Pros: Intensely personal lyrics; yet I relate to most of them... odd...
Cons: Music is canned at times; a few unsavory lyrics and underdeveloped song ideas.
The Bottom Line: She's still whiny and wordy, but this is probably the most stable condition in which we've ever seen Alanis. She has certainly grown up a bit.
divad23's Full Review: Under Rug Swept by Alanis Morissette
Not that I like to resurrect old ghosts or anything, but I have to admit - Alanis Morissette tends to remind me of an ex-girlfriend of mine. Now, that's not an insult to my ex or to Alanis - it's just that the ex in question really liked Alanis. Or, more appropriately, she liked her breakthrough rock album, Jagged Little Pill. But then, how many women in the mid-to-late 90's didn't like that album?
Anyone... anyone...
Yeah, that's what I thought. Alanis was clearly ticked off at men when she recorded that album. Perhaps rightfully so - it seems she's been in her share of not-so-healthy relationships. And I had to admit, the fact that my ex liked that CD so much, and would sing every word of it at the top of her lungs while I was in the car (including the dreaded f-word in "You Oughta Know" despite my objections) made me feel just a bit insecure. Yeah, I'll admit it. I felt threatened by the woman with the screechy voice. It was really kind of silly of me - my ex had more brains than to take her cue from Alanis on how to treat men. But then, I was always more obsessed with the lyrics of any given song than she was.
Anyway, as Alanis would say these days, "we'll flash forward to a few years later". Ex-girlfriend is out of the picture, someone new is in my life, and all is well in my world. So why in the heck would I be listening to Alanis now? Well, between the mid-90's and now, the world saw a different facet of Ms. Morissette. Suddenly, the infamous man-hater showed us that she had many different sides to her personality. She showed us she was capable of growing up and setting aside the bitterness. These new facets of Alanis were documented in the odd follow-up album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. I can't say that most fans of her first album really bothered to understand SFIJ, its ambitious 17 tracks spanning a number of different musical styles and exchanging most of the bitterness for a good amount of psuedo-spiritual psychobabble. Heck, I don't think my ex even bothered to ever buy the album. For better or for worse, the public eye wasn't as intensely focused on Alanis. I think a lot of us just plain forgot about her, figuring her extended 15 minutes were up. But then she came back around and hit us with Under Rug Swept in 2002. And I was too curious to pass this one up.
The thing that has always drawn me to Alanis - even in spite of myself when I didn't like her - is that she's fun to psychoanalyze. Even in her most bitter and accusatory state, there's a real life story underpinning her songwriting. To quote Weird Al - "It's like a train wreck, don't wanna stare but you can't look away." But thankfully, Alanis's songs are no longer about how many ways she's been screwed over by men or by society in general. Sure, she's still aware of the ways she's been hurt in the past. But what makes Under Rug Swept a smoother pill to swallow is that she seems to be much more in touch with her own failings. This woman has obviously undergone a fair amount of therapy, and even if it means her songs are still a bit bogged down with idealistic psychobabble, I think the album is a fine snapshot of a woman discovering quite a bit about herself, to say nothing of the people who have hurt her.
Musically speaking, Under Rug Swept marks Alanis's return to a more accessible sound. While I always applaud experimentation, I'll admit that SFIJ's reach extended its grasp. The new sound definitely means more radio success for Alanis, and sure it's more "pop" than either of her past albums, but you know, I don't mind that so much when there's a lot going on lyrically. Many of the tunes are just as catchy as the ones on JLP, albeit much less abrasive. Even when she slips into bitter mode on a few tracks, it's more of a subtle jabbing than a vicious lashing out. I can identify with Alanis. The past is the past, but certain ghosts still haunt me from time to time, and she and I seem to share certain faults that stick out like a sore thumb. But hey, at least she's honest about 'em.
