Fiona Apple became one of my very favorite artists on the strength of one album, 1999’s When the Pawn… (that’s the commonly used title, anyway… the official title is a 92-word poem that appears on the album cover).

Apple’s 1996 debut, Tidal, made a fan of me. Her singing, writing and piano playing displayed a maturity well beyond her 19 years. But even featuring such great songs as ‘Shadowboxer,’ ‘Criminal’ and ‘Never is a Promise,’ that album didn’t hint at the greatness to come.

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