Customer Reviews

Thank U

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alanis Morissette is an artist with an extreme amount of talent and she shows it here with this fabulous 3-song single. The title track "Thank U," which can also be found on her new CD, is a stunning tribute to everything that she learned while taking a break from her hectic schedule. The two b-sides are a must listen. The angry but powerful "Pollyanna Flower" showcases that Alanis is exploring the new territory of wild guitar excursions. And the demo version of "Uninvited" is mesmerizing.

It's early 1997, your debut album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, you're an overnight sensation, a multi-Grammy award winning household name and expectations for a follow-up album have never been as high. So what do you do? Well, in the case of Alanis Morissette you pack your bags and take yourself off to India to seek out spiritual enlightenment - to 'find yourself' and come back refreshed. Yes, since that infamous and now legendary debut album "Jagged Little Pill" spoke the truth for a generation and spawned a million angst-ridden vixens, Alanis had to make an album that maintained her success and kept her alive in the public subconscious, didn't she? Well, maybe some people thought so, but she certainly didn't. To make an album as well-accepted on a social scale as Jagged Little Pill was going to be impossible, so Alanis laid down the law and, in the fall of 1998, unveiled "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" to the world. Typically, critics adored it but the public failed to agree. Yeah, so the album went to No.1 all over the world, but in the end only sold around 8 million copies worldwide. What is considered her most tragic album by the public is actually her greatest masterpiece by the diehard fans. I for one am in agreement of this album's genius.

The first single to be taken from the album was "Thank U." The song charted at No.5 in the UK in October 1998 and was a huge hit around the world. The confrontational lyrics were typical Morissette, but the light-hearted and somewhat forgiving lyrical matter was new. The anger that dominated her debut was traded in for relaxation and reflection on her sophomore. The video to the single featured a naked Alanis in one of the greatest music videos ever.

Thank U starts off with a simple and sparkling piano intro before Alanis starts singing, "How 'bout getting off of these antibiotics? How 'bout stopping eating when I'm full up? How 'bout them transparent dangling carrots? How 'bout that ever elusive kudo?" The lyrics here are really weird, but definitely make sense if you peek under the curtain of what Alanis is trying to say. She then glides into the chorus, "Thank you India, thank you terror, thank you disillusionment, thank you frailty, thank you consequence, thank you, thank you silence." Alanis then moves into the second verse, "How 'bout me not blaming you for everything? How 'bout me enjoying a moment for once? How 'bout how good it feels to finally forgive you? How 'bout grieving it all one at a time?" She then sings the chorus once more, before sliding into the best part of the song. She sings the spectacular bridge, "The moment I let go of it was the moment I got more than I could handle. The moment I jumped off of it was the moment I touched down." The song ducks down somewhat as she sings, "How 'bout no longer being masochistic? How 'bout remembering your divinity? How 'bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out? How 'bout not equating death with stopping?" Alanis then sings the chorus again and again before wailing the song out with her traditional yelp. The song slowly dies down and so ends another masterpiece from Alanis!

Thank U is perhaps Alanis Morissette's second most-loved song ever after the anthemic "Ironic" for the Jagged Little Pill album. The lyrics on this single are superb, and they really provoke an exploration of Alanis mind. We get to see what's going on inside her brain, like most of the songs on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Pick a copy of this up today! Alanis rules, and you know it!

the second song on this single is excellent! get it! the second song is worth it.

Even if you aren't very fond of Thank U, you should get this. Even if you already have the SFIJ import w/ the Uninvited demo you should get this. Why? Pollyana Flower is the best b-side around. Instead of a live cut like those on the JLP singles, this is an amazing studio recording that was almost put on SFIJ, but didn't make the final cut.

If you're an Alanis Morissette fan, get this single. Not only do you get a nice demo version of Uninvited but you get the haunting an somewhat Jagged Little Pill like Pollyanna Flower. A must for Alanis maniacs!

The long-awaited follow-up to "Jagged Little Pill", this album has it all: Alanis' signature hard-rock style, soft ballad lullaby-type music, and techno-space music. Her rich voice delivers the enrichingly captivating lyrics with stylishly catchy melodies with occasional harmonies woven in. This album contains 17 songs filled with insight on various problems of society, including prejudice, abuse, alcohol, and even the dark issue of overcoming death. The lyrics have taken on a much more intellectual and personal touch.

From her hit single "Thank U" to the Madonna-like "One" to the hard techno sounds of "Baba," this album is chock-full of diverse and ever-changing lyrics and styles of music. It's a wonderful CD to listen to as you fall asleep, but you could even mosh to some of the songs. No matter what your musical interests, "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" is a must-have.

Most of the time I find that singles are really not worth the money or the hassle, but to get the song "Pollyanna Flower" you must buy the import single of "Thank You," which includes "Thank You," a version of "Uninvited" with just a piano,( excellent) and the enraged song "Pollyanna Flower." The song "Pollyanna.." is an excellent song, showing off Alanis's old skill of writing song about surviving pain by becoming angry. But, I'm glad she didn't release it on the album, it would have been totally out of place there.

What may be just as great as Alanis Morissette's new album "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" is the "THANK U" single. Being an import and only three tracks, you may hesitate getting this. I personally feel that if you only want it for the song "Thank U", you might as well get the full CD. But there are two darker secrets hardly hidden in this single version. Those secrets can only be revealed as two undeniably fantastic b-sides called "Pollyanna Flower" and a demo version of the hit song "Uninvited". "Pollyanna Flower" has a tremendous new Alanis sound where if you played it from the guitar near-end to the very end, you would think you were listening to the scary rhythms of songs by Ozzy Ozzbourne or of all people, Marilyn Manson. That is how unbelievably different this song is. It is also the only new angry song Morissette has. 'What am I to do with all this fire?...why are you still with me in this red space?' Alanis asks before launching into an extremely loud territory of anger and rage and twisty new riffs. Have no fear, you aren't completely deaf, because track 3 is the "Uninvited" demo- a shortened cut of the CITY OF ANGELS tune that may put you to sleep with it's calm and relaxing version.........Now that I have told you what I thought about this disc, think back to what this is all about...a 3 track SINGLE!!

"Thank you" is gutsy straight from the soul. Anyone who has lived to the point of almost exhaustion, almost break down, almost give in, but has turned away in the search for inner peace will say "Yes, that's it". With this release, Alanis has become an artist in the truest sense of the word.

Alanis has again proved herself to be a master musican. Her song, "Thank U", is a great example of her excellent songwriting skills. The soft lyrics coupled with the soothing backing instruments make for a great song. The b-side, Pollyanna Flower is another great song. The biting lyrics along with the many layers of guitars in the background give us a classic example of the "angry young woman of rock". With lines like ... between flying vases and secretly weeping..... bring back memories of "You Oughta Know". The last track...the demo version of Uninvited, make the eerie feeling you get when you listen to it even more magnified. All in all I give this single one-thousand stars out of five!