Ok. I must admit it. I'm a fan! I can't even play it cool when it comes to Ani. She is just AMAZING! This is my favorite record simply because it shows MR Difranco at her very best. Bouncy and playful and yet also serious and emotional. Lines like..."Im not going to pretend that I dont pick my nose, thats just the way it is my friends thats just the way it goes..." will make you smile to yourself and maybe laugh. Her sheer honesty, quick wit and mellow guitar make this a perfect album for a sunday drive, or the perfect soundtrack for playing cards with friends on a warm summer nite... The track "My IQ" is a out and out poem but if you listen to the cadence and rhyme of the songs you will see that Ani is a gifted poet even when her poems are set to music. If you dig the sound of REM and the wit of Dar Williams (only I find Ani more witty) you will LOVE this album.

A friend of mine once commented that she likes Ani but she gets sad if she listens to some of her albums too much. She needs "Puddle Dive": it's defiant, triumphant, jubilant. In this album, Ani makes fun of egotistical musicians; makes friends with a little boy in Iowa; tells off a cop that gives her a speeding ticket ("for history"); menstruates on The Man's office furniture; gets a little seductive on "Anyday" and "Back Around;" and, as always, encourages you "to fight/ for what you think is real/ for what you think is right." A joy to listen to.

This was one of the later Ani albums I bought, starting with Out of Range, jumping to Little Plastic Castle (which was brand new at the time)and jumping around from there.
After her recent change of style (from 6up on) I was looking for more of that familiar "out of range" sound.... THIS WAS IT! Not quite as razor-edged as Dilate, not as simple as her self-titled debut, this album was like digging into the memories of that first year back in High school I spent absorbing all things Ani.

A few hits, a few minor misses, and as always, her prophetic, insightful lyrics.

On one of her most political albums, Ani dares to show her sense of humor. How can you not love that? And who else could write a great song about having your period in a boardroom? She's being silly, provocative, sentimental and brazen. I have to say that I don't normally pick a favorite song among artists that I listen to... it's just too hard. Even with Ani it's hard to pick just one song. But I think I can actually say that "Anyday" is my very most favorite Ani DiFranco song. It's beautiful and simple and honest. It's impossible not to fall in love with this song. Other standouts are "My IQ" which is probably my favorite poem that Ani has ever included on an album and "Used to You," the clever and humorous song that the title of the album is derived from,

boy, oh boy, what can i say about this album? I already owned Dilate, NAPG, and Out Of Range when I got this, but halfway into the first track "Names and Dates and Times" I knew that the way I looked at life was going to change. The way I looked at Ani's music changed. For such a long time I listened to the songs and enjoyed them, but this album made me HEAR. Probably because it is lighthearted and fun, and humorous. But it also has the ferocity of most of her music and has some of the most quotable, life-endearing lines she's ever written. This is my favorite album. It often gets lost in the heap amongst a lot of Ani fans, but I recommend it with the highest accolades.