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{{Infobox album
{{Infobox album
| name = Alanis
| name = Alanis
| type = [[Album]]
| type = [[Album]]
| artist = [[Alanis Morissette]]
| artist = [[Alanis Morissette]]
| cover = Alanis1991cover.gif
| cover = Alanis1991cover.gif
| alt =
| alt =
| released = April 6, 1991 <small>([[Canada]])</small>
| released = April 17, 1991 <small>([[Canada]])</small>
| recorded = September–December 1990
| recorded = September–December 1990
| venue =
| venue =
| studio = Distortion Studios, [[Ottawa]]
| studio = Distortion Studios ([[Ottawa]])
| genre = [[Dance-pop]]<ref name="RS-Nov1995"/>
| genre = [[Dance-pop]]<ref name="RS-Nov1995"/>
| length = 40:44
| length = 40:44
| label = [[MCA Records|MCA Records Canada]], Hot Mustard Records
| label = {{hlist|[[MCA Records Canada|MCA Canada]]|Hot Mustard}}
| producer = [[Leslie Howe]]
| producer = [[Leslie Howe]]
| prev_title =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| prev_year =
| next_title = [[Now Is the Time]]
| next_title = [[Now Is the Time]]
| next_year = 1992
| next_year = 1992
| misc = {{Singles
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Alanis
| name = Alanis
| type = studio
| type = studio
| single1 = [[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]
| single1 = [[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]
| single1date = May 1991
| single1date = 1991 (Canada)
| single2 = [[Walk Away (Alanis Morissette song)|Walk Away]]
| single2 = [[Walk Away (Alanis Morissette song)|Walk Away]]
| single2date = 1991
| single2date = 1991 (Canada)
| single3 = [[Feel Your Love]]
| single3 = [[Feel Your Love]]
| single3date = September 1991
| single3date = 1991 (Canada)
| single4 = Plastic
| single4date = 1992
}}
}}
}}
}}
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|rev2score = negative<ref>[http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/alanis.html Rock and Roll Rarity review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905130555/http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/alanis.html |date=2006-09-05 }}</ref>
|rev2score = negative<ref>[http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/alanis.html Rock and Roll Rarity review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905130555/http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/alanis.html |date=2006-09-05 }}</ref>
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
⚫
'''''Alanis''''' is the debut [[studio album]] by [[Alanis Morissette]], released only in [[Canada]] on April 17, 1991, by [[MCA Records|MCA Records Canada]]. Morissette recorded the album with [[Leslie Howe]], who also produced her second album ''[[Now Is the Time]]'' (1992), and it was certified [[platinum album|platinum]].

⚫
'''''Alanis''''' is the debut [[studio album]] by [[Alanis Morissette]], released only in [[Canada]] on April 6, 1991 by [[MCA Records|MCA Records Canada]]. Morissette recorded the album with [[Leslie Howe]], who also produced her second album ''[[Now Is the Time]]'' (1992), and it was certified [[platinum album|platinum]].


