"Jagged Little Pill" a Little Less Jagged...

Every now and then something comes along so great it is celebrated long after it first debuted. Out in 1995, "Jagged Little Pill" was that something. It featured an anguished and scringing (my mix of 'singing' and 'screaming') Canadian by the name of Alanis Morissette. She covered everything from hard break-ups to life in general. Now, ten years later, Alanis revisits her angry past on a more smoother, less jagged "Pill". Every song is acoustic, and the hidden track "Your House" that was once a capella now has music backing. My Take: The original is more of the angry, emotionally driven album. This album revisits that with more smoother lyrics, but the emotion is still there, but that emotion a little less negative.

"All I Really Want" is more easy going, without those harmonies in the chorus. Alanis rocks the vocals, and she sounds more content with her wants.

"You Oughta Know" is still a great, with a little guitar diddy in the beginning. Her vocals are driven, but it seems like she is telling her ex-lover about what she went through, but it seems like now she is saying she is over that and through with her ex.

"Perfect" on the original album was definitely more emotional driver, to the point in my opinion where it was unbearable. Usually Alanis's voice tends to go off key, maybe once, but it's to show emotion. It seemed in the original JLP every other note was sagging or off-key. In this version, her vocals are there, and it is definitely more emotional now that she hits every note.


"Hand In My Pocket" is the same as the others..."acoustic-fied". The one thing I like about this song is that when she sings "...and what it all comes down to my friend, is that everything is gonna be fine, fine, fine..." it seems like she really is talking to me and being sincere. It gave me the chills first time I listened to it. Weird.


"Right Through You" now has an orchestral arrangement in the beginning. The octave harmony under the vocals in the chorus is missing, heck,I'll just say it now: every song that had harmonies doesn't now.


"Forgiven" shows that Alanis still has her range, seeing that the chorus ends up way in the stars, but she belts it. She still has it. That Alanis.


"You Learn" is great. It is missing the Indian-esque screams in the middle of the song, but is replaced by Alanis noodling around on notes...I like both versions of this song. Again, harmonies in the chorus...MIA.

"Head Over Feet" was never one of my favorite songs. Sometimes I give it a listen to, but not enough to note differences. Sorry folks, can't report on this one. I'm sure it's the same... acoustified and all.

"Mary Jane" is a piece of amazing work. The guitar backing is dropped in the beginning with a haunting piano backing. The piano makes the song more emotional, and Alanis still reaches those notes. This is definitely better than the original.

"Ironic" is different in that, yes, it was acoustified, but it seems that the way Alanis sings it... she seems more content with life's irony. She's ok with it. And so am I.

"Not the Doctor" is one of my like's, and the verses on this song seemed to be dropped lower on this version, but the song still stays in the same key. It was nice to hear a different version of a song that can get repititious.


"Wake Up".... again... not one I listened to.


"Your House" was originally the hidden track on JLP, but now it received the separate track it deserves. In my opinion, I like the backing on it, so this version beats the original.