Ani DiFranco - 'Canon' reviewed

"Canon" Ani DiFranco Righteous Babe Records, Inc. Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

For the past 17 years, Ani DiFranco has delivered album after album of edgy, political, racy and personal music. It should come as no surprise that "Canon," a retrospective look back on her career, is a true fan's ultimate compilation.

With nearly all of her past albums represented, "Canon" is a chronological catalog of DiFranco's life works. Listeners can expect her classic, acoustic guitar style of playing blended with soulful harmonica solos in songs like "God's Country" and "Gravel."

The self-revealing, politically aware and impassioned lyrics DiFranco always bring to her music are overtly personal and outspoken. In "Your Next Bold Move," she expresses her hatred toward the current government, "Coming of age during the plague of Reagan and Bush / Watching capitalism gun down democracy." The song that perhaps describes her best, "32 Flavors," reflects the complexity and power of the album with the lyrics, "I'm 32 flavors and then some."

In addition to the 31 classic songs, there are also five re-recorded and reinvented tracks. An amped-up version of "Both Hands," which is typically played with an acoustic guitar, is backed up by a full band, while "Shameless," normally played with the band, DiFranco plays solo.

DiFranco handpicked every track herself for this compilation album. The combination of live songs, studio classics and new twists on old favorites makes this album the next great in the Ani DiFranco canon.

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