So Much Shouting So Much Laughter [Live, Import]

The price of the double CD is worth it alone for the spoken word of 'Self Evident' which was recorded live in Ann Arbor. Written shortly after 9/11/01, this song represents a perspective on the events of this day and afterwards not shown in mainstream media. The release of this song cannot be at a better time when we are being slapped in the face with rememberance programs on television and radio. It's reason enough just to turn the TV off, pop in this CD, and not oneself get sucked into all the propaganda.

This 2-CD set (the first CD is titled 'Stray Cats' and the second is 'Girls Signing Night') comes with a beautiful digipak and booklet of wonderful pictures of Ani and her band on tour.

This new release is not to be missed by any Ani fan.

The two CD set, individually named Stray Cats and Girls Singing Night, would be a welcome addition to anyone's Ani collection. Although old school, hard core Ani fans who fell in love with her original folk-singer style may be disappointed by her recent funkier transformation. This live CD was a great follow-up to her last release, the double CD Reveling/Reckoning, which left many fans disappointed.

Even though Ani put out a live CD five years ago, "Living in Clip," this album has a distinctively different sound and style to it. Each track on this new album sounds uniquely different from its previous recordings, even the songs included on other live CDs. The tracks, especially "Napoleon," aren't as melodic or as polished as some of the songs on Living in Clip. I definitely miss the orchestra from Living in Clip. But "So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter" has a beautifully integrated brass section.

As always, she's confident in her craft and her socially aware messages. Her lyrics are not for the lighthearted, easily accessible listener. Almost of all her songs address some social issue that most artists tend to shy from approaching more taboo subjects. If you are offended easily, Ani's shocking lyrics are probably not best. Some males may find it difficult to identify with her strong feminist views.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Ani's previous work, the two-CD set would be a good, easy introduction to Ani's style of music and her in-your-face political ideas she expresses. The poem, "Self Evident" on Girls Singing Night is a powerful example of her bold, controversial political ideas. The poem expresses her views on the attacks on Sept. 11 and how she believes America has gotten what it had coming-"you can keep the pentagon, keep the propaganda, keep each and every tv, that's been trying to convince me, to participate in some prep school punk's plan to perpetuate retribution, perpetuate retribution, even as the blue toxic smoke of our lesson in retribution is still hanging in the air."

The songs Ani chose to put on the CD are an excellent mixture of recent songs from Reveling/Reckoning like "Grey" and "Ain't That the Way," as well as several faithful older pieces, like the ever popular "Napoleon" about a friend in the business who sold out. Tracks like "Letter to a John/Tamburiza Lingua" and "Cradle and All" are especially more upbeat than their previous recordings and do the best job of capturing the energy and passion she exudes at her live shows. Technically, she's an amazing guitar player. Her guitar acts as another voice and a channel for her expression. Her passion forces you to come in and it engages you. The staccato guitar riffs and additional horn solos missing from some previous attempts are welcome additions to the recordings.

Unlike her last live CD, the conversations with her band members and audience that were selected for the album aren't as annoying as some of the banter recorded on previous albums.

She has such a strong, supportive fan base that allows her to experiment and evolve and to see what kind of music and sound she will produce next. Her ever-changing musical style is always done on her terms, never the industries. With each new CD, it's always a pleasant surprise to see what you'll hear.

Unfortunately, that doesn't keep up. Granted, it shows again with the version of "Gratitude," and to a much lesser extent with "My IQ." And some of the people put off by anything after Dilate might come back to her last three albums with more openness. Those albums deserve it. I'm a big fan of the last three albums. But not all the versions here make such a case for a second listen. Ani Difranco fans nowadays generally seem to be one of two sorts: either they insist on the superiority of her stripped down guitar/direct and overtly political days, or seem to worship her without considering what she is actually doing. Let's face it, something is often askew with the new approach, and it really shows on this disc. I am not sure what it is. The musicians' ability? Their comfort with each other? Their passion? It feels a little forced. And it gets so old: the same old couple of piano keys, the same trumpet notes and same flippin' trumpet intros. Or, a bunch of half-funky noise. On her most recent albums the trumpet and keyboards mostly work--but not here, and not nearly as often. Way too often her new songs and delivery on known songs are just not engaging. Sometimes, god forgive me, fan that I am, I feel like I'm listening as a favour. Her version of "Loom/Pulse" is a case in point. Nothing is much fun there. The vocal delivery, the drums, accordian, trumpet, electric guitar...you are not interesting, intelligent, creative, or a fun just because you play with Ani or play Ani Difranco songs. And that includes Ani. Think of the Living in Clip and Little Plastic Castle versions of these songs--they are fantastic. Go back and listen to "Jukebox" on Up Up Up Up Up Up. It's obvious that the passion and ability is on that record, as promising as this version begins. "You Had Time" is so promising, but then we get a couple of musicians who come off like they are thinking of being somewhere else. On "Shrug," it sounds like no one wants to be there.

Having said such possibly scathing things, let me state the obvious that this set is worth owning for the phenomenal "Self Evident." On music alone! If only all her performances with the band could have been so sharp! *That* is what they are capable of, that is what they should be doing. (It makes their other work here twice as embarrassing, frankly.) It really is amazing, folks. Ani nails the grief, significance, and the double-pronged peversity of 9/11 . Truly not to be missed. You'll understand and feel more each time you listen to it. So...five stars for Self-Evident. Four stars for a handful of performances, and a reluctant three stars at the rest of the tunes. It's not whether or not I like the cd that I can't figure. I do. It's how much. When you buy it, I hope you find it frustrating less often than I do.