Alanis Morissette [1999] Alanis Unplugged

[01] You Learn
[02] Joining You
[03] No Pressure Over Cappucino
[04] That I Would Be Good
[05] Head Over Feet
[06] Princess Familiar
[07] I Was Hoping
[08] Ironic
[09] These R The Thoughts
[10] King Of Pain
[11] You Oughta Know
[12] Uninvited



amg: Often, artists embrace Unplugged as an opportunity to stroll through their back catalog. Not Alanis Morissette. Instead of concentrating on the familiar (only four songs from Jagged Little Pill are here, and neither of its sequel's hits, "Thank U" and "So Pure," are performed), Morissette uses Unplugged as a way to reintroduce Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie to an audience that largely ignored it the first time around. It's easy to see why Morissette is so intent on selling these songs. Although their meaning may be elusive at times, they're extremely personal songs, which benefit from the stripped-down arrangements and intimate surroundings. Even so, the songs require close, careful listening before they truly catch hold, and even then, they're often easier to admire than love. By closing the performance with the non-LP soundtrack contribution "Uninvited," Morissette unwittingly highlights the reason why Supposed failed to gain a large audience. Like much of that album, "Uninvited is also heavy on mood and cryptic lyrics, but the song is blessed with an indelible melody and haunting atmosphere. Compared with that song, the Supposed tunes, plus the three previously unreleased songs (including "No Pressure Over Cappucinio and "Princess Familiar"), are all intriguing but never as compelling, largely because they demand that the listener meet them on their own terms. Here, they're a bit more accessible, but it makes Unplugged just slightly less elusive than Supposed itself.
(amg 6/10)

Auteurs [1999] How I Learned To Love The Bootboys

[01] The Rubettes
[02] 1967
[03] How I Learned To Love The Bootboys
[04] Your Gang, Our Gang
[05] Some Changes
[06] School
[07] Johnny And The Hurricanes
[08] The South Will Rise Again
[09] Asti Spumante
[10] Sick Of Hare Krishna
[11] Lights Out
[12] Future Generation



amg: The most refined of England's bands manages to refine itself even further on their fourth disc. How I Learned to Love the Bootboys is Luke Haines' most immediate sounding release to date, and even though his claim that each of the record's 12 tracks are singles sounds a bit highfalutin, he's not far off. While each of the Auteurs' three prior LPs are equally arresting, there are points at which the mind tends to wander, but not here. Haines' familiar themes of Englishness, youth, and hooliganism remain, playing like another short movie. The cohesiveness of the record is no small feat, given the wide-ranging sounds and moods. Opening bedroom tale "The Rubettes" features a delicate, Brill Building lullaby chorus while a repetitive staccato riff offplays the fragility. The title track's quiet chaos has Haines' whispered vocals buttressed by sirens, percolating electro bleeps, and a graceful dub bassline. "Your Gang Our Gang" relocates the fight scenes of Grease and West Side Story to the streets of London with equal doses of menace and tongue-in-cheek. Tough and joyful at the same time. Haines and Pete Hofmann attain the band's best production yet. Haines' guitar has never sounded so fittingly sharp while avoiding abrasiveness. Even guitar guru Steve Albini couldn't coax such an ideal sound from his guitar. Haines' supporting cast punches in with some excellent work, providing all the necessary support for an excellent record. Surely the few who have stuck around since New Wave are being spoiled rotten by the Auteurs' remarkable consistency.
(amg 9/10)

Anne Briggs [1999] A Collection

[01] The Recruited Collier
[02] The Doffing Mistress
[03] She Moves Through The Fair
[04] Let No Man Steal Your Thym
[05] Lowlands
[06] My Bonny Boy
[07] Polly Vaughan
[08] Rosemary Lane
[09] Gathering Rushes In The Month
[10] The Whirly Whorl
[11] The Stone Cutter Boy
[12] Martinmass Time
[13] Blackwater Side
[14] The Snow It Melts The Soonest
[15] Willie O' Winsbury
[16] Go Your Way
[17] Thorneymoor Woods
[18] The Cuckoo
[19] Reynardine
[20] Young Tambling
[21] Living By The Water
[22] Maa Bonny Lad



