I own Not So Soft,Imperfectly, Living In Clip, Little Plastic Castle, The First Album, Out of Range, and Puddle Dive, and although I love each and every one of these albums, I keep returning to Not a Pretty Girl again and again. This album marks a transition from Ani's more acoustic and light sound (The First Album, Imperfectly) to her more hard-edge music (Dilate, Little Plastic Castle). I love both phases but I'd have to say I'm happiest in the middle. This CD combines folk and rock for the best glimpse of Ani that i have found. If you are a new Ani fan, this is the best album to own because it really showcases her talent. You are able to hear her loud, passionate work in "The Million You Never Made" ( the song that has my favorite lyric- life is a sleazy stranger flirting with a bimbo named disaster at the end of the bar...I'm telling you I'm different than you are), her softer work in "32 Flavors" and "This Bouquet", her spoken poetry in "Tiptoe", her acoustic edge in "Cradle and All", and her lyrical mastery in nearly every track but especially in "Hour follows Hour" and "Shy". Ani is a singing poet, a true musical genius. If you are tired of everyday bubblegum pop and you want to hear a true artist who thinks of her music as art, pick up an Ani CD. You won't be disappointed. I never have been. She isn't for everyone, but she may just be for you.

If you don't know Ani DiFranco yet, she's the straight-talking, "Why don't more singers say it this plainly?" independent singer/songwriter who's built up such a following that it proves -- yes, there IS room for smarter music in this world.

She's got a killer voice. (How does she sing like that?) And she plays guitar so well that even if you don't know much about the instrument ... you can tell she's good.

NOT A PRETTY GIRL is the perfect album to buy first. And don't worry, once you get hooked -- there are gazillions more from which to choose. That's the great thing about discovering an artist like Ani -- if you find you love her, you can just keep buying more and more!

Is she folk? Is she 'women's music'? Is she punk? Who knows. She's just a very forthright singer/songwriter who writes lyrics no one else dares to produce. (The advantage of having founded her own music company, as I understand it!)

Some of the highlights on this "Absolutely must have" album include THE MILLION YOU NEVER MADE -- a hardore tell-off to the music industry, LIGHT OF SOME KIND -- repenting for being unfaithful, sung with heartfelt, bang-it-up umph, and CRADLE AND ALL -- a beautiful, gut-wrenching ballod that just goes on and on about a rough day in the life of a city girl. Then of course, NOT A PRETTY GIRL is a great feminist song.

NOT A PRETTY GIRL is where it's at -- make it your first Ani album, but don't make it your last.

Don't say she's angry. Angry is far too simple a way to describe Ani DiFranco or her music. Anger is played with one note - mixed emotion requires a rhythm section. She picks you up, drops you, dusts you off, looks you in the eye and says "wanna go round again?". Whatever you want to feel, its in there.

Musically and lyrically her best album to date!

Having been a die-hard fan of Ani Difranco since the early days of "Not So Soft" I feel qualified to remark that "Not a Pretty Girl" is her masterpiece thus far. Ani's lyrics have always been delighfully diverse. Her guitar playing made my mouth hang open as I saw her perform for the first time while sitting in a folk-fest mud puddle. Her voice chortles, warbles, tinkles and soars. From the spare, beautiful "Sorry I Am" to the hair-raising throat-rip of "The Million You Never Made", these songs serve up spine chills ("Crime For Crime"), belly laughs ("Not a Pretty Girl") and tears ("Sorry I Am"). To any who would dare question this woman's talent and musical integrity, I say this. As the voice of my generation (born in the seventies) we should celebrate Ani's success. "Not a Pretty Girl" is the perfect Ani album....buy it...treasure it...and SEE THIS WOMAN LIVE AT ALL COSTS !!!!

Ani DiFranco is fantastic, and this album is one of my favourites - the other being Little Plastic Castle.

The first song I heard was Not A Pretty Girl, which was great. Her lyrics are very strong and to-the-bone, which I really admire, because it's a very difficult thing to tell the truth without putting you out of sorts with the happy-clappy cheerleader types that read the Top Five to find out what new music they should like next. What that song didn't prepare me for, however, is the sheer SCOPE of her talent. She doesn't waste a drop of it. Every song is a total joy -- if you're like me, one listen, you'll be itching for the rest of her albums.

All the songs are wonderful - Worthy, Tiptoe, Cradle And All, Light Of Some Kind, Not A Pretty Girl, 32 Flavours being particular stand-outs - but my favourite, to tell you the truth, is the bonus track. It's an out-take almost; three failed attempts at the spoken poem Tiptoe. By the end, I was cracking up -- it's such a charming addition, you've already begun to feel close to her by hearing these great songs, but now you just simply love her!

You need to get this album! While you're at, my advice is to get Little Plastic Castle too... you won't regret it.