Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco is a prolific woman. Over the past 17 years she has made 19 albums and started her own record company. Now, after spitting out a child, too, she’s decided to release a retrospective (though for years she said she wouldn’t). Maybe her time is limited now with all the diaper changing—thus the ultra-long two-disc set with hand-selected pieces from almost all of her albums and a couple of re-recorded classics. While I’m all in favor of DiFranco’s creativity and feminist power, her songs fall flat here. Of course, she’s known more for her creativity than for producing catchy tunes. DiFranco’s lyrical skills remain amazing, and listening to Canon is like reading her diary—every once in a while you get a juicy bit (such as “God’s Country” and the re-recorded “Both Hands”), but mostly it just rambles without structure. If you’re one of those diehard fans who are all about poetry and woman power, go ahead and invest.