Jagged Little Pill

Let's get one thing out of the way: this album is DATED. The mixing, the songwriting, the instrumentation ... everything about this album firmly plants it in a specific time frame. Usually, that's a bad thing when the time frame is mid-90s. Somehow (and I'm not sure how, honestly), "Jagged Little Pill" manages to be both a perfect example of an album from '95 AND a great album. There are things that I don't like ... but not enough for me to give it anything less than 5 stars. There are too many great tracks. It demands a 5-star review.

God has spoken.

I didn't grow up in the 90s but this is what I imagine it sounded like.

Men on this list when they're broken up with: "The clouds in my heart shed cumulus tears / the pain won't mend for a matter of years" Women on this list when they're broken up with: "Does your new bitch even let you bust in her mouth?" Fuckin' A, Alanis. It's definitely one of the more dated sounding records the generator's handed out so far, but that didn't stop me from digging Neneh Cherry, and it doesn't stop me here. Nix some of the softer filler tracks and you have a real banger on your hands. Key tracks: All I Really Want, You Oughta Know, Right Through You

Gen X's "Blue", which means that "Exile In Guyville" is Gen X's "Tapestry". I had those albums reversed at first until I remembered that, like Joni Mitchell, Alanis is from Canada. Besides, I prefer Guyville-Tapestry over Jagged-Blue, and I'm an actual Gen Xer, so I'm allowed to make my own silly rules. Your mileage may vary, but apparently Liz Phair and Alanis have become good friends. I guess it depends on whether you prefer blow jobs in a theater or getting fucked until your dick turns blue. They both sound like fun to me. A song as great as You Oughta Know deserves to be about someone other than Dave Coulier. I prefer the deep cuts over the hits here, and that's surely because everything released as a single after You Oughta Know was overplayed to the point of exhaustion. Alanis may not appreciate that. She doesn't seem to fully understand irony. But we shouldn't begrudge Alanis Morissette for that. She made a kick-ass album.

It's a noteworthy accomplishment for Alanis to represent such emotional and dark themes through an up-beat, mainstream pop driven instrumentation. The album is a collective statement and fierce representation of her artistry within the rock genre. There is no doubt that Alanis is one of the most unique and distinctive singer-songwriters in modern music history, which this album solidified. Stand-Outs: All I Really Want, Perfect (understated song), Head Over Feet, Ironic, You Oughta Know

worst album i’ve ever heard I would rather get a blowjob from a piranha than listen to this again the whole thing it just some canadian hoe bitching about her ex boyfriend while making donkey moans and terrible harmonica solos

Alanis Morisette looks like John Travolta. This album really does nothing for me. It occupies the mid-90’s cultural slough whose festering miasma spread well into the 2000’s. It is an anthem for being too hot in pyjama pants on a summer day at 12:45 pm and wanting to kill yourself; that feeling of having completely wasted your day and that, consequently, you’ll do the same for your entire life. It makes me feel like my head is under a heat lamp, like I’ve been sitting on a hot sidewalk all day. The vibe is just not good at all. The lyrics and vocal technique feel like an Adam Sandler number. It’s very cheesy, the kind of thing women like Tony Soprano’s sister listen to. It’s what your very sweaty, overweight, bead obsessed aunt and her boyfriend listen to in their 1995 Honda accord with no air conditioning while they smoke with the windows up and sway their heads back and forth like they’re waving candles at some boomer concert, then consistently, loudly, and obnoxiously shushing whenever you ask them to turn it down or crack a window. It’s fine, just not really my thing.

