Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie re-appraisal time

[Homes Place]

So do we like this album or not?

I dug it out yesterday for the first time in aeons and my opinion was decidedly mixed.

Track by Track:

Front row - This must have put off about 90% of the JLP listeners straight away. A essay which doesn't really say much over a weak backing track. Bollox start 2/10

Baba - Love the oomph behind it but this over simplistic attack on spirituality doesn't cut it me. And the ave maria ending is a bit out of her depth 5/10

Thank U - First and only successful single of it. Nice tune but again a random shopping list of lyrics which don't really say much at all. 5/10

Are you still Mad - the tunes she wrote without Glen Ballard's help stick out like a sore thumb. This is whiny and smug and just plain a bad track 1/10

Sympathetic Character - another thesauras like track. A few marks added for the fierceness of the guitars but overall a bit meh 4/10

That I Would Be Good - finally a decent track :shock: - a touching ode to vulnerability which really is moving and all that. Like the flute ending too. 9/10

The Couch - I love the backing of this - especially as it gets more layered in some of the later verses but the lyrics are the usual overlong, therapy hogwash 7/10

Can't Not - She tries to be clever with a double negative over another meaningless lyrical mess. There is a bit which reminds me of Tori's 'She's Your Cocaine' bridge but it's an unsuccessful rip off 2/10

UR - now I like this muchly. An ode to a brave young woman moving on in life over a nice guitar song where her trademark harmonica complements it well. 8/10

I Was Hoping - gosh she sounds hypercritical and anal in this one and it would certainly put me off having discussions with her. And the tune is nothing to speak off - just an endless rant with a weak one line shouty chorus. 3/10

One - this one is very different to the rest. A conventional ballad - can't say I love it but far from the worse here and the lyrics do make a point - kind of. 6/10

Would Not Come - a list one that works for me, showing that it doesn't matter what you do, you need to find your nirvana or whatever from in. Real kick ass rocky chorus too. 9/10

Unsent - I should hate this but it works well. Kind of touching and different to have her odes to her boyfriends over a nice gentle guitar background. And I love the harmonica ending 8/10

So Pure - dreadful pretentious lyrics 'freestyle in trance anyone' clog up a catchy but not very Alanisy chorus. Still it's the shortest on the album if that's any blessing. 1/10

Joining U - my favourite on this album. Great storming tune with passion and drama all over the place. Again the message here is simple and strong. 10/10

Heart of the House - nice and wistful tune in places but the overly feminine/Lillith fair type lyrics are tiring 7/10

Your Congratulations - well you're not getting any for this hideous hideous track, Alanis. The real nadir of the album. 0/10

[Halli]

Oh I remember I used to love 'So Pure'

[The Anti-Dubs]

I agree with you on "I Was Hoping" (4/10) - she sounds like an utter nuisance to be with.
You're also right about the gorgerous flute ending to "That I Would Be Good" (9/10) , makes the entire song, and proves she doesn't have to be all shouty-shouty angry-angry.
And as you said, "One" (7/10) doesn't really stick too much, pleasant and everything but...

"The Couch" (8/10) does have a nice backing track, but the lyrics do give me a headache - I can't figure out who she's supposed to be singing to (the therapist? Or another patient? - does it change halfway through or something?)

"Your Congratulations" (2/10) and "Heart Of The House" (1/10) both make me cringe - I just don't think her voice suits these sorts of tracks, a bit too much wailing, which I don't think was the intended sound.

"Joining You" (9/10) is probably one of her simplest songs here - no attempts to be clever, no attempts to fit a whole book's worth of words into five seconds. Nice.

"UR" (6/10) is an odd one - she actually sounds happy for a change, not vengeful, not mournful. It can be a bit too light and fluffy compared to the rest of the ablbum though.

"Can't Not" (5/10) does try to be too clever yeah, but my problem with it is just that it sounds a bit ugly. It's the same reason I dislike "Would Not Come" (4/10) , it sounds like a complete and utter mess, none of the sections seem to fit together, and even her voice sounds a bit out-of-tune to me.
"Front Row" (8/10) is also messy, but for some strange reason when she comes in with the "I'm in the front rwo, the front row, with popcorn", there's something about I love. Probably it's pure joy at being to decipher the lyrics, which is impossible during the rest of the track.

"Thank U" (10/10) was the most obvious choice for a single - there is something about the backing track that will give you goosebumps, even if the lyrics are a load of nonsense.

As you said "Unsent" (10/10) works nicely - a cute but clever little idea behind it. And the video works with it perfectly. Probably the most gorgeous song on the whole album. Nice and gently does it, not what you'd expect from her (especially the Marco and Jonathan parts - you'd have expected her to get into her angry, vengeful mood for them).

The ones I disagree with you on include "So Pure" (9/10) - it's nice to see Alanis stop trying to be artistic and clever with this one, and just have fun. Also "Are You Still Mad" (9/10) - she sounds like a proper little banshee on this, and it makes it rather fun.

