Alanis Morissette "Havoc and Bright Lights" (2012)

Havoc and Bright Lights
release date: Aug. 28, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Guardian" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Woman Down" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "'Til You" (3 / 5) - 4. "Celebrity" (3 / 5) - 5. "Empathy" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "Lens" (3,5 / 5) - 7. "Spiral" (4 / 5) - 8. "Numb" - 9. "Havoc" (3 / 5) - 10. "Win and Win" (3,5 / 5) - 11. "Receive" - 12. "Edge of Evolution"

8th studio album release by Alanis Morissette. The album received mixed reviews but I think, it's better than most of what else is released in the genre of singer / songwriter, pop / rock. Alanis has a saying with her lyrics - her subjects may be heard of before but she's an intelligent songwriter, and her music is never boring or dull. The style is as usual a product of a genuine will to be sincere and personal, and the music is often voluminous, spacious anchored around her strong singing voice. Sometimes her music tends to be too heavy orchestrated for my liking, e.g. on "Receive", but overall, this is far from a lesser release.

Alanis Morissette "Flavors of Entanglement" (2008)

Flavors of Entanglement
release date: Aug. 28, 2008
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: Guy Sigsworth

label: Maverick - nationality: Canada

Tracklist: 1. "Citizen of the Planet" - 2. "Underneath" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Straitjacket" - 4. "Versions of Violence" - 5. "Not as We" (4,5 / 5) - 6. "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man" (3,5 / 5) - 7. "Moratorium" - 8. "Torch" (3,5 / 5) - 9. "Giggling Again for No Reason" (3,5 / 5) - 10. "Tapes" (3,5 / 5) - 11. "Incomplete" (3,5 / 5)

7th studio album release by Alanis Morissette. Together with Jagged Little Pill and Under Rug Swept this album is clearly among her top 3 albums, I think. And frankly, of these, I do prefer this one. 

The album contains no weak tracks at all, which is the basic reason that it's on my top 3 list of best releases this year, and the singles "Underneath" and "Not as We" are simply some of her finest songs ever.

2008 Favourite releases: 1. Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - 2. Bloc Party Intimacy - 3. Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement

Alanis Morissette "So-Called Chaos" (2004)

So-Called Chaos
release date: Feb. 26, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Eight Easy Step" - 2. "Out Is Through" (4 / 5) - 7. "Not All Me"

6th studio album release by Alanis Morissette. This reminds me a lot about Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998).

It doesn't contain that many special songs, and as with the aforementioned album, whenever Alanis lacks the good songs, she or the producer tend to throw in a handful of energetic powerdriven tracks that shows her as the angry grunge-inspired lady of rock. Kinda like the same recipe as Pearl Jam has used on a number of occasions, actually.

I think this is her weakest effort so far.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Alanis Morissette "Under Rug Swept" (2002)

Under Rug Swept
release date: Feb. 26, 2002
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "21 Things I Want in a Lover" - 2. "Narcissus" - 3. "Hands Clean" - 4. "Flinch" (4 / 5) - 6. "Precious Illusions" - 9. "You Owe Me Nothing in Return" - 10. "Surrendering" - 11. "Utopia"

5th studio album release by Alanis Morissette following Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998.
Now this is a better release than her '98 album. I think, many people actually missed this one out because of sheer disappointment with her follow-up to her extremely popular Jagged Little Pill (1995). The '98 release sold really well coming after such massive success, despite the fact that it was really a lesser album, so people may have concluded that she only did one great album, but I actually really like this one. "Hands Clean" and "Precious Illusions" were the single releases from the album but it's "Flinch" that really lifts the level.

Alanis Morissette "MTV Unplugged" (1999) (live)

MTV Unplugged (live)
release date: Nov. 9, 1999
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5]

An in between albums release, and a very typical '90's MTV unplugged live session that all big stars just had to do. The album really displays her singing ability but the songs are very familiar and it just seems like an economical strategic release.

