Alanis Morissette: Live in the Navajo Nation

Full disclosure: I like Alanis Morissette's music (one of the real highlights of this year's American Library Association annual conference in Atlanta was looking out our hotel room window and discovering that Alanis Morissette was performing at a free concert in the park). That said, Alanis Morissette: Live in the Navajo Nation, from the generally impressive Music in High Places series, was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps figuring that a reference to cinema fellatio wouldn't go down all that well in a purportedly sacred setting, Morissette omits "You Oughta Know" (her biggest hit) from the nine-song set of acoustic performances captured here in natural Arizona settings. Unfortunately, except for the amusingly incorrect "Ironic" and "Your House" (a nice a cappella performance in a slot canyon), none of the wonderful songs from Jagged Little Pill ("Hand in My Pocket," "You Learn," "All I Really Want," etc.) appear here. In fact, excepting "Uninvited" (City of Angels soundtrack) and "No Pressure Over Cappuccino" (Unplugged), all of the other songs are from Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie ("Baba," "That I Would Be Good," "U R," "Heart of the House" and "I Was Hoping," but again, not the best known song from that disc either--"Thank U"). One of the nice things about the Music in High Places series so far has been the great camaraderie of spirit during the acoustic jams, a feeling distinctly absent here, with Morissette and her three band members all seated facing away from one another, lending an absolutely sterile atmosphere to the proceedings (not helped much by the fact that Morissette's thin, reedy vocal stylings sound much better encased in a wall of sound than in the threadbare accompaniment here). Diehard fans will enjoy this Dolby Digital 5.1 sound enhanced Alanis Goes Native (American) outing, but most will be disappointed by the lack of hits. Still, considering the singer's huge popularity, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)