Eight Easy Steps
{{Infobox song
| name = Eight Easy Steps
| cover = EightEasySteps.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Alanis Morissette
| album = So-Called Chaos
| released = October 19, 2004
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 2:52
| label = Maverick
| writer = Alanis Morissette
| producer = {{hlist|Alanis Morissette|John Shanks|Tim Thorney}}
| prev_title = Out Is Through
| prev_year = 2004
| next_title = Crazy
| next_year = 2005
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|NBymTNop_bM|"Eight Easy Steps"}}}}
}}
"Eight Easy Steps" is a rock song written by Alanis Morissette for her sixth studio album, So-Called Chaos. The album's opening track, it was released in 2004 as the So-Called Chaos
The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and number 27 on the Adult Top 40.[{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r679859/charts-awards/billboard-single|pure_url=yes}} "So-Called Chaos > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles"]. Allmusic. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
Music and structure
{{listen
|pos=left
| filename = EightEasySteps.ogg
| title = "Eight Easy Steps"
| description = The verse transitions into the louder hard rock chorus.
| format = Ogg
}}
"Eight Easy Steps" is a song composed in the key of A♭ major.{{cite web|title= Eight Easy Steps By Alanis Morissette – Digital Sheet Music |publisher= Universal Music Publishing Group |url= http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0048378}} It is written in common time and moves at a moderately fast 132 beats per minute. Its verses are set to a Middle Eastern beat.Klunk, Christine. [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/m/morissettealanis-socalled.shtml "Alanis Morissette: So-Called Chaos]. PopMatters. September 9, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007. Morissette's vocal range spans nearly an octave and a half, from A♭3 to C5.
Critical reception
Stylus Magazine gave the song a negative review, finding it a "flaccid and innocuous" attempt to recreate the hard rock sound of her 1995 single "You Oughta Know".R. S. Ross. [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/alanis-morissette/so-called-chaos.htm "Alanis Morissette - So Called Chaos - Review"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215090423/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/alanis-morissette/so-called-chaos.htm |date=2006-12-15 }}. Stylus Magazine. June 16, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007. PopMatters disagreed, commenting that the chorus's "one shining moment of Alanis Anger" was one of the album's few energetic moments. The New York Times called the song "triumphant",Pareles, Jon. [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/16/arts/music/16PARE.html "MUSIC; The Solipsisters Sing Out Once Again"]. The New York Times. May 16, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007. and The Guardian found the song's distortion effective, as well as its "Nine Inch Nails-like metallic rage".Sullivan, Caroline. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,11712,1215867,00.html "Alanis Morissette, So-Called Chaos"]. The Guardian. May 14, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Liz Friedlander.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040819012526/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1490248/20040816/lohan_lindsay.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Nicky Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nelly, Jessica Simpson, Coldplay, Mike Shinoda & More"]. MTV News. August 16, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007. The video opens with a scene of Morissette performing with her backing band. It then presents sequences from Morissette's previous music videos, television appearances like You Can't Do That on Television, and home videos in reverse chronological order. The scenes are digitally edited to create the appearance that Morissette had sung "Eight Easy Steps" in them.Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/66918/alanis-steps-back-into-the-past-in-new-video "Alanis 'Steps' Back Into The Past In New Video"]. Billboard. August 13, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2007. It took Morissette over 16 hours, to recreate her facial expressions from the clips. Friedlander commented that "It was eerie to watch the footage of present day Alanis run side by side with the early footage…Her ability to match her old actions was uncanny." The video peaked at #11 on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown.
Track listing
- "Eight Easy Steps" (Thick Dick Filter Mix) – 6:56
- "Eight Easy Steps" (Jez Colin & Flipper Dalton Remix) – 6:35
- "Eight Easy Steps" (The Orange Factory Remix) – 6:58
- "Eight Easy Steps" (Smitty & Gabriel D. Vine Remix) – 7:03
A second acoustic single was planned with more tracks from the Vancouver Sessions. However, it was scrapped before it was released.
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="test-align:center"
!Chart (2004) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/2000s/2004/RR-2004-11-19.pdf|title=R&R Canada Hot AC Top 30|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1582|page=51|date=November 19, 2004|access-date=June 15, 2024}}
|align="center"|16 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|27|artist=Alanis Morissette|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 15, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|9|artist=Alanis Morissette|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 15, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddancesales|3|artist=Alanis Morissette|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 15, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardsinglessales|37|artist=Alanis Morissette|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 15, 2024}} |
| align="left"|World Dance / Trance Top 30 Singles
|align="center"|9 |
Credits and personnel
- Vocals: Alanis Morissette
- Guitar: Joel Shearer
- Producers: Alanis Morissette, John Shanks, Tim Thorney
- Audio mixing: Chris Lord-Alge, Adam Schiff
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Alanis Morissette}}
{{Alanis Morissette songs}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Alanis Morissette songs
Category:Music videos directed by Liz Friedlander
Category:Song recordings produced by John Shanks