The Idler Wheel... Explained

The Idler Wheel...
Type:studio
Artist:Fiona Apple
Cover:TheIdlerWheel....jpg
Recorded:2008–2011
Studio:
  • Stanley (Los Feliz, California)
  • NBB (New York City)
Genre:
Length:42:39
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:iTunes Originals – Fiona Apple
Prev Year:2006
Next Title:Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Next Year:2020

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, frequently abridged as The Idler Wheel..., is the fourth studio album by Fiona Apple. Like her second album When the Pawn..., its title derives from a poem written by Apple herself.[3] It was released in the UK on June 18, 2012[4] and in the US on June 19 by Epic Records.[5] The album received a nomination at the 2013 Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album.[6] The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and was frequently included in year and decade-end lists by several publications; in 2020, Rolling Stone placed the album at number 213 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was her highest debut in the US, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 with 72,000 copies sold in its first week.[7]

Background and release

Following the delays and controversy surrounding the release of Extraordinary Machine (2005), Apple began recording new material for her fourth studio album in secret, including from her label, Epic Records. When asked by BlackBook magazine when the recording sessions began, Apple remarked, "It must have started in 2008. Or 2009. I don't know! I have no idea. It's weird to think that there was 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Where've I been? What was I doing? What was that year about?"[8] Apple elaborated, Instead of her long-time collaborator Jon Brion, Apple opted to produce the album with her touring drummer, Charley Drayton.[9] Executives at Epic found out that Apple had recorded an album in early 2012, when she presented it to them.[10] The album was originally planned for release in 2011, but Apple delayed the release until her label found a new president in 2012, explaining that she "didn't want her work to be mishandled amid corporate disarray."[9] During a secret concert in Los Angeles with Brion, Apple remarked, "I can't remember any of my new songs because they've been done for a fucking year."[11] In January 2012, L.A. Reid announced through Twitter that new material from Apple would be released later in 2012.[12] [13]

Promotion

Apple announced a small tour in early 2012 prompting speculation over a new album.[14] Ahead of her first performance on the tour, the album and its title were announced.[15] The tour marked Apple's first performances outside of Los Angeles in over five years.[16] Apple kicked off the tour with two performances at the South by Southwest Festival where she debuted three new songs from The Idler Wheel....The album's first single, "Every Single Night", received positive reviews and was well received by fans and critics.[17] [18] She released a video for the track "Hot Knife" on July 24, 2013.[19]

On June 19, 2012, the same day that The Idler Wheel... was released, Apple began an expansive North American tour to promote the album. The tour kicked off in Ithaca, New York, and finished on July 29 at the Hollywood Palladium. On June 24, Apple performed at the Sunday portion of New York City's Governors Ball Music Festival, which featured acts such as Modest Mouse, Explosions in the Sky and Beck, among others.[20]

The music video for "Every Single Night" premiered on the Sundance Channel on June 10[21] and was directed by Joseph Cahill.[22] On the same day, the entire album streamed online on NPR.[23] On June 18, Apple made her first television appearance since 2006 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Apple performed "Anything We Want" with the Roots and celebrated Paul McCartney's 70th birthday by performing "Let Me Roll It" with Jimmy Fallon performing back-up vocals.[24]

A video was also made for the song 'Hot Knife' directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, due to shooting conflicts with the movie The Master, it was not edited and released until July 24, 2013 over a year after the album release and 6 months after the tour finished. 'Hot Knife' was never released as a single.

