Alanis Morissette - Alanis Unplugged

Nevermind that Alanis Morissette's career spans back to her early teens and she has four prior CDs to her credit. It's just too early to go unplugged. Performances like this are better done in the privacy of one's acoustically appointed bathroom. An expressive, emotionally naked singer, Morissette bares a little too much on this outing. Recorded at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music and produced solely by Morissette, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the carefully wrought songs and slices of her inner life, but there's little to be said about her shrill, thin delivery. Included is the never-before-released "No Pressure Over Cappuccino," which she debuted on her Jagged Little Pill tour, and two songs left off last year's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie: "Princes Familiar" and "These Are the Thoughts." They were dumped for good reason. The only redeeming moment is her out-of-breath rendering of the coy "Head Over Feet." --Jaan Uhelszki Amazon.com

"These R the thoughts that go through my head..."

Alanis Unplugged is a very good audio cd of the live concert. This isn't a perfect cd but quite good. Great renditions of You Learn, Joining You, Head Over Feet, I Was Hoping, and Uninvited. There's a cover of Sting's classic, King of Pain and a couple of unreleased tracks. Alanis has a great and unique voice and her lyrics are complexed but straight to the point. Can't wait for her new cd, Flavors of Entanglement! May 4, 2008

So much more than your "classic unplugged" album

When i first heard Alanis Morissette, it was in 1995 when "You Oughta Know" played on the radio. My first reaction to Morissette and "You Oughta Know" was not positive - it was "what is this, why is this woman so angry, and what is this chip on her shoulder?" However as the subsequent singles from Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" album were released, I soon began to see more than an angry young woman. When I listened to "Jagged Little Pill" in its entirety, I realized that this album lived up to all of the hype. Not only did this album garner critical acclaim, but it was one of the best selling albums of all-time. While her follow-up album, "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" did not generate the commercial success of "Jagged Little Pill", I still felt that it maintained the high quality standards set by Morissette. It was these two albums that left many fans wanting a live album, thus in 1999 Morissette would release "MTV Unplugged". This would provide a whole new spin on many of Morissette's classic songs as well as some lesser-known material.

"MTV Unplugged" albums contain recordings from the MTV series with the same name. The idea was to showcase popular artists performing material with an emphasis on the acoustic material. I do think this whole "Unplugged" angle is a bit too played out, however I like what Morissette brings to this particular "Unplugged" concert. Yes she utilizes acoustic instruments, but she brings a more orchestral quality to her music - complete with piano, strings, and even Morissette playing the flute. As a result, this is what contributes to the new spin on Morissette's material.

Here are ten thoughts on this collection - in no particular order:

1.The collection contains four songs from "Jagged Little Pill" ("You Learn", "Head Over Feet", "Ironic", and "You Oughta Know"). There are three songs from "Supposed Future Infatuation Junkie" ("Joining You", "That I Would Be Good", and "I Was Hoping"). I found it interesting that Morissette included the "hit" songs from "Jagged Little Pill", but opted for the lesser-known songs from "Junkie". Also included are three unreleased songs ("No Pressure Over Cappuccino", "Princes Familiar", and "These R The Thoughts") as well as her soundtrack song from "City of Angels" ("Uninvited"). Finally, Morissette includes a cover of the Police's "King of Pain".

2.It is worth noting that this does not contain all of the material from Morissette's performance. For example, some of the hit songs from "Junkie" that were performed that night were not included ("Baba", "Thank U"). Normally, a prefer a live album to include the entire performance from a single night - with the tracks arranged in the same order as they were performed. This allows for the magic of the performance to be captured on the recording. Despite the fact Morissette does not include some tracks, the arrangement of the tracks that are included is done very well

3.The three songs that were not prior released are outstanding. I've seen some reviews rip these songs and I completely don't understand it. These songs were left off the "Junkie" album, but it is important to know that they were competing with 17 powerful tracks from that album. There's no shame being left off that collection. All three tracks are outstanding and all demonstrate some of the Indian music influence that was so prevalent on the "Junkie" album.

4.Morissette's performance of "You Oughta Know" is very interesting. On "Jagged Little Pill", this was the defining song for much of the anger that Morissette demonstrated on that album. The unplugged version is softer and highlighted by some piano work and some great orchestral sounds. This performance isn't going to show the angry Morissette, but it will put a whole new spin on one of her classic songs.

5-"Uninvited" also demonstrates a terrific orchestral backdrop. In fact, this song isn't going to have much of an unplugged feel, but it is going to demonstrate some terrific orchestral sounds. In fact, this song was tailor-made for the orchestral sound.

6-One of those most interesting songs included is "King of Pain". It takes a few seconds for the audience to realize that this is a cover of the Police's classic song. Normally I am never bowled over by an "Unplugged" cover, but this one really surprises. It is going to be the piano that really gives this cover a whole new spin from the original. This song includes some great background vocals from Deron Johnson. This might be one of the strongest tracks of the collection.

7-One of the highlights of "That I Would Be Good" is going to feature a flute solo by Morissette. It is worth hearing that track just for the flute solo.

8-"Head Over Feet" is a very good performance. It starts out as a classic "Unplugged" acoustic sound and then progresses with many of the orchestral sounds that are prevalent on this collection.

9-"Joining You" is an unbelievable performance. It really showcases Morissette's vocals in a live setting. It will be the piano that gives this a terrific sound.

10-On "Jagged Little Pill", the chorus of "Ironic" was highlighted by Morissette's trademark raspy vocals. On "Unplugged", we are treated to some softer vocals. Like many of the other tracks, once again it showcases a new spin on some favorites.

As with many live sets, the liner notes do not contain the lyrics. We are told to go to Morissette's web-site for the lyrics to the unreleased songs. The liner notes also contain the musician credits. Overall this is an outstanding collection. My only disappointment is that the whole performance isn't included on here. However what one gets from what this collection provides is outstanding. Highly recommended. May 3, 2008

Alanis at her best.

Beautiful, enchanting, simply magical. I have become and will stay a huge Alanis admirer only thanks to this album. No other album ever came close to this one, the unplugged atmosphere and emotions it induces are overwhelming at times. Alanis gave her best here, singing so honestly, so pure, she often leaves me spellbound by the depth she is able to reach within. It is a shame the video was never realeased officially, since this album does not cover this stunning performance in whole. October 22, 2007

Amazing Alanis!

This is an amazing collection of rarely heard tunes, done in an MTV setting, simple and mostly acoustic. I would strongly recommend this CD for even the most timid Alanis fan, but it has universal appeal. June 7, 2007

Solid

This is a solid release by Alanis that showcases her talent and is a pleasure to listen to. Her cover of King of Pain is a real treat too! March 5, 2007

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