One of, if not THE first CDs I ever owned. I remember my dad being pissed that my mom let me listen to it. Def would’ve been a Lilith fair attendee

Alanis Morissette gives the post-break-up singer-songwriter confessional album a new and decisively 90's overhaul in a post-grunge, post-riot grrrl world. It's bitter, jaded and cynical pop-rock, meaning that her best lyrics are the most conversational and cutting, the lines which drip with sarcasm. The first moment of genius comes in the second verse of "All I Really Want", when she asks "why are you so petrified of silence- can you handle this?" And then everything cuts to a few seconds of dead silence... before the voice comes back in- "Did you think about your bills, your ex, your deadlines, or when you think you're gonna die, or did you long for the next distraction?" It's glorious. She sells her anger perfectly and convincingly throughout: "You Oughta Know", "You Learn" and of course "Ironic" glow with a perfect combination of visceral rage, lyrical insight and radio-friendly rock. On the other side of the spectrum are the more optimistic, plaintive "Hand in My Pocket" and "Head Over Feet", sticking out like sore and lovesick thumbs. They might be lyrically trite in comparison, but they still shine with their sweeter, more pop-friendly melodies. My problem lies with the songs that don't quite seem to hit either side well, either sitting awkwardly in the middle or just becoming unpleasant on the ears. "Forgiven" shoots for a "You Oughta Know" style catharsis, but just feels grating and repetitive when the previous tracks have already got there, and "Not the Doctor" suffers coming off the back of "Ironic", dipping the pace to a lolloping growl. "Wake Up" is a weak ending as Morissette mumbles and shrieks her way through, in search of both a strong hook and a definitive sign-off. I didn't really feel either arrived. I find Morissette's vocals very overbearing at times, but Glen Ballard's production is also part of the problem: his de-facto method for going "angry" or "confessional" is by upping the distorted guitars and bringing more searing, wailing vocals up front. Even though Morissette's lyrics and subject matter allows for it, there's not a lot of dynamic range in the sound, or different means of expression. It frustrates me that we don't get more dialled back material on the level of "Perfect" or "Mary Jane", both showcasing Morissette's versatility as a songwriter and a vocalist. I'm intrigued to hear there's an acoustic version of the album recorded ten years later- and will definitely check this out to see if the songs are served any better. Despite all this, I'm feeling generous and can't argue against the strength of a lot of the songwriting. Bearing in mind a lot of the records I have given 3* and like a lot less, it's scraping 4* here. Definitely worth a listen for any songwriters getting in touch with their angry side!

Absolutely legend. 90s in the best way possible.

The influence of Jagged Little Pill on post-pop progressive death metal cannot be overstated. 4

Like an angry version of Friends. Anthemic, feminist themed. Vocals start to jar after a while but some interesting lyrics in parts.

What is worse than something that is just bad? Something that almost is good sometimes, and then spoils it with more badness. Almost a 1, but "forgiven" and the really fantastic bass part on the otherwise blegh "you oughta know" saved it

So 90's that it borders on distracting. There are a ton of iconic jams on this album. Alanis' trademark strained vocals fit right into the alt rock / grunge that the 90s were seeing. This is one of those albums that made it out of that decade not looking completely ridiculous in the process. Enough here that anyone could enjoy.

Dripping in 90s cheese, when it hits is very good, but when it misses its downright awful. It hits more than misses but I cannot shake the feeling that computers are working overtime to give it that sound. It's a 3

Isn't it iconic, er, ironic don't ya think?

Alanis Morissette rocks!

Alannis seems to have had some bad relationship experiences, and I'm not 100% surprised - it sounds like she would be a bloody nightmare 🤣. Overall an OK listen and some good tracks but a bit angry & shrill so won't be rushing back to it!!

Yes, she's angsty. But it's great writing, passionate songs. Really diverse and a great listen. I have to let my OCD relax listening to Ironic given that nearly all of her examples aren't really irony. Oi vey.

i was originally disappointed seeing this album pop up because i *LOATHE* "ironic," but it wasn't as bad as i thought. largely fine, though her voice really irritates me. i know that's not an original critique, but i don't care!