21 Things I Want in a Lover
Alanis sure knows how to kick off an album in fine form! Here she presents us with a surprisingly confident, guitar-slashing pop/rock confection - basically a personal ad in song format. For anyone out there who's ever written down a list of attractive qualities they look for in a potential boyfriend/girlfriend, this one's for you. And that's not to say you're going to agree with all of Alanis's desires - but I have to admit, many of them hit close to home with what I'm looking for. That's not to say that Alanis and I would make an ideal match (and besides, I'd prefer to not have to a duel to the death with flamepillar over her anyway). But I have to smile and nod in agreement when she asks for someone who can be "both masculine and feminine", who has "a big intellectual capacity, but know(s) that it alone does not equate wisdom". This is no superficial list, my friends! Not once does she mention physical appearance - and now that I think about it, she never mentions that the person even has to be male! I won't speculate as to why, but hey, it makes it easier for me to sing along that way. I know some of my usual readers might be displeased by the line "Are you uninhibited in bed, more than three times a week, up for being experimental?", but I always get a chuckle out of it. (Come on, it's a fair request!) On the musical side, the song is mostly driven by a guitar riff and programmed drums, just like the majority of the songs on JLP, though the chorus here is more breezy and relaxed, steering the song away from her old "whiney woman" mode. I love that Alanis takes the time during the song's bridge to assert that "I'm in no rush 'cause I like being solo" - that and the line "Not necessarily needs, but qualities that I prefer" help assure that she's got her feet on the ground and she's content to wait instead of settling for another unhealthy relationship. Just in case anyone was keeping count, wondering why she had only listed 20 characteristics by the time she got to the final chorus, she does manage to slip the last one in right before the song abruptly cuts off. I love those sorts of surprise endings.
Do you derive joy from diving in
And seeing that loving someone can actually feel like freedom?
Are you funny, a la self deprecating?
Like adventure and have many formed opinions?
Narcissus
The album's second track is probably the most reminiscent of the old Alanis, though it's really more cathartic than outright bitter, as Alanis writes a pretend letter to a self-obsessed man who has caught her attention for some inexplicable reason. The verses remind me a little bit of "All I Really Want" due to how her voice breaks in using a lower, somewhat mocking tone. In some ways, it reminds me of Fiona Apple's "Sleep to Dream", and if that vocal style ain't your bag, then this song will probably really irritate you on the first few listens. I think it's meant to be irritating, because the guy she's singing to really irritates her. As with many of the songs on this album, the guitars take more of a backseat to the drums and programming, as the song slides along on a sassy groove, with Alanis's vocals taking on an almost dissonant quality to them at times (but no shrieking or anything like that). I certainly don't think it's her best work, given her penchant to cram a ton of lyrics into one line, and then stumble trying to figure out how to place the accents - it's an awkward mess in some places (and this problem pops up again in a few other songs). Still, her little jabs at this boy are clever observations, aside from an unhealthy fixation on fecal matter (she makes references to having "your butt licked by your mother", and later to "your friends who will lick your a--", and mentioning that "you've never been with anyone who doesn't take your s---"). Yeah, I could do without those images. But the intriguing thing about this song is that she goes beyond blaming him, and realizes that she has to stop herself from falling for this guy, because she knows it's pointless to try to change him or help him see the error of his ways.
