Alanis Morissette
Mtv Unplugged

THE REVIEW

Every month, a new "phenomenon" singer seems to emerge, and the same things are said about each one: they're great, they have something to say, they've had a difficult life, yes, but they have personality, oh but look at the producer, they're being favored, they'll last, no they'll disappear soon. In this showbiz world where just one appearance on Corrida is enough to feel entitled to release an album, in this crowd of wannabes with a microphone in hand, exceptions are rare, but they exist. Alanis might be one of them.

Who doesn't remember her beginnings, disheveled hair, bangs over her eyes, a huge mouth perpetually open to scream out anger and resentment at boyfriends, friends, and parents? "Jagged Little Pill" was taken for what it was: the musical embodiment of the many rough and bitter pills this young Canadian had to swallow in her (seemingly) difficult life. I believe it still holds the record as the best-selling debut album in history, it topped the charts and she became a global phenomenon. Her lyrics were considered scandalous and often censored (everywhere except here: her Sanremo performance is unforgettable, where from the stage she talked about oral sex with "You Oughta Know" and everyone nodded happily, only to numb Eminem a few years later to neutralize him), until Madonna brought her to Maverick with a nice little contract aimed at refining her talent, stripping it of that adolescent anger (thanks to Glen Ballard). Surely enough, shock arrives: she releases an "interlocutory" CD, "Under Rug Swept" where nothing makes any sense, starting with the title.

Alanis was overwhelmed by success, she lost her mind (oh, what a moving story) and flew to India to find herself. Upon returning, she was no longer angry but, alas, also too mystical and soporific...the early fans snubbed this work (I myself couldn't survive the first listen) and her star seemed to dim...until in 1999, MTV organized one of their many Unplugged sessions and Alanis was the protagonist. Still in the midst of a mystical-Indian crisis, she took the stage with long, poker-straight hair, dressed in red to match the set, wielding the guitar and donning the harmonica. So begins the set, which in my opinion has nothing to envy from the super famous and highly celebrated ones of Cobain and company, or those of Eric Clapton or George Michael. Amidst candles, soft lighting, and clearly oriental atmospheres, Alanis offers us her most intimate side, delivering herself to the audience with all the versatility of her very special and unmistakable voice (you either love it or hate it). She presents what were her hits (mostly from "Jagged Little") plus a few gems. Besides the entire rearrangement in a more intimate and less screamed key (deo gratias) which greatly benefits and allows for appreciation of her vocal technique, mention should be made of the pieces that were until then less known: first and foremost "No Pressure Over Cappuccino", setting aside the hermetic lyrics perhaps worthy of Michael Stipe's best trips, it's a delicate ballad rich in warm and soft sounds, at times dreamy, relying on harmonies of a broader scope than the raw guitars of her beginnings. Beginnings that seem distant, Alanis is a different person. Calm and smiling, she sings "You Oughta Know" without any more sneers and grunts, and perhaps it's her serene face that undoubtedly adds more sweetness to her persona, but also removes from her songs that "something" that made them stand out so much just four years earlier. Notable is the rendition of Sting's "King Of Pain", very well played and excellently sung, perfectly blending with the rest of the tracklist so much so that it seems like an Alanis original and not a cover. Chilling finale with "Uninvited". Lyrics here too are incomprehensible ("Must be strangely exciting/To watch the stoic squirm/Must be somewhat heartening/To watch shepard meet shepard" mmmmm.....without a doubt an interesting encounter between shepherds) but the song itself is stunning, the soundtrack of the film "City of Angels" (sappy flick? Haven't you seen it? Too bad, in my opinion, it deserves quite a bit). Dreamy atmosphere, with a voice that goes up and down, ending as if "suspended".

Unusual but not too much is the arrangement of "Head Over Feet", a little more innovative is that of "Ironic" (an anthem, for me). In short, Alanis earns a full pass in the "unplugged" exam, moving and confirming her undeniable talents, the album sells well, and her name (and surely her bank account as well) is revived a little. Except....it seems she can't find the magic formula anymore. Young angry Alanis, proto-Avril style, was smashing, while mature Alanis who sings about the inner world's sufferings of each of us perhaps appeals a little less... this is shown by the fact that her best-selling albums remain, apart from her debut, the collections and various Greatest Hits (I wonder why). Not even prestigious collaborations, covers of great songs (the latest being Seal's "Crazy"), self-production and reinventing sounds and looks seem to save her from the limbo she's slipped into... poor Alanis. A child prodigy who burned her wings too close to the sun. This CD remains a milestone for those who loved her in "Jagged Little" (myself) and a good starting point for those who discovered her later and are searching for the origins.