Swallow it Down, it Feels so Good (Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette)

Member Name: jennystevenson

Product:	Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
Date:	02/09/01 (351 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's Alanis!

Disadvantages: She should never play a harmonica

RAH! is my description of Alanis and her unforgettable style. Anger, revenge, neurosis, power, confidence and addiction are words that spring to mind when referring to this album. And what an album it is! I recently heard that she was only 19 when this album was made, which is VERY surprising because the songs sound like she owns a seasonal ticket to hell. Very American style rock, very powerful vocals and lyrics and ultimately a therapy session once in a while for anger management, much healthier than smashing plates when you’re in a state of rage. So here I go again, entering the warped world of Alanis. Oh and the headings below are lyrics picked from each song.

#Slap me with a splintered ruler#
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Oww that racket of an intro goes tearing right through my head. One BIG mistake this girl made was thinking she could play the harmonica. She did try bless her, though it has to be said the result was nothing resembling music. But don’t let me put you off here, ‘ALL I REALLY WANT’ is ultimately one of the highlights, with Alanis singing her heart out about what she wants, somewhat resembling a child having a tantrum when they want an ice-cream. This definitely sets the tone for the album, stand up for yourself girl and shout out your demands in life. Or something along those lines.

#Are you thinking of me when you **** her#
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Ooer missus, you’re in a right old rage. I’d hate to be the ex on the wrong side of her judging by this oh so familiar ‘YOU OUGHTA KNOW’. Probably her trademark song, this had huge success worldwide and shot her to fame. It happens to have the funkiest bass line on the album, supplied by none other than Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A bitter twisted song based around jealousy of an ex who is now happy with a new partner. Fast paced, rocky, brilliantly harsh lyrics,
so get pogo jumping. By the way, there’s a hidden track at the end of the album which is a different version of this song.

#How long before you screw it up#
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Schizophrenic in the musical sense, ‘PERFECT’ shows a more vulnerable sadness amongst the rage. The lyrics are addressed as ‘us’ rather than ‘I’ and I may be clutching at straws here, but this comes across as Alanis singing about what someone said to her in the past about how she should be perfect in order to be loved. Perhaps her parents? Am I making any sense here? I know I’m lost!

Anyway, back to the song, a bit of a ballad, slow and a calmer voice. Perhaps a bit weak as there’s not much in the melody department, but at the very least it provides a bit of calm after the storm.

#I’m here but I’m really gone#
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Yep, you’re not wrong there love. ‘HAND IN MY POCKET’ ventures towards pop rather than rock. Another well received single release, more radio friendly this time. This is where the confidence part I mentioned at the beginning comes in. A sense of calm, a sense of adjustment and a sense of stability. Pointing out vocally her weaknesses, but also her strengths. Oh and a sense of bad harmonica playing halfway through but bear with it and you‘ll discover a very listenable, slightly uplifting piece of modern music.

#You took me out to wine dine 69 me but didn‘t hear a damn word I said#
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Oops, did I say stability? Sorry about that, it’s back to the man eating songstress again, but she does do it so well, this time on ‘RIGHT THROUGH YOU’. Not so much a case of the ex, but more of a ‘don’t fool me mate, I know what you want and you aint getting it’ kind of way. Sickly sweet whisperings and a soft aco
ustic guitar harmony are contrasted with an electric screech and high-pitched wailings. Strange combination that works well and is very accessible.

#You know how us Catholic girls can be#
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Well, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to guess that Alanis went to a Catholic school and judging by this she didn’t exactly enjoy it either. ‘FORGIVEN’ compares her strict upbringing and other peoples high expectations of her compared to her brothers having it easy. Forgiven still has the angry edge but it gives an impression of sadness and at one point sounds like she’s about to burst into tears. Emotionally charged stuff this and at halfway through the album you realise there are a vast amount of layers to the personality of Ms Morissette.

#You live you learn#
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What’s this I hear? A carefree attitude to life? Yes it’s true, Alanis can from time to time put her feet up, relax and happily watch the world go by. ‘YOU LEARN’ is another poppy outing, reminding me of my summer in Scotland, sunny days and a relaxed atmosphere. The message here is to do things, make your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Well said. It’s songs like these that really show off her impressively wide vocal range. She may not be the greatest singer in the world but manages to pour her heart out of the speakers.

#You treat me like I’m a princess#
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So, life isn’t all doom and gloom on the relationship front. ‘HEAD OVER FEET’ was also a release, ok in my opinion but nothing to really grab on to. It’s quite a sweet song, declaring her love for someone through some well thought lyrics. Pretty much a dedicated song to say thanks to someone. Bless.

#Please don’t censor your tears#
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I have to
admit this is the one song I just do not like. The voice just sounds too strained on ‘MARY JANE’ (if that’s possible). This appears to be written about someone else who’s having a hard time in life and questioning their happiness. At least it shows Alanis does care about others and not just herself!

#It’s like rain on your wedding day#
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‘IRONIC’. I’m sure you know it, it’s about sods law. Yet another popular single has the singer in a philosophical mood, pondering on life and it’s sometimes strange sense of humour. All in all a good solid tune with some uncharacteristically dodgy lyrics. Take ‘it’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife’. I mean come on now! Surely you can do better than that! So no match for Plato there then.

#Visiting hours are 9 to 5#
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I can forgive you for thinking this is Alanis and her penned thoughts from a psychiatric ward judging by that lyric. Fear not, she is outwardly emotional but by no means in need of medical attention. ‘NOT THE DOCTOR’ is a song that focuses on the oh so familiar situation of dating a mummy's boy. This basically says I’m not your mother so don’t be so pathetic and expect me to care for you like a son. Along with the next track, this is my highlight of the album, taking a more acoustic set. Musically innocent and tame on the outside but more complex underneath.

#You like snow but only if it’s warm#
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‘WAKE UP’ frankly says, well, wake up! Don’t expect to get the best if you take the easy route all the time. Similar in style to the last track, it starts off soft and crescendos into slightly rocky emotional type affair. I find this one displays some brilliant song writing, the type that grabs you
r attention and makes you think. Good stuff.

Voila. That’s it folks, if you’re still there! You know you REALLY like an album when you can listen to it endlessly and never tire of what drew you to it in the first place. Jagged Little Pill is one of a handful of albums that does this to me, it’s instantly likeable yet the interest never fades. There’s a song for everyone in here as Alanis writes and sings from the heart. She manages to write about her experiences, some of which I can identify with, some I can’t and others attached to memories etched in my brain. Especially ‘You Oughta Know’ where memories of jumping around in a drunken stupor hearing it at indie club nights come flooding back. Good memories, superb album.

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