Alanis Unplugged

Infobox Album
Name = MTV Unplugged
Type = live
Longtype =
Artist = Alanis Morissette


Cover size =
Caption =
Released = flagicon|USA Start date|1999|11|9
Recorded = Start date|1999|9|18 MTV Unplugged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York flagicon|USA
Genre = Alternative Rock, acoustic rock
Length =
Language =
Label = Maverick, Reprise
Director =
Producer = Alanis Morissette
Reviews = *Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:wwf2zfs1eh4k link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|2.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/alanismorissette/albums/album/245788/review/5944757/mtv_unplugged link]
Compiler =
Chronology =
Last album = "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" (1998)
This album = "MTV Unplugged" (1999)
Next album = "Under Rug Swept" (2002)
Misc =Singles
Name = MTV Unplugged
Type = live
Single 1 = That I Would Be Good
Single 1 date = February 2000
Single 2 = King of Pain
Single 2 date = April 2000
Single 3 = You Learn
Single 3 date = April 2000

"Alanis Unplugged" is the fifth album and first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 9, 1999 (see 1999 in music). It comprises songs performed by Morissette on the television program "MTV Unplugged". Twelve tracks were included on the album, but Morissette performed several others, including "Baba", "Thank U" (both from 1998's "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie") and "Your House" (the hidden track on 1995's "Jagged Little Pill"), during her "Unplugged" concert. The first single, "That I Would Be Good", was moderately successful, and two other tracks, "King of Pain" (a cover of the song by The Police) and "You Learn" were released as singles outside North America. As of September 2008 the album has sold 646,000 copies in the U.S. [Caulfield, Keith. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003847081 "Ask Billboard - Losing 'Flavor'"] . "Billboard". September 8, 2008.]

In addition to material from Morissette's first two U.S. albums, "Alanis Unplugged" featured performances of three previously unreleased songs from her tours: "No Pressure over Cappuccino", "Princes Familiar" and "These R the Thoughts". Morissette has stated that "Princes Familiar" in particular is one of her favourite and most vocally challenging songs. She performed it on her 2005 Diamond Wink Tour, where she dedicated it to "all of the Dads in the audience". The ballad "No Pressure over Cappuccino", one of the first songs she wrote following the release of "Jagged Little Pill", is presumably about the singer's twin brother, Wade.Fact|date=February 2007

Featuring cleaner vocals, slower arrangements and a few drastic reinventions (particularly in the case of "You Oughta Know"), "Alanis Unplugged" foreshadowed much of Morissette's later, softer work, particularly 2005's "Jagged Little Pill Acoustic" and the accompanying Diamond Wink Tour.

Track listing

#"You Learn" (Glen Ballard, Alanis Morissette) – 4:21
#"Joining You" (Ballard, Morissette) – 5:09
#"No Pressure over Cappuccino" (Nick Lashley, Morissette) –4:41
#"That I Would Be Good" (Ballard, Morissette) – 4:14
#"Head over Feet" (Ballard, Morissette) – 4:22
#"Princes Familiar" (Ballard, Morissette) – 4:37
#"I Was Hoping" (Ballard, Morissette) – 4:53
#"Ironic" (Ballard, Morissette) – 4:13
#"These R the Thoughts" (Ballard, Morissette) – 3:25
#"King of Pain" (The Police) – 4:05
#"You Oughta Know" (Ballard, Morissette) – 5:01
#"Uninvited" (Morissette) – 4:37

;Other recorded songs
*Thank U
*Baba
*Your House

Personnel

*Alanis Morissette - vocals, guitar, harmonica and flute
*Nick Lashley - guitar
*Joel Shearer - guitar
*Deron Johnson - keyboards, background vocals in "King of Pain"
*Chris Chaney - bass
*Gary Novak - drums and percussion
*Brad Dutz - percussion

*David Campbell - musical arranger and viola
*Suzie Katayama - cello and string arrangement for "You Oughta Know"
*Joul Derouin - violin
*Laura Seaton - violin
*Erik Friedlander - cello
*Juliet Haffner - strings contractor

Notes