Another day, another dose of nostalgia from the 1001 Albums Generator. These early-mid 90’s records really end up putting me in an odd headspace sometimes. This isn’t a record I ever listened to intentionally, but I know a lot of it…how could I not? I was a teenager in 1995, consuming as much MTV as I possible could and I knew plenty of people who were Alanis Morrisette fans. So when a record like this gets assigned, it’s inevitable that I end up thinking about those people, the fun times…about the 90’s. …and you know what, it’s comforting. It feels good, most of the time. Occasionally, that comfort becomes uncomfortable: you think about something stupid you said to someone or how you haven’t really kept in touch with some of the people you are thinking about and you’re not really sure why that happened other than it’s just what happens as you get older. An odd feeling, without a doubt and I’m not sure I’m conveying it well through these written words. Funny how that happens, you have this feeling going on and, try as you might, you can’t really convey it properly. I don’t know…it’s…I guess if I had to really pinpoint it, narrow it down for a stranger, I would probably tell them… IT’S LIKE RAAAAAAAAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY IT’S A FREE RIDE WHEN YOU’VE ALREADY PAID IT’S THE GOOD ADVICE THAT YOU JUST DIDNT TAKE AND WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? IT FIGURES.

Catchy, annoying, bad and good. A snapshot of the 90’s worth a listen but I still have trouble liking this

Absolutely miserable experience. Lyrics and vocals are annoying, over-the-top making this album a chore to listen to. If you never liked listening to 'Ironic' then skip this one. Best song: Right Through You (the least irritating song, very radio-friendly) Worst song: You Oughta Know (someone was very salty about their ex)

+ Hand in My Pocket + You Oughta Know + You Learn + Head Over Feet + Ironic

Ridiculously good alt rock album even though it is definitely something that could have only come out in the 90s. Experimental enough to make me question how this album became so popular in the first place

-if this album came out when I was teenager, I honestly might be president or soemthing because this shit is anthem -10/10, no notes, the musicality, the lyricisms, the through line, the diversity of sound, the guitar ??? Are you kidding -this is a 90s album that stands up today if not stands taller

Pre-listening thoughts: LETS GOOOO oh hell yes bro this is gonna be so good. How many albums can you say got a musical dedicated to them just because they were that good huh? Not that many Post/during listening thoughts: yeah I already knew basically this whole album. Alanis has a powerhouse voice and this is just amplified by these “rage in your room” kind of songs. Cohesive, upbeat, and every song could be the lead single (and a lot made it to radio!) 10/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: yes Fav tracks: no skips but You Learn is a fav of mine, also You Oughta Know Least fav tracks: n/a

Jagged Little Pill definitely wears its heart (and fury) on its sleeve, and those grungy guitar textures give it that extra punch.This one’s all about catharsis—anger, heartbreak, vulnerability, defiance—and she owns it. The vocals swing from whispery to howling in seconds. It’s confessional without being soft, and feminist without being preachy—just intensely personal and musically gripping. My standouts are the obvious ones "you oughta know" & "all I really want", but the whole album resonates.

soooo so so so good man...i wonder if the bigger harder more rock-oriented songs could be spaced out a bit more to lift up the pacing slightly (tho they at least save ironic for close to the end), but we're talking about slight potential optimizations not fixing any huge structural problems. morissette is one of the best vocalists to ever reach this level of commercial dominance, a kind of post-grunge patti smith but with i think an even wider capacity for disarming beauty as she weaves her way thru a bunch of Idiot Winds for the 90s. that decades' obsession with causticness and irony (!!!) helped catapult her to stardom, but theres no defensive protective layers here...all the bitterness is vulnerable, heart-on-sleeve, earnest in its messiness. in that way, head over feet is the secret track holding the whole record together, and prob just my favorite generally...a beautiful celebration of embracing that vulnerability and losing those numb defenses. rly great as a collection of music, kind of transcendental as a total emotional package

I'm telling my kids this is what the mid 1990s sounded like

This is the most 90s album i've ever heard just from the opening guitar riffs. I like her voice when she's not doing weird things with it. I think that was kind of her trademark but I don't really like the cracking that she does and a lot of country singers do. She's working through a LOT in this album. jagged little pill walked so that Sour and Guts could run.

Was surprised how much of this album I recognized. It evokes a time and place only still available to us in the year 2025 on reality TV. Take from that what you will, but it's solid from start to finish.

Really great album all around. Strong and well known albums all throughout. 10/10.

This middle finger to the patriarchy is just perfect. It's fun to give this a good listen as an adult with adult feelings. I felt the emotions of the album as a 12 year old but I understand the lyrics better as an adult.

