If I was forced to make a recommendation for someone who could and would only buy one Ani disc, this would be the release I recommend. Why? It is the perfect crossroads between earlier Ani and later "band" Ani.

For my purposes here, I am considering "a band" to be 3 or more people. This band (Ani, Andy on drums, and Sara Lee on bass) is easily my favorite band that Ani has ever put together, so far. First of all, this band is still mainly about Ani, and that isn't the case with her later, larger bands. The larger her bands became, the less that the core of the sound revolved around Ani, and that was almost always disappointing to me. In theory I don't have anything against Ani being in 5 or 6 person bands. It was the specific bands themselves that made me largely dislike their concert sound, not the fact that she was in bands at all. I'm sure Julie and those horn players were great fun, and nice people to be around, but musically they should have been thanking their lucky stars that they were ever able to stand on the same stage as an artist of Ani's caliber, because none of them were even close to her league. Beyond that, the larger her bands became, the worse her concert sound became. Oftentimes being muddy and boomy.

That was the bottomline for me. None of Ani's later, large, electric bands had any musicians in them who were even 25% of the musician that Ani is, so it was disappointing to hear her so often buried in a muddy mix of musicians who were so far beneath her. With those bands, when she'd come out and do a Garden of Simple or Both Hands by herself (or at least with the band playing very slightly behind her), it was the highlight of the night because you could hear HER perfectly.

That is why Living In Clip is such a great live document. This band is excellent, and their sound is open. No matter how deep of a groove Sara lays down, Ani's guitar and lyrics still cut right through. And yes, Sara is my favorite electric bassist Ani has toured with so far. This band is just so sympathetic to the song and the mood, whether that means rocking it hard, or playing so delicately as to frame Ani in the most vulnerable light.

These 2 discs both contain many definitive (of commercially available) versions of the tunes they contain. Hide & Seek, I'm No Heroine, Every State Line, 32 Flavors, Joyful Girl, Fire Door, Letter To a John, Overlap, etc... as they were performed here on this set all stand proudly near the top of her entire recorded output thus far.

If Ani ever releases a live "band" disc that is better than this one I will be ecstatic, as well as shocked, because Living In Clip is a masterpiece.

If you've never dipped your little toe in the Ani ocean, but are curious, I would start with this album. It is chock full of amazing songs in a setting where she shines - live in concert. There is not a bad song in the bunch (save the orchestra version of the incredible "Both Hands").

After "clip", I would move to "Not a Pretty Girl" and "Out of Range".

P.S. I'm a hetero, white, upper-middle class male.

This is a great "first" CD for those new to Ani, and a must have for fans. The 31 tracks range from snippets of onstage banter with audiences to very visceral and moving performances of new and old songs. The performances are inspired. In her studio albums you can appreciate her lyrics and phrasing, but in these live cuts you are rocked not only by what Ani has to say as a woman but how she says it. Her unique and strong personality lights up the room when the music hits the air. You will be encouraging friends to borrow this CD to share your experience. The music is a surprising hybridization of hip-hop, folk rock, scat jazz, and performance art. Ani's guitar work is impressive and all songs are artfully grounded with spare bass and percussion. This album is well worth the purchase price. You will listen to it for hours, days, and months.

Most live albums are a variation of a "best of", but looking back at it now, this live album has more to do with where Ani was going than where she'd been. The songs are the same ones on the records, but the arrangements are loose, fun, and open instead of tight and intense. My favorite is "Fire Door" -- a song that never meant much to me on the album opens up here to be a really fun get up and move around song. It's outside music, relaxed and enjoyable. The bigger, more complex instrumentations show up here as well, on Both Hands and a wonderful version of Amazing Grace.

Ani's stage presence is unique. She's sort of hyper and relaxed at the same time, full of energy but not nervous, she trusts her audience and like to joke around with them and her band members, and is willing to try out new things. The "zygote" of a song is perhaps the most powerful track on the album -- especially since, as far as I know, it's never appeared as a song anywhere else.

To me, a good live album has two things: some interaction with the artist and versions of songs that are a bit different than what's on the studio album. Living in Clip has both of these in good measure, and is extremely fun to listen to as well. A quality recording. Four stars out of five.

Many people have said that Ani's studio albums have been hampered by the fact that she is singing for a mic not for a crowd. I agree. Her studio albums are very good, but they lack the vitality of this, a double CD live album complete with a photo book. This album portrays the self proclaimed 'little folk singer' as she should be. Energetic, enthusiastic and talented. This album helps the listener to see the real Ani, as it features amusing stories, such as when two born again Christians were singing about whether Anne Frank found Jesus before she died. The intense screaming from the audience shows how captivating a musician Ani is. Featuring songs from many of Ani's albums, you can hardly dislike this album. Some of Ani's 'classic' songs have been greatly improved by singing them live. Ani's truthful lyrics hit you hard, and her acoustic guitar riffs are full of energy. Standout tracks include 'Shy', 'Napoleon', 'Gravel', and 'In or Out' a story song in which Ani discusses her sexuality. A diverse and catchy album which is one of the best albums from Ani.