amg: A legend of the British folk revival, singer Anne Briggs performed an exquisite a cappella — one of the most haunting and distinct voices of the movement. Her influence is far-reaching, and echoes of Briggs can be heard in the work of her key contemporaries, including Burt Jansch, Shirley Collins, Laura Nyro, and many later artists who cited her as an influence. From Kate Bush to the Cocteau Twins and Sinead O'Connor, this strain of folk singing that was entirely Briggs can be heard, yet she was under-acknowledged in her prime of the early '60s outside of serious folk circles. This collection on Topic compiles all of the a cappella recordings from this period, and four songs with minimal guitar, dulcimer, and bozuki accompaniment. Animating Scottish, Irish, and English traditional forms, some of these melodies will be familiar to fans of the Pentangle who recorded some of the same tunes, including "Willie O' Winsbury" on their early albums. Also, fans of Jansch — who performed and recorded "Go Your Way My Love," one of Briggs' few originals — will know the legendary guitarist's version. Often performing together, arguably the duo shared the deepest insight, not to mention passion for the Anglo-folk song. This music is simple and sublime and showcases a beautiful storytelling song style with a voice that benefits from being heard unadorned, and being treated with due respect in the remastering. Though standouts are "Blackwater Side," with its minimal acoustic guitar backdrop, and "Willie O'Winsbury," an ancient folk song where Briggs shares its melody with a hammered dulcimer to stunning effect. A highly recommended overview of a singer who sits high in the academy of U.K. folk.
(amg 10/10).

Alanis Morissette [1998] Space Cakes

[01] Head Over Feet
[02] Right Through You
[03] Forgiven
[04] Perfect
[05] Not The Doctor
[06] You Learn



wiki: Space Cakes is an EP by Alanis Morissette, released only in Japan in 1995 (see 1995 in music). It comprises acoustic recordings of some of the songs from her third album Jagged Little Pill. In other countries, the recordings have been released as b-sides.

The recordings were made in the NOB studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands, on 9 June 1995 for Jan Douwe Kroeske's radio program, 2 Meter Sessies. A seventh recording, "Hand in My Pocket," was never released, though it has been aired.
(amg 4/10)

Alanis Morissette [1998] Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

[01] Front Row
[02] Baba
[03] Thank U
[04] Are You Still Mad
[05] Sympathetic Character
[06] That I Would Be Good
[07] The Couch
[08] Can't Not
[09] Ur
[10] I Was Hoping
[11] One
[12] Would Not Come
[13] Unsent
[14] So Pure
[15] Joining You
[16] Heart Of The House
[17] Your Congratulations



amg: While it's not a repudiation of her blockbuster, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is a clear step forward, teeming with ambition and filled with new musical ideas and different sonic textures. Alanis Morissette's voice still sears, but she has more control over her singing, rarely reaching the piercing heights that occasionally made Jagged Little Pill jarring. Also, she has clearly spent some time crafting her lyrics; not only do they never sound like straight diary entries, she no longer is trying to fit too many syllables into a phrase. These two differences are subtle -- the brooding, Eastern-styled music that dominates Supposed is not. There are numerous extensions of the vague hip-hop and pop fusions that made "Hand in Pocket" and "All I Really Want" huge hits ("Front Row," "UR," "Thank U," "So Pure"), but much of the album is devoted to moody ballads and mid-tempo pop, where the textured production functions as a backdrop for Morissette's cryptically introspective lyrics. Far from being alienating, this approach works surprisingly well -- not only do the pop tunes sound catchier, but the ballads, with their winding melodies and dark colors, sound strong and brave. If anything, the record is more coherent album than its predecessor, and even if it isn't as accessible or as compulsively listenable, it's a richer record. That said, it won't win any new fans -- for all of her success, Morissette is a weird acquired taste, due to her idiosyncratic vocals and doggedly convoluted confessionals -- but it certainly confirms that she doesn't quite sound like anyone else, either.
(amg 8/10)

