JennJoy's Full Review: So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter by Ani DiFranco
If I had to listen to one musician for the rest of my life it would be Ani DiFranco. Furthermore, if I had to pick only one album of hers it would be a tough toss up between “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” and “Living in Clip.” I won’t bore you with Ani history or anything, as it’s included in most of my reviews of her other releases, but let me reiterate here that I firmly believe Ms. DiFranco is best experienced live. The two albums mentioned above are both live double albums and highlight everything wonderful about Ani’s music and the experience of seeing her live. And just as “Living in Clip” stayed in my CD player for months after I bought it, “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” hasn’t left my player since I picked it up the other week.
It’s been five years since “Living in Clip” was released and I think most fans, myself included, were salivating for a new live disc or two. So much has changed in those years, and “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” reflects it all: Ani’s marriage to soundman Andrew Gilchrist...The addition of a full band including horns and piano/keys...and Ani’s maturation as a singer, musician, and songwriter. Where “Living in Clip” was a lesson in putting together a live album, complete with DiFranco’s between song banter, adlibbing, and misfired amps, “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” is a more polished selection of songs with less noise from the audience. In essence, the two CD’s (dubbed Stray Cats and Girls Singing Night) sound very much like the Ani DiFranco concert I attended a few months ago. And perhaps the most beautiful aspect of it all is getting to hear how Ani has reworked a number of her old concert staples.
Absolutely every song on each of these CD’s is wonderful. There are none that miss the mark or seem out of place. However, to give you an idea of what you can expect here, let me highlight some of my favorites:
Disc 1: Stray Cats
Here we find a variety of old, new, and previously unrecorded songs. Letter to a John/Tamburitza Lingua are a great example of how she incorporates the old and new together, as both of these songs are from drastically different albums. The horns sound perfect on both tracks and make the transition seamless between the two. Gray, Whatall is Nice, and Revelling emphasize some of the more melancholy, poignant tracks from Ani’s last release “Revelling/Reckoning.” Shrug and Welcome To: show of a few tunes that are completely new, with the former actually being recorded as it was played in for the very first time.
Disc 2: Girls Singing Night
While the first disc is slightly more scattered, the second CD comes off exactly like much of Ani’s current set list. Ain’t That the Way exhibits just how cohesive the band is and proves to me that anyone who thinks Ani is best as a solo performer is missing out. Rock Paper Scissors is a stunning duet of Ani’s guitar and Julie’s piano, yet the sound is so full and complex. Self Evident is the most meaningful track for me on either disc and each time I listen to it I get goose bumps. This is the recording of the poem/song that she wrote shortly after September 11th, 2001 and this is the first recording of it. One of her insightful political diatribes, this track includes the finest lyrics I’ve heard in a long time: We hold these truths to be self evident...Number 1—George W. Bush is not president. Number 2—America is not a true democracy. Number 3—The media is not fooling me.
“So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” is a release I will covet forever. This is the new favorite that will grace my ears between each Ani concert I attend and make the wait seem that much shorter. I’m continually thankful that there is at least one constant, real musician out there who can always captivate me with true artistic vision. If you haven’t picked up at least one of DiFranco’s albums you are definitely missing out. “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” would be a great start at redeeming yourself.
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