Episode 118 is here! This week, we’re diving into part 1 of Tidal, the stunning debut from Fiona Apple. Does this 1996 album still resonate with its raw emotion and artistry? Tune in for our thoughts on her iconic sound!

Tidal is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, released on July 23, 1996, by The WORK Group. Tidal produced three singles: “Shadowboxer“, “Sleep to Dream“, and “Criminal“. The latter was the album’s most popular single, winning a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1998. In 2017, Tidal got its first vinyl run as a “Vinyl Me Please” exclusive “Record of the Month”.

Tidal was received well by critics, with Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone and Richard Harrington of The Washington Post describing it as a mature effort comparable to the work of singer/songwriters Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 83 among the 100 greatest albums of the 1990s. The following year, Slant Magazine placed it at number 74. The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 25 on its list of “100 Best Debut Albums of All Time”, claiming that it was “just the beginning—and Apple has kept topping herself artistically ever since.”

Musicians
Fiona Apple – vocals (all tracks), piano (1–3, 5–9), Optigan (2)
Jon Brion – vibraphone (1–3, 5–6, 9–10), guitar (1–2, 6, 10), tack piano (1, 3, 6, 9), marimba (2, 6), dulcitone (2), Chamberlin (4, 10), harp (8, 10), Optigan (8)
Patrick Warren – Chamberlin (1–3, 5–6, 8–10), piano (1, 4)
Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar (2, 8)
Rob Laufer – guitar (4)
Dan Rothchild – bass (1, 4, 8, 10)
Greg Richling – bass guitar (2–3, 5)
Sara Lee – bass guitar (6, 9)
Matt Chamberlain – drums (1–2, 4, 6, 8–10), percussion (1, 6, 10)
Danny Frankel – drums (3, 5), percussion (6)
George Black – drum programming (6)
Van Dyke Parks – string arrangement (7)
Ralph Morrison – first violin
Claudia Parducci – second violin
Evan Wilson – viola
Larry Corbett – cello
Amber Maggart – harmony vocals (9)

Production
Andrew Slater – production
Mark Endert – recording, mixing
Claude “Swifty” Achille – additional engineering
Brian Scheuble – additional engineering
Jim Wirt – additional engineering
Niko Bolas – additional engineering
Troy Gonzalez – assistant engineering
Al Sanderson – assistant engineering
Tom Banghart – mixing assistance
Ted Jensen – mastering
Valerie Pack – production coordination

Art Direction
Nathaniel Goldberg – photography
Fred Woodward – art direction

Intro Music/Wheel Spin Music by LiteSaturation from Pixabay