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Alanis Morissette
Listen to Alanis Morissette:
“…and isn’t it ironic?”
How about this; From the very first time that I heard “You Oughta Know” (and almost wrecked my car reacting to Morissette’s unexpectedly intense emotional bile), I figured that it qualified easily as one of the best singles of the past fifty years. I was overwhelmed with things to say about this remarkably vindictive piece of music, only to discover that it existed solely as an album track. Somehow, whether it was due to the record company not releasing it in its own right, or Billboard not allotting any ‘sales’ to the specific song (it sure did get enough airplay!), “You Oughta Know” NEVER QUALIFIED AS A SINGLE! According to the rules that were in place at the time, only songs that existed as ‘singles’ could qualify for the Hot 100, so this song was shunted aside and placed on a separate ‘Airplay’ chart, which was meant to tally songs that acted like singles, even if they technically were not. The problem facing Billboard at this time was the industry’s general ignorance of the ‘single’ as a viable format. Most popular records simply weren’t issued separately from the full-length CD release, and Billboard was faced with the quandary of having a chart that was intended to signify a song’s popularity, but few songs met their criteria. The Hot 100 was becoming an anachronism. It wasn’t until 1998 that Billboard finally figured out that they ought to incorporate ‘Airplay’ chart information while tallying the Hot 100, even when the songs were album tracks.
When Morissette re-appeared on the scene with “You Oughta Know”, (the grown-up Morissette, not her previous incarnation as a teen-aged television personality and pop songstress who was eager to please but never quite garnered U.S. national attention), quite a few ‘duplicitous’ males saw her as a Medusa, with snakes emanating from her skull. Anybody with reason to fear the wrath of a spurned lover knew that “You Oughta Know” was as horrifying as a George Romero movie. With lines like “I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner” and “I’m here to remind you of the mess you made when you went away”, you know that this is every lying man’s nightmare. If Morissette never recorded another song, her place in history as a righteous spokesperson for scorned women would be guaranteed.
Now that she is ‘Miss Thing’, critical backlash has reared its ugly head, usually without anything concrete to sustain an argument. People who criticize her for hopping on the alternative bandwagon seem to think that Morissette had no right to mature, or no right to express herself beyond the lightweight dance-pop that her Canadian-based teen albums consisted of. They also fail to recognize the bravery required for Morissette to shift her style so radically. Believe me, it’s no sure thing when a teen star vies for credibility; when David Cassidy appeared nude on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, he most definitely was not deigned ‘Mister Thing’. How is Leif Garrett’s comeback as a serious rocker fairing these days? Remember Vanilla Ice’s comeback? Don’t worry, neither does anybody else. Whoever criticizes Morissette as an alterna-poseur must be listening through very jaded ears and is missing the point of her lyrical thrust. For instance, her music is not primarily about venting anger (“You Oughta Know” excluded, of course). If anything, it is about self-expression, self-discovery and ultimately, self-love. Whether the lyrics discuss feeling awkward (“All I Really Want”), miffed (“Ironic”), put upon (“Perfect”) or used (“Right Through You”), the protagonist always ends up wiser from the experience. While attention is focused on the negativity, Morissette’s music is drenched in positivity.
To truly appreciate what she’s trying to accomplish, it’s imperative that you understand Morissette’s point of view. Her vulnerability makes it easy for people to relate to her, because she seems just weird enough to be real. To see what I mean, try to imagine Madonna (who happens to own Morissette’s record label) having a bad hair day…it doesn’t really work, does it? Now, imagine Morissette in the same circumstance…easy, right? While Madonna offers us an opaque image, Morissette provides us with a wholly developed personality who isn’t afraid to let us in on what she’s feeling while learning to grow comfortable inside her own skin. By virtue of the fact that she is unique, ten million record buyers relate to her. And, for all of her trouble, many still consider her to be contrived. Isn’t it ironic?
 
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