Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Her intensely personal lyrics grabbed the headlines, but the bravest departure here is the way Morissette's unique vocals stand naked in the mix--a technique that drives home the painful honesty of tracks like "Right Through You," "Forgiven," and "All I Really Want." Sheryl Crow or an earthier Tori Amos are fair analogies, but Morissette is a genuine original with a rare ability to make listeners care, think, and question. --Jeff Bateman Amazon.com

 Good
Alanis's best album. Too bad only one more after this one was any good. April 2, 2008

 30 years from now this album will still matter.
The best way to describe this album is that it's beautiful in every possible way. The level of honesty can't be ignored. When Alanis has something to say she says it in a way that most people can relate to.The musical arangement, lyrical content and the way the songs fall together has all the makings for a timeless masterpiece. This is one of the few albums in my collection that I would replace in a day if something happened to it. A "can't live without" album for the ages! February 24, 2008

 A Classic!
It's beyond question that Alanis Morissette's album break-through album "Jagged Little Pill" has been an influence and inspiration to many female artists all over the world. Though really her third album it's often referred to as her debut, which is due to the facts that her first two albums were originally only released in her native Canada, and that they are musically totally different from her later recordings.

Musically "JLP" continues in the tradition of artists like Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and Kate Bush with strong songwriting and sharp lyrics. The album is also her most consistent so far, with extraordinary many catchy songs with hit-potentials; proven by the fact that no less than six singles were pulled from the album.

Though very melodic most songs also have a hard rocking edge, greatly examplified by the five hit-singles "All I Really Want", "You Oughta Know", "Hand in Pocket", "You Learn" and "Head Over Feet". The stand-out song on the album is the softer "Ironic" with its acoustic verse, its wild chorus and the funny lyrics; still a regular radio-track and a popular song among young amateur artists/singers.

There are also a couple of nice ballads with "Mary Jane" and "Perfect" showing the softer side of Alanis.

A standout classic album by a great artist! October 25, 2007

 One of the most landmark albums of the female singer-songwriter movement
A truly original talent, Alanis Morissette's haunting songwriting, angst-ridden lyrics, and jarring voice was really the kick in the you-know-what that the now super-successful singer-songwriter movement needed back then. Whether she's lashing out at society (Ironic), admitting that she was won over by a guy that she probably hated (Head Over Feet), or demanding that he (or perhaps some other guy) get the hell out of her life (You Oughta Know), the intense realism that Alanis speaks to the world with is something that a lot of other singers either don't have or are afraid to use. October 25, 2007

 Alanis Morissette - The Angry Chick Speaks
Morrissette is best known for being the angry chick from the huge hit single from this album, You Oughta Know. Many people wrote her off as a one hit wonder who had a gimmick that brought her instant fame. Delving deeper into her albums though, one will find a very talented songwriter with an incredible voice who is much more than the novelty song that brought her to the public eye. Morrissette was actually a teen pop star in Canada long before this album came out. Her early stuff is all bubblegum rock that bears little resemblance to the material here. This album was definitely a 360 degree turn for her and the results were a fine album indeed. The album produced several huge singles and is the best selling of Alanis's career. Personally I do not think it is her best, but there is a lot to like here. Listening to the album for the first time in a while some of the lyrics come across a bit juvenile and the music is nothing spectacular, but Morissette puts her all into the performances and the passion included here is undeniable. Emotionally she lays it all on the line and takes no prisoners. Her voice is like a nail on a chalkboard to some, but she really does have incredible range and sounds like no one else. Overall this is a good album containing some of her best known works; although I think she would do better material down the road. October 14, 2007

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