Rated Alanis.

After a 6 day working week I am finally reconstituting my self. Post 10 hour non-stop sleepathon, I arose with an urge (cheeky) to listen to some Alanis Morissette. I love this woman. I've been interested in her music for about 6 years now and I can't name one track she's recorded which doesn't please me in some way. Hence I am about to give you the low down on 10 succulent morsels of Morissette to sink your pearly whites into. Yum.

The 10 ESSENTIAL Morissette tracks - by me, an obsessive.

1] 'Ironic' from Jagged Little Pill - Right so this song was about as predictable as a hooker in Harlem. However, it is one of the ultimate songs of this feminist rock powerhouse. It may not actually be ironic (maybe that's the point?) but it has one of the most memorable choruses of any song I've ever encountered. Seeing her perform this live was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. It's her most successful single and remains the song which will see her remembered through the ages to come. Amazing.

2] '21 Things I Want In a Lover' from Under Rug Swept - "Do you have a big intellectual capacity? Do you see everything as an illusion? Are you both masculine and feminine?" Alanis lists, you guessed it, 21 things she wants in a lover. The song is the most rocky from this album which sees her sounds relax to an extent, moving away from the bitter undertones of her debut and Supposed Infatuation Junkie. It's one of my favourites simply because it's completely relatable. Anyone who hears this will identify one 'thing' they agree with ol' Alanis on. Definitely in my top 10 songs of all time. LOVE.

3] 'Incomplete' from Flavours of Entanglement - From her newest collection of songs, 'Incomplete' sees Alanis reflect on the wants of youth and the subsequent loss of these wants that come with age. She sings about missing the feeling of being incomplete and the desire for constant change that she felt as a youngster. It's quite bouncy for an Alanis song and the melody takes the edge off what would other wise have been interpretable as a fairly negative song.

4] 'Versions of Violence' from Flavours of Entanglement - I don't have a reason for putting this here other than the fact that I love how it sounds. It's so dark and brash, and to boot it has a killer chorus build up and huge hook. Definitely one of my favourites of the latest album.

5] 'Joining You' from Supposed Infatuation Junkie - Only recently coming across this track (because I didn't listen to Supposed in its entirety for years) I regret not having noticed it before. It's about suicide and it's wonderful. You might not agree before hearing it, but it is amazing. Trust me. SO catchy.

6] 'Thank U' from Supposed Infatuation Junkie - A classic. I needn't say anything else about it.

7] 'Forgiven' from Jagged Little Pill - It's about faith and about WHY we bother having it? Alanis says it's because we need faith. She gave up her faith but found it again, can she be forgiven for her misdemeanours? I'm not a man of God, not at all, but this song is my favourite Alanis song. I love the way she talks about the manipulative nature of the Church and organised religion. It's superb. Listen to it, now!

8] 'Mary Jane'  from Jagged Little Pill - "What's the matter Mary Jane? Had a hard day? Place the don't disturb sign on the door." Alanis addresses a friend (I think) and her apparent depression. Mary Jane has been pandering too much to the needs of others and neglecting herself. Leave to Alanis to sing her into motivation. The song is beautiful, melodic and has a lot of emotion packed into it. It's a keeper.

9] 'Sister Blister' from Feast on Scraps -  A song about female unity against men, by Alanis Morissette? Never. This metal fused ballad about the way women fall over themselves to gain male acceptance, at the cost of bonds with their 'sisters' is effective, memorable and packs one big punch in the throat. 

10] 'You Oughta Know' from Jagged Little Pill - It had to appear somewhere, but I thought leaving it till last would be more effective. It's recently been covered by Britney Spears on her Circus tour and more notably by Beyonce who spliced it with 'If I Were a Boy' for her tour and her grammy performance. It's one of angriest, most memorable songs Alanis has ever written and it's the most globally applicable songs out there. Anyone can identify with this (from a certain age) and it is undeniably one of the greatest songs ever recorded (argued by me of course). From a fantastic album, a fantastic revenge song.