Al Stewart [1998] An Acoustic Evening With Al Stewart

[01] Year Of The Cat
[02] On The Border
[03] Laughing Into 1939
[04] Night Train To Munich
[05] Roads To Moscow
[06] A Small Fruit Song
[07] The Candidate
[08] Intro - The Year Of The Cat



amazon: This album of various acoustic recordings is a mixture of live and studio material spanning Al Stewart's entire career, from 1970 ("A Small Fruit Song") to two songs from his import-only 1995 album "Between The Wars". In between are 2 live songs ("Year Of The Cat" and "On The Border") from "Rhymes In Rooms" and 1 ("Roads To Moscow") from 1981's "Live/Indian Summer". Also included are "The Candidate" from "Russians & Americans", and, finally, the live "Intro/Year Of The Cat", which clocks in at over 9 minutes. The "Intro" is a very nice piano segment that teases with hints of "Year Of The Cat" before finally launching into the song. It sounds like it might have been performed with the same band as on "Indian Summer". The back cover of the CD attributes "Intro/Year Of The Cat" to the album "Russians & Americans". The overall effect of listening to this rather odd compilation is not unlike hearing an unplugged concert.
(amg 4/10)

America [1998] You Can Do Magic

[01] You Can Do Magic
[02] Never Be Lonely
[03] You Girl
[04] Right Before Your Eyes
[05] Inspector Mills
[06] Love On The Vine
[07] Desperate Love
[08] Jody
[09] Sometimes Lovers
[10] Even The Score
[11] Tin Man (Live)
[12] A Horse With No Name (Live)
[13] I Need You (Live)
[14] Sister Golden Hair (Live)
[15] Ventura Highway (Live)
[16] Daisy Jane (Live)



amg: America, the singing and songwriting trio, became one of Soft Rock's biggest success stories during the '70s with hits like 'Tin Man', 'Ventura Highway', 'Sister Golden Hair' and many others. When Dan Peek left the band, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell continued as a duo, signing to Capitol and releasing some of their most focused material. This compilation features a total of 16 tracks from this period including live versions of their big hits listed above. Disky.
(amg 5/10)

All About Eve [1998] Winter Words - Hits & Rarities

[01] Our Summer
[02] Flowers In Our Hair
[03] In The Clouds
[04] Martha's Harbour
[05] Every Angel
[06] Wild Hearted Woman
[07] What Kind Of Fool
[08] Road To Your Soul
[09] Scarlet
[10] December
[11] Farewell Mr. Sorrow
[12] Strangeway
[13] The Dreamer
[14] Paradise
[15] Candy Tree
[16] Drowning
[17] Wild Flowers
[18] Theft
[19] Different Sky



amg: A fairly good compilation, Winter Words features most of the singles that the band released during their short career. While the collection is buyable for the few B-sides thrown in for good measure ("Theft," in particular, is one of the best All About Eve tracks around, and makes this worth having), it's more "hits" than "rarities.".
(amg 8/10)

Ash [1998] Nu-Clear Sounds

[01] Projects
[02] Low Ebb
[03] Jesus Says
[04] Wildsurf
[05] Death Trip 21
[06] Folk Song
[07] Numbskull
[08] Burn Out
[09] Aphrodite
[10] Fortune Teller
[11] I'm Gonna Fall



amg: While Nu-Clear Sounds lacks the immediate appeal of Ash's previous outing, 1977, over the course of repeated listens it emerges as the group's most bracing effort to date; the opening maelstrom of "Projects" immediately sets the tone for the record's snarling approach — while there are a few gorgeously pensive moments, like the aptly titled "Folk Song," it's otherwise the raw, straight-ahead rock album the band always threatened to make. The addition of second guitarist Charlotte Hatherley galvanizes Tim Wheeler's songs, giving them a dimension and scope they previously lacked — Nu-Clear Sounds is above all big and loud, but under its tumultuous surface lies Wheeler's most mature and poignant material yet, from the grippingly elegiac "Low Ebb" to the sweetly romantic "Aphrodite." Subtleties aside, however, Nu-Clear Sounds is first and foremost a rock & roll record, with all of the snotty swagger and attitude that the label implies — at a point in pop history at which old-fashioned noise and bombast were at their most unfashionable, Ash bravely made an album that demands to be heard at maximum volume, and it's a glorious thing to behold.
(amg 9/10)

