Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 13, 1995)
• Original Release Date: June 13, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Maverick
• ASIN: B000002MY3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (543 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #60 in Music > Pop > Adult Alternative

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Her intensely personal lyrics grabbed the headlines, but the bravest departure here is the way Morissette's unique vocals stand naked in the mix--a technique that drives home the painful honesty of tracks like "Right Through You," "Forgiven," and "All I Really Want." Sheryl Crow or an earthier Tori Amos are fair analogies, but Morissette is a genuine original with a rare ability to make listeners care, think, and question. --Jeff Bateman

Product Description

MORISSETTE ALANIS JAGGED LITTLE PILL

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 103 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Angry on the surface but empowering at its core August 31, 2004

By Daniel Jolley HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

When you talk about the biggest albums of the 90s, you certainly have to talk about 1995's Jagged Little Pill. Alanis Morissette, to my mind, came to represent a version of the new woman of the 90s, leaving no questions as to her feelings and, some might say, demands. Decades ago, Aretha wanted R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but Alanis wants much more than that, and as far as I'm concerned, she deserves it. Apparently, at least one guy did Alanis wrong at some point; some women get mad, some get even - Alanis has the strength to do both. I for one love a strong woman.

To many, Alanis burst on the scene from out of nowhere with this mega-smash CD. I have one of her first two albums, so I know better. As a teenager, Alanis actually found stardom in Canada singing, of all things, bubble gum pop. I know - it's hard to believe. I don't think any artist has ever undergone such a radical transformation as Alanis did from her teen albums to Jagged Little Pill.

Do I even need to talk about the songs? Were any of these tracks not smash hit singles? It all started with You Oughta Know, which was a revelation of sorts to many radio listeners. Harsh, angry, a little perverted, cursed with a couple of those silly bleeps radio stations just have to use - this was something different, and it just so happened to rock, as well. Alanis says everything all the good girls wronged by bad guys want to say but cannot to the heels in their lives. Right Through You comes in from the other direction to hit the target; Alanis, as a new woman of the 90s, is far too smart to fall for all the shuck and jive guys try to sell the ladies. She knows what guys want, but she is not about to let herself become nothing more than a conquest some jerk can brag to his friends about. Experience has been one of her teachers, as described in the song You Learn. I think the song Forgiven plays into this theme, as well, although it's a little too complex a song for me to claim I fully understand it - it's got some of the edgiest, most passionate lyrics on the album, though. Of course, nobody's Perfect (clever segue, eh?), and life truly has a painful tendency to be Ironic at just the wrong times, but don't dismiss Alanis as some angry psycho-beast. She knows and likes herself, she knows what she wants (Not the Doctor vividly describes what she does not want), and Hand in My Pocket proves she is perfectly all right out there on her own. Wake Up, she urges the rest of us, and go get what you want rather than pining away waiting for it to find you. That very love that sends a person completely Head Over Feet is still possible - although you might have to go through a long line of jerks to find it. You don't have to become like Mary Jane, letting yourself waste away without hope.

In the end, Jagged Little Pill is not as angry an album as it might first appear. This music is all about self-empowerment, standing up and believing in yourself, living life with both eyes open and a never-dying sense of hope. I think a spirit of optimism runs through this music, negating the angry sentiment that lies on the surface. I've barely talked about the music itself from this album, and part of the reason why, I believe, is the fact that Jagged Little Pill is one of those rarest of albums, a collection of songs that transcends the music and speaks to the listener's mind and soul. Let it also be known, lest there be any doubt, that - to quote many a reviewer of music in this little online community of ours - this album totally rocks.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars When Rock Was Reborn March 19, 2002

By "paradise_found"

Format:Audio CD

Well, it seems like it's been a very long time since we've heard from Alanis Morissette, doesn't it? With her newest CD "Under Rug Swept" out now for not quite an entire month, I feel I should review "Jagged Little Pill" once more.

