Editorial Review:

Album Details:
Asian Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks: "Shameless (Bathtub Mix)", and "Joyful Girl (Peace and Love Mix)".

Amazon.com essential recording:
Following up two of her strongest records, Not a Pretty Girl and Out of Range, Dilate takes a different tack. It's quieter and more lush than previous efforts but just as intensely personal, with songs like "Untouchable Face" that are easier to identify with than many other DiFranco tunes. At the same time, DiFranco's old fans might not recognize the sound here, especially on tracks like the trip-hop-influenced "Amazing Grace," the shuffling "Napoleon," or the indescribable "Shameless"--this isn't the same thrash-folkie of old. There's a lot to like on Dilate, especially if you're a fan of Portishead or Lisa Germano, but it takes some getting used to. After spending time with the album, you may find it as comfortable as your favorite pair of jeans, but you also might find out that the jeans never really fit quite right. --Randy Silver

I played the cd and one track skipped a lot, but I cleaned the cd and it plays great now!

Average Rating:

Rating: - great cd! no problems.
I played the cd and one track skipped a lot, but I cleaned the cd and it plays great now!

Rating: - An attempt to move too close to 1990s rock
On her first five albums, Ani DiFranco developed a unique style of sharp, even hard, acoustic folk music whose closest precedent would be Glyn Johns-era Joan Armatrading. In spite of her candour and radical feminism, the music on DiFranco's first five albums was at times beautiful and always touching - as much so as early Tori Amos. To cap it off was her 1994 masterpiece Out of Range, whose anti-war title tune deserved its two renditions fully.

During this period, DiFranco had built up so strong a cult following that she was courted by major labels. However, she steadfastly refused to sign and continued recording on her own label throughout her career and produce her own recordings. Nevertheless, on 1995's Not a Pretty Girl, DiFranco became more "rock"y and less stark in her sound, though the record still stood out because of her acoustic playing and passionate lyrics that ranged from violently political to seriously personal.

1996's "Dilate" takes the move towards rock a step too far in many cases. Instead of the sharp, stark, yet often beautiful sound of her first five albums, "Dilate" too often sounds just like the overblown posturing of Alanis Morrisette. Even self-producing, Ani does not give the record the stark sound she once did, and on the harder songs such as "Outta Me, Onto You" and "Napoleon" she does not really come across as honest to her aims of being an independent musician because she seems to be going to close to typical middle 1990s rock. The title track, too, comes off as overblown and it is difficult to hear any humour in the way Ani says "die late" and spells it "Dilate". On "Shameless", DiFranco sounds more than ever as if she is whining in the worst kind of manner.

The way Ani makes the harder tracks sound so much like generic 1990s rock with even less of her distinctive acoustic guitar than on "Not A Pretty Girl"'s "The Millions You Never Made", is all the more disappointing given that on some of the after songs, such as "Amazing Grace" and the four closing songs, DiFranco was able to expand her original acoustic guitar into a sound more atmospheric and haunting than on previous releases. The beats on "Amazing Grace" and the quiet drums on opener "Untouchable Face" are quite impressive, yet I cannot call them good enough to compensate for her missteps.

All in all, "Dilate" is a failed attempt to expand Ani's sonic palette. Even with some very fine moments, it cannot equal what she achieved beforehand.

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Rating: - The perfect break up album
This entire album is written out of Ani's frustration over a relationship (with a guy this time) and what results is honestly the best from-start-to-finish break-up album that you will ever hear

If you just split with anyone, or are about to, put this in and press play. Come up for air in a week or two and you will feel much better

Dilate was produced when Ani was at her height, and although its tone is sort of one-note, the quality of the work is really something. Her more recent work is pure garbage but cds like this one show you why many people revere her and both a poet and a genius, and justifiably so back when this was made, if not now.

I could go into greater detail but many other people have written point by point analysis of this cd and I don't need to do that, I just wanted to add my voice and my (5 star) vote here so maybe people new to Ani would know this is a great cd to start with

If you're not coming off a break up, maybe try Little Plastic Castle or Living in Clip instead, also produced in this general time period, and still responsible for many of the staples of her live show today. Absolutely do not try anything from 2004 onward if you are new to her

Hope that helps

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Rating: - Awesome Ani
This is classic Ani at it's best for me! There is no situation in life that you will go through that there is not an Ani song to help you express it and Dilate has so many of those songs. I am a die-hard Ani fan to the core and I have to say that this is one of my favorite CD's of all time. I have given this one to many friends and now I am buying yet another copy as a gift. The title track (Dilate) is one of those songs that totally grabs you from the first note. Ani's honest, open lyrics and her amazing musical talent are always awesome, but if I could pick an "Ani starter CD" for anyone who is new to Ani's music, hands down it's Dilate! Enjoy!!!

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Rating: - My second copy of this CD - I love it!
Dilate will always be the Ani Difranco-defining CD for me, since it was the first I'd heard of her. I've owned 2 copies and listened to it for years, and never get tired of it. My favorite track is her version of "Amazing Grace".

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Related Items:

Not a Pretty Girl

Little Plastic Castle

Ani DiFranco

Out of Range

Living in Clip