2008 Woodie Awards
Ani DiFranco shines on "official bootleg"
Caitlin Weaver
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: Arts and Entertainment
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Ani DiFranco's newest addition to her "official bootleg" series offers live versions of some of the best songs from her previous albums, mixed with commentary and conversations with the audience.
Carnegie Hall 4.6.02, named for its famous recording location in New York City, showcases deep emotions; DiFranco, the audience and the country were still reeling from the after-effects of 9/11 when this CD was recorded.
DiFranco notes this very clearly in an open letter to her fans included in the album's liner notes.
"It was April 6, 2002, seven months after 9/11, which in emotional time is more like seven minutes. My touring since the fall had been affected by the climate of fear and uncertainty, in that audiences were sparser than usual and by mid-spring had only begun to normalize," DiFranco wrote.
"For those of us who were out and about during that time, there was only one thing to talk about, and no matter what degree of readiness or capability I felt on any given night, I was compelled to speak to the sociopolitical present from every stage."
Carnegie Hall 4.6.02 starts with DiFranco's quick introduction, stating she played there exactly a year before, in 2001.
"I don't know, I guess this is my night now ... I'm gonna play everything I played last time, but backwards or something," she said.
After her speech rendition of "God's Country" begins, with a quick acoustic guitar accompaniment, and lyrics like "this may be God's country / but it's my country too / move over Mr. Holiness / and let the little people through."
The next song, "Subdivision," is preceded by DiFranco saying she was "kind of fearful to go on a little solo tour ... because it's been too long, and I forgot how the f*** to do this job, and I was afraid of the yelling and flailing and I would be so outnumbered, but it's been, really, a thrill ... to play solo."
The song has powerful lyrics, such as "so we're led by denial like lambs to the slaughter / serving empire of style and carbonated sugar water / and the old farm road's a four-lane that leads to the mall / and our dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall."
Carnegie Hall 4.6.02, named for its famous recording location in New York City, showcases deep emotions; DiFranco, the audience and the country were still reeling from the after-effects of 9/11 when this CD was recorded.
DiFranco notes this very clearly in an open letter to her fans included in the album's liner notes.
"It was April 6, 2002, seven months after 9/11, which in emotional time is more like seven minutes. My touring since the fall had been affected by the climate of fear and uncertainty, in that audiences were sparser than usual and by mid-spring had only begun to normalize," DiFranco wrote.
"For those of us who were out and about during that time, there was only one thing to talk about, and no matter what degree of readiness or capability I felt on any given night, I was compelled to speak to the sociopolitical present from every stage."
Carnegie Hall 4.6.02 starts with DiFranco's quick introduction, stating she played there exactly a year before, in 2001.
"I don't know, I guess this is my night now ... I'm gonna play everything I played last time, but backwards or something," she said.
After her speech rendition of "God's Country" begins, with a quick acoustic guitar accompaniment, and lyrics like "this may be God's country / but it's my country too / move over Mr. Holiness / and let the little people through."
The next song, "Subdivision," is preceded by DiFranco saying she was "kind of fearful to go on a little solo tour ... because it's been too long, and I forgot how the f*** to do this job, and I was afraid of the yelling and flailing and I would be so outnumbered, but it's been, really, a thrill ... to play solo."
The song has powerful lyrics, such as "so we're led by denial like lambs to the slaughter / serving empire of style and carbonated sugar water / and the old farm road's a four-lane that leads to the mall / and our dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall."
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