Aphrodite's Child [1998] Greatest Hits Of Aphrodite's Child

[01] Rain And Tears
[02] End Of The World
[03] Mister Thomas
[04] The Grass Is No Green
[05] Valley Of Sadness
[06] Shepherd Of The Moon
[07] Day Of The Fool
[08] I Want To Live
[09] Let Me Love, Let Me Live
[10] Marie Jolie
[11] It's Five O'Clock
[12] Wake Up
[13] Annabella
[14] Good Time So Fine
[15] Such A Funny Night
[16] Spring, Summer, Winter And Fall
[17] Break
[18] Babylon
[19] The Four Horsemen
[20] Hic Et Nunc



progarchives: This Greek group that spawned two global stars in Demis Roussos and Vangelis (Papathanassiou) produced a fair amount of interesting music during their four years together (1967-71). While the epochal concept double album 666 will be of most interest to the average progger, Greatest Hits does provide a substantial overview of an eclectic band that was capable of dishing out the sublime and the mundane in equal measure.

When one does get past the brilliant Rain and Tears, the rest of Greatest Hits proves a tasty selection of tunes from their three albums End Of The World, It's Five O'Clock and 666, as well the odd single B-side. Highlights include the lovely organ-drenced It's Five O'Clock, (which bears certain similarities to Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade Of Pale), the eerie pscyhedelic pieces The Grass Is No Green and Day Of The Fool, the folky Valley Of Sadness (that's Mediterranean folk, not English folk, by the way!), the distinctly 60s-flavoured rocker Let Me Love, Let Me Live (written and sung by Sideras) and all four pieces from 666, with Babylon and the hypnotic The Four Horsemen standing out.
(progarchives 8/10)

Al DiMeola [1998] The Infinite Desire

[01] Beyond The Mirage
[02] Shaking The Spirits
[03] Vizzini
[04] In My Mother's Eyes (Memory Of Theresa)
[05] The Infinite Desire
[06] Invention Of The Monsters
[07] Istanbul
[08] Azzura
[09] Big Sky Azzura
[10] Race With Devil On Turkish Highway
[11] Valentina
[12] The Infinite Desire



amg: With the help of new generations of guitar synthesizers and samplers, The Infinite Desire finds a mature, lyrical, more expressive Al di Meola casting his lot with Telarc, which until the late '90s had concentrated its attentions upon aging acoustic jazzers. Indeed, he makes marvelously musical use of the new devices, creating sensuous, exotic layers of sound that lie easily upon the ear, without much of the usual harshness of digital instruments generated by those who haven't bothered to master them. "Shaking the Spirits" in particular is a fascinating piece, loaded with dazzling Middle Eastern and African colorations, and the sampled trumpet sound he gets on "Valentina" is astoundingly lifelike. Also, di Meola's playing became more unabashedly fluid in the '90s; on the closest thing to a straight-ahead track, "Invention of the Monsters," di Meola's electric guitar curls intricately and swingingly around the bass of Tom Kennedy, Ernie Adams' drums, and some synthesized brass. Di Meola's co-conspirators change from track to track, although two who figure a lot in the sound and package are keyboardist Rachel Z (a former di Meola sidewoman) and bassist John Patitucci. Also check out Herbie Hancock on acoustic grand and Peter Erskine's drums on "Istanbul," and di Meola's fairly good-natured duel with rock guitarist Steve Vai on "Race with Devil on Turkish Highway.".
(amg 8/10)