Still so good. Nothing but cuts.

amazing album. played on repeat for a few months during college

Five stars isn't enough.

5/28 Raw, emotional, mature. Standout Tracks: All I Really Want, Perfect, Forgiven, You Learn, Head Over Feet, Not the Doctor, Wake Up, You Oughta Know (Jimmy the Saint) / Your House

my favourite album ever

A fantastic story teller and singer. This album is a classic and a treasure.

"And what it all comes down to is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine. 'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket, the other one is giving a high five." That might be the most perfect encapsulation of being an upper middle class white kid in America in 1995 ever written. GenX was able to be the "whatever" generation by virtue of coming to age at the absolute peak of western society, 1985-2000. The feeling that no matter what bad things happen, the arrow will still be pointed up and it will be alright. Before the Internet was monetized and ruined by social media. Before 9/11 made us all collectively paranoid and started us down the road to the political polarization that is tearing us apart 30 years later. Alanis tapped a cultural vein in at the perfect time in the Lilith Fair era, and wrote some absolute banger pop songs with just enough non-conformity to give them a genuine/honest vibe. It may not be what I want to listen to anymore, but it's a great album.

and every time you speak her name does she know how you told me you'd hold me until you die? 'til you die? but you're still alive!

the bass on the dave coulier song cross eyed bear chiming one chord guitar on chickenshit felt like skipping forgiven. christian rock. love an album title taken from a line in a verse. head over feet is the sound of riding in the back of the minivan to buy furniture in amish country

Made an instant classic by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon

Alanis Morissette is God. Well maybe not, but she did play God in Dogma, the Jay and Silent Bob movie from 1999. I wanted to watch her scenes to come up with something snazzy for this review. Unfortunately Dogma is not available on a streaming service. You want to know why? Harvey fucking Weinstein!!! That asshole owns the rights and is sitting on it. He also refused to sell the rights back to Kevin Smith for a reasonable amount of money. So the only way to watch Dogma is to find a DVD. Unbelievable. Anyway, Alanis Morissette comes to earth and saves the universe from two rotten angels with her powerful voice. And that my friends is where I’d like to focus. The standard version of this album is fine. The hits are hits and some of the other songs are let downs. Glen Ballard did an OK job as producer but he screwed up the best part of this album…Alanis’s voice…because he covered it up too much with his bullshit instrumentation. Side note: Ballard also screwed up The Dave Matthews Band’s sound when he produced their album Everday. It was a big let down. What really got me to embrace these songs is the acoustic version of the album, which is available on the Collector’s edition. In that version, Ballard’s instrumentation is present, but stripped back and out of the way. The acoustic version takes a let down song like Mary Jane and makes a wonderful experience. I give the standard version of the album a 3, the acoustic version a 5, and I’m splitting the difference because they should have been smart enough to use the acoustic version in the first place. I know that’s the version Kevin Smith must have heard when he cast Alanis as God for the purpose of using her powerful voice to save the universe.

Like the music but not the vocal nor lyrics. A microcosm of the 90s I guess.

