I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: FIONA APPLE-When the Pawn… (1999).

I learned about Fiona Apple from CMJ New Music Monthly before her debut came out.  I was convinced she was just another pretty thing with little talent. But then I heard “Shadowboxer” and I was really impressed by the depth of her voice.  When I got the album, I was pretty much blown away.

When When the Pawn came out it was mocked for its absurdly long title.  (Even Janine Garofalo got in on the mocking, for which, shame on her because even if Fiona made some bad decisions, she was still a young woman who was fighting for the causes of good).

But looking beyond the title, For When the Pawn, shows Fiona’s voice getting stronger and more subtle, and her songwriting is truly amazing.  She used the assistance of Jon Brion, multi-instrumentalist and all around dabbler in fun sounds.  And he creates a soundscape of weird instruments, crazy sounds and an enveloping sounds that keep the album an item unto itself.

I haven’t listened to the disc in quite a while, but playing it again, i was impressed by the audacity of some of the musical choices, especially for a “pretty young thing” with a successful (and disturbing) video on the charts (“Criminal“).

The crazy noises that start off the disc (carnival-like keyboards, electronic squeals) sound a mile away from the jazzy sounds of “Shadowboxer” but Fiona’s voice comes in and you know that she’s still her, and her voice sounds even richer.  There’s a wild disconnect on “To Your Love” with the delicate vibes (!) that fill the bridge and the rough sounds in the chorus (not to mention the crazy wordplay: “My derring-do allows me to dance the rigadoon Around you But by the time I’m close to you, I lose my desideratum and now you”‘).  And then “Limp,” an amazing musical concoction:  more delicate jazzy openings followed by a raucous chorus with the wonderful put down: “So call me crazy, hold me down / Make me cry; get off now, baby- / It wont be long till you’ll be / Lying limp in your own hand.”

And that’s just the first three songs.  The rest of the disc sways between mellow jazzy numbers, beautiful ballads, and rocking scorchers, but it is always fueled by a dissonance that counters Apple’s voice perfectly.

Another can’t miss track is “Fast as You Can,” a wonderfully propelled track that bounces along jauntily until it hits an amazingly fast syncopated chorus.  And the production is so clean, the drum clap before the bridge is striking.  The disc ends with a couple of delicate songs.  “Get Gone” is  delightful jazzy song (complete with brushed drums).  It remains pretty mellow until Fiona breaks from a pause with a brutal “fucking go!”  And finally, the delicate ending of “I Know” brings the disc to a close.

Ten years later, this disc is still a gem.  One can only hope it gets rediscovered so a new legion of fans can enjoy its masterful music.  And for the full title of the disc, check the bottom the post….

[READ: October 16, 2009] “Fictional Futures and the Conspicuously Young”

This article opens with a note that Evan Martin found this article but noticed that it wasn’t online.  It was mentioned in Steven Moore’s essay “The First Draft Version of Infinite Jest.”  So he retyped it and it is now hosted on theknowe.net.  Here’s the write-up & link from The Howling Fantods:

“Fictional Futures and the Conspicuously Young”. The Review of Contemporary Fiction Vol. 8, No. 3, 1988. [NOTES: Read it here.]

This is a fascinating article in which DFW looks at the state of fiction circa 1987.  Specifically, he is responding to criticisms that the popular authors of the day, collectively Conspicuously Young, all fall into three very basic and uninspired cliche-filled boxes:

• Neiman-Marcus Nihilism
• Catatonic Realism
• Workshop Hermeticism

And the authors in question are Bret Easton Ellis, David Leavitt, Jay McInerney and these authors whom he mentions by last name only: Janowitz, Simpson and Minot.  Janowitz I assume is Tama Janowitz, but (Mona) Simpson and (Susan) Minot were unknown to me. I was surprised that later in the article Lorrie Moore appears to be included in this group of young writers (along with Amy Hempel who I’ve heard of) and Debra Spark (who I’ve not heard of). Although they seem to be contrasted with this group as examples of  “good” writers.

Anyhow, back to the article.  DFW does not disagree that the worst of  these Conspicuously Young (CY) authors do fall into these easy cliches.  However, he also criticizes the critics for bemoaning this new generational fiction.  DFW’s argument is that these critics complain that young authors spend too much time in the Now, while real literature should not date itself so much, or rely on pop culture as a signifier.  While DFW agrees that pop culture should not be a crutch, he also states that these critics are coming from a different reality.  They didn’t grow up with television as an unavoidable presence.  They weren’t saturated with media.  References to pop culture are such a part of these authors’ (of which he includes himself) lives that they can’t imagine it not being part of their fiction.

However, that’s still no excuse for lazy writing.  And for that, he is also very critical of fiction writing programs.  He notes the explosion of these programs in the last two dozen years or so.  And his main criticism of them is that the authors who teach in the programs (for they are largely authors) would rather be writing their books, not teaching others to write (which is understandable, yet unfortunate for the students).

Further, these programs tend to be unfailingly “safe” with regard to writing.  Like in most classes, students are taught to do what the teacher says (and mimic it back).  And this is something of a death knell for creative fiction.

And yet, he also comments that these authors should be aspiring to more than nihilistic comments about society.  Late 80’s American society, post Watergate and smack in the heart of Reaganism, is a confusing place for an artist.  So the above three groups make sense.

• Neiman-Marcus Nihilism because the mass culture the Yuppie inhabits and instantiates is itself at best empty and at worst evil.
• Catatonic Realism because in confusing times the bare minimal seems easy.
• Workshop Hermeticism because in confusing times caution seems prudent.

And yet.  And yet, “The state of general affairs that explains a nihilistic artistic outlook makes it imperative that art not be nihilistic.”  But fear not DFW suggests, there are up and coming writers who are not conspicuous yet but who are on the verge, ready to make great art.

The whole article is thoughtful; its simultaneously depressing and yet uplifting.  Of course, it being 20 years old does make some of the points no longer relevant.  I wonder if he thought Fiction Writing Programs had changed (for better or worse) in the last 20 years.

And yes, this confirms my contention that DFW was a great non-fiction writer.

—————————————————————————-

The full title of Fiona’s disc is:

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
And he’ll win the whole thing ‘fore he enters the ring
There’s no body to batter when your mind is your might
So when you go solo, you hold your own hand
And remember that depth is the greatest of heights
And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land
And if you fall it won’t matter, cuz you’ll know that you’re right