== Background and recording ==
== Background and recording ==
John Alexander, head of [[A&R]] for MCA Records Canada, first heard a [[demo tape]] from Morissette in 1983, when she was nine years old. He called it "very promising. Her voice was very strong, and it was remarkable that the tape included some original songs written by her at that age." However, he decided not to sign her to a record deal because "from an A&R standpoint, I said, 'What am I going to do with a nine-year-old?'"<ref name="SUM">Kawashima, Dale. [http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/alanis.html "Great Publishing Story: John Alexander & Alanis Morissette"]. ''Songwriter Universe Magazine''. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1987 Morissette met entertainment manager Stephan Klovan, and at the 1988 World Figure Skating Championships she recorded a well-received version of "[[O Canada]]" with two musicians, one of whom was Leslie Howe of the new wave/synthpop duo [[One to One (band)|One to One]]. Klovan intended for Howe to work with Morissette so that she could audition on the television show ''[[Star Search]]'', but eventually both he and Howe decided to try to secure a record contract for her. She did appear on Star Search in 1990, having auditioned more than once.
John Alexander, head of [[A&R]] for MCA Records Canada, first heard a [[demo tape]] from Morissette in 1983, when she was nine years old. He called it "very promising. Her voice was very strong, and it was remarkable that the tape included some original songs written by her at that age." However, he decided not to sign her to a record deal because "from an A&R standpoint, I said, 'What am I going to do with a nine-year-old?{{'"}}<ref name="SUM">Kawashima, Dale. [http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/alanis.html "Great Publishing Story: John Alexander & Alanis Morissette"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615034754/http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/alanis.html |date=2009-06-15 }}. ''Songwriter Universe''. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1987, Morissette met entertainment manager Stephan Klovan, and at the 1988 World Cup of Figure Skating, she recorded a well-received version of "[[O Canada]]" with two musicians, one of whom was [[Leslie Howe]] of the new wave/synthpop duo [[One to One (band)|One to One]]. Klovan intended for Howe to work with Morissette so that she could audition on the television show ''[[Star Search]]'', but eventually both he and Howe decided to try to secure a record contract for her. She did appear on ''Star Search'' in 1990, having auditioned more than once.


One of the [[demo recording]]s Howe and Morissette created with keyboardist Serge Côté in the studio was "[[Walk Away (Alanis Morissette song)|Walk Away]]", for which Howe and Klovan funded an expensive promotional video that was filmed in [[Paris, France]].<ref name="TCPE">[http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/M/Morissette_Alanis.html "Alanis Morissette - Biography"] {{Webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/65ju0bQla?url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/M/Morissette_Alanis.html |date=2012-02-26 }}. ''The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia''. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1988 Howe sent the video to Alexander, who later arranged a dinner meeting with Morissette. "I could tell that she was a very focused and passionate 14-year-old girl, who was also very talented", Alexander said. "I felt strongly that we could work together to build her music career."<ref name="SUM"/> The next day he met Morissette and her parents and told them he wanted to sign her, but MCA Records did not endorse this decision. Leeds Levy, president of [[MCA Publishing]] in North America, thought that Morissette had talent and agreed to sign her to a publishing deal as well as help fund a record deal for her. MCA Publishing financed the album through [[Hot Mustard Records]], its new independent label for the development of new artists, and MCA Records distributed it.<ref name="SUM"/> The album was recorded in Distortion Studios, [[Ottawa]] between September and December 1990.<ref>Unknown (1991). In ''Alanis'' [CD liner notes]. Canada: [[MCA Records]].</ref>
One of the [[demo recording]]s Howe and Morissette created with keyboardist Serge Côté in the studio was "[[Walk Away (Alanis Morissette song)|Walk Away]]", for which Howe and Klovan funded an expensive promotional video that was filmed in [[Paris, France]].<ref name="TCPE">{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120715044138/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/M/Morissette_Alanis.html "Alanis Morissette - Biography"]}} . ''The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia''. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1988 Howe sent the video to Alexander, who later arranged a dinner meeting with Morissette. "I could tell that she was a very focused and passionate 14-year-old girl, who was also very talented", Alexander said. "I felt strongly that we could work together to build her music career."<ref name="SUM"/> The next day he met Morissette and her parents and told them he wanted to sign her, but MCA Records did not endorse this decision. Leeds Levy, president of [[MCA Publishing]] in North America, thought that Morissette had talent and agreed to sign her to a publishing deal as well as help fund a record deal for her. MCA Publishing financed the album through Hot Mustard Records, its new independent label for the development of new artists, and MCA Records distributed it.<ref name="SUM"/> The album was recorded in Distortion Studios, [[Ottawa]] between September and December 1990.<ref>Unknown (1991). In ''Alanis'' [CD liner notes]. Canada: [[MCA Records]].</ref>


