Ani Difranco - So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter
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Free Music Notes for So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter
Free Music Review: She's amazing! Not just a singer
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD was my introduction to Ani DiFranco. This woman is an artist. To call her a singer is mistaken. This is way more powerful than merely singing. Highly recommended!Free Music Review: there's nothing like live ani
Hit: 5 Stars
despite slim pickings from early albums, ani's newest release communicates the vibrance of her live shows without all the ANNOYING teeny-boppers singing along. A+ work.Free Music Review: EXCELLENT!
Hit: 5 Stars
The song choices, guitar picking, sentiment, heartfelt singing, jazzy notes and brilliance makes this the best release of 2002 so far. It's amazing. Get it.Free Music Review: Extremely mixed - - 3 and a half stars, actually
Hit: 4 Stars
OK, this album is amazing at certain points, and extremely poor at others. Here's a track run-down:STRAY CATS:
1. Swan Dive - The guitar is played way too violently to have any sort of good melodic influence on listeners, 3/10
2. Letter to a John --> Tamburitza Lingua - I personally quite like this version, although some think differently- it's a much more upbeat version than you may have heard before, 6/10
3. Grey - Great song, really well played in concert. 8/10
4. Crade & All - Good, but not great. I think Living In Clip's live version of the song is better, 5/10
5. What all is nice - Skip it, 2/10
6. Whathowwhenwhere - Ditto, 2/10
7. To The Teeth - Soooo much better than the studio version!! I think this song is one of the highlights of the CD, really well reproduced. Unfortunaltely, the guitar sounds differ in volume, especially noticeable at the beginning, which reduces its effect, but nevertheless 9/10
8. Revelling - Another good rendition of the song, more folky 7/10
9. Napoleon - I can understand why everybody raves about this song, but they wont when they hear this rendition. Its not good at all - If you're looking for a live version of 'Napoleon', try Living In Clip. So much better, this one scores only 4/10
10. Shrug - "junk". Ani writes in the booklet of the album that 'Shrug' was a new song and they'd only rehearsed it once earlier that day... Ani, rehearse your songs more before you play them at a live concert! 0/10
11. Welcome To: - Good again, not amazing. 7/10
GIRLS SINGING NIGHT
1. 'Comes a time - Whats the point of putting it on the album? You can hardly hear it, plus the words aren't exactly engaging. 0/10
2. Aint That way - Doesn't grab you, 3/10
3. Dilate - OK, but I prefer previous versions. Nothing special by any means. 4/10
4. Gratitude - Amazing. Really good. Sounds very similar to the studio release, although a little quicker. Still, I think it's a great song, although a little short! 9/10
5. Rock paper Scissors - Personally I think its very average, although again, some disagree. Its not awful though- not as bad as some of the other tracks!! 5/10
6. 32 Flavours - DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS TRACK. This is an absolutely awful rendition of 32 Flavours and Living In Clip's version is far superior. It has ruined what was once my favourite Ani song, 0/10
7. Loom-->Pulse - Skip it. 4/10
8. Not A pretty Girl - Excellent rendition of a track which was very average before I heard this take on it. Ani's really improved this one, 9/10
9. Self Evident - Almost every review has raved about this one. Yes, it's good - But still very sad so only for listening when you're in the mood. Good poem though, 8/10
10. Reckoning - Great track, 8/10
11. My IQ - Skip it. 4/10
12. Jukebox - Very average. 5/10
13. You Had Time - Great track to end the album, very good rendition of it, 9/10
You may have noticed that none of my reviews of songs got 10/10- this is because non eof the songs are really excellent. Previous renditions of '32 Flavours' or 'Untouchable Face' would have earnt 10 points, but none of the tracks here are really excellent. Or maybe Im just a harsh marker.
Free Music Review: "So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter" = So Much New Energy
Hit: 4 Stars
I've always had a thing for live recordings. They give songs that an artist has recorded over the years a new life, a new energy.Ani's third live CD has just that. The first CD--entitled "Stray Cats", in honour of the stray cats that were found at one performance venue--includes many Ani gems and a couple of new songs ("Shrug" and "Welcome To:"). All these songs have received new life through whatever means--either by adding other instruments (like a horn section) or by simply playing it live. My qualm with this is, that it's just too short; after "Welcome To:" it just seems to end abruptly. Another song, I think, would've made this CD seem more complete.
CD #2 is "Girls Singing Night" (dubbed so thanks to a little banter between Ani and her backup vocalist and keyboardist, Julie). This CD is the better of the two. It features an awesome piano-guitar-and-vocals-only version of "Rock Paper Scissors", as well as new arrangements of "32 Flavours" and "Not a Pretty Girl." The energy on this CD is also more evident on this one; you just want to drop everything and let the music move you! The other new highlight is the song/poem "Self-Evident"--Ani's post-9/11 manifesto of sorts, which is well worth a listen, no matter what your political leanings are. The CD closes with a mellow rendition of "You Had Time".
All in all, this is well-worth a listen. Or two. Or three. Or more!