Alanis Morissette: You Oughta Know

Tamara Jones is Production Stage Manager/Operations Supervisor,
Entertainment Department, Paramount Canada’s Wonderland.

Just when you never wanted to hear another Alanis Morissette song, Paul
Cantin’s biography arrives on the scene. For anyone who can put aside
the radio overkill and is curious about this candid, edgy, and
“embarrassingly honest” alternative-rock performer, Cantin recounts
the personal and professional struggles that led to a major
transformation in Morissette’s musical style and inspired the songs in
Jagged Little Pill.

Cantin acknowledges that Morissette’s move from “featherweight pop
to the unflinching honesty of her new music” appears convenient and
calculated. As expected, his book addresses the rumors and innuendos
that have surfaced. However, rather than paint a perfect picture of his
subject, he lets his sources speak for themselves. Whether drawing upon
articles, interviews, or personal conversations with family, friends,
and collaborators, he allows contradictions, biases, and personal
agendas to shine through. Readers are left to judge Morissette for
themselves.

Cantin certainly satisfies Morissette fans in detailing moments in her
life not yet revealed by others. He also provides lesser-known photos
and quirky appendices that include a hospitality rider, concert dates,
DJ Surveys, and a listing of all the songs she has written, recorded or
not. After finishing this book, the reader is primed to go back to the
music.