According to Morissette, people from MCA placed "hardcore" pressure on her to lose weight in time for the album's release, leading her to develop [[anorexia nervosa]] and [[bulimia]]. She subsequently began therapy, which she called "a long process to un-program [my brain]. I try to remember, whatever my body is, it's perfect the way it is." She also revealed she would often go straight from school to the studios where she would stay until 3 or 4 AM and write/record music, drink alcohol, smoke [[marijuana]], and hang out with what she called "the older crowd".<ref>McQueen, Ann Marie. [http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2005/06/29/1109259.html "Alanis battled anorexia, bulimia"]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. ''[[Ottawa Sun]]''. June 29, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref>
According to Morissette, people from MCA placed "hardcore" pressure on her to lose weight in time for the album's release, leading her to develop [[anorexia nervosa]] and [[bulimia]]. She subsequently began therapy, which she called "a long process to un-program [my brain]. I try to remember, whatever my body is, it's perfect the way it is." She also revealed she would often go straight from school to the studios where she would stay until 3 or 4&nbsp;am and write/record music, drink alcohol, smoke [[marijuana]], and hang out with what she called "the older crowd".<ref>McQueen, Ann Marie. "Alanis battled anorexia, bulimia". ''[[Ottawa Sun]]''. June 29, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref>


== Release and legacy ==
== Release and legacy ==
''Alanis'' was released in April 1991 to mixed reviews, and the media drew comparisons between Morissette and other [[teen pop]] singers at the time such as [[Deborah Gibson|Debbie Gibson]] and [[Tiffany (American singer)|Tiffany]].<ref name="TCPE"/> Its first single, "[[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]", reached number 14 on the Canadian singles chart and, in July, peaked within the top ten on [[contemporary hit radio]]. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] called the song "[[Paula Abdul]]-inspired",<ref>Mayer, Andre. [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/alanis.html "What a Pill"]. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]. June 13, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> and the ''[[Arizona Daily Wildcat]]'' described it as "cheesy" and "poppy".<ref>[http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/98/160/04_3.html "'Acoustic' album 10 years in the remaking"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060912170613/http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/98/160/04_3.html |date=2006-09-12 }}. ''[[Arizona Daily Wildcat]]''. August 8, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> "[[Feel Your Love]]" was released as a single during this period, and the [[Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA]] certified the album [[gold album|gold]]. ''Alanis'' reached number 25 on the Canadian album chart, and two other singles were released: "Walk Away", the video for which featured [[Matt LeBlanc]], and "Plastic". At the 1992 [[Juno Award]]s "Too Hot" received nominations for "[[Juno Award for Single of the Year|Single of the Year]]" and "[[Juno Award for Best Dance Recording|Best Dance Recording]]" (for the "Hott Shot" [[remix]]), and Morissette won the award for "[[Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist|Most Promising Female Vocalist]]". The album went on to sell over 200,000 copies,<ref name="TCPE"/> though Morissette's popularity experienced a backlash at her high school, where her version of "O Canada" was played over the PA system every morning.<ref>Johnson, Brian D. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011916 "Morissette, Alanis"]. ''[[Maclean's]]''. March 8, 1999. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref>
''Alanis'' was released in April 1991 to mixed reviews, and the media drew comparisons between Morissette and other [[teen pop]] singers at the time such as [[Debbie Gibson]] and [[Tiffany Darwish|Tiffany]].<ref name="TCPE"/> Its first single, "[[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]", reached number 14 on the Canadian singles chart and, in July, peaked within the top ten on [[contemporary hit radio]]. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] called the song "[[Paula Abdul]]-inspired",<ref>Mayer, Andre. [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/alanis.html "What a Pill"]. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]. June 13, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> and the ''[[Arizona Daily Wildcat]]'' described it as "cheesy" and "poppy".<ref>[http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/98/160/04_3.html "'Acoustic' album 10 years in the remaking"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060912170613/http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/98/160/04_3.html |date=2006-09-12 }}. ''[[Arizona Daily Wildcat]]''. August 8, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> "[[Feel Your Love]]" was released as a single during this period, and the [[Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA]] certified the album [[gold album|gold]]. ''Alanis'' reached number 25 on the Canadian album chart, and two other singles were released: "Walk Away", the video for which featured [[Matt LeBlanc]], and "Plastic". At the 1992 [[Juno Award]]s "Too Hot" received nominations for "[[Juno Award for Single of the Year|Single of the Year]]" and "[[Juno Award for Best Dance Recording|Best Dance Recording]]" (for the "Hott Shot" [[remix]]), and Morissette won the award for "[[Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist|Most Promising Female Vocalist]]". The album went on to sell over 200,000 copies,<ref name="TCPE"/> though Morissette's popularity experienced a backlash at her high school, where her version of "O Canada" was played over the PA system every morning.<ref>Johnson, Brian D. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311050616/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011916 "Morissette, Alanis"]. ''[[Maclean's]]''. March 8, 1999. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref>