Ash [1997] Live At The Wireless

[01] Darkside Lightside
[02] Girl From Mars
[03] Oh Yeah
[04] T. Rex
[05] I'd Give You Anything
[06] Kung Fu
[07] What Deaner Was Talking About
[08] Goldfinger
[09] Petrol
[10] A Clear Invitation To The Dance



amg: A limited-edition, semi-official bootleg released on Ash's own label, Live at the Wireless is a vigorous but curiously unengaging live recording that just misses its full potential. Recorded live in a radio studio during the group's 1996 Australian tour, the record does crackle with energy, but the lack of a studio audience is a mixed blessing. While the sound may be clearer than an audience recording, the lack of interaction with a crowd prevents the album from being truly transcendent. Even so, Ash are a powerful live band and their exuberence is infectious, whether it's on hits like "Girl from Mars," "Goldfinger" and "Kung Fu" or their punked-up cover of Ween's "What the Deener was Talking About." That alone makes Live at the Wireless worth seeking out for dedicated fans.
(amg 6/10)

Arlo Guthrie [1996] Alice's Restaurant - The Massacree Revisited

[01] Alice's Restaurant (The Massacree Revisited)
[02] Chilling Of The Evening
[03] Ring-Around-a-Rosy Rag
[04] Now And Then
[05] I'm Going Home
[06] The Motorcycle Song
[07] Highway In The Wind



amg: At the outset of his second recorded performance of the anti-war shaggy-dog story-song "Alice's Restaurant," Arlo Guthrie notes that 30 years have passed since the events described in the song. That anniversary may serve as a useful touchstone for this only slightly revised retelling, but a more likely explanation for why Guthrie would re-record not only his most famous song, but also his entire first album in soundalike fashion is simply that, unlike most of his records, Alice's Restaurant is still owned by Warner Bros. Records and not by Guthrie's own Rising Son label. The new version of the title song has a few new jokes in it (it's even longer than the original), and Guthrie faithfully re-creates such songs as "Ring-Around-A-Rosy Rag" and "The Motorcycle Song," but the original album is still the one to own.
(amg 8/10)

Alvin Lee [1996A] Live In Vienna

[01] Keep On Rockin'
[02] Long Legs
[03] I Hear You Knockin'
[04] Hear Me Calling
[05] Love Like A Man
[06] Johnny B. Goode
[07] I Don't Give A Damn
[08] Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
[09] Skooboly Oobly Doobob
[10] Help Me Baby
[11] Classical Thing
[12] Going Home
[13] Rip It Up



amazon: This live CD features songs from Alvin Lee's "Nineteen Ninety Four" CD as well songs from his Ten Years After days such as "Love Like A Man", "I'm Going Home", etc. The version of "I'm Going Home" is one of the hottest you can ever hear, with Alvin Lee throwing in new guitar licks from Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock". Songs such as "Keep On Rockin", "I Don't Give A Damn" and the Dave Edmunds 70's hit "I Hear You Knockin", and his version of "Johnny B. Goode" absolutely smoke. The sound quality is superb, brings out that "Live" audience feel. Great CD for those who appreciate a true showman and fantastic guitarist!
(amg 4/10)

Auteurs [1996] After Murder Park

[01] Light Aircraft On Fire
[02] Child Brides
[03] Land Lovers
[04] New Brat In Town
[05] Everything You Say Will Destroy You
[06] Unsolved Child Murder
[07] Married To A Lazy Lover
[08] Buddha
[09] Tombstone
[10] Fear Of Flying
[11] Dead Sea Navigators
[12] After Murder Park



amg: The pairing of two curmudgeons like Luke Haines and Steve Albini in a studio seems like a marriage made in heaven to some, and the very thought triggers an instant headache to others. The Auteurs are unlike the typical downtrodden U.S. indie bands Albini works with, but they nonetheless walked out of Abbey Road Studios with their nastiest-sounding record. That's probably what Haines wanted, and that's what he got. Grittier guitars and sharper drums don't get in the way of the more intricate arrangements that involve strings and a dash of horn every now and then. First single "Light Aircraft on Fire" is probably the most feisty Haines song yet, kicking down the doors with the opening line, "When you cut your lover's slack, you'll get a f*cking monster back." Haines' guitar lines sparkle during the chorus but dig like claws during the verses. Ace utility man James Banbury, in his usual Auteurs role as secret weapon, contributes threatening organ swells during the seething "New Brat in Town." After Murder Park serves the usual combo platter of growlers and barbed lullabies, but Haines definitely sounds more embittered than usual, quite possibly the result of watching too many of Albini's wildlife videos. He paints plenty of "sucks to be you" scenarios with sneering flair, exposing the corrupted side of humanity just as well as his engineer when he's on the other side of the glass. Not many fates could be worse than having Haines write a song with you as the subject, but listening to him air his insightful dirty laundry is an entirely unique experience. Pretentious and snotty as Haines might be, he's one of the sharpest tools in the shed.
(amg 8/10)

