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When the Pawn...
Studio album by Fiona Apple
Released	November 9, 1999
Recorded	1998–1999
Studio	Various Andora Studio Chateau Brion Studio NRG Recording Studios Ocean Way Studio One On One South Presence Studios Woodwinds
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	42:39
Label	Epic Clean Slate
Producer	Jon Brion
Fiona Apple chronology
Tidal (1996) When the Pawn... (1999) Extraordinary Machine (2005)
Vinyl cover
Singles from When the Pawn...
"Fast as You Can" Released: October 5, 1999 "Limp" Released: February 15, 2000 "Paper Bag" Released: June 2000

When the Pawn... is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple. Released by Epic Records in the United States on November 9, 1999, When the Pawn... was wholly written by Apple, with production by Jon Brion.

The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. In 2010 Spin named the album the 106th-greatest of the last 25 years, and Slant Magazine named it the 79th best album of the 1990s. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked When the Pawn... at number 108 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Title

The album's title is a poem Apple wrote in response to unfavorable reactions from readers of an unfavorable Spin cover story about her. Richard Harrington of The Washington Post called it Apple's version of Chumbawamba's "I get knocked down, but I get up again". "It came from being made fun of," she said, "and then, of course, it becomes a thing I'm being made fun of for."

Upon its release, When the Pawn... broke the record for longest album title at 444 characters (previously held by a volume in The Best... Album in the World...Ever!), though this record was subsequently broken. The full title 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

Release

The first single, "Fast as You Can", was fairly popular and received moderate radio and video airplay. It reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and became Apple's first top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up singles, "Limp" and especially "Paper Bag", which was nominated for a Grammy Award, were less successful. Apple's boyfriend at the time, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, directed videos for all three singles.

In 2019, Apple collaborated with King Princess on a cover of "I Know". The song was released for Spotify's RISE program on January 25.

A reissue by Vinyl Me Please was announced in 2020 featuring a new cover chosen by Fiona herself, marking the album's first ever vinyl pressing.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Chicago Sun-Times
Entertainment Weekly	A
Los Angeles Times
NME	5/10
Pitchfork	8.0/10 (1999) 9.4/10 (2019)
Q
Rolling Stone
Spin	8/10
The Village Voice	A−

In comparison to Apple's debut album Tidal, Harrington stated, "When the Pawn is a decidedly more mature work that trades in youthful melodrama for somber ruminations on shattered relationships and romantic obsession". In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Jenny Eliscu states that Pawn is "more musically complex and melodically advanced" than the previous album, while focusing on Apple's "sultry voice and moody piano playing". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars, calling it "richer, deeper and stronger than Tidal, in every way", with "a far more muscular approach to both the songs and the singing".

Entertainment Weekly's David Browne awarded the album an A grade, praising Jon Brion's production as well as Apple's songwriting: "Apple hasn't gained much in psychic confidence following the success of Tidal. On When the Pawn..., Apple presents herself as a mental shambles, and she's more than happy to tell us about it." Pitchfork originally gave the album a score of eight out of ten, with reviewer Chip Chanko praising Apple's lyrics, writing: " seems older. Her voice is full of a heartfelt soul that seems almost timeless. While Billie Holiday would never have considered the possibility of lines like, 'It won't be long till you'll be/ Lying limp in your own hand,' Apple executes them flawlessly with a modern passion." Amy Linden of Vibe wrote: "When the Pawn... is full of images that resonate. Apple's a sad, sultry woman with a sense of who she is—even if that person isn't someone she wants to be. Once again, her pain brings us joy." In contrast, Piers Martin of NME rated it a 5 out of 10, calling it Apple's "second album of Amos-aping MTV-branded Lilith Fair fodder."

On the U.S. Billboard 200, When the Pawn... debuted at number 13 with 103,000 copies sold in first week. As of 2005, sales of the album in the United States had exceeded 922,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. On March 26, 2020, When the Pawn.. was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Fiona Apple, except as noted; arrangements and orchestration by John Bainbridge.

Personnel

Musicians

• Fiona Apple – piano, vocals, synthesized bass (track 7)
• Jon Brion – "all other instruments" (except "Love Ridden")
• Mike Elizondo – bass (except "I Know")
• Matt Chamberlain – drums, percussion (except "A Mistake", "I Know")

Additional musicians

• Mike Breaux – woodwinds (1, 3, 7)
• Patrick Warren – Chamberlin (2, 3, 7, 9), Wurlitzer (3, 7)
• Charlie Bisharat, Eve Butler, Susan Chatman, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Gerardo Hilera, Peter Kent, Brian Leonard, Robert Peterson, Michele Richards, Edmund Stein, John Wittenberg – violin (4, 9, 10)
• Robert Becker, Denyse Buffman, Scott Haupert, Maria Newman – viola (4, 9, 10)
• Larry Corbett, Paula Hochalter, Suzie Katayama, Daniel Smith – cello (4, 9, 10)
• Greg Cohen – bass guitar (10)
• Jonathan "Butch" Norton – drums, percussion (2, 3)
• Jim Keltner – drums (10)
• Wendell Kelly, Jean Martinelli, John Noreyko, Paul Loredo – horns (5)

Technical personnel

• Jon Brion – producer, mixing engineer, assistant engineer
• Rich Costey – mixing engineer
• Eddy Scheyer – mastering engineer
• Ian Sefchick – mastering engineer (2020 LP)
• Tom Banghart, Rob Brill, Greg Collins, Bryan Jackson, Steve Mixdorf, John Tyree – assistant engineer
• Fiona Apple – design, cover art concept

Charts

Certifications and sales

Notes

1. Full title 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.

References

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2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King... – Fiona Apple". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
3. "Alternative: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. February 11, 2000. p. 110. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
4. ^ Eliscu, Jenny (2004). "Fiona Apple". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian D. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 23. ISBN 0-74-320169-8. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
5. "Fiona Apple". GRAMMY.com. 2018-05-22. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
6. "125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years". Spin. 15 February 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
7. "Best Albums of the '90s". Slant Magazine. February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
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9. ^ Harrington, Richard (November 28, 1999). "Fiona Apple: The Time Is Ripe". The Washington Post. p. G1. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
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15. "VMP on Instagram: "♟ at long last... 'When the Pawn' is here on 180g black vinyl for the first time ever. With a new cover picked by Fiona Apple herself, and a special price for VMP members."".
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19. ^ Browne, David (November 12, 1999). "When the Pawn..." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
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21. ^ Martin, Piers (March 15, 2000). "Fiona Apple – When The Pawn..." NME. Archived from the original on June 4, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
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25. ^ Sheffield, Rob (November 25, 1999). "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King..." Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
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27. Christgau, Robert (March 7, 2000). "Consumer Guide: Cleanup Time". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
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33. bass, keyboards, vibraphone, guitars, drums, percussion
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43. "American album certifications – Fiona Apple – When the Pawn". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 29, 2020.

External links

• When the Pawn... at Discogs (list of releases)
• When the Pawn... at MusicBrainz
• When the Pawn... at Metacritic

• 1999 albums
• Albums produced by Jon Brion
• Epic Records albums
• Fiona Apple albums
• Jazz albums by American artists
• Alternative rock albums by American artists
• Art pop albums