Critical reception

The Idler Wheel... received widespread critical acclaim by contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 89, based on 35 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic awarded the album five stars out of five, praising Apple's "magnetic vocals, the human element pulling us into these songs", adding that while the album has similarities to her previous three, it is "stripped of all her carnivalesque accouterments" and there is a new "unwavering determination and cohesion". BBC Music reviewer James Skinner praised the "hopelessly romantic" album and Apple's "expressive" vocals, and considered the album to be her "sparsest work to date".[25] Blair Kelly of musicOMH said the album is "both roaring with rage and swooning with romance", finding it refreshingly "spare" while its focus is on Apple's "raw, rough and flawed" vocals.[26] American Songwriter writer Jim Beviglia rated the album four stars out of five, praising its "stark and raw" songs, its "visceral power" and Apple's presentation of "the mixed emotions that accompany the fallout of a broken relationship".[27]

Robert Christgau gave the album an A−, calling it "damn catchy", with "few arpeggios, and not much tone color and such", and while Apple "executes simple figures and hammers thick chords, including a few boogie-woogies just to make a point", the album is "mood music". Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A, and regarded it as "highly confessional and creative and temperamental", concluding it "isn't easy listening. But it's worth it." Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork scored the album nine out of ten and called it "the most distilled Fiona Apple album yet", commending its "raw emotion". Consequence of Sound called the album "one of the most daring pop records in recent history", awarding it with four-and-a-half stars out of five.[28] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four, deeming it "more stripped down and turbulent than before", adding that "It makes for a raw, unsettling listen, tempered by shots of dark humor."[29] NME wrote: "The tension created by the lyrics and music is wonderful and uneasy, ensuring that The Idler Wheel... is endlessly fascinating and unlike anything else you're likely to hear this year."

Jessica Hopper of Spin rated the album eight out of ten, writing that it "relentlessly reassures us that she’s the same old Fiona, still wilding and Weill-ing out" and "the unexpected triumph lies not in the spectacle of the singer raw-dogging her emotions, but in her total command of the anarchy that results". Slant Magazine gave it four stars out of five and called the album "her most dense and ambitious" while it remains "accessible".[30] Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club graded the album an A and said: "The beauty of The Idler Wheel... is how it transmits each of those feelings in excruciating, frank, and lovely detail." Jillian Mapes of Billboard wrote that although the album is "devoid of much musical flourishing", it was "absolutely worth the seven-year wait".[31] The Boston Phoenixs Zeth Lundy rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of four, describing its sound as "raw and deceptively artless" and deeming it "arguably her funniest ... but also her leanest and most melodically daring."[32] Paste magazine reviewer Stephen M. Deusner rated it 8.4 out of 10, stating that Apple relies on the same eccentricities of her past work, and her inability to "get out of her own head — can’t even begin to write a song that doesn’t build on layers of self-conscious self-absorption and gritty self-loathing — may in fact be one of her greatest and most distinguishing strengths as an artist"; while her "overwrought" lyrics "can provoke cringes as easily as sympathetic nods", they "exert a considerable power, marking these songs as indelibly her own".[33] Now magazine gave the album four out of five stars, writing: "Apple's return to music is not only undeniably powerful, but Idler is arguably her best work yet."[34]

PopMatters Enio Chiola rated the album six out of ten, finding it "purposefully and inauthentically difficult for the sake of being difficult", criticizing the "twist[ing] [of] simple arrangements and sentiments into an unnecessarily uneasy listen...[resulting] in the record being often times tiresome and boring" and Apple's "tendency to scream". "There simply isn't enough variation" on the album, Chiola concluded, but it "isn't necessarily (even at its core) a bad record."[35] Rolling Stone gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars, writing that the album is "rawboned emotionally" while Apple "pours out her distress on driving songs with lyrics that mix romantic poetry and therapy-speak – Byron by way of Oprah", and although the songs may "drag", her "kooky energy pushes through the slow spots."