Dear Egotist boy
You've never really had to suffer any consequence
You've never stayed with anyone longer than ten minutes
You've never understood anyone showing resistance
Hands Clean
I'm sure you've heard this one ad nauseum on the radio - the musical structure here ensures a steady build to a bold, singable chorus without rehashing the usual subject matter of your average radio hit, which is why I still like this song despite it being so overplayed. The song begins in a very hushed tone, with just an acoustic guitar, and Alanis purposefully lowering her voice as she sings some disturbing, abusive lines: "If it weren't for your maturity, none of this would have happened/If you weren't so wise beyond your years, I would have been able to control myself". It soon becomes apparent that she's singing from the point of view of someone else - a corrupt character from Alanis's past who apparently took full advantage of her innocence and tricked her into thinking he really loved her. As she looks back on the unsavory relationship, she wonders why she didn't mind at the time that "this could get messy". The creepy thing is when she sings "I have honored your request for silence, and you've washed your hands clean of this" during the chorus - she's effectively busting the scandal wide open for all ears to hear. Usually I don't like it when a song is so obviously crafted to be a radio hit, but in this case, it's brilliant how she designed this song to call her abuser out into the spotlight. Some have speculated that she was referring to ex-producer Glen Ballard, who was hugely responsible for the successful sound of her breakthrough album (she ditched him on this record in order to self-produce it - way to go!), but I think it's more likely to be about her early days in the music industry, when she was doing dance/pop music (shudder) up in Canada. In any case, the bad man in question clearly had a position of power over her, and she's letting him know that this affair won't remain "under rug swept". Nice twist of the knife there, Alanis.
You're essentially an employee
And I like you having to depend on me
You're a kind of protégé
And one day you'll say you learned all you know from me
Flinch
The first of two heart-rending ballads is up next. This one takes its time as Alanis muses over how a past lover is still haunting her - it runs over six minutes. The tone is mostly acoustic, touched up here and there by a few electric notes just to keep it from sounding too "coffeehouse". I have to admit, some of her sentiments in this song hit so close to home that they make me flinch at times. I think anyone who's ever been through a devastating breakup could relate to lines like "We only influenced each other totally" and "How long before my dignity is reclaimed?" There are so many nuances that make this song great where it could be mediocre, such as the three ascending guitar chords that pop out of an otherwise monotonous verse, or the bridge between each verse and chorus where Alanis muses over variations on the thought "What are you, my blood? You touch me like you are my blood", as if to say, "This is stupid! Why am I still affected by this person!" She asserts during that chorus that "Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name", but that implies that she does flinch at his name currently. Two of the verses are dedicated to her fear of accidentally running into him again in some odd place, since she knows he lives nearby. She'd rather run away than have to talk to him, and boy, can I relate to that one, having run into my ex in a few odd places in the last few months and doing my best to pretend I didn't notice her. It's good to know Alanis understands me. Sad that this relationship of hers ended poorly instead of returning to friendship. Sometimes I do wonder how bad it must have been for it to still haunt her after ten years. But the song fades out before that question is answered. Guess I'll have to keep wondering.
Where've you been? I heard you moved to my city
My brother saw you somewhere downtown
I'd be paralyzed if I ran into you
My tongue would seize up if we were to meet again
So Unsexy
This catchy little future radio single could use a little more musical oomph to really get it going - it kinds of bumps along on a gentle beat with more guitars buzzing a long in the background and being generally unobtrusive. But I won't fault Alanis for that, because the lyrics are brilliant, and she's concocted another soaring chorus to tie her introspective musings together. The verses mostly use the phrase "Oh, these little rejections" as a springboard to explore how she reads and misreads other people's actions, deriving her self-worth from how people react to her. Once again, a lot of her words hit home. How many times have I read meaning into "one small sideways glance" or "one forgotten phone call", taking them to mean that someone didn't like me or didn't care about me? Alanis asserts that she should know better by now, and in the chorus, she seems amused that "I can feel so sexy for someone so beautiful, so unloved for someone so fine". I don't know if finding worth in yourself is the ultimate solution to this dilemma, because that can only take you so far, but Alanis has managed to prove that she's more healthy than we all thought simply by uncovering her own unhealthiness.
Oh, these little rejections, how they seem so real to me
One forgotten birthday, I'm all but cooked
How these little abandonments seem to sting so easily
I'm thirteen again and I'm thirteen for good
Precious Illusions
This song seems to be linked to the previous one in that it deals with trying to find your worth in another person. It starts right off with Alanis asking a prospective lover a few questions - "You'll complete me, right? In the exact same way they never did?", though due to how she signs it, it's not apparent that there are question marks in those sentences. Styilistically, this song can run together with the last one in my mind, though the slight Eastern tinge at the beginning helps to distinguish it. Alanis addresses her unrealistic image of the ideal man in this song, realizing that she can't expect a "knight in shining armor". It's not easy for her to keep her feet on the ground - she regards her "precious illusions" as "invisible best friends". But she realizes that the magic isn't working like it used to - which is mature of her, even if it means facing the painful reality that a significant other is not going to make her complete. Yeah, I sure wish I'd realized that one sooner myself.
