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Jagged Little Pill Acoustic

by Alanis Morissette

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To mark the 10-year anniversary of the 30 million-selling Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette decided to release an acoustic version of the very same 13 songs. A little more sung than screamed, Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is certainly less edgy than the original, but then again, so is Alanis herself. Now a 30-something Grammy-winner, she has far less to be angst-y about. The disc opens with one of its highlights, a slightly East Indian-tinged "All I Really Want" which includes a more controlled vocal than the original, backed by Arabic-influenced instrumentation. The new take is most charming, as is "Right Through You" which proves to be another case of improving on the original. Morissette's vocals soar through the chorus, now swooping over a host of (once again) Eastern-influenced strings. The vitriolic "You Oughtta Know"--perhaps the most rockin' track on the original CD--is now more contemplative in it's pace and sensibility, as is "You Learn"'s new mellower melody.

So there are moments of beauty, but also some of the same old, same old. Why, then, does one need this disc? For die-hard fans, the curio factor is reason enough. Marginal Alanis fans, those who found the original too screechy, will get the chance to hear the songs toned-down. Those looking for something different, however, should be aware that this is the entire Jagged disc, start to finish. For a woman who once used lyrics to shock listeners, there's nothing terribly shocking about this new CD. Isn't it ironic? --Denise Sheppard