Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill - 1995

JAGGED LITTLE PILL won the 1996 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album. "You Oughta Know" won the Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. "You Oughta Know" was also nominated for Song Of The Year, and Alanis Morissette was nominated for Best New Artist. "Ironic" was nominated for the 1997 Grammy Award for Record Of The Year. With exuberant vocal gymnastics, Alanis Morissette offers chilling monologues from an outspoken and aggressive young performer. Her straight-for-the-jugular lyrical stance is given ample room to flex its muscles, and because of that very fact, JAGGED LITTLE PILL is indeed a tricky swallow. Pushed into the public eye by the scathing single "You Oughta Know," Morissettes American debut (she had two Canadian releases as a teen popster) lives up to its title. Recalling Siouxsie Sioux and Sinead OConnor, Morissettes vocals coo and writhe, exuding a spectacular confidence of self, and letting her get away with lines like "I recommend biting off more than you can chew." The audio palette of flamenco guitar fills, distortion-drenched power chords and house-ready drum beats allow for Morissette to weave her songs in and out of genres, as easily as she goes through moods. Seemingly contradictory emotions come through in her feelings on falling in love on "Head Over Feet" ("Youve already won me over in spite of me.../I couldnt help it/Its all your fault"). JAGGED LITTLE PILL is modern and aware music from a daring young songwriter.

Personnel: Alanis Morissette (vocals, harmonica); Glen Ballard (guitar, keyboards, programming); Basil Fung, Joel Shearer, Michael Landau, Dave Navarro (guitar); Benmont Tench, Michael Thompson (organ); Lance Morrison, Flea (bass); Rob Ladd (drums, percussion); Matt Laug (drums); Gota Yashiki. Engineers include: Christopher Fogel, Glen Ballard. Recorded at Westlake Studios and Signet Sound, Hollywood, California.