LeahAndMark.com

So, I am a fairly hardcore Alanis Morissette fan.  Back in June of 1995, when I was 13-going-on-14, I heard “You Oughta Know” on the radio.  I had few real experiences of the world, but I was entering an intense phase of self-reflection and a growing awareness of the world outside my microcosm.  This was back when I was shy and quiet, unsure of myself and feeling like a total weirdo because it seemed like everyone around me knew how to interact with people and I just sat there and thought these really intense thoughts and read way too many books and longed for some drama and excitement in my life.

And then I hear this song on the radio, and it’s not like the soft rock my parents would listen to, or the dumb pop songs the girls at school liked, or the depressing grunge rock that I sort-of enjoyed but didn’t relate to… no, this was pure, raw emotion… it was sadness and rage and it made me sit up and listen.  This was back when curse words weren’t as common.  And that little, bleeped-out, F-word was dangerous and powerful to a young girl who knew she wasn’t supposed to say words like that.  The unapologetic expression of emotion was a new thing for me, too, especially at a time when my emotions were all over the place and had few ways out of my overstuffed head.  Alanis had guts.  She displayed a sense of courage I desperately longed for, yet didn’t know how to acquire.

I became totally addicted to that song.  And as Alanis’ album began racing up the charts, and single after single was played on the radio, I subsequently fell in love with all the other songs, as well.  I begged my parents to let me get the Jagged Little Pill CD.  They weren’t so sure.  But finally, that Christmas, Santa came through, and for the next probably two years I listened to that CD at least twice per day.  To this day, I can remember every lyric, every beat, every pause.

I’ve loved every album of hers since, even though they didn’t receive anywhere near the acclaim and radio play of her debut.  I’ve seen her in concert at least 9 times.  I still have a box of carefully-clipped magazine articles, photos, and ticket stubs that once wallpapered half of my bedroom.  But I didn’t listen to her latest album that much.  I’ve been busy.  I’m not in a car all that often.  Mark plays lots of other good music at home.  But when we went to see Alanis on Wed. night, it reawakened my deep appreciation of her music.  Watching her whirl across the stage, belting out lyrics that are beautifully honest and so familiar to me, I remembered why I fell in love with her music in the first place.  So the albums are coming out again.  Especially Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which I was thrilled she played a good number of songs from on Wednesday.  It runs the gamut of emotions and issues, and it’s tied with JLP as my favorite album of hers.