The worst tracks for me are "Baba" (0/10) and "Sympathetic Character" (1/10) . I know the lyrics were supposed to be about worthy issues and all that, but whilst she was writing them, she clearly forgot all about including a melody.


I did all this in a random order, but hey-ho.

[ameraal]

i used to think this was my favourite alanis record, mostly because some of her best tracks, in my estimation, are on it
and then some of her absolute worse
it's very hit and miss

02 Front row - i agree, absolute shit, i do like the "i know he's blood, but you cans till tunr him away" bit...

04 Baba - promising, yet lacking

10 Thank U - now i LOVE thank u, i didn't think much of it back then and i still think the lyrics are rather daft (transparent dangling carrots?), but there's something releasing about this song, truly

03 Are you still Mad - yawn

02 Sympathetic Character - sister, mother, lover, bugger

04 That I Would Be Good - i know this one's popular, and i can only explain it to myself with the low quality of the previous tracks, cause this one is a JLP track without the punch

09 The Couch - now i like this muchly, pretentious no doubt, but it's got a wonderful flow going on musically and lyrcially

10 Can't Not - one of the high points for me, i love the beat, i love the genuine emotion that comes across in the song, i just FEEL it

04 UR - catchy, but bland

10 I Was Hoping - she does sound hypercritical and anal, but i find that appealing rather than off-putting, i think most hyper(self)analytical are that way, i mean the whole conversation is really going in her head, it's a perpetual argument with youself
there's a live version of this one, which i seem to remember was really good, of course, i might, once again, be very wrong

03 One - ugh

07 Would Not Come - i like this one, nothing specail, but ok

02 Unsent - DEEEEAR someone

08 So Pure - freestyle in trance is possibly the worst lyric ever, the song is enjoyable alanis-back-to-her-pop-roots

10 Joining U - my top track here as well, another one which genuinely manages to get its emotion across. it always consoles me in some kind of existential way, it does

07 Heart of the House - pleasant enough

01 Your Congratulations - mostly a "make it stop" kind of song

patchy would be MILDLY put


does anyone have a non-album version of these excuses, it's executed in a ballad fashion and i really loved that one

[Joseph]

I love That I Would Be Good

[Loufoque]

That I Would Be Good is a fave ever since it was used to touching effect in an episode of popular teen drama Dawson's Creek. I know I shed a tear.

[Joseph]

I think I like it a little less now

[Whatevar]

10 I Was Hoping -

there's a live version of this one, which i seem to remember was really good, of course, i might, once again, be very wrong

Yep, it's on the Unplugged CD, and it's sounds absolutely beautiful in its acoustic arrangement, like all of the songs on that album. GET IT!

[Diddy]

I really like it .. most of it IS pretentious psychobabble but I'm somehow very forgiving . Maybe it's one of those nostalgia things, I got this when I just started 6th form, and got my first job *memories*

[Whatevar]

I agree, I love nearly every track, it has so many memories for me.

The only ones I don't really like are Baba and the verses of Sympathetic Character

[VoR]

It's my favourite Alanis album by some distance, and in my top ten albums of all time. I'd reccomend people who don't already have it buy Alanis Unplugged. She basically forgoes a lot of the hits and instead focusses on SFIJ, with some breathtaking results. The unplugged version of "I Was Hoping" is my favourite Alanis song ever.

Anyway...

Front Row: Yeah this is really quite irritating. The first two tracks of this album are the only two I haven't bothered to rip to my Mp3 player. 3/10

Baba: Worst song on the album IMO. I just don't like it. Rubbish lyrics, no tune, shouty vocals. 2/10

Thank U: I love this. So well produced and a great sign of growth from Jagged Little Pill. Sophisticated yet instantly memorable. A shame she's failed to reach such heights on future albums. 10/10

Are You Still Mad: I can see how this is a little smug, but I do really like it, especially that caustic ending "Of course you are, of COURSE you are". 8/10

Sympathetic Character: Not something I go back to much but it is very good, especially the end, which is just bansheetastic. 7/10

That I Would Be Good: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Just flat out beautiful. GREAT on Unplugged too. 10/10

The Couch: This is where the album gets REALLY interesting. Wordy madness. You'll either love it or hate it. Personally I love it. A Fascinating tale. 9/10

Can't Not: I like the chorus, but this one isn't anything amazing. 7/10

UR: Sweet, but I find it ever so slightly bland. I still like it though. 7/10

I Was Hoping: Brilliant. Could be twice its already substantial length and still be fascinating. I really think this is the absolute peak of her unusual songwriting powers. The live version is an absolute revalation, the desperation and menace she injects into the chorus is breathtaking. 11/10

One: Now I really like this one. Love the lyrics, and the sparsity of the chorus. 8/10

Would Not Come: Fabulous evil laugh at the beginning! I like the way this one sounds slightly brittle and unhinged. A fascinating piece of prime disillusionment. 9/10

