Customer Reviews

Dilate

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to admit, when I first bought this album a few weeks ago, my reaction wasn't very positive. I was like, "What the hell happened? This isn't the Ani DiFranco I've grown to love!" And songs like "Outta Me, On To You" and "Shameless" still freak me out a bit.

But once I listened to it a second or third time, I really began to love it. Ani's voice is the best it's ever been on any of her records, the lyrics are brilliant as always....now I can't believe I once disliked it so much. My favorite tracks on it are Superhero (such a wonderful song), Napoleon (I get such a big smile on my face whenever I listen to this one), Done Wrong (gorgeous and sad), and Joyful Girl (whispery and pretty).

I love this album because on it Ani displays such quiet, heartfelt emotion that I've never heard on any of her other records. Not A Pretty Girl is still my favorite album of hers, but Dilate will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you, Ani.

Supposing that, like me, you don't normally want to listen to people with acoustic guitars whose fans (who can't spell "inspiring") regard them with awe - well, have a listen to this album, distinctly grittier than many of its kin. Apparently this is the album on which DiFranco got tired of being a folkie and upped the funk level by several degrees. The songs are cool: Napoleon, a blast of contempt at unspeakable rock-biz types, has a grungy swing and an unprintable chorus; Amazing Grace (yes, it's that old chestnut) is all overdubbed thumb pianos and whispering; Untouchable Face is a splendidly miserable love song (again with an unprintable chorus, which redeems the more ordinary sadness of the verses); the title track is a real killer, with a guitar sound big enough to fit a cathedral into it and positively bilious lyrics. Fine stuff. Never mind Laurie Anderson (recording with Lour Reed? What can she be thinking?), DiFranco is the singer-songwriter for people who don't normally listen to them.

Some people were annoyed, if I remember right, when Ani DiFranco made this album -- much more brooding and with a lot more backup band than her others.

To them, I said: "She already made like a gazillion albums in her other style! She recorded more songs already than most artists ever will. How long was she supposed to keep going before trying something new?" I figure she has to either reinvent herself or get bored, and I think she made the right choice

I think this album is a TRIUMPH. It's mopey, honest, and absolutely heartfelt. Her lyrics are just as smart as ever.

SUPERHERO is a fantastic song about how when we fall in love, we all become ridiculous cliches ... no matter how 'above it' we thought we were before.

ADAM AND EVE is a powerful, brooding feminist statement about men who "leave you in the morning".

OUT OF ME, ONTO YOU is more or less ... a curse on someone you hate.

I think DILATE is a gem, and every Ani fan should take it back out again and listen to it with fresh ears.

I met Ani once, years ago when she played at the Ithaca Theater, in Ithaca, NY. She wasn't so commercially known then. I am honored I saw her live, "local" concerts during the best part of her music career. "Dilate" is hard-edged, in-your-face, and is placed very high in my most favorite CD ranks. My two favorite songs have always been "Dilate" and "Untouchable Face". She was very hard core. A jilted lover? Maybe. I have heard new Ani music, saw a music video, and I am saddened to say, the Ani I once knew and loved has turned a tad commercial. If you are a true Ani DiFranco fan, you must experience the raw, guitar-slamming emotions of "Dilate". This is the true Ani..the music that got her started. And Ani-if you are out there...I will NEVER forget how you closed that concert in Ithaca with a solo rendition of "When Doves Cry". Buy this album. It is truly sensational and worthy of more than 5 stars.

This is the cd that got me into Ani Difranco and my all-time favorite too. Her rendition of Amazing Grace is stunning and breath-taking to say the very least. I wasn't sure what to make of her when I first gave this cd a spin back in '96 but after a couple of more spins in the ol' stereo I quickly became a fan. Every song on the cd is awesome but my very, very favorite has to be the title track. I consider Ani Difranco one of the few artists who puts out consistent work amidst the current crop of disposable pop acts today's market is flooded with.

As I warned in my review for Little Plastic Castle: background info before writing this review will probly help Ani fans reading it. I'm not an Ani fan in the sense of agreeing with all her messages and supporting the things she does. I am a fan, however, who admires her outspoken honesty. She knows exactly what she feels, thinks, and believes and isn't one bit afraid to put it out there & in your face. That takes guts, more power to her.

Now, to review Dilate. I just got this recently and it's one of those CD's that I had to listen to a time or three to get used to, but I really like it. It's different from all the other CD's I have by Ani (well that was a stupid statement, all her CD's are different!) I own these albums: Little Plastic Castle, To The Teeth, Revelling/Reckoning and Evolve. This album, so it seems from listening to it in comparison to the others I have and from reading reviews, is the album when she changes from her old style to the newer one on LPC and following ones. It's great because it has her stripped down style with some major changes like samples, hip-hop type beats, and electric guitar.