Im so sorry, but really not the biggest fan of her voice

Oh hell yeah. Canadian pride. Although it’s Ottawa. This isn’t a political commentary but Ottawa is like a weird fake city. Anyway. Here’s the 90’s angry hit machine we’ve all been waiting for (I haven’t been waiting for this). A full hour!!! Oh boy. Am I at a loss for poorly written words?? Kind of. I have no idea how to talk about this. Do I hate it? No. Do I love it? No. Do I like it? Kind of. RAHHHHHHHH LETS GO. I’m in my Mum’s 1996 Honda Civic once again. Oh no. The silly rap into the chorus. Bad bridge but you know what. This chorus is undeniable. Good and angry. Pop music peaked with this. Dumb nostalgia mixed with palpable energy. Screeching tires. I have been hurled from the aforementioned Civic onto the pavement of a 90’s ballad with horrendous lyrics. Trash pile. The TRUE mom banger. One hand in my pocket, and the other one is turning down the radio in order to think more about You Oughta Know. In all seriousness, it’s really not that bad. The choruses are catchy, and for whatever reason, as popular as this was, it doesn’t feel like it was distilled in a maintain lair by some Interscope executive. The deep tracks have not delivered yet. This is no exception. Return to sender. Ehhh. Some nerd on RYM said Forgiven was the only good song on here. It’s a little early 2000’s three days grace kind of shit. I mean, it is way less grating than that and gets progressively more interesting. Decent track. The vocal scatting type stuff is funny. This is the worst hit. So bad. Like, yes, people learn stuff from bad stuff. This reads like a lame psychology Ted talk. Bored me. The musical hipster returns with a lame Ted Talk reference and a flourished tip o’ the trilby. Another hit?? Alanis. Your 1995 was nuts. Mine was embryonic. Little hint out there for all you superfans. Nice little love song. Good contrast to the breakup songs I suppose. Circle of life. Deep track revival. Will it be a decent one? 1:15 in, that answer is an emphatic “no.” Full track elapsed. One of the worst. I won’t resort to the beaten to death and beyond bit that none of the things are ironic in this song, but you know what is ironic? I expected to hate all the hits on this thing and by god, I like most of em. Well 2 of them. So not most of them. Well, this has turned into a real black fly in my Chardonnay. First deep track banger. Great song about women not wanting to be mothers to boyfriends. I think? Man, I might be stupid. Either way, it’s good. Wake up sheeple. My phone doesn’t autocorrect sheeple. We’ve strayed too far. This song couldn’t wake me up if it was projected from the bleeding eyes of a demonic boar levitating above my bed. My sleeping cap wouldn’t even be dislodged. The a capella outro is pretty impressive. God. Well. That was pretty cool. Didn’t like a bunch of the deep tracks, but the good moments were really good. A ton of fire for a pop album and an enjoyable listen. Now to cleanse my palate with Wesley Willis’ monster hit “Alanis Morissette” followed by a trip to Rock n’ Roll McDonalds. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: You Oughta Know, Head over Feet, Not the Doctor, Your House - A Capella

May the protagonists in her songs look back on this as fondly as I do now. Sneered at it back then, now see it for what it is: a strong set of wailers with all the contemporary alt-rock bells and whistles, powered by a voice that seems to embody domestic discord, which is not a criticism.

My relationship with this record is one of grudging acquiescence. I tried to avoid it, but in 1996 this proved an impossible task so I learned to appreciate some of the quirky wit therein: "Do I stress you out? My sweater is on backwards and inside out And you say how-[e-yow-e-yow-yow] appropriate" "You took me for a joke You took me for a child You took a long hard look at my ass And then played golf for a while" etc You know what it sounds like - basic, screechy, dated and cheesy, but utterly era-defining (if you ever turned on the radio or left the house). Characteristically, and unfashionably, I think she actually got better on later albums, and will recommend "Under Rug Swept" (despite its perfect Spinal Tap-esque review in a UK rag: "Very Good Not") Would a 3 be ironic?

You read, you learn. You hear, you learn. You rate, you learn.

Nr. 161/1001 All I Really Want 3/5 You Oughta Know 3/5 Perfect 3/5 Hand In My Pocket 3/5 Right Through You 3/5 Forgiven 2/5 You Learn 3/5 Head Over Feet 3/5 Mary Jane 2/5 Ironic 4/5 Not The Doctor 3/5 Wake Up 3/5 Average: 2,92 Okay-ish pop record, just a bit too whiny at times for me.

A 90s classic but not really my bag, and I find Alanis’ voice a bit grating at times. Important record for WOMEN in ROCK though, and I am an ALLY.

