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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Dilate

Ani DiFranco

1996

Dilate
Album Summary

This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.

Dilate is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1996. Dilate is her highest-selling and most critically acclaimed record, with US sales of over 480,000 units according to SoundScan. In 2011, Slant Magazine placed the album at No. 67 on its list of "The 100 Best Albums of 1990s".

Wikipedia

Rating

2.93

Votes

73

Genres

  • Folk
  • Rock

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Reviews

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Oct 12 2024
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4

Sounds like Alanis Morissete. I liked it, but sounds like Alanis

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Oct 09 2024
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2

We get it love, you've been binned and are bitter!

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Oct 31 2024
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5

From the “ripped-this-from-a-CD-sometime-near-the-turn-of-the-century-and-have-no-recollection-of-ever-listening-to-it” files… (god I’m getting old and senile) I’m sure I enjoyed this back then and I really enjoyed it now. Starting an album with a big FUCK YOU is awesome. You’d think I’d have remembered that at least. And Shameless is so good - my favorite maybe on this album. Why’d I quit listening to this? Why’d I forget it? What the hell is wrong with me?! I love this album!

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Oct 31 2024
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5

I used to listen to Ani DiFranco often enough but this one came after that phase. It's varied and sophisticated. Thank you for the submission, friend!

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Oct 05 2024
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4

Thought this was pretty enjoyable. I grew up listening to Alanis, not sure how I missed this. Female, semi-angry singer/songwriter is a guilty pleasure of mine. Every song was enjoyable, except for Amazing Grace, that was likely one of my least favorite renditions ever, but was probably pretty original in the mid-90s.

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Oct 05 2024
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4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Shameless, Done wrong

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Oct 06 2024
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4

Alanis Morissette coded early 90s angry white girl singer songwriter jams. I liked it a lot! Napoleon has been stuck in my head for a few days. I cannot in conscience give 5 stars to an album with the abomination of "Amazing Grace" on it.

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Oct 07 2024
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4

This was a pleasant surprise! First time DiFranco listener and this is right up my alley. Diverse, original, passionate and weird. Great album!

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Oct 17 2024
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4

would be a five except for the fact that ms difranco has like five better albums

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Oct 31 2024
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4

I recognized the name of Ani DeFranco and wondered, "Wasn't she a 70s disco singer?" As I started listening I realized how wrong I was, but also that I didn't really recognize the music. Only then did it come to me that she is frequently featured in the New York Times Crossword. Where was I in the 90s? Under some rock I guess. That said, I thought this was pretty great, and would have been well placed in the 1001 list.

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Oct 06 2024
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3

I appreciate Ani DiFranco's talent, but at the same time her music never really connected with me that much. 3 stars.

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Oct 06 2024
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3

Must have been a big influence on Alanis Morrisette. Quite similar sound and attitude. More hooks with Alanis, but I prefer Ani's voice.

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Oct 08 2024
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3

Recall this being huge in its scene in the mid 90s which were my just-post-college era. I could never quite get past the particular perpetual relationship angst tone of all of her work. Forgot how much kind of almost rap-adjacent stuff was going on in a lot of the vocals, a common sin of those times.

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Nov 04 2024
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3

Musically, I found this to be fairly unremarkable, but for its genre and the time in which it was released, this is a well-made, well-written album. It's the little, intimate lyrical touches that give this album its spark. Fave Songs: Done Wrong, Untouchable Face, Superhero, Adam and Eve, Going Down

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Nov 24 2024
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3

Cool points awarded to whoever picked this! I feel like Ani DiFranco is too often brought up solely as a joke, as she’s in that vein of singer/songwriters like Aimee Mann, Natalie Merchant, Tracy Chapman, and is a tad goofy. But I like her style, I hear a bit of Suzanne Vega influence in there too maybe? Not all of it worked for me (“Amazing Grace” cover was a puzzling lowlight), but there’s some heat on here, I respect it. Pretty good! Favorite tracks: Untouchable Face, Napoleon, Joyful Girl. Album art: She’s curled up in a corner, maybe in pain? Hard to tell. Not a great cover in my opinion. 3.5/5

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Nov 24 2024
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3

This felt very 90's with the defiant singer songwriter getting angry at things but mixing that with softer melodies. Not bad!

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Oct 07 2024
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2

At times I felt like I was listening to Alanis Morrisette, then it changes enough, again and again... it is noticeable an experimental album that works well in itself, however for my taste it is not the genre that I like.

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Oct 09 2024
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2

I know Ani DiFranco is big in indie circles, so it's a bit of a surprise to hear so much Alanis Morissette in this. But there we go eh? This was a little too "tortured" for me. I made the mistake of reading the lyrics while it played, which didn't help. Can't say it's inspired me to check out the rest of her stuff. 2/5.

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Oct 10 2024
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2

Not the album for me – while some of the instrumentals were creative and fun, DiFranco’s breathy and at-times rhythmically-tortured delivery marred any chance of musicality here. I’m much more of an instrumentalist than a lyricist when listening, so an hour+ of edgy, bitter singing was not really my cup of tea.

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Oct 11 2024
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2

Got some Alanis Morissette vibes, but less good.

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Nov 01 2024
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2

There was something about women’s 90s music where they really unleashed their raw emotions and problems into songs. Overall this album was very similar to Morrissette but just like Alanis, I didn’t care for this album either. This one was actually less poppy and more melancholy. All in all not for me. 4.3/10

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Dec 01 2024
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1

Seeking to do exactly the same thing as Jagged Little Pill, but really, really badly. Whilst JLP comes across as full of real and righteous anger, this just feels like faux self pitty. This was also recorded and realised the year after JLP was a smash hit, so (rightly or wrongly) can be perceived as a vibe-chasing cash-in. The main reason I don't like it though is that the songs are a bit rubbish and really, really annoying. Rating: 1.5 Playlist track: Untouchable Face Date listened: 03/12/24

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