Awards and year-end lists

The album received a nomination at the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album.[6] It was named the best album of 2012 by Time Magazine, Stereogum, Spinner, and NPR Music's Fresh Air.[36] [37] [38] [39] It ranked at number 2 on the lists of Consequence of Sound[40] and Entertainment Weekly,[41] number 3 on the lists of USA Today and Pitchfork,[42] [43] number 4 on Paste,[44] number 5 in Rolling Stone,[45] number 10 on Idolator,[46] number sixteen in Spin,[47] number seventeen on American Songwriter[48] and Filter,[49] and appeared on NPR's unnumbered list.[50] The album was ranked No. 10 in Pitchfork list of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010-2014), published in August 2014.[51]

Apple's track "Hot Knife" ranked at number twelve in Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Songs of 2012 list[52] and "Every Single Night" ranked at number 7 on American Songwriters Top 50 Songs of 2012.[53] In Pitchforks Top 100 Tracks of 2012, "Werewolf" was ranked at number 9 and "Every Single Night" was ranked at number 35.[54]

In 2019, the album was included on The Guardians 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century list,[55] and ranked 5th on Pitchfork list of The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s.[56] In 2020, Rolling Stone placed the album at number 213 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[57]

Personnel

Credits adapted from The Idler Wheel... album liner notes.[58]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012)Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[59] 23
Austrian Albums Chart[60] 44
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[61] 116
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[62] 149
Canadian Albums Chart[63] 13
Dutch Albums Chart[64] 62
French Albums Chart[65] 54
German Albums Chart[66] 56
Irish Albums Chart[67] 78
Italian Albums Chart[68] 61
Japanese Albums Chart[69] 68
Mexican Albums Chart[70] 91
New Zealand Albums Chart[71] 30
Portuguese Albums Chart[72] 20
Spanish Albums Chart[73] 100
Swiss Albums Chart[74] 28
UK Albums Chart[75] 68
US Billboard 200[76] 3
US Alternative Albums1
US Rock Albums1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Album Review: Fiona Apple's 'Fetch The Bolt Cutters' Is a Timeless and Triumphant Opus. April 17, 2020. Denis. Kyle. The Bulletin. November 25, 2024.
  2. Web site: I Like Watching You Live: Fiona Apple’s The Idler Wheel… 10 Years On. June 20, 2022. Matt. Mitchell. Flood Magazine. November 27, 2024.
  3. Perpetua . Matthew . Fiona Apple Unveils 23-Word Album Title . . March 7, 2012 . March 7, 2012 . February 1, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130201181651/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/fiona-apple-unveils-23-word-album-title-20120307 . dead .
  4. Web site: Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw... . PopMatters . June 18, 2012 . January 26, 2019 . Chiola, Enio.
  5. Web site: Battan . Carrie . Fiona Apple Reveals Album Title . . March 7, 2012 . March 7, 2012.
  6. News: The 55th Grammy Awards Nominees List . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101204023547/http://www.grammy.com/NOMINEES . December 4, 2010 . December 6, 2012 .
  7. Web site: Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Fiona Apple Lead Billboard 200 . Billboard . 2012-06-27 . 2023-11-06.
  8. Web site: Coates . Tyler . The Long and Winding Road That Leads to Fiona Apple . . May 31, 2012 . June 3, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120603033544/http://www.blackbookmag.com/music/the-long-and-winding-road-that-leads-to-fiona-apple-1.49114 . June 3, 2012 .
  9. News: Pareles . Jon . Jon Pareles . Fiona Apple Faces Outward . . May 30, 2012 . June 3, 2012.
  10. Web site: Baron . Zach . Fiona Apple's Return: Idle No More . . May 31, 2012 . June 3, 2012.
  11. Baltin . Steve . Fiona Apple Previews New Material At SXSW Show . . March 15, 2012 . June 3, 2012.
  12. Web site: Mitchell . Jon . LA Reid Confirms New Fiona Apple Music Is On The Way . https://web.archive.org/web/20120608204850/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2012/01/24/la-reid-confirms-new-fiona-apple-music-is-on-the-way/ . dead . June 8, 2012 . . January 24, 2012 . June 3, 2012.
  13. Web site: Bain . Becky . L.A. Reid Confirms New Fiona Apple Music On The Way . . January 24, 2012 . June 3, 2012. Lot's of good music coming from Epic_Records in the next few weeks. Stay tuned music fans. Welcome back Fiona!.
