1995 was a vintage year for rock music. Britpop was at its apex with Pulp’s Different Class, grunge had grown up with Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, and ska upstarts No Doubt were staking a claim for punk in the pop charts with Tragic Kingdom .
But none of them came close to the sheer success of Alanis Morissette’s third album, Jagged Little Pill – an alt rock crossover hit of the highest order with 33 million copies sold, double diamond status and five Grammys to its name. It was angsty and distorted enough for Gen X, sincere and smart enough to please the critics, and catchy enough to warrant endless radio play and high profile talk show spots.
Indeed, it can be difficult to describe just how big a deal Jagged Little Pill was at the time, and likewise the endearing relationship Morissette’s fans have with this album, but thankfully a short montage of video clips that play before she takes to the AO arena stage provide a reminder. As it stands, there are few other musicians who can appeal to cult film fans (she appeared in Kevin Smith’s Dogma as the human form of God) and so too the Carpool Karaoke audience alike.
Having postponed the record’s 25th anniversary world tour in 2020 due to Covid-19, Morissette was set to play Manchester on June 25, though was forced to reschedule on short notice due to vocal issues. For a moment it looked like bad luck would strike again, but a near full house on a Thursday night speaks again to the album’s immense pull.
Supporting was Beth Orton, celebrating a 25th anniversary of her own for the mercury Prize nominated 1996 trip-hop/folktronica album Trailer Park. Battling the chatter and the expanse of an arena space that can be tough on the best of opening acts, Orton managed to cut through with the cosmic shimmer of choice cuts She Cries Your Name and Galaxy of Emptiness.
Orton’s voice might not be as widely recognisable as the headline act, but still holds a certain weight with 90s music fans whether they know it or not. The intimate vocals on The Chemical Brothers’ Alive Alone are hers, whilst early collaborations with William Orbit and Andrew Weatherall set a blueprint for the era's breathy downtempo electronic sound.
Gearing up to release a new album in September, Orton will return to Manchester the following month for a night at the RNCM Concert Hall – surely a more appropriate venue where the depths of these compositions will be given space to shine.
A brief interlude later, the aforementioned Morissette highlight reel welcomes the singer herself to the stage for a harmonica-accented rendition of album opener All I Really Want, and it quickly becomes clear that her voice is still as remarkable and unique as it was all those years ago. And with not a note out of place, the enforced rest this last week has obviously done the job.
Morissette was always capable of impressive vocal gymnastics and her exaggerated melodic flourishes have become a much-parodied musical impression, but this distinctive voice has always been the star of the show and tonight it not only sounds richer with experience but has also gained a certain nostalgic familiarity. For many in the audience it will be sonic shorthand for a very specific time and place – Indeed, after the show, I hear one fan remark to a bartender how the album carried her through her teens and no less than six different breakups.
Hand in My Pocket and You Learn get the crowd standing, whilst the acoustic flutter of Hands Clean and Mary Jane see phone lights waving and full on ballad mode engaged. Reasons I Drink and Ablaze from 2020 album Such Pretty Forks in the Road stick out amidst the classics, but Return and Wake Up get things back on track with full singalongs before one of the night’s big moments unfolds as Morissette grabs an electric guitar and head-bangs the outro to Smiling with her band.
The other big moment, of course, is Ironic . As the album’s mega-hit centrepiece, the song was always going to be the peak of the night, but its dedication to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins – the original sticks for the Jagged Little Pill touring band – added an extra layer of significance. She lets the crowd sing most of the track and peppers in a few lyrical updates of her own, then launches into the second major single You Oughta Know .
Backed by images of flames, the track is still as potent as it was in 1995, and really should have been the song to draw proceedings to a close. Instead, the encore starts with a jarring version of acoustic deep cut Your House that stumbles through four different styles including jazz and A Cappella, and after a night of consistent high points this somewhat missed the mark, but a stirring final curtain call set to fan favourite Thank U brings it all back home at the final moment, and Morissette manages to stick the landing.
Joined by a selection of tweets with the #ThankyouJLP25 hashtag, it is a fitting moment to close the show on. One that recognises the deep connection people still have with this album, and reciprocates the love accordingly.
These songs are now resonating with a whole new audience thanks to the 2019 Jukebox musical by Glen Ballard, and younger members of the audience who were not around to witness first hand the phenomenon that was the album’s original run should now understand the joyous aura that remains around it to this day.
And whilst Morissette might never have topped it in terms of commercial success or songwriting quality, this world tour is nonetheless serving as a perfect reminder that there’s nothing ironic about the enduring brilliance of Jagged Little Pill.
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