Alanis Morissette is a perfect example of an angry woman. That is, she plays the part very well through her music. When I first heard Jagged Little Pill back in the mid-nineties, I was impressed. Very impressed.
Alanis boasts a hard-rock band, serving as the background to her vocals - which are versatile, to say the least: They can go from high-pitched mega-whine to medium-deep sultriness at any time. Truly this makes for an interesting background to the true messages of her songs.
The major single from this album was ’’You Oughta Know’’ - in fact, there are two versions of it on this record. However, the ’’rock’’ version made it to radio airwaves, while listeners had to purchase the CD to hear the ’’R&B/alternative’’ version. I think we all know the song that I’m talking about:
’’And here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away / it’s not fair to deny me of the cross I bare that you gave to me / you, you, you oughta know...’’ Angry. Rage-filled. Seething. This is the type of emotion that would make grown men and women flee into the night to avoid the wrath of the woman singing it. God, the song was so powerful, so unique...it made ninety-nine percent of listeners want to either cry for her pain or shoot the person that got her so riled.
Anyway, the album also has other strong points. For example, ’’Ironic.’’ It is a lighter song, focusing not on wrath and fury but on the ironies of life. ’’It’s like a black fly in your chardonnay......it’s a death-row pardon two minutes too late.....and isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?’’
Very.
We can’t forget ’’One Hand In My Pocket’’ - the strange, slightly-off retro-sixties tune that explores the oddities in Alanis’ mind. ’’I’ve got one hand in my pocket, and the other one is hailing a taxicab...’’ It’s definitely strange, but worth the mental journey - it’ll leave your mind jumping through hoops trying to figure out what the heck she’s talking about. Or, if you don’t feel up to all of that, just kick back and enjoy: Alanis is versatile and diverse enough to allow either option.
One of my favorites, however, would have to be the hidden track that you have to fast-forward the CD or cassette to after the last song. It is a simple acapella ballad, a narrative about going through her boyfriend’s house and discovering that he’s seeing someone else. ’’Would you forgive me love, if I cried all afternoon, yeah...’’ Hmmn. It’s sad, melodramatic, poignant, emotionally-charged, and downright beautiful in a Prozac-and-coffee sense.
Alanis Morissette definitely knows what she’s doing. She’s more than capable of grabbing the listener’s ear from the opening gambit and racing through the tunnels of her mind with us at breakneck speed, hoping that we’ll hang on for the long haul but never forgetting to be true to her own feelings. Putting Alanis’ records into your stereo is the beginning of a very emotional journey for all of the listeners who have a passion for heartfelt, solid musical work.
But, this is not the greatest CD in the world when you wish to be cheered up. If you want to smile, play something, anything but this. It’s a melodramatic trip into the land of depression, one that you will enjoy if you are a heartfelt cynic such as myself. Otherwise, it will just make you more depressed - Alanis has a strange way of conveying her emotions so powerfully that many listeners are practically swept away by them.
And so, I recommend this record to anybody who enjoys acts such as Shawn Colvin, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, or even Nirvana: You’ll enjoy the musical talents as well as Morissette’s creative aspects. And, of course, you’ll often be able to understand exactly what she’s raging, crying, or moping about.