Customer Reviews

Jagged Little Pill Acoustic

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

"Re-recording these songs ten years later has been such a great opportunity to honor them in a way I could not do 10 years ago," observes singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette in the liner notes to "Jagged Little Pill Acoustic," an album of sparse, low-key interpretations of the 13 songs that comprised "Jagged Little Pill," her 1995 debut album that thrust the then 21 year-old Canadian siren into the vanguard of the alternative music scene and mid-90's pop culture. The record went on to sell 30,000,000 copies worldwide; the highest-selling album ever by a female artist.

It is an interesting concept; a tribute album to one's one album, but the end result is better than one might think. "Acoustic" serves as a sharp reminder of what everyone loved about Morissette a decade ago when she first surfaced on worldwide radar, and with Glen Ballard again filling the role as the album's producer, the results sound true to the original.

Indeed, her "angry" vocal performances in songs such as "Right Through You" or "You Oughta Know," which gained her instant notoriety as her debut single, are considerably more restrained now. And while some may at first dismiss the idea of hearing these songs sung without their original ferocity, they are still worth the time.

"You Oughta Know" is the clearest indication that Morissette was able to change the direction of some of the material, as if to challenge the interpretation listeners immediately had to the song. To be sure, the original was carried along by raw anger, and appropriately so. Nevertheless, she has always maintained that she herself finds the song as being more sad than angry, and this time her vocals sound distinctly more vulnerable.

On other tracks, such as the classics "Hand In My Pocket," "Head Over Feet," "You Learn" and "Ironic," she sounds far more world-weary than the 21-year old sprite of yore, channeling healthy doses of humor and optimism, coming across far more relaxed and buoyant. The latter track has even been given a bit of update, as she finds irony not in meeting the "beautiful wife" of the man of her dreams, but instead his "beautiful husband." Perhaps more ironic is that only now does that line reflect true irony.

Some things have not changed significantly, however. Her frustration with the hypocrisy of the Catholic church still rings just as loudly as ever in "Forgiven," and "Not the Doctor," where she breaks free of a man who is overwhelmingly high-maintenance, rings more vital than ever from her confident delivery and aggressive production. Also, "Perfect," sung from the perspective of an overly expectant parent, rips the heart out just as the original did.

"I'll live through you/I'll make you what I never was/If you're the best/Then maybe so am I/Compared to him/Compared to her/I'm doin' this for your own damn good/You'll make up for what I blew/What's the problem/Why are you cryin'?"

Furthermore, the cathartic self-help of "Mary Jane" and "All I Really Want" sound refreshed and sincere, even in the hands of someone who has clearly moved on from such feelings of frustration and self-loathing. The head-on criticism of an ex-flame's unabashed apathy in "Wake Up," however, still sounds as urgent and retains the creepy undertone of the original, proving just how universal the message of the song is.

"You sit and you wait to receive/There's an obvious attraction/To the path of least resistance in your life/There's an obvious aversion no amount of my insistence/Could make you try tonight/Cause it's easy not to/So much easier not to/And what goes around never comes around to you."

Ultimately, "Acoustic" will only be appreciated by fans of Morissette and those who still cherish the glory that is the original "Jagged Little Pill." Nevertheless, it is a warm, inviting reworking that contains a great deal of its predecessor's magic, while also being appropriate to play during dinnertime and rush hour traffic.

When I first heard that Alanis Morissette planned on releasing an acoustic version of her most popular album "Jagged Little Pill," I was a bit nervous. I personally didn't see the point, and thought that a re-issue of the original album would have been better. However, would there have been any point in releasing it again? Doesn't everyone in the English-speaking world already own this album? My thoughts exactly. So this album came out yesterday in England and I bought my copy in a record store, took it home, and was pretty much blown away. I now realise how important it was for Alanis to re-record these songs exactly 10 years after she originally did.

Back in 1995, Miss Morissette was a dangerous and angst-ridden young vixen. Her guttural moans and screeching became her trademark on an album so emotional, powerful and full of pain. Ten years later, her voice has softened in reflection to her increasing happiness. The angst has been replaced with love. Love for life, love for her husband, and love for her dear friends. It's beautiful to see this transformation, because it's so natural and pure. I bought Jagged Little Pill in October 2002, not expecting much, and coming away realising that it is my favourite album of all time and that it always, always will be. The music isn't the most complex I've ever heard, the lyrics aren't the best, but good God, the sound of the album touches me in more ways than I ever thought possible.

In the three years that I've owned the original album, it has to be the most played record in my collection. I never tire of it, and that is the sound of a classic album in my eyes. People think it's overrated, but they obviously aren't touched like many by the music Alanis is singing. Is this album a masterpiece? In my eyes it definitely is. It sold a staggering 30 million copies worldwide throughout 1995 and 1996, and will continue selling to new generations, purely because of the mammoth reputation it has achieved. Now onto the acoustic version.