''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' magazine said the album "brought [Morissette] modest renown ... (one presumes) among people [in Canada] who don't read lyric sheets",<ref>Farley, Christopher John. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989472,00.html "Confessional Immediacy"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]''. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref> while ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described it as "vaguely [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]-esque [[dance-pop]]" and "fairly generic".<ref name="RS-Nov1995">Wild, David. [http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=782 "Adventures Of Miss Thing"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084331/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=782 |date=2007-09-27 }}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' labelled it "a faux [[Janet Jackson]] album",<ref>Finn, Timothy. [http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=864 "'Pill' not so jagged in new acoustic release"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084309/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=864 |date=2007-09-27 }}. ''[[The Kansas City Star]]''. July 5, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> and ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine wrote, "It's as if her high school yearbook picture came to life and made an album designed to haunt her forever. Sometimes cheese is [[Velveeta]]."<ref name="Spin-Nov1995">Hannaham, James. [http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=781 "Alanis In Wonderland"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084249/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=781 |date=2007-09-27 }}. ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1995 Morissette released her international debut album ''[[Jagged Little Pill]]'' through U.S. label [[Maverick Records]]. Executives at Maverick persuaded MCA Records to withdraw all copies of ''Alanis'' and ''Now Is the Time'' from circulation, and they did not mention either album in the promotional material for ''Jagged Little Pill''.<ref>Ashare, Matt. [http://weeklywire.com/ww/11-02-98/boston_music_1.html "Platinum Bomb?"]. ''[[The Boston Phoenix]]''. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref> According to ''Spin'', Morissette's transformation from "the Debbie Gibson of Canada" to an [[alternative rock]] musician made some Canadians skeptical.<ref name="Spin-Nov1995"/> As of 2008 ''Alanis'' is officially out of print, but some [[bootleg recordings|pirates]] and [[mp3]]s have circulated.
''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine said the album "brought [Morissette] modest renown&nbsp;... (one presumes) among people [in Canada] who don't read lyric sheets",<ref>Farley, Christopher John. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930072425/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989472,00.html "Confessional Immediacy"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref> while ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described it as "vaguely [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]-esque [[dance-pop]]" and "fairly generic".<ref name="RS-Nov1995">Wild, David. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084331/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=782 "Adventures Of Miss Thing"]}}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' labelled it "a faux [[Janet Jackson]] album",<ref>Finn, Timothy. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084309/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=864 "'Pill' not so jagged in new acoustic release"]}}. ''[[The Kansas City Star]]''. July 5, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> and ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine wrote, "It's as if her high school yearbook picture came to life and made an album designed to haunt her forever. Sometimes cheese is [[Velveeta]]."<ref name="Spin-Nov1995">Hannaham, James. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927084249/http://www.4alanis.com/newssearch/index.php?selected=3&idn=781 "Alanis In Wonderland"]}}. ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.</ref> In 1995 Morissette released her international debut album ''[[Jagged Little Pill]]'' through U.S. label [[Maverick Records]]. Executives at Maverick persuaded MCA Records to withdraw all copies of ''Alanis'' and ''Now Is the Time'' from circulation, and they did not mention either album in the promotional material for ''Jagged Little Pill''.<ref>Ashare, Matt. [http://weeklywire.com/ww/11-02-98/boston_music_1.html "Platinum Bomb?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004736/http://weeklywire.com/ww/11-02-98/boston_music_1.html |date=2007-09-27 }}. ''[[The Boston Phoenix]]''. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref> According to ''Spin'', Morissette's transformation from "the Debbie Gibson of Canada" to an [[alternative rock]] musician made some Canadians skeptical.<ref name="Spin-Nov1995"/> As of 2008 ''Alanis'' is officially out of print, but some [[bootleg recordings|pirates]] and [[MP3]]s have circulated.


