Count me as one of the many who came to love the bootleg version of Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine." The songs are unlike anything out there -- really interesting stuff. At first blush, the tunes seem rough, almost defiantly so. But as you listen and re-listen -- which is inevitable with those cuts -- you start to realize just how punchy the produced tracks are, with some fabulous drum and bass tracks giving a swing-like groove underneath her vocals. When I heard the tracks, they seemed almost perfect. I could not imagine any additional production that would add anything except obstructions to her voice. The only except I could imagine was big-band orchestration, with saxes, trumpets -- the perfect counterpoint for her jazzy lines that step "outside" more than a few times.

Ever since I heard that Sony was finally going to release the CD, I confess I've been waiting eagerly. Alas, I've not gone out and got it yet --

[Update: I just learned that the new cuts are available online here. It's officially sanctioned, too.]

Sasha Frere-Jones reviews the long-awaited re-mixed and now-officially-released "Extraordinary Machine" in this week's The New Yorker:

Apple’s decision to re-record her third album was hardly remarkable; artists tinker with their tracks all the time. But the rough mixes that she produced with Brion were leaked anonymously on the Internet, where they were widely circulated, putting fans in the unusual situation of being able to choose between two versions of the same record. (In its published form, “Extraordinary Machine� features two recordings from Brion’s original production, nine re-recordings, and one new song, “Parting Gift.�) In fact, the differences matter less than you might think. The songs from Apple’s collaboration with Brion sound as though they were being played on a calliope inside a merry-go-round. Elizondo and Kehew’s arrangements are more bass-heavy and less whimsical. But, whichever version you end up preferring, Apple is in charge: the songs follow her around like a boat on a towline.

I think that tomorrow I need to pop some Motrin, clamber into the car and trundle on down to the store and pick up a copy.

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