I'm not going to review each song in immense detail, because in the most part, the lyrics and structure hasn't changed. Original producer Glen Ballard is back on hand for this acoustic version, and he works his magic very well. The magic that both Glen and Alanis captured on the original album is recreated, although not fully, because I believe it never fully could be restored. The album opener "All I Really Want" is less screechy and is much softer with some really exotic string sections that are very Asian in their feel. "You Oughta Know" is the song that gained Alanis that fiery reputation ten years ago, and this version is much softer. The vocal is more vulnerable and the effects of a decade's worth of worldwide superstardom clearly has changed her. "Perfect" is one of my favourite remakes because it sounds a lot better than the original. It opens beautiful with a gentle piano and gorgeous vocals from Alanis that echo and undulate all around. Her range on this song is quite incredible. "Hand In My Pocket" was always one of my favourite songs, and whilst this acoustic version doesn't live up to the original, I am very fond of guitar and harmonica work. "Right Through You" was seen as one of the 'worst' songs on the original album, but I absolutely adored it. It really got the bloody pumping. It was such a hard rocker, and this version is much more subtle. Whereas the original was a sharp cubist piece, this is like a soft watercolour, if I use art as a metaphor. "Forgiven" was - for a brief period - my favourite song on the original album. This acoustic version is very good, but not as good in my opinion. Part of what made the original so good was that dramatic build-up to the third minute where Alanis belts out, "If I jump in this fountain, will I be FORGIVEN?!" This is absent on the acoustic version.

"You Learn" is one of those classic Nineties hit singles that everyone knows. This acoustic version isn't as good but I like the vocal tone in Alanis' voice. "Head Over Feet" is a brilliant remake of the original, because the guitar rhythm is much smoother and composed. It's not as heavy and much more delicate, like a glass that could break at any minute. "Mary Jane" was that classic ballad from the original album that you'd sing when you were feeling down and helpless. The acoustic version is still incredible, and Alanis' voice richer than on the original. Now 31 years old, her voice is much more versatile and has matured like her mind. "Ironic" is arguably Alanis' most popular song ever and has achieved legendary status. The acoustic version is very beautiful, and Alanis sings it in a style that many fans will have already heard before. The most apparent change is the alteration of the original lyrics to, "It's like meeting the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful husband." Here Alanis highlights her support of gay rights, and also the change in society in those ten years. "Not The Doctor" was always one of my favourite songs on the album, and this version is still amazing. The lyrics on this song are very poetic and always amaze me every time I listen. The album closes with that gorgeous song "Wake Up." The unusual sound to this song was always quite psychedelic to me. The acoustic version is more traditional but the vocal still holds up. When the song ends, there's a few minutes of silence, but then, oh, what's this?! The naked honesty of the hidden track "Your House" is replicated here. The acoustic version is amazing and makes this a song in its own right, joining the elite class of the dozen classics that made this album so special.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

I'm still waiting for Alanis to release her Greatest Hits album at some point this year or next year, because I believe it will be an incredible body of work that millions of people will buy once they are reminded just how good Miss Morissette is. Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is a great album and much better than I had expected, but it's not as good as the original. Many people might say they love Jagged Little Pill more than me, but somehow I don't think that's true! I might have bought it seven years later than most people, but I love every single lyric, vocal, and sound that passes through each second of that album. It is the most complete, ultimate female rock album I think that has ever been released. 'Acoustic' only serves as a reminder of this, and how one woman can evolve and mature over time.

I am so utterly impressed with this CD!! Alanis has such an exceptional voice and it really shines in this acoustic version that truly pays tribute to the original.

If you are one that knows every note from the original release and are offended by slight alterations, maybe this CD isn't for you. This interpretation adds wonderful new fluctuations that showcases her vocal range. The acoustic instrument arrangements are exceptional and add a lot of emphasis in just the right locations to enhance the flavor of every song.

I wrote up a song-by-song analysis of this album as I listened to it for a friend of mine, and rather than summarize my opinion of this album, I'm just going to paste in what I wrote to my friend. For those of you who have no desire to read a song-by-song analysis, suffice it to say that this album is AMAZING both in addition to the original OR as a stand-alone CD.

I'm going to give you a song-by-song analysis...

1. All I Really Want -- Great version. You can really hear the growth in her vocal abilities in this song, and it's a great opener still!

2. You Oughta Know -- I like this version, but it can't hold a candle to the MTV Unplugged version, which continues to give me goosebumps.

3. Perfect -- Just beautiful. wow....

4. Hand In My Pocket -- HOLY COW.... I loved this song before, of course, but this version is just...wow... The new chord progressions are awesome! This is a perfect example of how you can take a song that was already great and make it better even by changing the core of its sound (the chords used).