  14. Fiona Apple will play at least eight live shows this year -- find the details here. Ray. Rahman. Entertainment Weekly. March 20, 2012. February 21, 2012.
  15. Web site: Fiona Apple Reveals Album Title. Carrie. Battan. Pitchfork. March 7, 2012. February 21, 2012.
  16. News: Fiona Apple SXSW: Singer Performs Seven Years After Her Last Album (VIDEO, PHOTOS). Chris. Talbott. HuffPost. March 20, 2012. March 15, 2012.
  17. Web site: SXSW Music Day 3: Fiona Apple + Grimes (Pitchfork Showcase). Pop Matters. March 20, 2012. March 15, 2012.
  18. News: Fiona Apple's Valentine: Artist Performs New Song Live At SXSW (VIDEO). Amber. Genuske. HuffPost. March 20, 2012. March 19, 2012.
  19. Web site: Watch Fiona Apple's "Hot Knife" Video, Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Battan. Carrie. . July 24, 2013. April 28, 2018.
  20. Web site: Fiona Apple Announces North American Tour Dates. https://web.archive.org/web/20120413234238/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1682708/fiona-apple-tour-dates.jhtml. dead. April 13, 2012. James. Montgomery. MTV. March 20, 2012. March 19, 2012.
  21. Web site: Watch: Exclusive premiere of Fiona Apple's new video EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Sundance Channel. June 10, 2012. June 10, 2012.
  22. News: Video: Fiona Apple: "Every Single Night". June 11, 2012. June 9, 2012.
  23. https://www.npr.org/2012/06/10/154422085/first-listen-fiona-apple-the-idler-wheel First Listen: Fiona Apple, 'The Idler Wheel...'
  24. Web site: Watch Fiona Apple Play Fallon. Tom. Breihan. Stereogum. June 21, 2012. June 19, 2012.
  25. Web site: Skinner . James . Review of Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel... . BBC Music. June 11, 2012 . June 11, 2012.
  26. Web site: Blair . Kelly . Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . . June 12, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120616121437/http://www.musicomh.com/albums/fiona-apple-2_0612.htm. June 16, 2012.
  27. Web site: Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel... Review . American Songwriter. Jim. Beviglia. June 13, 2012. June 13, 2012.
  28. Web site: Larson . Jeremy D. . Album Review: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… . . June 18, 2012 . June 19, 2012.
  29. News: Album review: Fiona Apple, 'The Idler Wheel ...'. Chicago Tribune. Greg. Kot. June 18, 2012. June 18, 2012.
  30. Web site: Keefe . Jonathan . Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . Slant Magazine. June 18, 2012 . June 18, 2012.
  31. Mapes . Jillian . Fiona Apple's "The Idler Wheel...": Track-by-Track Review . . June 19, 2012 . June 19, 2012.
  32. Web site: Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do - review. The Boston Phoenix. Zeth. Lundy. June 19, 2012. June 19, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20130217124859/http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/140302-fiona-apple-the-idler-wheel-is-wiser-than-the-dr/. February 17, 2013.
  33. Web site: Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do REVIEW. Paste. Stephen M.. Deusner. June 19, 2012. June 19, 2012.
  34. Web site: Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel... REVIEW. Now. Benjamin. Boles. June 19, 2012. June 19, 2012.
  35. Web site: Chiola . Enio . Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw... . . June 19, 2012 . June 19, 2012.
  36. Top 10 Albums. Time. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  37. News: Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2012. Stereogum. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  38. News: 50 Best Albums of 2012 List. Spinner. December 7, 2012. December 15, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20130109175601/http://www.spinner.com/2012/12/07/50-best-albums-of-2012-list/. January 9, 2013.
  39. News: Ken Tucker's Top 10 Albums Of 2012. Ken. Tucker. Fresh Air. December 18, 2012. December 18, 2012.
  40. News: Top 50 Albums 2012. Consequence of Sound. December 14, 2012. December 15, 2012.
  41. 10 Best Albums of 2012. Maerz. Melissa. December 11, 2012. Entertainment Weekly. December 18, 2012.
  42. News: The top albums of 2012. Sean. McCarthy. USA Today. November 21, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  43. News: Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2012 . . December 20, 2012 . December 22, 2012.
  44. News: The 50 Best Albums of 2012. Paste. November 26, 2012. December 6, 2012. Jackson. Josh. December 6, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121206232312/http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/11/the-50-best-albums-of-2012.html. dead.
