Alanis Morissette, The collection
If past greatest hits albums (yes, The Collection is just a mature, slightly more original and ‘arty’ way of calling it that) are anything to go by, then this may be dear old Alanis’ last offering to her fan base of organic juice bar goers and psychic excavators. Think ‘The Best of’ for the Corrs, Savage Garden, Enya and, erm, Steps for proof. All of these gems are unarguably best left in the ’90s, and ‘The Collection’ makes you wonder if the same will soon be said of Morissette.
Alongside peculiar track choices, which one can only assume to be the singer/song-writer’s personal favourites, such as the hilarious Let’s do it, Let’s Fall in Love, which cries out for Andrew Lloyd Webber-style jazz hands to accompany the excitable trombones, are formally released singles such as Hand in My Pocket, You Oughta Know and Ironic. Incidently, the lyrics to this are still not remotely ironic (“An old man, turned 98, won the lottery, and died the next day”). The 18 track album covers the full spectrum of Alanis’ decade long career. In doing so, we see that sadly, the guts, kinkiness and growlings about giving head in cinemas of her early hits are no more.
As well as satisfying her already humungous fan base with these well established hits, Alanis also seems to want to expand it. One can only guess it is the hearts of discotheques worldwide she aims to capture as she works her (synth-soaked and somewhat unconvincing) groove in a cover of Seal’s Crazy. Meanwhile, Uninvited taps into a more Middle Eastern vibe. Sadly however, the bizarre whirrings and bell chinkings are too deeply concerning to be mind-elevating.
Time has replaced this brash, perverse ’90s feminism with self-indulgent confessional poetry (Hands Clean) and non-fascinating analyses of her past relationships (Uninvited). If however, you are an unconditional Alanis fan who is in need of a nostalgic sing-along to the best and worst that the Canadian has to offer, then The Collection is for you.
Reviewed by Camille Augarde
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