It's only by looking back on Imperfectly, Ani DiFranco's third album that we're able to see how far she's come. It's also easy to see where she came from. At this point, DiFranco was still enough of a traditional folkie to... more » stick a political sentiment like "She sits there like America / Suffering through slow reform" into a personal song that deals with abuse ("Fixing Her Hair"). Similarly, on many songs she sounds as though if she's already come to terms with her sexuality, then she hasn't yet come to terms with the way society deals with it. But she also demonstrates that she's figuring out how to use her voice, charisma, affected delivery, and the chance to play around in the studio on the a cappellas "Every State Line" and "Coming Up." There's also the tender, impassioned tracks ("The Waiting Song," "Served Faithfully"), which DiFranco's never had a short supply of--and never been less than moving on. --Randy Silver« less
It's only by looking back on Imperfectly, Ani DiFranco's third album that we're able to see how far she's come. It's also easy to see where she came from. At this point, DiFranco was still enough of a traditional folkie to stick a political sentiment like "She sits there like America / Suffering through slow reform" into a personal song that deals with abuse ("Fixing Her Hair"). Similarly, on many songs she sounds as though if she's already come to terms with her sexuality, then she hasn't yet come to terms with the way society deals with it. But she also demonstrates that she's figuring out how to use her voice, charisma, affected delivery, and the chance to play around in the studio on the a cappellas "Every State Line" and "Coming Up." There's also the tender, impassioned tracks ("The Waiting Song," "Served Faithfully"), which DiFranco's never had a short supply of--and never been less than moving on. --Randy Silver
"This is a good start-off point for a new fan, I think. It's my favorite of all of her work. Songs like "If it Isn't Her" and "What if No One's Watching" are just wonderful. Some of Ani's best one liners are on this album too, like "It's bad to have eyes like neon signs/ Flashing open open open open open open open open open all the time." The title track, "Imperfectly" is a song to live by, a song that tells us that some of the most beautiful things are imperfect. Buy this album. Really, you won't regret it. And then go out and get the rest of the Ani DiFranco albums."
More hard-hitting, soul-searching melodies
bethtexas | United States | 06/18/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Once you've got NOT A PRETTY GIRL, it's time to get IMPERFECTLY. This is another hard-hitting, melodic, but deeply honest set of songs you can't live without. It's got some political, like "Make Them Apologize" which pulls no punches and "In or Out", which could basically be the official bisexual anthem. It's got the occasional existential crisis when the opening track asks, "What if no one's watching? What if when we're dead, we are just dead?" And for anybody who thinks of Ani as being mainly a political singer, songs like SERVED FAITHFULLY remind us that she can write a deeply personal love song like nobody's business. In fact, when she writes one, it's MORE romantic than average, because it lacks corny platitudes.As usual, her voice is fantastic and her guitar is slamming. Don't miss the title track, IMPERFECTLY, which declares, "We don't look like the cover of a magazine, but that's all right.""
Diverse, beautiful, and original - typical ani.
pencilcactus3 | MA, usa | 07/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"imperfectly is definitely one of my favorite ani albums. she explores an incredible range of music and you are exposed to many different sides of her, yet she still maintains the style of music we all know, expect, and love. "imperfectly" starts out with what if no one's watching, which contains some of my favorite lyrics of all time: "we have to be able to criticize what we love, say what we have to say, cuz if you're not trying to make something better than as far as i can tell you are just in the way..." so i love that song, great up beat tune. next, fixing her hair is a moody melodic ballad that is a real heartwrencher. in or out is also one of my favorites, incredible guitar and wonderfu lyrics.every state line isnt' one of my favorites but i like the a capella style and hope to see more of it. circle of light is also a great tune, reminds me a little bit of in or out. good guitar on this one too. if it isn't her is one of my favorites on the album, great everything. good bad ugly has become one of my picks for best ani songs. part of it will ring true in your life, i guarantee. i'm no heroine i sometimes end up overlooking, but i recently was listening to it and the lyrics are entirely original and inspiring. coming up, another one of ani's spoken poems, is beautiful. take a deep breath after you listen to this one - it's seriously intense. and then make them apologize is also a great song for revengeful moods. .... the waiting song is hands down the most beautiful on the album - you'll get hooked instantaneously. and served faithfully stands out because of the incredible melody and the violin used in the background, it's extremely poignant. imperfectly, the last track, is definitely one of my favorites. the lyrics, and the way they mesh with the guitar makes this an incredible song. overall, i'd say don't start with this cd if you haven't heard ani before, it's appreciated more when you can compare it to a cd like not so soft. it's a wonderful diverse album, i recommend it to any ani fan."
"the mainstream is so polluted with lies"
Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 11/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is another of Ani's excellent earlier albums that earned her the reputation (at least in the eyes of anyone dismissive of those who think for themselves) of being just an angry, scary lesbian with a big mouth. Of course that description of Ani is utterly false, but when did these people ever let something like the truth get in the way of anything?
This man-hating beacon of lesbian angst view of Ani is a myth created by the horrible listening skills of the people who are intimidated by Ani... or by any strong, intelligent woman. Listen to her lyrics. In the instances where Ani does indeed dislike men, they are the men we should all dislike. Those who will do anything as long as significant financial gain will come from it... and/or the men who use bodyparts and emotions as weapons. A society that dislikes these types of men is on the right track. It's unfortunate that the USA is largely governed (both politically and "morally") by these types of people, and they are actually respected for it.
I think we have all known the woman in Fixing Her Hair. Every State Line (in this, its original incarnation) has the musical feel of some sort of southern national anthem, even though its lyrical content is anything but. If It Isn't Her is the perfect lyrical capture of new love (or at least new feelings) when the world seems to blur around all but... her (or him).
This album will certainly touch you in some way if you've ever let yourself really feel.
"
Ballsey's Favorite Ani Disk
K. A D. Veer | Redmond, Washington United States | 12/15/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a somewhat new-found Ani fan and I've gotten most of her newer stuff like "R&R" "Dilate" "Little Plastic Castle"and "Up Up Up Up Up Up", and saw her perfom twice, but her newer material left me wanting more of the politically charged Ani, so I finally looked back at her older stuff. "Imperfectly" is the bast Ani disk I've heard. It suited me better that her latest stuff because songs like "What If No One's Watching" (her pondering the possibility of no god) ask more about problems that effect the entire world. Not to say that I don't like her newer music of course. I really relate to almost all of it, it's just that this interests me more. It has a truely timeless sound, and every Ani fan should own it."