Hmm

[petronia]

helvetius, I think on the whole I like the commercial version of Extraordinary Machine better. ^^; I tried the song by song approach but it was hard to form a judgment that way, especially since the vocal takes aren't the same either. So I just listened to both of them through and the overall effect of the Jon Brion version is too exhausting for me - all those huge menacing thunderclouds of strings vibrating in minor key. (Something to do with how you like Shiina Ringo and I don't. The first version reminds me strongly of Shiina Ringo, but I don't know if it does that for you.) The spareness and funk organ/brass touches and percussion-reliance in the second version makes it more palatable to me; I hear her better, for one thing.

Fiona Apple - O'Sailor (commercial version)
Fiona Apple - O'Sailor (Jon Brion version)

Actually I have this problem with Rufus Wainwright too, often enough. Maybe I'm just not a strings arrangement fan when it comes to singer-songwriter stuff.

Then again there's 2-3 songs where they must've stayed with the Brion production period, it's Fiona Apple who's singing something slightly different in a slightly different way, slightly higher in the mix.

Depeche Mode - The Sinner In Me
Depeche Mode - Precious
Depeche Mode - Lillian

Depeche Mode, Playing the Angel: it sounds like a Depeche Mode album only not exactly, because no DM album has sounded exactly like DM since Alan Wilder left (yes, I know that's unfair, bite me). What with the popmuzik landscape these days one ends up fancying that one's listening to a really good 21st-century darkwave synthpop act inspired by Depeche Mode, if it weren't for Dave Gahan obviously being Dave Gahan and no other. ^^; There's a schaffel stomp like "Personal Jesus", and one that's reminiscent of "Enjoy the Silence" without having the same tune as "Enjoy the Silence" and is only 85% as catchy (not that that's bad), and so forth. There're also some instrumental breaks that show DM's been listening to the same electro-house bobbins as I, eheh. Can't wait to see what remixers they pick for this one.

And for Beru: [download folder]

I've also got all of Family (thanks vonbrigthi ^^;) but not on this computer... yet...