5. Right Through You -- This song's okay, but it seems to lose a little oomph in this version. You can hear her emotion, but it's diminished by the quietness of the accompaniment.

6. Forgiven -- "My brothers, they never went blind for what they did." Still my favorite line in this song. This version is just as powerful as the original. The one difference, however, is that in the original, you can hear/feel her anger and frustration, but this time around, the anger and rage have dissolved into a very noticeable pain and heartache that was probably there to begin with, but masked by the gritty sound. MMm...powerful. Is that some Spanish guitar I hear in there? Interesting! Nice touch.

7. You Learn -- I'm not sure what I think about this one. In comparison to the original, it again loses some "oomph", but on the other hand, her voice is about three times as good as in the original. I think I'd kind of consider them equal for those two reasons.

8. Head Over Feet -- I like this version mucho. Is that a piano?? Can I hear a wurlitzer faintly in the background? The chord progressions are delicious. Mellow and beautiful!

9. Mary Jane -- I'm STILL trying to figure out if this song is really about pot. *LOL* I think doing this song in an acoustic version doesn't really change much since the original was already pretty acoustic-ish. Not only have Alanis's vocals obviously improved, but you can really FEEL this song this time around. While the original version was beautiful and emotional, it was still hard for me to connect TO that emotion. I don't know if it's Alanis's emotions from re-visiting these songs, or if they mean more, or if she's just more open to her emotions. Whatever the case, this song moves me much more than it originally did. And listen to her hold out that note!!! I guess her lungs are stronger now, too. *LOL*

10. Ironic -- PIANO. Sorry. *LOL* This is a nice version. Alanis's vocals (again) really shine in this song. The original seemed more like a "fun romp" (lame description. sorry) especially after seeing the video. This one is more emotive. I think I like it better. Heh. OOOOO...piano some more! Me likey! *LOL* Line change!! Oh it's AWESOME! "It's like meeting the man of my dreams, then meeting his beautiful...husband." OMG. That's FREAKING AWESOME. *LOL*

11. Not the Doctor -- This song has changed A LOT. Not only is the sound different, but much of the melody has morphed. On its own, it's a great song. The music seems to fit the lyrics a little better...I had always wondered why this song about a dysfunctional guy was so happy and fun. This version has more minor chords and feels more like...well, like she's really MEANING it when she says, "I'm not the doctor" as in, "I'm not the one that's supposed to 'fix' you..." I really like this new version. Having said that, the original is still great as well, and I'll probably keep both versions on my mp3 player.

12a. Wake Up -- Honestly, I always skipped through this song to get to "Your House" because it seemed so anticlimactic. Not just for the album, but the whole song itself. It had the feeling that it should really pick you up and move you, but it never did. I'm unsure whether that was the song or just the version. I could never get myself to connect to it, I never really enjoyed it much. That feeling carries over into this version, so I'm assuming it's either me or the song. While Alanis's vocals are great, and the accompaniment is pretty cool, I still can't seem to get into this song. Aside from that, this is a great version, and it's pretty good, musically speaking.

12b. Your House -- While I'm waiting for the "secret" track to come on, I should preface this by saying I LOOOOOOOOVE her BBC Radio One Live Version of this, so I'll mostly be comparing it to that one. The a capella version was great, too, but I like the fullness that accompaniment gives this song. It's starting...WITH PIANO. WOOOOOOO. Ouch...the hurt in this song sounds so fresh. Bea-freaking-utiful.

I purchased this cd over a month ago when it was a Starbuck's exclusive and it hasn't left my cd player yet. Ever since hearing that angry woman who was determined to have the world listen to her heart break in "You Oughta Know" back in 1995, I have been infatuated with Alanis. As I've followed her musical career and her social career, my respect for her has constantly grown. From her becoming an ordained minister, to her constant support of those who certain people in our current society think are less than people, to her large caring heart as she's helped those overseas, she is a rocker who stands for something.

But I digress. It's only perfect that 10 years to the day (the Starbuck's release date) that she reintroduces the world to not only a career starting moment but also the biggest selling moment for a female vocalist of her time. I don't think a female artist has broken her record breaking sales of Jagged Little Pill yet.

What we get here is a more stripped down version of every song from Jagged Little Pill. Much like she did on her very awesome Unplugged CD, the songs are broken down to a few instruments and her voice which has aged wonderfully. The result is a song where you can hear her biting pain or anger much more clearly and the songs aren't a victim of too much going on. It's a more intimate and eye-opening experience. For instance, when I now listen to "You Oughta Know," I still hear a bit of the anger, but the way the song now sounds and the tone of her voice, it's almost like a person looking back at that tumultuous time a little wiser and knowing more than she did at the time.

Speaking of relevance, the song "Head Over Feet" takes on a new meaning now that she is engaged to Mr. Van Wilder Ryan Reynolds. You can almost hear the giddiness that her new and very possibly (and hopefully) terrific relationship will bring her great joy.