Track 1, "Untouchable Face," is an nice song with a mellow beat and guitar. From the lyrics it sounds like she's in love with someone who's already taken, and is regretting it. Her use of the 'f-word' can be misleading, I don't necessarily think it's supposed to be a rage-filled song, it's more sarcastic I think (just my opinion).

If this album were a roller coaster, the first song would be the ramp leading to the top & the second song, "Outta Me Onto You" would be the first terrifying drop! It's so energetic in its anger that it's a little startling & very listenable too. It's the perfect song if you're pissed off @ someone! :)

I really enjoyed number 3, "Superhero," because we all know how Ani dislikes pop music & things of that sort, just the everyday things of Hollywood and so on. I find the lyrics of this one very funny & honest, because she admits that no matter how much those sappy love songs & things annoy her, the feelings from them have struck her! So she feels like everyone else in that manner. It's kinda tongue-in-cheek, or ironic if you will.

I think that "Dilate" could be my favorite song on the album. It starts out rather tame, then at the end of the second verse the music gets louder and more intense. When I listened to it the first time I jumped at the line where she says, "I look at you / and I dilate" because it's like the volume doubles! It's a surprising song that's got everything as far as sound: bitter, sweet, calm, frenzied.

I think a lot of people can relate to "Napoleon," or at least I can. Many people have experienced having a friend get famous or popular and then leave you in the dust, it's a gutwrenching feeling. She handles that subject well, it's a sad message but she always pulls even sad songs off well.

Awesome album! Glad I gave it a few spins before deciding I didn't like it. I should do that more often with CD's... :)

I don't know anyone who doesn't relate to the angst and anger demonstrated on Ani's Dilate album. This album helped me channel many demons over the years. Most notably, "Untouchable Face" which somehow tapped into almost everyone's conciousness. The whole album is fulled of punch and pissiness from "Superhero" (I used to be a Superhero, I would swoop down and save me from myself/ and you were like a phone booth that I somehow stumbled into/ and now I am just like everyone else), all cleverly written, all acoustically and powerfully performed. I've tried other Ani CD's but Dilate is to me her crowned achievement. Even covering "Amazing Grace" with a very pissy mood to it, the "Napoleon" bitch fest about the record business, and a lot of moody broken heart love songs. Dilate is genius and even all these years later I can't stop playing it.

I had been listening to Ani for a number of years when this album came out, and, on its early listens, I was disappointed. I guess I had been hoping for "Out of Range Part Deux" (or, at the very least, its long lost indentical cousin) and was not pleased with Ani's new, relatively slick sound. Since then this has slowly evolved into one of my all time favorite albums. This is Ani's writing at its best (especially on tracks like "Untouchable Face" & "Adam and Eve") and one can hardly object to the fact that the content is far more personal than political when the results are so stunning. The ultimate rainy day record for me.

I never heard any Ani DiFranco music before I met my ex-boyfriend, so I didn't really know much about her. He was really into folk music, so he gave me this disc to listen to. Well I fell in love with her music right away. It was bouncy and fun, and lyrically it was like nothing else I had ever heard before. I love her style and how she paints a perfect picture with her words, so I was hooked. Well the ironic part is I swear either all guys are the same, or she was singing about my ex 99% of the time. I have never related more to a song before I heard the title track 'Dilate'. It became an anthem for a while, and when I hear it now 3 years later I start laughing to myself because it still feels so amazingly spot on.... "you are so lame, you always disappoint me, it's kind of like our running joke, except it's really not funny, and I just want you to live up to the image of you I've created, I see you and I'm so unsatisfied, I see you and I dilate"... "When I say you sucked my brain out, the English translation is I am in love with you and it is no fun".... I don't know, it's like she was in my head, and just had a better way of expressing exactly how I felt. Most of the songs had something about them that rang true to me, not just on this album though, the live disc 'Living in Clip' had many of the same songs and then some others that also seemed to be narrating my life at the time.

Anyway her music is great, even if you aren't in a crazy relationship. However if you are, this is music that might just help you get your strength back, I know at times I would listen to it religiously because there was something so comforting about it, maybe it was just because she does a better job of expressing her anger and frustration. It felt like I could just put a song on for him and make him understand how I felt, but of course it never worked out that way.

Anyway the irony of who turned me on to her music will forever make me smile, and when I listen to it now it is just a great reminder of how good I have it with my husband to be. For those who just appreciate honest music created by a talented poet and musician this album should not disappoint.

Ani Difranco is one of the most prolific songwriters of this generation. Politically aware, emotionally aware as a person as well as a female. She is teaching young females to be strong through her songs. But being strong in the atypical ways. Embracing all facets of your mental and emotional states. This cd is very evident of this. It is very raw, showing her inner most workings. Baring her soul as love comes through and steam rolls over her. We learn how to heal ourselves, and learn with her that whatever doesn't kill you, DOES make you stronger!