I've spent so long firmly looking outside me
I've spent so long living in survival mode
That Particular Time
Alanis slows the album down at its midpoint for another sad ballad - this time driven by little other than somber piano chords. While this one doesn't hit me in the gut as directly as "Flinch" did, it's still a thoughtful examination of a relationship that went south. The slow, almost watery nature of the song does justice to its theme of waiting and careful decision making. While most relationship songs are about falling in love, staying and love, or breaking up, here the subject is a relationship that seems to be on its way out. Alanis sets the scene in the first verse, where she hints at problems that she doesn't know how to deal with other than hiding away for a while. At first she is challenged to stay and work it out, but as the song wears on, you get a sense of the difficulty the couple faces in deciding whether they have a future together. Though Alanis is restrained for most of the song, she gets her chance to really wail on the bridge - and at first her vocal style doesn't seem suited for such a calm ballad. But then, I've always had a love/hate relationship with her voice, and the emotional delivery does fit well with the subject matter. As the song draws to a close, Alanis finally starts to uncover the problem - once again, she has let go of her own identity in trying to please someone else. And once again, I can't help but identify. She realizes she's only dragging the guy down, and she expresses it cleverly in the line "You felt you needed to fly, solo and high to define what you wanted" - or is that "so low and high?" Hmmm... Anyway, the song finally ends, trailing off into emptiness right after she declares that she ultimately chose to leave the guy "at that particular time".
I've always wanted for you what you wanted for yourself
And yet I wanted to save us, high water or hell
And I kept on ignoring the ambivalence you felt
And in the meantime I lost myself
A Man
Ready for a little exercise in role playing? Alanis is now going to sing to us from the point of view of a man. Both the lyrics and the musical backdrop on this one hearken back to some of the songs on SFIJ, and from what I understand, this song doesn't sit well with most fans. True, the music sounds a bit canned at first, but it proves to be wonderfully kinetic once real drums and guitars break in during the second verse. As for Alanis trying to adopt the point of view of her supposed oppressor - well, it would sound pretty hokey if she wasn't so darn good at it. By the end of my first listen through this song, I was truly convinced that Alanis understood what it was like to be male - and furthermore, she understood how much I had felt threatened by her old persona! "Years I have groveled, repentance ignored", she croons. And later, "I am a man who still does what he can to dispel our archaic reputation". The man in question seems to recognize the harm his gender has caused by being so controlling, and honestly desires to make things right, but he feels hopeless because he has "been crucified by enraged women". I think we all know who Alanis is pointing the finger at when she mentions "enraged women". And I'm sure it irritates some fans that she seems to be apologizing for the glory days of "You Oughta Know". But I think she's on the right track. I love the chorus, when several copies of her voice break in and the "I" changes to "we". This turned out to be my favorite track on the album, mainly because it's the point where it hits most profoundly that Alanis seems to understand me. "I'm working my way toward our union mended." That statement is my life mission. We don't fare well with endless reprimands
We don't do well with a life served as a sentence
This won't work well if you're hell-bent on your offense
'Cause I am a man who understands your reticence
You Owe Me Nothing in Return
Another out-of-character psychiatric exercise is up next - Alanis's take on the idea of unconditional love. Let's just say that she takes it to a slightly alarming extreme - at least if you view the song as her speaking to a lover. Propelled along by the light touch of a piano, a gently bumping beat, and a grooving, seductive bass line (contributed by Meshell Ndegocello), her lyrics make such promises as "I'll give you countless amounts of outright acceptance if you want it" and "You can speak of anger and doubts, your fears and freak-outs and I'll hold it". In other words, she's giving her lover the freedom to be real with her, which I think is something most men are afraid to do with women. However, things start to look a little strange when she asserts that "You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else, and I'll support it". Ummm... where do we draw the line between true love and being a doormat? Maybe I'm just cynical... or maybe Alanis isn't talking to a romantic lover after all. I could envision this song from many different points of view - a parent, a friend... even God. The problem is, for each of those interpretations, there's at least one line where it breaks down. Oh, well - it's still a lovely composition, and the bridge is brilliant (so much so that I find myself yearning for her to go back to it a second time). Why is Alanis suddenly so giving? Simple. It's because "This is the only kind of love, as I understand it, that there really is."
