Living In Clip - Ani DiFranco > Reviews > The Ultimate Live Recording - UPDATED.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	This is a necessity for Ani fans new and old alike .
Disadvantages:	Some of my favorite songs are not featured on this set  -  but, many of them ARE .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Wow, six Ciaoers read this op when I first posted it. I feel special. No, really. Oh, well.

There were a few little things that I didn't like about this op, so I had to make a minor change here and there anyway. So, here goes...again...

If there is one release by underground-sensation folk artist Ani DiFranco that you should not - I repeat NOT - miss, "Living In Clip" is it! This 1997 2-CD set is a compilation of various tracks performed while she was on tour in the U.S. and Canada. The producers (Ani and company, of course) made sure to include various songs from all stages of Ani's career: From early 1990 when the ball really started rolling right up to 1997. If you're an Ani DiFranco fan already, then you will surely appreciate the various tracks on this release. If you are new to the Ani scene, then this will give you quite a bit of insight into many of the various aspects of Ani's career: The changing of styles, the growing of emotions, and the wide variety of subjects that Ani DiFranco addresses through song and poetry.

Some of my favorites include the following:

Gravel. This is very similar to the original version (appearing on "Little Plastic Castle") but I like this one because it captures more of the emotion and power behind Ani's messages. It's a lively track, with lots of audience participation - the sort of thing that makes you want to get up and dance or something.

Both Hands. (Originally on Ani's self-titled debut.) What started as a simple acoustic guitar song ended up being recorded live with a full orchestra behind it. Talk about a killer track!

Untouchable Face. (Originally on "Dilate") Oh yes, Ani's legendary "Angry Song" - similar in notoriety to Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" of mid-90s fame. This is probably the best song on the two CDs! "F*** you, and your untouchable face / and f*** you, for existing in the first place / And who am I that I should be vying for your touch / Say who am I? I bet you can't even tell me that much." This is, of course, a rare song for Ani - she is generally more along the lines of either joyful or thoughtful versus angry and spiteful.

One of the most interesting tracks would be Ani's "32 Flavors" which was NOT, and I repeat NOT, an original Alanna Davis tune as many would believe. Rather, Alanna Davis took the song that Ani had written, changed many of the lyrics, and released it as a single. However, after hearing both, I find that I can like DiFranco's version better simply because it is more passionate, and the lyrics to HERS make a bit more sense. Then again, this is also partly because I dislike Alanna so much for becoming famous here in Texas through a song that wasn't her own. Oh, well.

Every State Line (originally featured on "Not So Soft") It was originally an a capella tune with just a backgorund harmony to accompany Ani's voice. And it was a damn fine song. But here, with the full range of instruments, it sounds even better. Do not miss.

Ani tells stories between tracks, introduces the rest of her band, and jokes with the audience. The audience in turn actually participates to a large degree, as you can hear them screaming and raising hell throughout the discs. This serves to capture what must have been a warm and friendly atmosphere at each of her stops along the tour. I can close my eyes and picture myself sitting in the crowd at any one of the many tiny hole-in-the-wall clubs on Ani?s tour schedule. Not many live recordings can capture the essence of the environment, but "Living In Clip" does not fall short. I highly recommend this to any Ani DiFranco fan. But, this is a great introduction to Ani's career, as it is a very well-balanced and skillfully-assembled timeline of her work as a musician. You cannot miss this album for ANYTHING, ladies and gentlemen! It's too good to pass up!

One of the best things about this two-disc set is 1. I found it for $12.99 but also 2. The fact that Ani refuses to edit out or alter her live performances. She did not even do overdubbing or add extra tracks into the recording before releasing it on CD. Instead, she left the entire thing as it was (well, okay, she redid the vocal track on "Both Hands" because the original was full of static and other teeth-irritating, head-pounding noises). Including things such as missed changes, wrong chords, and the whole "oh, whatever...it's late" thing toward the end when Ani forgot a whole damn verse to one of her songs.

TRACK LIST, DISC ONE:
1. Whatever
2. Wherever
3. Gravel
4. Willing to Fight
5. Shy
6. Joyful Girl
7. HIde and Seek
8. Napoleon
9. I'm No Heroine
10. Amazing Grace
11. Anticipate
12. Tiptoe
13. Sorry I Am
14. The Slant/The Diner
15. 32 Flavors
16. Out Of Range

TRACK LISTING, DISC TWO:
1. Untouchable Face
2. Shameless
3. Distracted
4. Adam and Eve
5. Fire Door
6. Both Hands
7. Out Of Habit
8. Every State Line
9. Not So Soft
10. Travel Tips
11. Wrong With Me
12. In or Out
13. We're All Gonna Blow
14. Letter to a John
15. Overlap

Of course, for more information, you ought to check out http://www.righteousbabe.com - the URL to Ani's record label that features a lot of information about her as well as the other musicians that have been signed to this independent company.

Note: I know, I know, it's absurd to give an album perfect ratings across the board (as I've just done below), but this one is actually worth it. Just ask anyone who's ever heard it.