Pretty good album overall

If you’ve ever listened to an adult contemporary station you know the highlights. Great singles boring deep tracks

Alanis Morissette sounds like a parody of herself. It’s immediately apparent on the opening track, “All I Really Want.” Is it yodels? Or donkey moans? Or just overly dramatic and exaggerated? I recently saw her do a duet with James Corden updating the lyrics of “Ironic.” Corden was clearly doing a humorous exaggeration of Morissette’s vocals, style, and mannerisms. Except he sounded just like she does. The overall sound of the album, minus the vocals, is very rooted in the mid-90s. Somewhere in between grunge and alternative rock and the pop rock that would dominate the second half of the decade. That sweet spot, along with rock radio and MTV getting fully behind “Ironic,” launched “Jagged Little Pill” into the stratosphere. It really can’t be understated. It’s the 14th best selling album of all time! No other female-fronted rock act has come anywhere close. The album is packed with hits beyond “Ironic,” but the best songs may not have been the singles. I think? Maybe I just got sick of the singles, which often had the most egregious vocal excessiveness. But some of the other songs were pleasant surprises barring some excessive yodeling - I was a bit taken by parts of “Forgiven” that almost sound like they came from Pearl Jam’s “Vitalogy,” which came out a year prior. I’m always fascinated by the rock musicians that record under the name of lead singer/guitarist rather than as a band. It seems like more of a pop star kind of thing, but many artists all over the rock spectrum have done it. Going solo is rarely actually solo. And it wasn’t just studio musicians on “Jagged Little Pill” - Dave Navarro and Flea played on “You Oughta Know.” But maybe this was a pop album clothed as a rock record. Morissette’s first two albums, put out through MCA Records Canada, were never released in the States and are no longer in print. But the Alanis of those records was described as the “Debbie Gibson of Canada” - her jagged rock star turn was a departure from her early pop days. Or was her alt rock debut just a pop record with era-appropriate guitars?

meh

I have known for a while that Alanis isn’t my cup of tea and this listening didn’t change that. I respect her songwriting, but it veers a bit whiny or self-pitying for my tastes and her voice is just really annoying to me. The way she uses it is very strange. 5/10

A few undeniable hits but the rest is BORING 90s contemporary radio filler

It’s very 90s: Seattle-ish angst with a bit of a Britpop dressing. Her vocals get really tiring after a bit though.

kinda meh,

Not for me whatsoever, the only song I enjoyed on the record was 'perfect'

Las dos canciones conocidas no están mal. El resto bastante flojo.

No. No. No. Nobody ever needed to hear this. I listened again and was just as annoyed as I was in the 90s. This is just bad. No redeeming qualities.

Sucks. Lame. For simpleton moms

An album you have to hear before you die? Don't make me laugh.

Thought this would be fine to listen through, this was big in my early 20s and I always found the singles OK. Had no idea I was going to dislike it as much as I do! The first half really leans into the immature "psycho ex who needs to let-go and move on" theme a bit too much. It's fairly excruciating and the music is lightweight MTV freindly guff. We have a moment of self-awareness and maturity with "You Learn" then it's basically pure Middle-Of-the-road. By the end we are driving squarely down the middle of the Canadian highway in a winnebago listening to Linda Rondstat on 8-Track. Also first of the Sinead O'Connor copying yodellers. Yikes. Still not as insufferable as "What's Up" by Four Non-Blondes.

like nails on chalkboard this is the most talentless album i have ever heard on this list. this must be some sick fucking joke. she cant sing, her lyrics are whack, the instrumentals are dated boring shit from the 90s. fuck this is straight up awful! ignificant 35/105 Liked 16/105 Added 4/105 fuck no, fuck no, fuck no

Awful

horrible album

A bit cringy that THIS was a sort of soundtrack of a time

1/5 graphic design Choons aren’t much better

Not my cup of tea if I'm honest. Didn't dislike the instrumentals but the vocals and lyrics were not particularly appealing.

Didn’t make it through, too whiny

Ugh, just no.

Trash

I didn't really like this album when it came out and some how it has gotten worse and even more irritating.

really difficult to listen to her voice. so shrieky. not enjoyable

Wtf was that

Неслушабельный трэш

The lyrics are just so cheesy and predictable, not to mention that the voice singing them is irritating. The random vocal flairs that are added to songs are annoying. The background music isn't that bad but could use some better instrument choice. Overall this album was grating and predictable.

