Fiona Apple: Today

Vinyl record music club Vinyl Me, Please, through Sony Music Group, released Tidal, Fiona Apple's highly regarded studio debut as a part of their Essentials series in 2020. Remastered from the Original Analog Tapes by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the album was released as a two record set pressed on 180 gram "audiophile" vinyl at 45 RPM. Vinyl Me, Please had previously released Title as their exclusive Record of the Month in 2017, which marked the first time the album had been made available on vinyl.

Tidal produced three charting singles for Apple, "Shadowboxer", "Sleep to Dream", and "Criminal". The latter being the most popular single on the album, winning the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Tidal is featured in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In 2022, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the Tide as one of the "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time".

Track List
1. Sleep to Dream
2. Sullen Girl
3. Shadowboxer
4. Criminal
5. Slow Like Honey
6. The First Taste
7. Never Is a Promise
8. The Child Is Gone
9. Pale September
10. Carrion

The Vinyl Me, Please pressing of Tidal at 45 RPM is a very good sounding record, especially considering that it was pressed at Memphis Record Pressing, which has a reputation for being hit or miss. For example, the copy reviewed has unfinished edges, making them a little sharp.

Placing the manufacturing quality control aside, the record is flat and fairly quiet. The bass thumps and the vocals are crisp, but do tend to get lost from time to time. However, there is very good detail and musical separation, which made for a very nice listening experience of a very good album. VMP's release of Tidal is certainly better than any version of this album we've heard thus far. If you cannot afford the aftermarket price for the VMP release of Tidal, the 2023 release by Clean Slate/Epic Records is effectively the same.💰


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