Morissette said of ''Alanis'' and ''Now Is the Time'', "...I'm not scared people might hear these records. I never did ''[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]'' centrefolds. There's nothing I regret. Maybe people will just understand that my lyrics are from different experiences if they hear those records. It validates [''Jagged Little Pill''] ... There was an element of me not being who I really was at the time and I'm now more experienced with my life. It was because I wasn't prepared to open up that way. The focus for me then was entertaining people and getting my feet wet in the business, it was about being young & having fun as opposed to sharing any revelations I had at the time. I had them, but I wasn't prepared or comfortable with sharing it."<ref name="RS-Nov1995"/> She considered including material from both albums on her 2005 compilation ''[[Alanis Morissette: The Collection|The Collection]]'', but she was talked out of it and decided against it, citing the genres dance/pop wouldn't match other material from her current discography, also "it was right around when I was 19 and ''Jagged Little Pill'' where I first felt writing was a channelled experience. That has a lot to do with where I was at then, with having met [[Glen Ballard]], with my moving from Canada and moving away from any preconceived notions of how songs 'should' be written. It was the beginning of a new way to approach songwriting altogether."<ref>[http://www.radioalice.com/music/artists/alanismorissette.asp "Official Biography"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822234352/http://www.radioalice.com/music/artists/alanismorissette.asp |date=2006-08-22 }}. [[Maverick Records]]. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref>
Morissette said of ''Alanis'' and ''Now Is the Time'', "I'm not scared people might hear these records. I never did ''[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]'' centrefolds. There's nothing I regret. Maybe people will just understand that my lyrics are from different experiences if they hear those records. It validates [''Jagged Little Pill'']&nbsp;... There was an element of me not being who I really was at the time and I'm now more experienced with my life. It was because I wasn't prepared to open up that way. The focus for me then was entertaining people and getting my feet wet in the business, it was about being young & having fun as opposed to sharing any revelations I had at the time. I had them, but I wasn't prepared or comfortable with sharing it."<ref name="RS-Nov1995"/> She considered including material from both albums on her 2005 compilation ''[[Alanis Morissette: The Collection|The Collection]]'', but she was talked out of it and decided against it, citing the genres dance/pop wouldn't match other material from her current discography, also "it was right around when I was 19 and ''Jagged Little Pill'' where I first felt writing was a channelled experience. That has a lot to do with where I was at then, with having met [[Glen Ballard]], with my moving from Canada and moving away from any preconceived notions of how songs 'should' be written. It was the beginning of a new way to approach songwriting altogether."<ref>[http://www.radioalice.com/music/artists/alanismorissette.asp "Official Biography"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822234352/http://www.radioalice.com/music/artists/alanismorissette.asp |date=2006-08-22 }}. [[Maverick Records]]. Retrieved August 19, 2006.</ref>


