MTV Unplugged (Alanis Morissette album)

Last updated
MTV Unplugged
Alanis Unplugged album cover.jpg
Live album by
Alanis Morissette
ReleasedNovember 9, 1999 (1999-11-09)
RecordedSeptember 18, 1999 (1999-09-18)
MTV Unplugged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York
Genre Alternative rock, acoustic rock
Length53:42
Label
Producer Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette chronology
Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
(1998)		MTV Unplugged
(1999)		 Under Rug Swept
(2002)
Singles from MTV Unplugged
  1. "That I Would Be Good"
    Released: November 1999
  2. "King of Pain"
    Released: April 19, 2000
  3. "You Learn"
    Released: April 19, 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B− [2]
Q Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [3]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Harvard Crimson B [6]

MTV Unplugged is the 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 also performed "Baba", "Thank U" (both from 1998's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie ) and "Your House" (the hidden track on 1995's Jagged Little Pill ) during the live taping. These were later released as B-sides on the "King of Pain" single release. 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 March 2012, the album has sold 673,000 copies in the U.S. [7]

Contents

In addition to material from Morissette's first two U.S. albums, MTV Unplugged featured performances of "No Pressure over Cappuccino" and "Princes Familiar", two previously unreleased songs from her tours, and "These R the Thoughts", a previously released b-side. Morissette has stated that "Princes Familiar" in particular is one of her favorite 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, "was inspired by [her] twin brother," Wade. [8]

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

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Alanis Morissette; all music is composed by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."You Learn"4:22
2."Joining You"5:09
3."No Pressure Over Cappuccino" (Morissette, Nick Lashley)4:41
4."That I Would Be Good"4:14
5."Head over Feet"4:23
6."Princes Familiar"4:37
7."I Was Hoping"4:54
8."Ironic"4:14
9."These R the Thoughts"3:26
10."King of Pain" (lyrics and music: Sting)4:05
11."You Oughta Know"5:00
12."Uninvited" (Alanis Morissette)4:37

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for MTV Unplugged
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [29] Gold25,000*
Belgium (BEA) [30] Gold25,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [31] Platinum250,000*
Germany (BVMI) [32] Platinum300,000^
Italy (FIMI) [33] Gold50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [34] Gold50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [35] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [36] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [37] Gold500,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI) [38] Platinum1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Entertainment Weekly review
  3. ↑ Q Magazine review
  4. ↑ Robert Christgau review
  5. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  6. ↑ The Harvard Crimson review
  7. ↑ Trust, Gary. "Ask Billboard: What Are the Billboard 200's Longest-Charting Albums Ever?". Billboard . December 24, 2012.
  8. ↑ "No Pressure Over Cappuccino", performed by Alanis Morissette, Berkeley 1996. 13 No Pressure over Cappuccino Alanis Morissette Berkeley 1996 , retrieved 2015-12-15
  9. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5775". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
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  17. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 112, no. 8. February 19, 2000. p. 49. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
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  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Alanis Morissette Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1999". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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  28. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000". hitparade.ch. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2000". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  31. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alanis Morissette; 'Unplugged')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  33. ↑ Dondoni, Luca (November 20, 1999). ""Unplugged", riecco Alanis Morissette". La Stampa (in Italian). p. 30. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  34. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 954. ISBN   84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  35. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('MTV Unplugged')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  36. ↑ "British album certifications – Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged". British Phonographic Industry.
  37. ↑ "American album certifications – Alanis Morissette – Unplugged". Recording Industry Association of America.
  38. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2000". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 28, 2020.
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