Ash [1996] 1977

[01] Lose Control
[02] Goldfinger
[03] Girl From Mars
[04] I'd Give You Anything
[05] Gone The Dream
[06] Kung Fu
[07] Oh Yeah
[08] Let It Flow
[09] Innocent Smile
[10] Angel Interceptor
[11] Lost In You
[12] Darkside Lightside



amg: Two-thirds of Ash were born in 1977, which means that their latter-day punk-pop isn't very Catholic. Instead of sticking to the rigid rules of American punk-pop — which means you can't stretch the song past three minutes — Ash take a cinematic approach to their songs, throwing in elements of power pop, glam, post-Nirvana grunge, and post-Oasis rock. It's a melting pot of pop styles, basically because the members of the band are so young, they haven't conformed to the standards of the indie and punk subcultures. Sure, Ash still use loud guitars — they're all over 1977 — but they create a distinctive, melodic, and energetic sound that's equal parts heavy grunge and light pop. And while they may indulge in jamming a bit too much, they remain a pop band at heart, capable of turning out epic guitar pop like "Goldfinger," punk-pop like "Kung Fu," and the lovely but loud "Girl from Mars" with equal flair.
(amg 9/10)

Al Jarreau [1996] Best Of Al Jarreau

[01] Compared To What
[02] Goodhands Tonight
[03] Agua De Beber
[04] Take Five
[05] Spain (I Can Recall)
[06] Never Givin' Up
[07] Roof Garden
[08] We're In This Love Together
[09] Mornin'
[10] Boogie Down
[11] Moonlighting
[12] Since I Fell For You
[13] After All
[14] So Good
[15] Heaven And Earth
[16] Like A Lover



amg: This is one intelligently programmed greatest-hits album, for after leading with two fine, new 1996 tracks, "Compared to What" and "Goodhands Tonight," the CD actually becomes a cogent chronological account of Jarreau's 20 years with the label — and a most revealing one at that. Early Latin-flavored tracks from the mid-'70s, like "Agua de Beber," "Take Five," and "Spain," reveal a unique jazz voice with extraordinary rhythmic flexibility and an angular, scattershot, unpredictable approach to a tune that must have been as startling to audiences as Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were when they broke through. With "Never Givin' Up" and "Roof Garden," the transition away from jazz begins. By the time we reach the feel-good hit "Mornin'," the productions have become more intricate, polished, and comfortable, suitable either for dancing or making out, with little room for the old vocal spontaneity. And things go downhill from there. Curiously, one of Jarreau's best crossover albums, L Is for Lover, is ignored, but guest appearances on Bob James/David Sanborn's Double Vision ("Since I Fell for You") and Symphonic Bossa (a surprisingly lethargic "Like a Lover"), plus the saccharine theme from Moonlighting, are included. Jazz listeners who feel that Jarreau's talents had been gradually eroded by avarice in the record industry can present this program as Exhibit A, but at the same time, it serves as a good introduction for the newcomer and a fine refresher course for the faithful
(amg 9/10)

