Jagged Little Pill

I love it when things come full circle.  There's something comforting about it.

When I was (I think) 14, 'Jagged Little Pill' by Alanis Morissette was released.  My friends and I were instantly obsessed with it.  It, like, spoke directly to us.  We were in love with Alanis and her silly lyrics and her long her and her leather trousers and her anger at boys.

Then we carried on getting  a little bit older and Alanis' stopped making such good songs and we lost interest.  Not only that, but the songs on 'Jagged Little Pill' - the ones we had loved so much - now seemed, well, embarrassing.  They were so of the moment, encapsulated a brief time so perfectly, that they dated very quickly.  We threw out our copies and were faintly ashamed to have been fans.  We moved on and didn't want to look back at our past selves.  So immature, so uncool.

Then, earlier this year, one of my girlfriends asked me when I last listened to 'Jagged Little Pill'.  It's actually really good, she said.  I didn't believe her.

Then we listened to the entire album together, sang along, found we still knew all the words and were filled with a peculiarly nostalgic sort of joy.  We have repeated this several times since.  The joy is still there every time, as are the songs.

I love it when things come full circle.

Happy 80th birthday, Leonard Cohen!

Because of course I couldn't let this occasion go unmarked.

Thanks, L. Cohen, for the truly great music and words; changing my life sometimes, inspiring me to go on various travels (and get the tattoo that may have saved me at a low ebb); lovely memories, directly and indirectly.

I still would.

Dancing in Silence

It's been doing the rounds on Facebook, but this video really made me laugh.

Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys

Isn't that the best title for a book you have ever heard in your life?  (It's Viv Albertine's [from The Slits] memoir, as you probably already know.)

It's also a great book - really enjoyable, funny, and quite moving.  Plus gets bonus points for Vincent Gallo content that I'd had no idea about.

The Slits were a really cool  band.

Lovely Liv

I've loved her since 'Empire Records' (haven't we all?) but lately I find myself slightly obsessed anew with Liv Tyler.

She's so insanely beautiful and I found this great article about her 'beauty secrets'.  Obviously I have copied all of them and am keeping my fingers crossed that soon I will wake up and actually be her.  I'll keep you posted on that.

Incidentally, Into The Gloss turns out to be a really great beauty site..  I find myself spending a lot of time there.  You're welcome/sorry (it might end up taking up quite a bit of time and costing you money in new beauty products).

http://intothegloss.com/2013/05/liv-tyler/