Coming out of the wave of late 80's "cutting edge" rap, Mariah Carey reaching her peak with albums like "Butterfly" and "Rainbow," and of course the Spice Girls/Hanson pop explosion, there were lots of different types of music floating around. When we turned on our televisions and saw a seemingly ordinary Canadian woman with a guitar, I think 98% of the world stopped to watch.

Alanis Morissette shocked (and pleased) everyone with her emotional world-debut single "You Oughta Know." It's just so easy to love every song on this CD, especially "You Oughtta Know" (Who can resist lyrics like "Does she know how you told me until you die-but you're still alive?")

The album has such amazing works on it.

3. Perfect is one of my favorites. The pressure people put on you, what they expect from you- it's just to exhausting sometimes. "We love you, if you're perfect" is often the feeling you get from parents or siblings. Anyone could relate to this song.

5. Right Through You is simply irresistible. "You scan the credits for your name and wonder why it's not there." "Narcissus" (On Under Rug Swept) sort of sounds like a follow-up to this.

7. You Learn is possibly my favorite of the album. You live, you learn, you lose, you learn. This is so universal and always sounds fresh. I love listening to it!

9. Mary Jane is a really odd song, but very soft compared the rest. It's a nice change in tempo.

10. Ironic is absolutely outstanding. She tells several stories with the lyrics and it too is a little bit softer than the other tracks.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What It All Comes Down To, My Friends October 13, 2007

By bobby

Format:Audio CD

An unfortunate axiom in music history is that rock music has been and perhaps always will be a male-dominated scene. That's not to say there haven't been any notable females in the history of rock music, but few of them were ever fully embraced. Then of course, there was Alanis Morissette. Her international debut "Jagged Little Pill" was released in 1995 to monumental success, earning the distinction of becoming one of the ten best-selling albums of all-time with over 30 million copies sold worldwide. Since then however, the album hasn't aged well due to public dissatisfaction with Morissette's follow-up albums, leading many to label "Pill" a fluke. Other detractors have condemned Morissette's lyrics and vocals and questioned whether or not she could ever be considered a legitimate rock musician. Though "Pill" does indeed have its flaws, it is still unquestionably one of the best rock albums to have ever been released. "The Dark Side of the Moon," "Hotel California," "Led Zeppelin IV," "Nevermind," "Back in Black," "The Wall," "Ten," "Exile on Main Street," and "Appetite for Destruction" are not immaculate by any standards but are still among some of history's most beloved rock albums. Each of them are considered pioneers in establishing rock music as groundbreaking, emotionally engaging music that told epic stories and appealed to millions upon millions of people over several generations. Though "Jagged Little Pill" may never earn the accolades it deserves, it belongs among the list of aforementioned albums as a true masterpiece. What makes it so remarkable is that it manages to run the gamut of emotions through the course of only twelve songs. Despite being pegged as an angry, bitter break-up album, it in fact, is overwhelmingly optimistic. Morissette's vocals are delivered with brazen conviction and her novel approach to songwriting astounded so many people upon first impression that Morissette established herself as a genuine one-of-a-kind talent. Glen Ballard's emphasis on melody over production helped "Pill" make an impact, but Alanis's emphasis on honesty over all else helped break down barriers for women in rock music, providing a voice to a demographic that was (and unfortunately still is) too often ignored. "You Oughta Know" and "Right Through You" are downright ferocious, "Ironic," "Hand in My Pocket", and "You Learn" are uplifting, "Perfect" and `Mary Jane" are tender, "All I Really Want," "Not The Doctor," and "Wake Up" are persevering. Both men and women alike connected with the themes in all of these anthems. Morissette provides a voice for every "underestimated, impatient little girl" and "trembling little boy with his head in his hands" who have had to overcome some form of overwhelming adversity in their life. "Jagged Little Pill" displays the work of a woman who had more wisdom at the age of 20 than most people gather in their entire life. People of all genders, races, ages, and orientations can find something endearing in this album and it is inarguably one of the most definitive classics in music history.