice
Shadowboxer // Carrion
3.5☆
It's alright, I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.
Good first half. Dragged a bit in the second half. Standout songs: Sullen Girl Shadowboxer Criminal
Capitalizing on the other soft but well-written solo female singers of the 90's, Fiona Apple gained (Tidal) waves of support early in her career. She creates very vivid emotions in her music to inspire feeling in the listener, and this much more harmonic approach fit my style a lot more
Respect that she wrote all of the songs and released this when she was still a teenager. This isn't something that I would seek out but I like her voice and get how this would appeal to others.
hm
Didn't realize I knew "Sleep to Dream" until it came on; guess it just got overshadowed by "Criminal" in the intervening years. The rest was OK, although left me underwhelmed compared to her later more interpretive work (Cy Coleman covers and Watkins Family Hour collabs and the like)
Very talented. Wasn't the right album to listen to while cooking dinner. Piano-heavy. Was having a hard time connecting with the lyrics - only made it 5 songs. Will return later
It was nice, not much to say about it. Middle-of-the-road.
She has a very nice voice but there was something about it that I didn’t like. The songs were to long which mane the album to long.
Fiona Apples værste album EASY og det er stadig ret godt
Fuldstændig vanvittigt at hun skrev og indspillede den her plade da hun var 18 år gammel. Lyder pissegodt men pladen er lidt frontloaded og bliver lidt ensformig, imo klart den mindst interessante Fiona Apple plade.
There's nothing wrong with it but just doesn't do anything for me. I'm not a fan of over emotional 90s singing and this feels a bit teenage for my tastes.
Sorry didn't get it.