== Track listing ==
== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed = no
| headline =
| headline =
| extra_column =
| extra_column =
Line 68: Line 64:
| music1 =
| music1 =
| extra1 =
| extra1 =
| length1 = 3:40
| length1 = 3:50
| title2 = [[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]
| title2 = [[Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)|Too Hot]]
| note2 =
| note2 =
Line 140: Line 136:
! Peak<br/>position
! Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
{{albumchart|Canada|28|chartid=1623|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 28, 2020|refname="rpm"}}
{{album chart|Canada|28|chartid=1623|rowheader=true|access-date=February 28, 2020|refname="rpm"}}
|-
|-
|}
|}
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{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Alanis|type=album|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|artist=Alanis Morissette|award=Platinum}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Alanis|type=album|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|artist=Alanis Morissette|award=Platinum}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}


== Personnel ==
== Personnel ==
{{div col}}
{{div col}}
*[[Leslie Howe]] - producer, engineer, mixing, drum programming, [[guitar]], additional keyboards
*[[Leslie Howe]] - producer, engineer, mixing, drum programming, [[guitar]], additional keyboards
* Serge Côté - [[Electronic keyboard|Keyboards]]
* Serge Côté - [[Electronic keyboard|keyboards]]
* Frank "Fish" Levin - Mastermind on "Human Touch", keyboard solo on "Too Hot", extra strings arrangement on "On My Own"
* Frank "Fish" Levin - Mastermind on "Human Touch", keyboard solo on "Too Hot", extra strings arrangement on "On My Own"
* Alanis Morissette - lead vocals
* Alanis Morissette - lead vocals, backing vocals on "Too Hot" & "Feel Your Love":
⚫
*Chad Morissette - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
* Back-up vocals on "Too Hot" & "Feel Your Love":
*Chad Morissette - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Wade Morissette - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Wade Morissette - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Tyley Ross - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Tyley Ross - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*John & Peter (The "Burn Bros.") - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*John & Peter (The "Burn Bros.") - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Tom "Sloppy" Saidak - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Tom "Sloppy" Saidak - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Kevin "Iceman" Little - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Kevin "Iceman" Little - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Dan "Capt. Pin" - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Dan "Capt. Pin" - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
* Deane Josh Lovejoy - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
* Deane Josh Lovejoy - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Sean Daley - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Sean Daley - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Jenny "Frank #1" Parlier - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Jenny "Frank #1" Parlier - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Mr. Fish - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Mr. Fish - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Sal - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Sal - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
*Rick "Slick" Kumar - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
⚫
*Martin Soldat - art direction, design
⚫
*Rick "Slick" Kumar - background vocals (tracks 1, 2)
⚫
* Art direction & design: Martin Soldat - art direction and design
* Dimo Safari - photography
* Dimo Safari - photography
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}
Line 180: Line 175:
{{Alanis Morissette}}
{{Alanis Morissette}}
{{Alanis Morissette songs}}
{{Alanis Morissette songs}}

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Alanis Morissette albums]]
[[Category:Alanis Morissette albums]]

Latest revision as of 21:07, 9 November 2024

Alanis
Studio album by
Alanis Morissette
ReleasedApril 17, 1991 (Canada)
RecordedSeptember–December 1990
StudioDistortion Studios (Ottawa)
GenreDance-pop[1]
Length40:44
Label
ProducerLeslie Howe
Alanis Morissette chronology
Alanis
(1991) 		Now Is the Time
(1992)
Singles from Alanis
  1. "Too Hot"
    Released: 1991 (Canada)
  2. "Walk Away"
    Released: 1991 (Canada)
  3. "Feel Your Love"
    Released: 1991 (Canada)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Christopher Thelen, Daily VaultC+[2]
Rock and Roll Raritynegative[3]

Alanis is the debut studio album by Alanis Morissette, released only in Canada on April 17, 1991, by MCA Records Canada. Morissette recorded the album with Leslie Howe, who also produced her second album Now Is the Time (1992), and it was certified platinum.