There are a couple songs which I do prefer on the original album simply because of the intensity and musical moments. "Wake Up" comes immediately to mind. I loved the original, particularly toward the end as the myriad of Alanis voices are singing and building. Stripped down to just an acoustic setting, the song is still quite great. I just prefer the original's intensity a bit better. By far, the standout song for me is "Your House," the hidden song which has been given quite the beautiful accompaniment. This isn't the first time I've heard an accompaniment to her once a capella song, but it is by far the best. I like it so much I wish it weren't hidden but an extra track so I wouldn't have to wade through a minute or so of silence to get to it. Of course it's all down to the individual person's taste. I'm sure there will be songs fans will love more on this album and songs they loved in the original form. But, overall, the songs are a perfect companion to the original release.

A side note, I loved the slight change in "Ironic." The first time I heard it, I had to rewind to make sure I heard her right. Nice little social jab at a certain way things are right now.

If you loved Jagged Little Pill you will probably love most if not all of the songs on this album. It is quite excellent and shows Alanis' growth as a vocalist. Her voice of today singing melodies from ten years past is perfect. Thinking about how the songs have changed through the years, I can't help but approach them in a different light. Maybe that was what Alanis was aiming for. They are the same songs they were when Jagged Little Pill was released, but 10 years of love, anger, pain, and happiness can change a meaning, an album, a person.

A must buy.

I remember when this album first came out; it was all over the radio when I was entering my freshman year of college, and I remember not being able to get enough of these tunes. Now it's 10 years later, and I feel just like I did back then; except now, it'e even more sentemental, the acoustic version of these songs blowing me away once more. For a real treat, just fast forward track 12 to 6:18, and feel that same rush when you first heard the hidden track, "Your House," which is even better now with backup instruments.

What a great way to commemerate a great album!

I love when artists re-visit their previous works and re-interpret them for fans. I'd rate this right up there with Alanis's Unplugged, which was brilliant in its take on her songs in a live, accoustic environment.

Songs that sound amazing from the collection include: Hand In My Pocket, You Oughtta Know and Not The Doctor!

I take offense to a previous poster saying Alanis is a non-talent and has an awful voice. I'll gladly take Ms. Morissette's music and writing abilities over the cookie-cutter mess that appears on radio nowadays.

Alanis, she only gets better with age and temperment.

This CD is wonderful. Alanis makes music unapologetically and in absolutely her own way, not unlike the status-quo-shattering mavericks of the visual art world. The acoustic renditions of the JLP songs are well done, and the surprise bonus track (Forgive Me Love) appears after a minute of silence following the last song in the graceful manner of an encore to an intimate concert. Its own little opera, that last song never fails to amaze and thrill - I can listen to it over and over again. Want to learn how to appreciate a song, or, better, how to sing one with feeling? Listen to "Forgive Me Love."

I used to work at Starbucks, and I've heard this CD enough. It is definitely a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the original CD. The lyrics and the music is the same, but the pacing and style is very different, adding to the entire effect. She still does the crazy things with her voice which make her so unique, but the CD is honestly her with more grace and polish.

First up, this album is really, really good. I am so glad they got off that Starbucks-only deal and started selling this to the general public. "Jagged Little Pill Acoustic" is certainly a must-own album, because it is RADICALLY different from its' first incarnation from 1995. To those who doubt the significance or relevance of this album, it must be said that this is a folksy, gentler rendering of all the songs on the original 1995 album - and the biggest surprise was that I found it at least twice as good as that masterpiece album.

Perhaps I'm alone in this - but I DID find this better than the original recording. Whats quite surprising, is that many of the songs on JLP that had a rock overtone, such as "Right Through You", and the stellar "You Oughta Know", actually sound better as ballads. "Not the Doctor", especially sounds completely different. After one listen to the album, you ask yourself if this isn't the way JLP is supposed to be listened to! But perhaps that was Alanis' intention. By stripping away the heavy instrumentation, she really lets the melody shine - and its no big shock that every song here has a very strong tune. As powerhouse rock songs, or gentle acoustic gems, they work in any context. Perhaps that is the timelessness of JLP.

The best tracks here are the Beatlesesque "All I Really Want", which has been converted from a song of empowerment to a gentle lullaby with Eastern and Indian overtones. Similarly, "Ironic" gets a message of alternative-family acknowledgement, while "Wake Up", my most favorite track off the original JLP, is transformed into a sensuous whisper of a track, and it works very well in this context.

Even Alanis fans have been questioning the relevance of this album, but to fans like me, this remains an essential album, joining her "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" as one of Alanis' two best albums. For non-believers, pick it up to find out what the fuss is all about. If you're worried that this is just a mellow 'tribute' to the original album, you're wrong. Its a coherent, essential album with a personality all its' own, and for that reason alone you should own it.

Five Stars.