June 13 marked the 25th anniversary of Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill. In celebration, Morissette and Rhino Records are unveiling several digital offerings, the centerpiece of which is a new deluxe edition, pairing the original album with a concert from March of this year, available today.
Alanis Morissette's first two albums did not indicate the direction her music would take for her biggest smash record. Released on MCA in her native Canada, 1991's Alanis and 1992's Now is the Time had critics comparing her to Debbie Gibson or Tiffany. While Alanis was a hit, Now is the Time did not fare as well and MCA did not extend her two-album contract. Undeterred, she graduated high school and moved to Toronto and began writing with producer Glen Ballard. The result would be Jagged Little Pill.
Morissette signed a deal with Maverick Records and on June 13, 1995, Pill was released. Expectations may have been muted, but they were soon far exceeded. Her personal lyrics and songs about anger, love, loss, and apathy struck a chord with audiences and came amid the alternative movement of the 1990s. Pill took off like a rocket and would eventually sell over 33 million copies, going 17x Platinum and becoming the 16th best-selling album of all-time in the U.S. It was also named the "Top Pop Album of the 1990s" by Billboard and hit the No. 1 spot in numerous countries around the world. Six singles were released, with the most successful being "Ironic," which hit No. 4 in the U.S. The album also garnered much critical praise and Morissette and the album received four Grammy awards. It was adapted into an acclaimed Broadway musical which debuted in November of last year but is currently halted due to COVID-19.
The new digital deluxe edition of Jagged Little Pill features the 13-track original album and a 16-track acoustic concert from March 4, 2020 at London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire. At this performance, the entire album was played (although in a different running order). No mastering credits have been announced for the deluxe edition, but the original album may feature the same mastering as the 20th anniversary edition (which was released physically).
Other digital offerings to celebrate Jagged Little Pill at 25 include 4K remasters of five music videos from the album. They begin debuting today on Morissette's YouTube page and will be released in the following order over a week: "Ironic" (6/26), "You Oughta Know" (6/29), "Hand In My Pocket" (6/30), "You Learn" (7/1), and "Head Over Feet" (7/2). In addition, this Sunday, June 28, the page will stream a special screening of Jagged Little Pill, Live at 12:30 PM ET. This long out-of-print 1997 documentary chronicles the 1995-1996 tour in support of the album, featuring live performances of each of the songs. It won a Grammy for "Best Long Form Music Video."
There also a couple of new items which are coming in the next couple of months. Morissette's ninth album, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, is due to be released on July 31. Barnes and Noble will release an exclusive clear vinyl version of the album, although a regular edition will be available everywhere. In addition, on August 7, B&N releases the exclusive 2-LP Blue Vinyl version of the Jagged Little Pill Original Broadway Cast Recording. This will be the album's debut on vinyl.
If you would like to revisit Jagged Little Pill for its anniversary, available tomorrow, or Alanis' new music, available July 31, we've got the preorder links below.
Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Rhino/Maverick, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
- All I Really Want
- You Oughta Know
- Perfect
- Hand In My Pocket
- Right Through You
- Forgiven
- You Learn
- Head Over Feet
- Mary Jane
- Ironic
- Not The Doctor
- Wake Up
- You Oughta Know (Jimmy The Saint Blend) / Your House (A Capella)
- Your House (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Right Through You (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- You Learn (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- All I Really Want (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Hands Clean (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Not The Doctor (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Mary Jane (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Forgiven (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Perfect (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Head Over Feet (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Hand In My Pocket (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Ironic (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- You Oughta Know (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Wake Up (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Uninvited (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
- Thank You (Live At London's O2 Shepard's Bush Empire, 2020)
Tracks 1-13 from Jagged Little Pill, Maverick CD 9 45901-2, 1995
Tracks 14-29 previously unreleased
Alanis Morissette, Such Pretty Forks in the Road (Epiphany Music, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Smiling
- Ablaze
- Reasons I Drink
- Diagnosis
- Missing the Miracle
- Losing the Plot
- Reckoning
- Sandbox Love
- Her
- Nemesis
- Pedestal
Alyssa Boyett says
I love Alanis Morissette! She’s one of my favorites and I’m her number one fan.
Robert Lett says
She just reissued it few years ago in a deluxe edition. Seems kinda soon to go back to the till.
Joe Marchese says
That likely factored into the decision to keep this one a digital-only title.