Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (1995/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96kHz | Time – 00:57:02 minutes | 662 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Q0buz | © Rhino – Maverick Records
Singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette became one of the most unlikely stars of the 1990s on the strength of her third album, Jagged Little Pill. A former child actress turned dance-pop diva, Morissette transformed herself into a confessional alternative singer/songwriter in the vein of Liz Phair and Tori Amos. However, she bolstered that formula with enough pop sensibility, slight hip-hop flourishes, and marketing savvy to become a superstar. Jagged Little Pill, released in 1995, spun off six highly successful singles and earned Morissette several Grammy Awards the following year, including Album of the Year.
On the strength of the angst-ridden single “You Oughta Know,” Jagged Little Pill gained attention upon its release in the summer of 1995. The song soon received heavy airplay from alternative radio outlets and MTV, sending the album into the Top Ten and helping it achieve multi-platinum status. Jagged Little Pill’s subsequent singles — “Hand in My Pocket,” “All I Really Want,” “You Learn,” and “Ironic” — kept the album in the Top Ten for an astounding 69 weeks, and Morissette was nominated for six Grammys in early 1996.
The album received give Grammy awards including: Best Rock Album, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Song and Album of the Year.
It’s remarkable that Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill struck a sympathetic chord with millions of listeners, because it’s so doggedly, determinedly insular. This, after all, plays like an emotional purging, prompted by a bitter relationship — and, according to all the lyrical hints, that’s likely a record executive who took advantage of a young Alanis. She never disguises her outright rage and disgust, whether it’s the vengeful wrath of “You Oughta Know” or asking him “you scan the credits for your name and wonder why it’s not there.” This is such insider information that it’s hard to believe that millions of listeners not just bought it, but embraced it, turning Alanis Morisette into a mid-’90s phenomenon. Perhaps it was the individuality that made it appealing, since its specificity lent it genuineness — and, even if this is clearly an attempt to embrace the “women in rock” movement in alterna-rock, Morissette’s intentions are genuine. Often, it seems like Glen Ballard’s pop inclinations fight against Alanis’ exorcisms, as her bitter diary entries are given a pop gloss that gives them entry to the pop charts. What’s all the more remarkable is that Alanis isn’t a particularly good singer, stretching the limits of pitch and credibility with her octave-skipping caterwauling. At its core, this is the work of an ambitious but sophomoric 19-year-old, once burned by love, but still willing to open her heart a second time. All of this adds up to a record that’s surprisingly effective, an utterly fascinating exploration of a young woman’s psyche. As slick as the music is, the lyrics are unvarnished and Morissette unflinchingly explores emotions so common, most people would be ashamed to articulate them. This doesn’t make Jagged Little Pill great, but it does make it a fascinating record, a phenomenon that’s intensely personal. –AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1 All I Really Want 4:45
2 You Oughta Know 4:09
3 Perfect 3:08
3 Hand In My Pocket 3:41
4 Right Through You 2:55
5 Forgiven 5:00
7 You Learn 3:59
8 Head Over Feet 4:27
9 Mary Jane 4:40
10 Ironic 3:49
11 Not The Doctor 3:47
12Wake Up 4:53
13 You Oughta Know / Your House 8:11
Personnel:
Alanis Morissette – harmonica (tracks 1,4,8), vocals (all tracks)
Glen Ballard – guitar (tracks 1,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12), keyboards (tracks 1,4,6,7,8,11,12), programming (tracks 1,2,7,12)
Dave Navarro – guitar on “You Oughta Know”
Basil Fung – guitar (tracks 3,10)
Michael Landau – guitar on “Forgiven”
Joel Shearer – guitar on “Right Through You”
Lance Morrison – bass on “Perfect”, “Right Through You”, “Forgiven”, “Mary Jane”, “Ironic”, “Wake Up”
Flea – bass on “You Oughta Know”
Michael Thompson – organ (tracks 3,10)
Benmont Tench – organ (tracks 2,5,6,7,9,12)
Rob Ladd – percussion on “Ironic”, drums (tracks 3,10)
Matt Laug – drums (tracks 2,5,6,9,12)
Gota Yashiki – groove activator on “All I Really Want”
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