  45. News: Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2012. Michael. Nelson. Stereogum. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  46. News: 2012′s Best Music. https://archive.today/20130126084247/http://idolator.com/photos/best-albums-2012-year/fiona-apple-the-idler-wheel-2. dead. January 26, 2013. Robbie. Daw. Idolator. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  47. News: SPIN's 50 Best Albums of 2012. Spin. December 3, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  48. News: Top 50 Albums of 2012. American Songwriter. December 4, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  49. News: FILTER's Top 10 of 2012: Staff Picks. Filter. December 3, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  50. News: NPR's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2012. Tom. Breihan. Stereogum. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  51. Web site: The Top 100 Albums of 2010-2014 . . February 20, 2020 . October 3, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141003085154/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9465-the-top-100-albums-of-2010-2014/5/ . dead .
  52. 50 BEST SONGS OF 2012. Rolling Stone. December 5, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  53. News: Top 50 Songs of 2012. American Songwriter. December 4, 2012. December 6, 2012.
  54. News: The Top 100 Tracks of 2012. Pitchfork. December 17, 2012. December 29, 2012.
  55. Web site: The 100 best albums of the 21st century . The Guardian . September 13, 2019 . September 18, 2019 .
  56. Web site: The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s . Pitchfork . October 9, 2019.
  57. September 22, 2020 . The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . . September 24, 2020.
  58. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . . 2012 . CD liner notes . . 88691978632.
  59. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . australian-charts.com. Hung Medien . July 3, 2012.
  60. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . de . austriancharts.at. Hung Medien . June 29, 2012.
  61. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . nl . Ultratop. Hung Medien . June 29, 2012.
  62. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . fr . Ultratop. Hung Medien . July 13, 2012.
  63. Rock Albums – Week of July 07, 2012 . Billboard . June 29, 2012.
  64. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . nl . dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien . June 23, 2012.
  65. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . fr . lescharts.com. Hung Medien . July 3, 2012.
  66. Web site: Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . de . . June 29, 2012.
  67. Web site: Top 100 Individual Artist Albums . . June 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120614070438/http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp#albums . June 14, 2012 . June 27, 2012 . dead .
  68. Web site: Artisti – Classifica settimanale dal 18/06/2012 al 24/06/2012 . it . . June 29, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140322110820/http://www.fimi.it/classifiche_result_artisti.php?anno=2012&mese=06&id=413 . March 22, 2014 .
  69. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/138237/ranking/cd_album/ . ja:フィオナ・アップルのアルバム売り上げランキング . Fiona Apple album sales ranking . ja . . July 13, 2012.
  70. Web site: Top 100 México – Semana Del 25 de Junio al 01 de Julio del 2012 . es . . https://web.archive.org/web/20120707212420/http://www.centrodedesarrollodigital.com/amprofon3/Top100.pdf . July 7, 2012 . July 13, 2012 . dead .
  71. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . charts.nz. Hung Medien . July 3, 2012.
  72. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . portuguesecharts.com. Hung Medien . July 13, 2012.
  73. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien . July 2, 2012.
  74. Web site: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do . swisscharts.com. Hung Medien . June 29, 2012.
  75. Web site: Official UK Albums Top 100 . . June 30, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120627073600/http://www.officialcharts.com/albums-chart/ . June 27, 2012 . June 27, 2012 . dead .
  76. Caulfield . Keith . Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Fiona Apple Lead Billboard 200 Debuts . . June 27, 2012 . June 27, 2012.

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