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Alanis Morissette
JAGGED LITTLE PILL ACOUSTIC
(Maverick)
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On June 13, a newly recorded version of the album Alanis Morissette released on June 13, 1995, went on sale at Starbucks outlets in North America, where it will be available exclusively for six weeks. In its first incarnation, Jagged Little Pill was the best-selling debut ever by a female solo artist, moving some 30 million units. Its success was a mixed blessing: as much as I liked "You Oughta Know" on first listen, Morissette’s massive popularity became harder to take as she overshadowed edgier female artists like PJ Harvey. On this "acoustic" version (Glen Ballard is on board once again), Morissette’s vulnerability and insecurity still fuel the angriest and most introspective jagged little pills. But she sings with more authority and range — sometimes too much, as she twists and turns her voice around simple words and phrases ("can’t" becomes "cayeeyayeeyant" in "All I Really Want"), blunting the impact of "I don’t mean to pick you apart you see/But I can’t help it." Still, you can tell how much she enjoys wrapping her voice around "Are you thinking of me when you fuck her," even if the anger she felt toward the song’s subject has dissipated. The song is called "You Oughta Know," and I’d be lying if I said it’s not great. (Alanis Morissette performs this Friday, June 17, at the Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street in Boston; call 617-447-7400.)
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