This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
It’s only been five years since indie queen Ani DiFranco’s last live album Living In Clip. But when you’re as prolific and hyperactive a singer-songwriter as DiFranco is, five years might as well be five decades.
A few new songs, plenty of new bandmates, and — most importantly — a deliciously funky, jazzy new approach to live performance are on display on the sprawling new two-CD live collection So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter. Recorded at various tour stops over the last couple of years, the set finds DiFranco stepping capably into the role of live bandleader, using her slashing acoustic guitar and stirring vocals to guide a septet through two dozen tracks that span her career from the old folk-punk days (1991’s Gratitude) to the cutting edge of topicality (highlighted by the mesmerising and moving 9/11 song-poem Self Evident). Despite all the changes, however, Ani’s electifying vitality, outspoken honesty and unshakable commitment to her craft and her audience remain as strong as ever, making So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter something to shout about indeed.
