Customer Reviews

Living in Clip

5 star:		(121)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If I was forced to make a recommendation for someone who could and would only buy one Ani disc, this would be the release I recommend. Why? It is the perfect crossroads between earlier Ani and later "band" Ani.

For my purposes here, I am considering "a band" to be 3 or more people. This band (Ani, Andy on drums, and Sara Lee on bass) is easily my favorite band that Ani has ever put together, so far. First of all, this band is still mainly about Ani, and that isn't the case with her later, larger bands. The larger her bands became, the less that the core of the sound revolved around Ani, and that was almost always disappointing to me. In theory I don't have anything against Ani being in 5 or 6 person bands. It was the specific bands themselves that made me largely dislike their concert sound, not the fact that she was in bands at all. I'm sure Julie and those horn players were great fun, and nice people to be around, but musically they should have been thanking their lucky stars that they were ever able to stand on the same stage as an artist of Ani's caliber, because none of them were even close to her league. Beyond that, the larger her bands became, the worse her concert sound became. Oftentimes being muddy and boomy.

That was the bottomline for me. None of Ani's later, large, electric bands had any musicians in them who were even 25% of the musician that Ani is, so it was disappointing to hear her so often buried in a muddy mix of musicians who were so far beneath her. With those bands, when she'd come out and do a Garden of Simple or Both Hands by herself (or at least with the band playing very slightly behind her), it was the highlight of the night because you could hear HER perfectly.

That is why Living In Clip is such a great live document. This band is excellent, and their sound is open. No matter how deep of a groove Sara lays down, Ani's guitar and lyrics still cut right through. And yes, Sara is my favorite electric bassist Ani has toured with so far. This band is just so sympathetic to the song and the mood, whether that means rocking it hard, or playing so delicately as to frame Ani in the most vulnerable light.

These 2 discs both contain many definitive (of commercially available) versions of the tunes they contain. Hide & Seek, I'm No Heroine, Every State Line, 32 Flavors, Joyful Girl, Fire Door, Letter To a John, Overlap, etc... as they were performed here on this set all stand proudly near the top of her entire recorded output thus far.

If Ani ever releases a live "band" disc that is better than this one I will be ecstatic, as well as shocked, because Living In Clip is a masterpiece.

This album is a great documentation of what her live shows are like. Anyone who has seen her live, knows that this is truly her forte. The songs on the studio albums are great, but they just don't translate to the listener the way they do when she's onstage, bouncing around, giggling that signature Ani Giggle, and telling those wonderful stories.

I'm glad that "Gravel" first appeared here before the version that showed up on LITTLE PLASTIC CASTLE. It's more raw, angry, and even fun than the studio version. "Out of Habit" is a great example of some of the older stuff that she plays live (though not often lately) as they show up in these little half song/half story performances. You can't help but feel that you are standing right in front of the stage with everyone else and laughing about the hookers on the corner that she thought were women.

Although she is a folk singer, you can fully understand her capability to rock when you hear "Shy" and "Napolean" which both take on a new energy when played live. The audience also plays an active role in the raw energy that comes out of a live show. When she delivers some of her lines, they take on this power from the uproar of cheers and hollers from the audience. On "I'm no heroine" you can't help but want to be in the audience when she says "You think I wouldn't have him, unless I could have him by the balls" and the audience explodes, half out of recognition of the song's first line and half out of pure love FOR that line.

If you've never been to one of Ani's shows... I highly suggest you get this CD so you can get the true Ani experience. Actually, no... I changed my mind... if you are going to be seeing Ani in the NEAR FUTURE... then DON'T buy this CD! Go to the show. Get completely and utterly blown away. And THEN, go out and get this CD and relive those wonderful moments over and over.

If you've never dipped your little toe in the Ani ocean, but are curious, I would start with this album. It is chock full of amazing songs in a setting where she shines - live in concert. There is not a bad song in the bunch (save the orchestra version of the incredible "Both Hands").

After "clip", I would move to "Not a Pretty Girl" and "Out of Range".

P.S. I'm a hetero, white, upper-middle class male.

You must believe me when i say that ani difranco is by far the most amazing singers of all time. it takes a hell of a woman to pour your entire soul out for your audience. she is amazing in every aspect. "Amazing Grace", "Untouchable Face" and "32 Flavors" remain my favorites. when i first heard "Hide and Seek" i started crying. alot of women have struggled with rapists, and molesters: but who have actually had the guts to put their unfortunate experience into their songs? that song made me think. how i should be more carefull, how i should be more responsible. it also makes me realize that i may not have such a bad life after all. not that ani had a bad life, but she has many more unpleasant experiences than i hope i ever encounter. i would like to thank her for all of her work. i would also give this album 100 stars but since the highest amount possible is 5, that was the best i could do. if your reading this: pleeease, please buy this cd. as soon as humanly possible. i know that after you get a taste of the bitter-sweet lyrics, you'll be hooked for life.

