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Alanis Morissette - VH1 Storytellers
Rhino // Unrated // April 26, 2005
List Price: $14.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Alanis Morissette's story is one of the more interesting in 90's pop music, in my opinion. The Canadian singer/songwriter was a former Nickelodeon television star and eventually went on to have some success as a perky pop star in Canada. In 1995, producer Glen Ballard and Morissette delivered "Jagged Little Pill", a rock/pop album that contained "You Oughta Know", followed by a legion of equally radio-friendly and catchy hits from the album. That album, which sold multi-millions of copies, was followed by "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie", a more spiritual outing that may have not been the commerical success that the prior release was, but offered a more mature and interesting Morissette. That release was followed by the accoustic MTV Unplugged performance; a relaxed Morissette provided some of her finest moments, turning previously poppy rockers into somewhat more complex and subdued numbers as well as providing a terrific cover of the Police's "King of Pain".
Although I'll say that Morissette does not have one of the strongest voices in pop music today, her singing often works superbly because she has a fascinating and wonderful feel for the rhythms of her lyrics, adding strong expression, warmth and great detail from word-to-word. It's really singing and storytelling, often done with a feeling of real emotion and honesty. Subtle changes in how the singer hits a note in her live performances often end up making them more dynamic and compelling, as well.
Recorded in 1999, this "VH-1 Storytellers" episode offers Morissette relaxed and in a cozy studio setting, providing an accoustic performance of some of her hits that had come out by that time. As with the singer's other accoustic efforts (see also: her "Music in High Places" episode), some of the songs are a bit reworked, such as "You Oughta Know", which has a slightly exotic vibe here. The singer and her backing band provide an energetic, enjoyable set, and the usually somewhat shy singer opens up to provide a lot of insight about her work between songs. It's a superb program that fans of the singer will likely enjoy.
Performances include: Hand in My Pocket, You Learn, Thank U, Unsent, You Oughta Know, That I Would Be Good, Still, Uninvited (bonus) and Head Over Feet (bonus).
The DVD
VIDEO: "Alanis: VH1 Storytellers" is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Image quality was generally fine, and likely comes close to how it appeared when the show originally aired on cable. Sharpness and detail were satisfactory, as the image appeared crisp and fairly well-defined, for the most part. Some inconistencies show up, as some shots look a little softer than the rest.
On a positive note, no edge enhancement or pixelation were spotted, and only minor shimmering was seen. Colors looked rich and nicely saturated, with no smearing. Overal, generally a nice offering.
SOUND: The program's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack complimented the show quite nicely. Surrounds presented some nice crowd ambience and provided mild reinforcement of the music. The front soundstage was nice and wide, with both instruments and vocals sounding distinct. Instruments and vocals sounded warm and rich, with nice clarity and no concerns.
EXTRAS: Bonus tracks - "Uninvited" and "Head Over Feet". There is also a "music only" option (none of the singer's between-songs chats.)
Final Thoughts: "Alanis: VH1 Storytellers" offers a terrific, intimate performance from the singer, who offers some thoughtful notes about her work during the show. The DVD offers satisfactory video quality, fine audio and a couple of supplements. Recommended for fans.
Alanis Morissette's story is one of the more interesting in 90's pop music, in my opinion. The Canadian singer/songwriter was a former Nickelodeon television star and eventually went on to have some success as a perky pop star in Canada. In 1995, producer Glen Ballard and Morissette delivered "Jagged Little Pill", a rock/pop album that contained "You Oughta Know", followed by a legion of equally radio-friendly and catchy hits from the album. That album, which sold multi-millions of copies, was followed by "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie", a more spiritual outing that may have not been the commerical success that the prior release was, but offered a more mature and interesting Morissette. That release was followed by the accoustic MTV Unplugged performance; a relaxed Morissette provided some of her finest moments, turning previously poppy rockers into somewhat more complex and subdued numbers as well as providing a terrific cover of the Police's "King of Pain".
Although I'll say that Morissette does not have one of the strongest voices in pop music today, her singing often works superbly because she has a fascinating and wonderful feel for the rhythms of her lyrics, adding strong expression, warmth and great detail from word-to-word. It's really singing and storytelling, often done with a feeling of real emotion and honesty. Subtle changes in how the singer hits a note in her live performances often end up making them more dynamic and compelling, as well.
Recorded in 1999, this "VH-1 Storytellers" episode offers Morissette relaxed and in a cozy studio setting, providing an accoustic performance of some of her hits that had come out by that time. As with the singer's other accoustic efforts (see also: her "Music in High Places" episode), some of the songs are a bit reworked, such as "You Oughta Know", which has a slightly exotic vibe here. The singer and her backing band provide an energetic, enjoyable set, and the usually somewhat shy singer opens up to provide a lot of insight about her work between songs. It's a superb program that fans of the singer will likely enjoy.
Performances include: Hand in My Pocket, You Learn, Thank U, Unsent, You Oughta Know, That I Would Be Good, Still, Uninvited (bonus) and Head Over Feet (bonus).
The DVD
VIDEO: "Alanis: VH1 Storytellers" is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Image quality was generally fine, and likely comes close to how it appeared when the show originally aired on cable. Sharpness and detail were satisfactory, as the image appeared crisp and fairly well-defined, for the most part. Some inconistencies show up, as some shots look a little softer than the rest.
On a positive note, no edge enhancement or pixelation were spotted, and only minor shimmering was seen. Colors looked rich and nicely saturated, with no smearing. Overal, generally a nice offering.
SOUND: The program's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack complimented the show quite nicely. Surrounds presented some nice crowd ambience and provided mild reinforcement of the music. The front soundstage was nice and wide, with both instruments and vocals sounding distinct. Instruments and vocals sounded warm and rich, with nice clarity and no concerns.
EXTRAS: Bonus tracks - "Uninvited" and "Head Over Feet". There is also a "music only" option (none of the singer's between-songs chats.)
Final Thoughts: "Alanis: VH1 Storytellers" offers a terrific, intimate performance from the singer, who offers some thoughtful notes about her work during the show. The DVD offers satisfactory video quality, fine audio and a couple of supplements. Recommended for fans.
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