Alanis Morissette [1995] Jagged Little Pill

[01] All I Really Want
[02] You Oughta Know
[03] Perfect
[04] Hand In My Pocket
[05] Right Through You
[06] Forgiven
[07] You Learn
[08] Head Over Feet
[09] Mary Jane
[10] Ironic
[11] Not the Doctor
[12] Wake up
[13] You Oughta Know (Alternate Version)



amg: It's remarkable that Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill struck a sympathetic chord with millions of listeners, because it's so doggedly, determinedly insular. This, after all, plays like an emotional purging, prompted by a bitter relationship — and, according to all the lyrical hints, that's likely a record executive who took advantage of a young Alanis. She never disguises her outright rage and disgust, whether it's the vengeful wrath of "You Oughta Know" or asking him "you scan the credits for your name and wonder why it's not there." This is such insider information that it's hard to believe that millions of listeners not just bought it, but embraced it, turning Alanis Morisette into a mid-'90s phenomenon. Perhaps it was the individuality that made it appealing, since its specificity lent it genuineness — and, even if this is clearly an attempt to embrace the "women in rock" movement in alterna-rock, Morissette's intentions are genuine. Often, it seems like Glen Ballard's pop inclinations fight against Alanis' exorcisms, as her bitter diary entries are given a pop gloss that gives them entry to the pop charts. What's all the more remarkable is that Alanis isn't a particularly good singer, stretching the limits of pitch and credibility with her octave-skipping caterwauling. At its core, this is the work of an ambitious but sophomoric 19-year-old, once burned by love, but still willing to open her heart a second time. All of this adds up to a record that's surprisingly effective, an utterly fascinating exploration of a young woman's psyche. As slick as the music is, the lyrics are unvarnished and Morissette unflinchingly explores emotions so common, most people would be ashamed to articulate them. This doesn't make Jagged Little Pill great, but it does make it a fascinating record, a phenomenon that's intensely personal.
(amg 9/10)

Alison Moyet [1995] Singles

[01] The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
[02] Only You
[03] Nobody's Diary
[04] Situation
[05] Love Resurrection
[06] All Cried Out
[07] Invisible
[08] That Ole Devil Called Love
[09] Is This Love
[10] Weak In The Presence Of Beauty
[11] Ordinary Girl
[12] Love Letters
[13] It Won't Be Long
[14] Wishin' You Were Here
[15] This House
[16] Falling
[17] Whispering Your Name
[18] Getting Into Something
[19] Ode To Boy II
[20] Solid Wood



amg: Alison Moyet had over a decade of international success behind her, first with Vince Clarke in Yaz and then solo, and her Singles set served as a timely retrospective upon its 1995 release. The selection of tracks is balanced evenly and arranged chronologically (save for the inclusion of the unreleased cover of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" that kicks things off), opening with three Yaz cuts, including the classic "Only You" and the dramatic "Winter Kills." Numbering among the highlights of this strong compilation are the gorgeous blue-eyed soul of "Invisible" (her biggest U.S. hit), the buoyant "Is This Love?," and the aching "This House." Singles deftly mixes originals and covers (Moyet's canny take on Jules Shear's "Whispering Your Name" is another standout), and the four unreleased tracks will delight fans. With most of her hits present, this serves as a definitive and nearly flawless gathering of the best of Moyet's classy catalog.
(amg 9/10)

Alanis Morissette [1995] Hand In My Pocket

[01] Hand In My Pocket
[02] Head Over Feet (Live Acoustic)
[03] Not The Doctor (Live Acoustic)



wiki: "Hand in My Pocket" is a song written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, and produced by Ballard for Morissette's third album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was released as the album's second single in 1995 and became Morissette's second number-one hit on Billboard's U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Hand in My Pocket" also received substantial airplay on pop radio, reaching the top five on the Top 40 Mainstream chart, but its success in the United Kingdom was limited.

The chorus of "Hand in My Pocket" utilized a poetry technique, "rhyme juxtaposition" (utilized by authors such as Lewis Carroll and musicians such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon), as its primary lyrical structure, as exemplified by the off-set coupling of the first and second stanzas of each chorus. In the first chorus for example, "fine, fine, fine" is coupled with "a high five", when it should, according to traditional rhyming schemes, be instead set against the "a peace sign" which closes the third chorus, and which is in turn, coupled with a first line ending with the phrase, "a cigarette", which is a clear rhyme with the end of the second chorus: "out just yet". While Morissette does not carry the scheme consistently throughout the song (there are, for instance, no rhymes for "hailing a taxicab" or "playing the piano"), it is, nonetheless, a fairly sophisticated literary device.
(amg 5/10)