This is a great "first" CD for those new to Ani, and a must have for fans. The 31 tracks range from snippets of onstage banter with audiences to very visceral and moving performances of new and old songs. The performances are inspired. In her studio albums you can appreciate her lyrics and phrasing, but in these live cuts you are rocked not only by what Ani has to say as a woman but how she says it. Her unique and strong personality lights up the room when the music hits the air. You will be encouraging friends to borrow this CD to share your experience. The music is a surprising hybridization of hip-hop, folk rock, scat jazz, and performance art. Ani's guitar work is impressive and all songs are artfully grounded with spare bass and percussion. This album is well worth the purchase price. You will listen to it for hours, days, and months.

I have always considered Ani DiFranco's talent to lie with her live performances, so it is no surprise that this is my favorite work of hers to date. Ani has a wonderful way of connecting with her audience, and her cute little stories and transitions flow nicely with the songs on this album.

As I tend to be biased towards Ani's personal emotional songs rather than her political ranty ones, I find this repertoire to be perfect. Often times double CD's don't contain enough material to justify their size and cost, but Living In Clip is a rare exception. I can listen to this CD over and over again, and I get something new from the experience each time. I periodically check back with it to relive old favorite songs and discover hidden treasures. By far the best CD I own!

Most live albums are a variation of a "best of", but looking back at it now, this live album has more to do with where Ani was going than where she'd been. The songs are the same ones on the records, but the arrangements are loose, fun, and open instead of tight and intense. My favorite is "Fire Door" -- a song that never meant much to me on the album opens up here to be a really fun get up and move around song. It's outside music, relaxed and enjoyable. The bigger, more complex instrumentations show up here as well, on Both Hands and a wonderful version of Amazing Grace.
Ani's stage presence is unique. She's sort of hyper and relaxed at the same time, full of energy but not nervous, she trusts her audience and like to joke around with them and her band members, and is willing to try out new things. The "zygote" of a song is perhaps the most powerful track on the album -- especially since, as far as I know, it's never appeared as a song anywhere else.

To me, a good live album has two things: some interaction with the artist and versions of songs that are a bit different than what's on the studio album. Living in Clip has both of these in good measure, and is extremely fun to listen to as well. A quality recording. Four stars out of five.

Ani Difranco is one of the few artists who has made a successful career out of her do-it-yourself ethics. She has bypassed the conventional career path most artists takes by not signing with a major record label and by doing that, she has a greater percentage intake in the profits from her music as opposed to being in debt for years to a major record label. I always have and always will respect Ani for taking the high road and do things her way. I was a big fan of Ani Difranco when I was a college student in Wisconsin nine years ago. I first heard about her in a magazine (I think) and decided to check out her music. "Dilate" was my first Ani Difranco cd. I was hooked. During the next few years, I would buy her latest cds religiously on the day they were release, one of them was "Living in Clip". I rarely buy live cds but in Ani Difranco's case, I was willing to buy a live cd of her music. Besides there were a bunch of songs at the time I hadn't heard before like the gorgeous "Both Hands" (my all-time favorite Ani Difranco song) and "Sorry I Am". "Living in Clip" is definitely one of the best live cds that I have ever heard. Although each song was recorded in different cities, you would have never guessed that they weren't recorded at one performance. The occasional banter with the audience gives the listener an intimate insight of an Ani Difranco performance. One of the most stunning performances on the cd is Ani's rendition of "Amazing Grace" with the Buffalo Philharmonic. It simply took my breath away. That alone makes this cd worth listening to. Although I am not nearly the fan that I am of Ani's music any more, I still enjoy throwing in "Living in Clip" every now and then. This is a good representation of Ani Difranco as an artist as well as a performer.

Many people have said that Ani's studio albums have been hampered by the fact that she is singing for a mic not for a crowd. I agree. Her studio albums are very good, but they lack the vitality of this, a double CD live album complete with a photo book. This album portrays the self proclaimed 'little folk singer' as she should be. Energetic, enthusiastic and talented. This album helps the listener to see the real Ani, as it features amusing stories, such as when two born again Christians were singing about whether Anne Frank found Jesus before she died. The intense screaming from the audience shows how captivating a musician Ani is. Featuring songs from many of Ani's albums, you can hardly dislike this album. Some of Ani's 'classic' songs have been greatly improved by singing them live. Ani's truthful lyrics hit you hard, and her acoustic guitar riffs are full of energy. Standout tracks include 'Shy', 'Napoleon', 'Gravel', and 'In or Out' a story song in which Ani discusses her sexuality. A diverse and catchy album which is one of the best albums from Ani.

I found "Living in Clip" to be a funny, sad, angry, and over-all emotional experience. I felt as though Ani's concert was held in my living room. I especially enjoyed "32 Flavors", "Amazing Grace", and "Untouchable Face".

"A MusicFan from My Own Private Idaho" was the only listener to contribute a harsh reveiw in this forum. However, I found it difficult to allow much credence to a person who posted the review on the internet and was either careless enough not to proofread, or stupid enough to include several mispelled words. Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.

Ani Difranco holds such an enormous capacity for success as an artist. I am forever grateful for the music she provides.