Jagged Little Pill: Hmm was that Prozac Alanis?
Oh goodness me-how terribly apt it is that none other than Alanis Morissette has chosen to mark her return to the music scene after a two year abscence with a cover of Seal’s “Crazy”. I must admit the irony kills me! I have an excellent mental image of her joining her first group therapy session and say “Hello my name is Alanis” and then bursting into song; a musical self portrait if ever I heard one.
Despite the unfortunate choice of song this latest release is a very commendable effort and she wouldn’t be the first star to reignite their career in the cosy world of cover versions. I refer also to the UK’s very own 80s star Rick Astley who has recently marked his recording debut after a 12 year absence with a covers album. He himself said that a covers album is a good stepping stone to getting back into the routine of recording and also it guarantees a certain level of sales based upon the popularity of the songs you choose for your album.
With reference to “Crazy” I particularly like that earnest and imploring tone in her voice which helps her to pull off dramatic lines such as “In a sky full of people, only some want to fly”. It isn’t opera but its delivery is human and heartfelt. In perfect synergy the earnest look in her eye means the video provides a level of pathetic fallacy to the words.
At the time of her entrance in 1995 she stood almost alone as a high profile female singer songwriter. This has afforded her a great deal of credibility as she really paved the way for the recent influx of solo females by proving that there is an excellent opportunity for them; I refer of course to performers such as Katie Melua and Norah Jones. Following her recent absence I must admit that I am genuinely excited that a pioneer such as herself has made a return and I hope she will soon begin writing her own material which was a key selling point for her throughout the 90s.
I leave you know with a quote from the song “Crazy”:
“If all were there when we first took the pill”
God Alanis will you look at that; some things just seem to come back and haunt you!
Despite the unfortunate choice of song this latest release is a very commendable effort and she wouldn’t be the first star to reignite their career in the cosy world of cover versions. I refer also to the UK’s very own 80s star Rick Astley who has recently marked his recording debut after a 12 year absence with a covers album. He himself said that a covers album is a good stepping stone to getting back into the routine of recording and also it guarantees a certain level of sales based upon the popularity of the songs you choose for your album.
With reference to “Crazy” I particularly like that earnest and imploring tone in her voice which helps her to pull off dramatic lines such as “In a sky full of people, only some want to fly”. It isn’t opera but its delivery is human and heartfelt. In perfect synergy the earnest look in her eye means the video provides a level of pathetic fallacy to the words.
At the time of her entrance in 1995 she stood almost alone as a high profile female singer songwriter. This has afforded her a great deal of credibility as she really paved the way for the recent influx of solo females by proving that there is an excellent opportunity for them; I refer of course to performers such as Katie Melua and Norah Jones. Following her recent absence I must admit that I am genuinely excited that a pioneer such as herself has made a return and I hope she will soon begin writing her own material which was a key selling point for her throughout the 90s.
I leave you know with a quote from the song “Crazy”:
“If all were there when we first took the pill”
God Alanis will you look at that; some things just seem to come back and haunt you!
posted by Ryan Fender at 13:47
1 Comments:
I had no idea about this. I'm going to have to investigate. While I was never a fan of Alanis, I remained pretty well indifferent to her. As a Canadian, I was exposed to her early, in her pop princess days. Yikes! As for Crazy, well, I was lukewarm to Seal too, but it's a pretty good song so I'll give it a listen.
Post a Comment
<< Home