Background and recording

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John Alexander, head of A&R for MCA Records Canada, first heard a demo tape from Morissette in 1983, when she was nine years old. He called it "very promising. Her voice was very strong, and it was remarkable that the tape included some original songs written by her at that age." However, he decided not to sign her to a record deal because "from an A&R standpoint, I said, 'What am I going to do with a nine-year-old?'"[4] In 1987, Morissette met entertainment manager Stephan Klovan, and at the 1988 World Cup of Figure Skating, she recorded a well-received version of "O Canada" with two musicians, one of whom was Leslie Howe of the new wave/synthpop duo One to One. Klovan intended for Howe to work with Morissette so that she could audition on the television show Star Search, but eventually both he and Howe decided to try to secure a record contract for her. She did appear on Star Search in 1990, having auditioned more than once.

One of the demo recordings Howe and Morissette created with keyboardist Serge Côté in the studio was "Walk Away", for which Howe and Klovan funded an expensive promotional video that was filmed in Paris, France.[5] In 1988 Howe sent the video to Alexander, who later arranged a dinner meeting with Morissette. "I could tell that she was a very focused and passionate 14-year-old girl, who was also very talented", Alexander said. "I felt strongly that we could work together to build her music career."[4] The next day he met Morissette and her parents and told them he wanted to sign her, but MCA Records did not endorse this decision. Leeds Levy, president of MCA Publishing in North America, thought that Morissette had talent and agreed to sign her to a publishing deal as well as help fund a record deal for her. MCA Publishing financed the album through Hot Mustard Records, its new independent label for the development of new artists, and MCA Records distributed it.[4] The album was recorded in Distortion Studios, Ottawa between September and December 1990.[6]

According to Morissette, people from MCA placed "hardcore" pressure on her to lose weight in time for the album's release, leading her to develop anorexia nervosa and bulimia. She subsequently began therapy, which she called "a long process to un-program [my brain]. I try to remember, whatever my body is, it's perfect the way it is." She also revealed she would often go straight from school to the studios where she would stay until 3 or 4 am and write/record music, drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, and hang out with what she called "the older crowd".[7]

Release and legacy

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Alanis was released in April 1991 to mixed reviews, and the media drew comparisons between Morissette and other teen pop singers at the time such as Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.[5] Its first single, "Too Hot", reached number 14 on the Canadian singles chart and, in July, peaked within the top ten on contemporary hit radio. CBC called the song "Paula Abdul-inspired",[8] and the Arizona Daily Wildcat described it as "cheesy" and "poppy".[9] "Feel Your Love" was released as a single during this period, and the CRIA certified the album gold. Alanis reached number 25 on the Canadian album chart, and two other singles were released: "Walk Away", the video for which featured Matt LeBlanc, and "Plastic". At the 1992 Juno Awards "Too Hot" received nominations for "Single of the Year" and "Best Dance Recording" (for the "Hott Shot" remix), and Morissette won the award for "Most Promising Female Vocalist". The album went on to sell over 200,000 copies,[5] though Morissette's popularity experienced a backlash at her high school, where her version of "O Canada" was played over the PA system every morning.[10]

Time magazine said the album "brought [Morissette] modest renown ... (one presumes) among people [in Canada] who don't read lyric sheets",[11] while Rolling Stone described it as "vaguely Madonna-esque dance-pop" and "fairly generic".[1] The Kansas City Star labelled it "a faux Janet Jackson album",[12] and Spin magazine wrote, "It's as if her high school yearbook picture came to life and made an album designed to haunt her forever. Sometimes cheese is Velveeta."[13] In 1995 Morissette released her international debut album Jagged Little Pill through U.S. label Maverick Records. Executives at Maverick persuaded MCA Records to withdraw all copies of Alanis and Now Is the Time from circulation, and they did not mention either album in the promotional material for Jagged Little Pill.[14] According to Spin, Morissette's transformation from "the Debbie Gibson of Canada" to an alternative rock musician made some Canadians skeptical.[13] As of 2008 Alanis is officially out of print, but some pirates and MP3s have circulated.

