Lyrics from Ani Difranco's 15th album were haunting and suggestive of a longing for her next adventure. What did she want to accomplish next, both as a songwriter deity and an average everyday woman? As far as I can tell, Ani holds a key that opens more doors than she was probably bargaining for.

 

Her 16th album, So Much Shouting So Much Laughter is a wonderful two disc continuous ballad of live performances from her travels all over the world. And did I mention that she also produces and does all the sound engineering and programming on this album? One of Ani's amazing qualities is her ability to re-create a song live, and still keep it's integrity and individuality intact. I find most of her live performances more appealing than her recorded ones!

For instance, the song Not a Pretty Girl is by far one of the best songs on this album (even more than the original recorded version made in 1995). It sheds off a few of the "suffering kitten" syndrome that the original hangs onto. The music makes light of her "one woman army" slogan, and even the chorus has a completely new and endearing guitar riff than the original. It's truly a fabulous restructuring of one of her most famous pieces.

As a guitarist- her skills are endless. But as a poet- her words are revolutionary. In a live poem called Self Evident, Ani speaks on the controversial side of current President Bush's anti-terrorist campaign. She speaks on the authenticity of the current war and it's often spurious surroundings. And she does it all within a sincerely heartbreaking cry that could skin the strings off a violin. In this poem, her lyrics beg for a more fundamental future of peace. She takes her stance with eloquence and feeling, delivering words less of patriotism- which is can be vapid and empty- and more for humanitarianism. It's quite amazing how even in her most righteous and heated poems she never looses that pout-filled sensuousness that she's famous for. It takes a true one of a kind to pull that off: Most artists lose that vulnerable edge with their lyrics and voice as soon as they've gained fame or have done a fare amount of albums. But never Ani.

If you like Ani Difranco with a big band smashing out her best songs live, than this is the album for you. She usually comes out with 2 to 3 albums per year, so be on the look out for a new one soon.

for more on Ani Difranco: www.righteousbaberecords.com