Review Summary: A true classic of 90s alternative rock.
Early Alanis Morissette fans must have truly been blown away when
Jagged Little Pill came out. After all, the only kind of material the singer put out prior to this was uninspired dance-pop drenched in 90s pop cheese. The results of
Now Is the Time and
Alanis were pretty much leading to the same predictions from most people across the board: that Morissette would become another flash in the pan like fellow pop star Tiffany before her. To be honest, these people were quite correct for a brief period of time. Morissette DID stop making records and took a small hiatus after failing to make waves with two mediocre releases under her belt. Luckily, thanks to highly acclaimed songwriter Glen Ballard and an increased level of angst in her own songwriting, Morissette was able to find a new audience with the post-grunge crowd and create an unexpected masterpiece.
Jagged Little Pill is the rare of kind of album in which everything just seems to work as if all the planets aligned in Morissette's favor. She went from a dance-pop underdog to one of the leading acts in both the pop and rock worlds with a seemingly effortless collaboration with Ballard. But trying to describe all of the elements that make this album masterpiece is one tough feat to undertake because of how many there are. How about catchy the album is? Or how Morissette's vocals are both idiosyncratic and relatable? Or how about the seamless blend of alternative rock, pop, and grunge traits that pervades the entire experience? But really, the true appeal of
Jagged Little Pill is how well it combines
all of those things. This could almost be considered post-grunge's answer to Nirvana's
Nevermind in the way it mixes young angst with solid songwriting and a frightening amount of consistency. And then there's Alanis herself.
Right from the beginning of the opening track "All I Really Want," you'll find Morissette's vocals quite an acquired taste. While her mellow vocals are pretty normal for female singers around that era, she also lets out these insane wails that sound absolutely nothing like any other singer to this day. She is absolutely unhinged in her range and vocal power here, especially in songs like "You Oughta Know" in which she doesn't even hold back in terms of language. But the way she balances the album's moods is what always ensures that she never goes too far. A frustrated and angsty number like "You Oughta Know" is directly followed by a beautiful acoustic ballad like "Perfect," while the melancholic but hard-edged highlight "Forgiven" has its counterpart in the more mellow and clean sounds of "You Learn." I can't think of any song that feels out of place on this album, and Morissette and Ballard intelligently saved the climax for the tail-end of the record: the phenomenal banger "Ironic."
Aside from being possibly Alanis' most popular song, this is a track that absolutely deserves that distinction from beginning to end. The acoustic guitar work is beautiful, the dynamic contrasts are perfectly written and performed, the vocals are spectacularly varied, and the whole song just feels so complete. Plus, the lyrics about the "ironic" ups and downs of life are incredibly relatable and fit the song's mix of bright and melancholic moods. Also, I have to give some serious kudos to the backing band who clearly worked hard to create each musical world so inviting and diverse. "You Oughta Know" pretty much speaks for itself, as Jane's Addiction/Red Hot Chili Peppers legends Dave Navarro and Flea performed the electric guitar and bass work on that gem. But the other musicians should be noted for their efforts as well, especially for heavier songs like "Right Through You" and "Forgiven"; the electric guitar tones are both gritty and beautiful layered, while the rhythm section provides a solid base for each of Morissette's numerous experiments on this album.
Jagged Little Pill is nothing short of an anomaly. If, back in 1995, I told you that a previously washed-up dance-pop singer was releasing a post-grunge album straight out of nowhere, you probably wouldn't have believed me. However, the music world should remain grateful that it in fact
did happen, as well as becoming one of the most widely celebrated and imitated album of its era. Every song is well-made, perfectly placed, and features some of the most stunning female vocals of all time. This is what you would call "classic," in every sense of the word.