Unsent: Another all-time favourite of mine. It should be the height of self indulgence, and in many ways it is, but there's something so irresistibly sweet about the whole thing. I don't even have one past boyfriend, let alone five, and i still somehow feel i relate. This starts what I like to think of as the third "act" of this album. One of her very best videos too. 10/10

So Pure: Pure lightweight, and as a result a little out of place. Silly lyrics too. Good chorus (Musically) lifts it. 6/10

Joining You: And my third all-time favourite song. (As you can see, I have a LOT of regard for this album. It's just amazing. That chorus. I SO wish there'd been a video. Not that it screamed "hit", but putting it out here with so little to carry it is just bizarre. It could have been something VERY special. This is the most killer chorus of the album. 10/10

Heart Of The House: Really lovely. I adore it. Very pretty. In the right mood this one makes me a bit misty. Apart from that CRINGEWORTHY "Tinkerbell tendancies" thing, which I just have to pretend isn't there. Other than that this is as beautiful a song as Alanis has ever done. That "Where did you get that from? Must have been your father, your dad, I got it from you, I got it from you" bit sends shivers down my spine. 10/10

Your Congratulations: Rubbish 3/10

[Blake]

I love this album to death! There's some songs on here which are my all time favourites but then there a few here that I think are Alanis' worst. This album took such a long time to grow on me, it's such a huge step away from JLP.


I think my personal favourite on this album is 'That I Would Be Good'.

08 'Front Row' : I don't know why it's unpopular on here, I quite like it.
03 'Baba' : Never really got the appeal of this song. Awful. One of her worst
10 'Thank U' : Brilliant choice for lead single. Amazing video. Brilliant.
04 'Are You Still Mad' : Urgh
05 'Sympathetic Character' : Another lowpoint. Did she have this on 'The Collection'?
10 'That I Would Be Good' : Amazing. Beautiful. Brilliant.
10 'The Couch' : Another great song. The structure is brilliant
05 'Can't Not' : Not keen. Would love to hear the JLP version of this song
09 'UR' : Great song. Nice and simple.
10 'I Was Hoping' : Another great track. And I love the Unplugged version too
08 'One' : A nice little song. Nother spectacular but likeable
06 'Would Not Come' : "I'd have an orgasm and still would not come"
10 'Unsent' : I love this song. Not keen on the video though.
08 'So Pure' : Loses points for 'Freestyle In Trance' but the video is brilliant. Y'know that dancing one!
10 'Joining You' : Ace. Agreed shame about being no video but I think the original concept of the video was Alanis playing Basketball. I would've preffered a more 'dramatic' video instead.
06 'Heart Of The House' : Okayish, not fussed with this
01 'Your Congratulations' : Oh Piss Off....


Other SFIJ Songs that need a mention:

07 'Pollyanna Flower' : B-Side to Thank U. Great song. "Between Fuck you to you face and it's alright". Better than some of the album.

10 'No Pressure Over Cappucino' : Wasn't this about her gay brother? I love this song I think lyrically its great and anyone notice the ending's simmilar to 'Excuses'.

10 'Princes Familliar' : One of the poppier tracks from the SFIJ era. Nice

08 'These Are The Thoughts' : Nice enough.

[Whatevar]

I think "No Pressure Over Cappuccino" from the Unplugged CD is probably my favourite out of everything she's ever done. Is there a studio version of this then?

[Madison]

She tries to be clever with a double negative

There's nothing clever about double negatives.

[The Anti-Dubs]

Princes Familiar was lovely aswell, and I agree the Unplugged version of I Was Hoping is much better than the SFIJ version.

Blake; I don't think Sympatheitc Character made it onto the Collection - as far as I remember the only ones from SFIJ that did were Thank U and That I Would Be Good.

[Homes Place]

The title of 'No Pressure Over Cappucino' makes me never want to listen to it EVER.

[ameraal]

it sounds hideous, truly

[Whatevar]

It's NOT! As far as I know it features no lyrics to do with cappuccino whatsoever! In fact, FUCK KNOWS what that title is all about...

[Diddy]

So are No Pressure over Cappuccino, Princes Familiar and These are the thoughts proper SFIJ B-sides or something?
Or are they just unplugged CD exclusives?

ooh im feeling all ALANIS now, will put her on after I'm done with No Doubt

[ameraal]

i have these are the thoughts on the joining you single
can't say i've played it more then once

[Loufoque]

I like individual songs from this album, but the thought of listening to the album from start to end gives me the WILLIES

[Suedehead]

So I'm the only person that loves "Front Row". Oh well.

[The Anti-Dubs]

So I'm the only person that loves "Front Row". Oh well.

I enjoy it, even though I shouldn't.

[Diddy]

So I'm the only person that loves "Front Row". Oh well.

I think its pretty good, I think that opening line for the album is pretty much scorched into my brain forever too