I bet you're wondering when
The next payback shoe will eventually drop
I bet you're wondering when
My conditional police will force you to cough up
Surrendering
I have to admit, I don't much care for the last two songs on this album. "Surrendering" definitely has good intentions, as it's an upbeat pop song applauding the strategic pursuance of a promising suitor. I just don't find much musically interesting about it, even though she tries to spice it up with a quirky guitar part and a constantly changing chorus. Something about it's just too typical. And I have a hard time with the lyrics on this one - not because I disagree with them, but just because they sound like one of those support group meetings where you have to say three affirming things about the person next to you. It's just contrived. Maybe I'm just having a hard time with it after the idealism of the last song; I don't know. She does get in a few clever lines, even acknowledging that she purposefully tried to hinder her suitor: "I embrace you for your faith in the face of adversarial forces that I represent." I just hope this one doesn't become a single. Then I'll go from kind of liking it to being sick of it really fast.
You found creative ways to distance
You hid away from much through humor
Your choice of armor was your intellect
Utopia
The album's final track is completely out of sync with the rest of it, in my opinion. Most of Under Rug Swept deals with cross-gender relationships, and owning up to our faults and the way we damage ourselves in these relationships. "Utopia", as its title suggests, is Alanis's idealistic view of the world. It all sounds nice on paper, and the musical accompaniment is a lilting, guitar-driven, hippy-sounding folk song. I've heard it was written as her response to September 11th, so I can understand the over-idealism here. I think we can all get overly idealistic as a response to extreme injustice. I guess I just lose interest in all the fluffy talk when I don't see any practical application in it. It's almost as if Alanis has enjoyed her therapy so much that instead of being an infatuation junkie, she's now become a psychiatry junkie. Maybe that's a little harsh. I'll admit that the enunication in this song is a big part of what drives me bonkers. You can only place so many accents incorrectly before the whole thing just sounds hokey. "i-de-AL." "nir-va-NA." "u-to-PIA". For crying out loud, that last one's not even supposed to be a three-syllable word! But I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on Alanis - she's proven to us with this whole album that her intentions are good. I guess I was hoping she'd end on a more realistic note than this.
We would share and listen and support and welcome
Be propelled by passion, not invest in outcomes
We would breathe and be charmed and amused by difference
Be gentle and make room for every emotion
Alanis Morissette is a tricky artist to judge. What I see as faults, others will see as delightful quirks. Some won't go near her regardless of lyrical content just because of the inescapable image she constructed for herself when she first hit it big in the U.S. Some won't forgive her for discarding that image. But I like to give any artist the chance to impress me, and Alanis managed to do that. She's never been one to sweep her true feelings under the rug, and so I salute her for her courage and I applaud her perseverance.
Come to think of it, my ex will probably hate this album.
TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY Excellent: 21 Things I Want in a Lover, A Man, Flinch, Precious Illusions
Good: Hands Clean, So Unsexy, That Particular Time, You Owe Me Nothing in Return
Decent: Narcissus
Weak: Surrendering, Utopia
Skippable: NONE
With Under Rug Swept, Alanis Morissette returns to the rockin , raw emotion that has made her one of music s most popular and recognizable artists. He...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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