One of my favorite albums from my high school days. Used to listen to this one on repeat, and it is still holding up today. Funny that I never really enjoyed Alanis’ stuff post this album nearly as much.

Lowkey reminds me of fiona apple

Me flipa. Lo compré hace unos meses en vinilo. Se cumplen 30 años

Zapomniałam już jak dobra jest ta płyta. Kwintesencja lat 90 i pozłamaniowej goryczy. Dla mnie tak zwany no skip album. Tu siedzi wszystko: wokal, melodia, teksty! Te teksty! 9/10.

It is one of the classics of alt rock.

What a classic album! Has so many good songs and she definitely got famous from it more than she was already! Definitely a classic 90s album!

Isn't it Ironic

Clásico de mi época de bachillerato, tenia el CD y use muchas canciones en varios mixtapes

Awesome classic album, my daughter loved this album when she was little, You Learn is our favorite song !

One of the greatest albums of all time 🙌🏼💜

i absolutely loved this one. finally something good (amazing actually) after albums that sounded almost the same

I already knew I would love this! Country meets alternative meets concept album meets musical?

A 90s pillar. Musicianship, vocals, lyrics, and rock out are all top

Fave

What an angry bitch. 10/10. Phenomenal.

This has to be one of the most consistently high quality albums on the list for sure, the grungier elements might date this album to some but give it such an identity while also creating a fond, nostalgic sound. Her vocal performance was also fairly unique and while I had a few spots where I was worried she might get into a bit of over-enunciating which I find irritating. It’s something that is easy to look past after a song or two into the album.

Listening to this album really got my noggin joggin about a few things. First of all, this chick is MAD. Secondly, this is a very interesting example for me in terms of the cultural phenomena of music which is looked down upon or otherwise rubbished due to having a primary audience of young women/teenage girls. This is the first time I have listened to anything by Alanis Morissette outside of the big hits (which are coincidentally on this album), and the entirety of my prior knowledge of her as an artist had built a mental image of “rubbish whiny teenage girl music for crying about your fuckwit boyfriend” - this being based on any mention of her generally via other media being as the butt of a joke regarding the above. This is of course anecdotal, but coming into this with that as my foreknowledge it was pleasantly surprising that Alanis Morissette is a VERY good musician. Thirdly, the lyricism in these songs really speaks to how pervasive misogyny was throughout the 90s and 00s, I distinctly recall several lyrics which essentially fantasise about being treated with the bare minimum of human decency and care? (In head over feet she is saying how nice it is that they “ask how her day was”). Just a comically low standard that apparently was not being met by most men in year of our lord 1995? Further to the point, if you contrast this lyricism with the content of contemporary artists which catered more to a young male audience, (bit of a stretch here but slim shady LP came out in 1999 for example) it’s even more stark. Regardless of this however, I still had a little palette cleanser afterwards by listening to limp bizkits greatest hits.

My main association with Alanis Morissette is hearing Gen X women sing Ironic at the karaoke bar that I frequent (shoutout Blute's Bar), I have heard some renditions of this song that should be referred to the ICJ. I was also shocked to learn none of Morissette's music ever featured in Charmed, which seems like it would have made a lot of sense? I don't know if the vocals were abrasive to me at first because of the sound itself or my association with the drunken patrons of varying talent of the aforementioned karaoke bar. Long way of saying I found the vocal style needed time to gel with me but when it did, my enjoyment of this album increased A LOT. Some albums on this list have been incredibly dated (not a bad thing) due to their production and choices in instrumentation, Terence Trent D'Arby the most prominent example that comes to mind, this album is probably the 90s equivalent of that. Again, that's not a bad thing, I feel like this definitely encapsulates a certain moment in time very well, and instead of feeling like this would be a kitschy nostalgia trip for a certain cohort of annoying people, this feels like an angsty, charming and well written time capsule. I was going to give this a 4 based on my quasi-criticisms but I then realised I had listened to this three times in a row and only skipped the last song on repeats. I think it would be dishonest to rank it lower given that. Highlights: All I Really Want, You Oughta Know, Right Through You, Forgiven, Ironic