Album of the Week April 21-25

In June of 1995, Alanis Morissette released her Jagged Little Pill album. Though it wasn’t her first release, it was her first album to be released worldwide. She began working on it after moving from Ottawa Canada, to Los Angeles California where she met Glen Ballard, the man who produced the record. The album was a bit of a musical experiment, leaning more towards and alternative rock scene, with notes of post-grunge and pop rock throughout. In addition to Morissette’s angsty vocals, the album features a few unique elements like the inclusion of her playing harmonicas and programming drum machines. The songs, Ironic, a sarcastic but almost optimistic song about unexpected set backs, and Hand in My Pocket, a song that shows a bit of a lighter side to Morrissette, became especially popular, playing frequently on radio stations across the country. Her song, You Oughta Know was also unique in that the recorded version had Dave Navarro of Jane’s addiction playing the guitar, and Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers playing the bass. Alanis released several albums in the 1990s and early 2000s, but Jagged Little Pill was one of her most successful.