Music Plug #2...The Angry Girl's Return

I dare say, the real Alanis Morissette is back. Morissette has released an acoustic version of her breakthrough album "Jagged Little Pill". Pill introduced us to the voice of an angry girl who quickly became a record breaker in the music industry. I remember the day I bought "Jagged Little Pill" and have damn near wore the cd out. Her lyrics are powerful and honest, the music has that old sense of rock and roll - the kind of beats that you could listen to at any time of year over and over again. But alas, Alanis seemed to waver in the albums that followed. I bought every one and while I enjoyed them all, none of them captured the originality and vitality of "Jagged Little Pill". With "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" Alanis had found peace. (In her video, 'Thank You' she walks the city naked thanking India and disillusionment.) In "Under Rug Swept" she got back to lyrics rich with thought, but they didn't always mesh with the music she made to go with them. By no account were either bad albums. But none seemed such a far stretch as her latest release "So Called Chaos". Alanis announced to the world that she was happy. And we all missed our angry girl. Hence - "Jagged Little Pill: Acoustic". This version is every bit as good as the original. Each song is filled with emotion and Morissette's voice is as powerful as ever - even if these versions are toned down by their acoustic vibe. If you've changed since the original release of Pill, and now allow your anger to take a back seat to your Venti Toffee Nut Latte - then this is the perfect album for you. Driving home from work under a cloudy sky and rain showers, or enjoying a drive on the weekend with the sun setting just below the horizion - these songs fit the mood. With its release - a little bit of controversy that sparks a hope our angry girl is alive and well. According to Yahoo Entertainment News, a Canadian record store is banning Alanis from their shelves due to the label giving Starbucks exclusive rights to the album for the first 6 weeks of its release. And just a few days before, another report on Yahoo stated that even though Alanis is engaged at the present time she says the "feminist in me still has issues with being a wife". Rock on, Alanis. Rock on. You can hear samples of the acoustic version at www.starbucks.com. And look for a post soon on the influence of Starbucks - my favorite 3rd place in the world.