Alanis Morissette "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" (1998)

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
release date: Nov. 3, 1998
format: digital (17 x File, FLAC - 2015 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]

producer: Glen Ballard, Alanis Morissette
label: Rhino Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Front Row" - 3. "Thank U" (4,5 / 5) - 9. UR

4th studio album release by Alanis Morissette originally released on Maverick, is the difficult follow-up to her international best-selling album Jagged Little Pill (1995). With the immense popularity of the predecessor, this was basically doomed to fail expectations. The single "Thank U" and the first track "Front Row" are the only great tracks on a rather disappointing and lengthy album - the original release contains 17 tracks.
It's not that I necessarily expect her to be the angry grunge rock female - and "Thank U" actually shows a new softer side of her skills - but the whole album reveals a huge mix of styles and genres, which really is its biggest flaw.

Alanis Morissette "Uninvited" (1998) (single)

Uninvited, single
release date: Feb. 24, 1998
format: digital
[single rate: 4 / 5]

Single track: 1. "Uninvited" (4 / 5)

Single release not included on any of her studio album releases. The song was made for (and released on) the soundtrack to the movie "City of Angels" (1998) directed by Brad Silberling, feat. Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. The song is a wonderful example of her writing and vocal skills.

BEST OF 1995:Alanis Morissette "Jagged Little Pill" (1995)

Jagged Little Pill
release date: Jun. 13, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Glen Ballard
label: Maverick - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "All I Really Want" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "You Oughta Know" (4 / 5) - 4. "Hand in My Pocket" - 5. "Right Through You" (4 / 5) - 6. "Forgiven" (3 / 5) - 7. "You Learn" - 8. "Head Over Feet" (4 / 5) - 10. "Ironic" (4,5 / 5) - 12. "Wake Up" (3 / 5)

3rd studio album release by Alanis Morissette with new producer Glen Ballard, is what many think of as her debut, which was actually released in 1991. Her first two albums - both produced by Leslie Howe - are rather differently styled as pure dance-pop releases, where this is the album that brought her international fame in a singer / songwriter and more boldly a style of alt. rock or post-grunge that she would hang on to after this. It's a great energetic pop / rock album and it's no wonder why she was lauded after this. I only bought the album a few years ago, as I thought it was fine but also a bit... superficial, somewhat grey, superfluous, or: just too mainstream for my taste at the time of the release. Also, it was really not necessary to buy it 'cause you couldn't go anywhere without being met by this very album at cafés, movie theaters or any non-food stores.
The album and Alanis were nominated to dozens of prizes after the release, and it's one of the best-selling albums of the 1990s. Critics also received the album with nothing but high praises. Allmusic.com hands it 4,5 / 5 stars, and it's enlisted on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 greatest albums of all time".

1995 Favourite releases: 1. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill - 2. The Cardigans Life - 3. The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Alanis Morissette "Now Is the Time" (1992)

Now Is the Time
release date: Aug. 1, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,20]
producer: Leslie Howe
label: MCA Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 2. "An Emotion Away" - 5. "No Apologies"

2nd studio album by Alanis Morissette follows the formula laid out on the debut Alanis, and once again it also features Leslie Howe as producer.
Stylistically, the album is yet another pure dance-pop release without much to offer, and I really can't decide which of her first two albums is the better - they are equally poor.

Alanis Morissette "Alanis"

Alanis [debut]
release date: Apr. 6, 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,20]
producer: Leslie Howe
label: MCA Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Feel Your Love" - 2. "Too Hot" - 4. "Walk Away"

Studio album debut by Alanis Morissette - her first and only album to be released as Alanis (only).

Now, the only reason I ever came across this was because of her international giant breakthrough and also her third full-length album, Jagged Little Pill from 1995.

Alanis is something else - in fact, it's something completely different than what I believe most people associate with her name. The debut is primarily dance-pop, and that fact alone should make people realise that Morissette started out on with a different mission and in another ballgame. Some critics pointed out that this sounded a bit like Paula Abdul, and I do concede to that perspective.

Musically and artistically, this isn't all bad, it's just dance-pop of the early '90s sounding much like something else from the mid-80s, and frankly, I don't like it.