All My CDs, pt 81: Jagged Little Pill

Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette

First of all, I shall not in this blog entertain debate as to the properness of the use of the term "ironic" in the song of the same name on this album. My stance on this issue is echoed in the last part of this video, so direct your pedantry that way if you're so inclined. I will mention, though, that I rather like the song. It's enjoyable and punchy regardless of whether its diction is solid.

Alanis Morissette holds two distinctions: the first rock musician I ever discovered independently of my parents' musical tastes, and the first I ever named as my favorite musician. Although my attention may have wavered over the years, and many other favorites have surfaced, she's still among the greatest.

This album and its immediate follower, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, entered my collection by way of my brother's; he lost interest shortly after I became obsessed in my early-adolescent way, and so his CDs became mine. What appealed to me then and now was the same raw, sincere, yet articulate expression that seems to be her signature in the music world. Each song reads like a page ripped from a diary, full of secret thoughts and vulnerabilities we enjoy because we can relate, even if we're afraid to own up to those feelings ourselves. Yet it’s so much more than words; it’s the way they’re sung and the convergence of instrumental elements that rings so emotionally true. It's especially fitting that this would be my introduction to a world outside my parents' control, because it doubly served as an introduction to my own inner world, as I discovered parts of myself that are wholely my own even as they reflect experiences shared by others.

Now about the feelings contained in this album. I’ve heard of Morissette being characterized as “angry,” as if that is a personality trait, and if you only look at songs like You Oughta Know, Perfect, and Right Through You, it starts to make sense. But Ironic, Forgiven and Not the Doctor seem more wryly critical or snarky, and most of the others are downright positive in their outlook. Mary Jane is tender-loving, while Head Over Feet is more enthusiastic. Hand in my Pocket, You Learn, and All I Really Want really feel like the core of the album to me, as inwardly-focused and mainly positive expressions of self and self-awareness.

Wake Up is a personal favorite, with lyrics that never fail to prod me into action if I’ve been overly sedentary:
You like pain but only if it doesn't hurt too much
And you sit and you wait to receive
There's an abvious attraction to the path of least resistance 
in your life
There's an obvious aversion no amount of my insistance
can make you try tonight

Here’s a history lesson. This is the first album where I ever encountered the briefly-popular “hidden bonus track.” Back when  people weren’t playing music on their computers regularly, and it was easier for a CD player to display the number of tracks on the album than the length of each track, it became common to conceal a second song on one of the tracks, making it doubly long. While this gimmick was effective and pleasantly surprising for a few years, it made those albums more difficult to convert to digital format. Also, the length of the track was a dead givaway when displayed on a computer or MP3 player screen, ruining the surprise.

That said, the first time I heard Your House, its a capella spookiness sneaking in from the silence after the last notes of You Oughta Know, it was as shocking and unexpected as discovering a household intruder upon returning home.

Next: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie