Alanis Morissette
 Along with counterparts
Jewel and Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette was one of the most successful
singer/songwriters to ride in on the second wave of grrrl rock in
the mid-'90s.
Born on June 1,
1974, Alanis Nadine Morissette and her two brothers were raised
in Ottawa, Canada by French-Canadian and Hungarian parents. By the
age of 10, the precocious Morissette had landed a role on the Nickelodean
TV show "You Can't Do That on Television" and recorded her first
single, "Fate Stay With Me." She spent most of her pre-pubescent
years performing throughout Canada, singing "O Canada" at sporting
events and even making the de rigueur appearance on "Star Search."
1.pubescent: adj. 思春期的, 有软毛的
The hard work paid
off and at 14 Morissette was offered a recording contract with MCA/Canada.
Her debut, Alanis, a collection of dance-pop songs, was released
in 1991 and went platinum in Canada. That year, Morissette won the
Juno award (Canada's Grammy) for Most Promising Female Vocalist.
Her sophomore
effort, 1992's Now Is the Time, was recorded and released
before Morissette graduated from high school. However, this album
-- another collection of teeny bop dance tunes -- sold only half
as well as her debut, and at age 17 it looked as if Morissette's
career was on the wane.
1.sophomore: n. 大学二年级生, 有二年经验的人
After high school,
Morissette moved to Los Angeles where she had the good fortune to
hook up with songwriter/producer Glen Ballard, known for his work
with Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul and Wilson Phillips. The creative
chemistry between Ballard and Morissette was evident from the beginning.
Ballard pushed Morissette to pursue darker, edgier themes in her
music, venturing away from the cutesy teenager and toward the introspective
young woman.
"Most of the songs
are, in a roundabout way, actually addressed to myself," says Morissette
of her work with Ballard at this time. "There's a certain aspect
of the songs that's very confessional, very unadulterated...It was
a very unfettered, spiritual experience."
1.unfetter: v. 解放
The resulting demo
tape was shopped around to the major labels and Madonna's Maverick
imprint eventually signed Morissette. Jagged Little Pill,
was released in the summer of 1995. On the strength of the break-out
single "You Oughta Know," the album reached platinum status and
the Top 10. Follow-up singles "Hand in My Pocket," "All I Really
Want" and "Ironic" kept Jagged Little Pill on the album charts
the next two years, ultimately selling 15 million copies.
Morissette was showered
with industry awards for Jagged Little Pill, including Grammys
for Album of the Year, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Best
Rock Song and Best Rock Album.
Her much-anticipated
follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, was released
to favorable reviews in November 1998.
One year later Alanis
Unplugged, an acoustic set recorded for the MTV Unplugged series,
was released on Warner Bros.
Christina
Cramer
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