Morissette said of Alanis and Now Is the Time, "I'm not scared people might hear these records. I never did Playboy centrefolds. There's nothing I regret. Maybe people will just understand that my lyrics are from different experiences if they hear those records. It validates [Jagged Little Pill] ... There was an element of me not being who I really was at the time and I'm now more experienced with my life. It was because I wasn't prepared to open up that way. The focus for me then was entertaining people and getting my feet wet in the business, it was about being young & having fun as opposed to sharing any revelations I had at the time. I had them, but I wasn't prepared or comfortable with sharing it."[1] She considered including material from both albums on her 2005 compilation The Collection, but she was talked out of it and decided against it, citing the genres dance/pop wouldn't match other material from her current discography, also "it was right around when I was 19 and Jagged Little Pill where I first felt writing was a channelled experience. That has a lot to do with where I was at then, with having met Glen Ballard, with my moving from Canada and moving away from any preconceived notions of how songs 'should' be written. It was the beginning of a new way to approach songwriting altogether."[15]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feel Your Love" (Some releases included a longer version. Run-time: 4:15)
  • Morissette
  • Leslie Howe
3:50
2."Too Hot"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
4:00
3."Plastic"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
  • Serge Côté
3:45
4."Walk Away"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
  • Louise Reny
  • Frank Levin
4:50
5."On My Own"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
  • Côté
4:08
6."Superman"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
4:32
7."Jealous"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
  • Côté
3:55
8."Human Touch"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
  • Reny
  • Levin
3:23
9."Oh Yeah!"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
3:58
10."Party Boy"
  • Morissette
  • Howe
4:20

Charts

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Charts (1991) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[16] 28

Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Platinum 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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  • Leslie Howe - producer, engineer, mixing, drum programming, guitar, additional keyboards
  • Serge Côté - keyboards
  • Frank "Fish" Levin - Mastermind on "Human Touch", keyboard solo on "Too Hot", extra strings arrangement on "On My Own"
  • Alanis Morissette - lead vocals, backing vocals on "Too Hot" & "Feel Your Love":
  • Chad Morissette - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Wade Morissette - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Tyley Ross - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • John & Peter (The "Burn Bros.") - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Tom "Sloppy" Saidak - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Kevin "Iceman" Little - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Dan "Capt. Pin" - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Deane Josh Lovejoy - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Sean Daley - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Jenny "Frank #1" Parlier - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Mr. Fish - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Sal - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Rick "Slick" Kumar - backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
  • Martin Soldat - art direction, design
  • Dimo Safari - photography

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Wild, David. "Adventures Of Miss Thing"[usurped]. Rolling Stone. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  2. ^ Christopher Thelen, Daily Vault review
  3. ^ Rock and Roll Rarity review Archived 2006-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c Kawashima, Dale. "Great Publishing Story: John Alexander & Alanis Morissette" Archived 2009-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Songwriter Universe. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  5. ^ a b c "Alanis Morissette - Biography"[usurped] . The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  6. ^ Unknown (1991). In Alanis [CD liner notes]. Canada: MCA Records.
  7. ^ McQueen, Ann Marie. "Alanis battled anorexia, bulimia". Ottawa Sun. June 29, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  8. ^ Mayer, Andre. "What a Pill". CBC. June 13, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  9. ^ "'Acoustic' album 10 years in the remaking" Archived 2006-09-12 at the Wayback Machine. Arizona Daily Wildcat. August 8, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  10. ^ Johnson, Brian D. "Morissette, Alanis". Maclean's. March 8, 1999. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  11. ^ Farley, Christopher John. "Confessional Immediacy". Time. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.
  12. ^ Finn, Timothy. "'Pill' not so jagged in new acoustic release"[usurped]. The Kansas City Star. July 5, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  13. ^ a b Hannaham, James. "Alanis In Wonderland"[usurped]. Spin. November 2, 1995. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  14. ^ Ashare, Matt. "Platinum Bomb?" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. The Boston Phoenix. November 2, 1998. Retrieved August 19, 2006.
  15. ^ "Official Biography" Archived 2006-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. Maverick Records. Retrieved August 19, 2006.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1623". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  17. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Alanis Morissette – Alanis". Music Canada.

References

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