ANI DIFRANCO "KNUCKLE DOWN" RARE ORIGINAL 2005 2-LP 'RIGHTEOUS BABE' EX LOOK

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ANI DIFRANCO "KNUCKLE DOWN" ORIGINAL 2-LP 'RIGHTEOUS BABE' 2005 
ANI DIFRANCO "KNUCKLE DOWN" 2-LP GATEFOLD ~ ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVES LABEL: RIGHTEOUS BABE RECORDS RBR042-V RELEASE: 2005
VINYL CONDITION: VG++/EX- JACKET CONDITION: EX- (With original inserts)
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection this summer and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 40 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors. This week on EBay I am offering up my nice old pressing of Ani DiFranco's fantastic album "Knuckle Down" from 2005.
This is my original copy that I've taken great care of for many years. A hard album to find on Vinyl. This is from the time period when not many vinyl records were being pressed. It's on Ani's own 'Righteous Babe' label and in terrific shape.
ANI DiFRANCO "KNUCKLE DOWN" 2005
Overall this double album is in excellent, well cared for condition. It's been carefully tucked away in my collection for quite some time now.
The vinyl is crisp and clean. I rated it VG++/EX- only because there is a small hairline 'scuff' over track 2 on side One. The rest of the vinyl appears mint. 
The hairline is no big deal. I've played it several times this morning, listening carefully and it's inaudible. Other than that the vinyl is very nice and clean.
The labels are clean, bright and blemish free. Ani's custom labels, as is typical for her releases. Spindle holes are clean, minimal evidence of play. No marks or writing. Beautiful.
The gatefold jacket is very nice as well. There is some very minor corner 'bumping', but not bad. I gave a picture of the worst corner so you can see for yourself. The inside of the gatefold is clean and free of marks or damage.
There is some minor 'ring wear' across the top of the back cover. Not bad, but should be pointed out. (See pic)
Both custom inner sleeves are here. They have the lyrics on one side and original art on the other. One contains a dedication to her Father, who passed away during recording of this album.
Overall, a very nice copy of this great Ani DiFranco album. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it, in fact I'm sure you'll love it!
~~~~~
'Knuckle Down' is a fantastic record and an artistic triumph for Ani. Her most commercial and accessible album in a long time. This album stands as a monument to her maturity and unmatched brilliance as a songwriter. This album seems to be much more accessible, yet she still shows her political and feminist intensity.
This is simply one of Ani's best records in quite some time. This album features a much more mature, thoughtful, reflective Ani. Breaking out a bit and moving forward. 
The album before this one was very introspective. Solo, acoustic, heartfelt and deep. Her last few records felt like they were showing more and more of her inner self, like peeling away the layers of an onion, one at a time. Some of her prior albums can be a little rough and hard to take, but this one is truly great and a joy to listen to. On this record, she has got to the very heart of the onion and rediscovered what it is that makes her unique and great.
This album contains everything that Ani fans love about her. Her great, honest, truthful lyrics, her fantastic quirky voice, her great guitar playing, and songs that just stick in your head, even after just one listening. It's as if she came full circle and returned to some of her earlier style of playing and songwriting. 'Knuckle Down' is truly a fine example of Ani returning to form.
This album is also the first time that Ani has invited another musician to co-produce alongside her. Almost all of her albums were intensely personal, written, produced, recorded and released all by herself.
On this one, Joe Henry, a veteran singer-songwriter in his own right, was invited in and helped Ani make a perfect album. I think Henry knew Ani's story, her background, her politics, her style, and was able to focus the best of that into this record. Joe Henry's direction gave this album the shot in the arm DiFranco desperately needed and encouraged her to be her best. The guitar and vocal rhythms of many of these songs are reminiscent of classic old-school Ani. With the new band and Joe Henry’s production help, the album is flawless.
Knuckle Down was recorded and mixed by Husky Hoskolds at The Sound Factory studios in Los Angeles. The recording quality is top notch and the 'soundstage' is fantastic. This is a very "live" sounding album which works very well.
The songs on this album are fantastic and classic DiFranco. She seems more relaxed and natural in the studio. The songs are both new yet familiar, like an old friend who’s changed but hasn’t. 'Knuckle Down' is DiFranco’s most focused, pure, and emotional work in years. 
It's full of machine-gunning guitars and slamming lyric poetry, ratcheted up to feverish rock and roll bravado with a brilliant ensemble of backing of musicians. This whole album shows off and encapsulates her remarkable lyric talent. Lyrics are great, as always, and are printed on the inner sleeves. Most of the songs are classic Ani DiFranco, still embracing the musical fringe. 
DiFranco, the original punk-folk goddess, infuses the music with her unusually intense personality, her great hard-biting lyrics and her funky--folk style. 
'Knuckle Down' is clearly DiFranco's strongest and most cohesive disc in a good long while. I'd even say it's probably the best of her career. 
~~~~~
“Knuckle Down” encompasses styles of urban punk-folk, spoken word, alt-country, blues, and much more, all filtered though Ani’s creative soul.
For this album, she has put together one of the best accompanying bands she’s ever had. The musicianship is outstanding!
The sound on this album is fantastic, Recorded very well and the soundstage is terrific. You can 'see' and feel the presence the other musicians in the room when they come in on certain songs.
As usual, there's plenty of Ani's signature punk-folk acoustic guitar work on here. Some fingerpicking, some fast choppy melodies and some eerie, slow strumming. Ani's voice is crisp, clear and up front. Her vocals on this LP are fantastic and reminiscent of 'old school' Ani.
The band, and their odd choice of instrumental effects, fit Ani's eclectic style well. Many of the songs are blanketed in strings, piano and bass. The band adds an interesting, emotional and haunting feel at times, but can also rock out and swing at other times.
She calls her band the 'Righteous Girl Ensemble' and they are a fine supporting cast of musicians that includes:   Andrew Bird: violin, glockenspiel and whistling! Todd Sickafoose: Bass Jay Bellerose: drums and percussion Patrick Warren: keyboards Tony Sherr: electric guitar on some tracks Julie Wolf: melodica on a few tracks
To quote Pink Floyd; 'The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think'. They add just the right elements, detail and emotion to her music without ever overpowering her voice & guitar and they never get in the way of her songs.
~~~~~
As on all of her records, DiFranco paints a detailed self-portrait of her current life in these new songs, but the writing is better, flows better and the arrangements are tighter.
'Knuckle Down' starts with the title track and it shows Ani at her best. Full of her signature aggressive acoustic guitar assault and penetrating lyrics. It sets the tone for the rest of this great album.
This album was recorded after her divorce as well as after the passing of her father. Both issues make their presence felt on this record.
“Sunday Morning” is a song about mourning the loss of family and domestic bliss .
“Manhole” is about her divorce and the Husband she thought she knew. My favorite lyric on the album is from "Manhole" a song about her divorce: "But after my dreaded beheading/ I tied that sucker back on with string/ And I guess I'm pretty different now considering."
It wouldn't be a 'classic' Ani album without some poetry and there's a fantastic but creepy spoken-word piece “Parameters,” which finds DiFranco confronting the fear and paranoid insecurity of a strange man in her bedroom. It's an exploration of slam poetry, setting it to atmospheric and slightly atonal music. 
“Callous” is a quiet, post-relationship song but has some urgency and power behind it.
“Minerva” is about Ani's deep connections to her fans. “You want me to tell you a story/But I am weary/Of entertaining…There’s no me/Left for me.” 
“Studying Stones” is a softly flowing song about Ani thinking back on her life and its bittersweet memories. It has an alt-country feel with strings and a haunting chorus. A stunner of a song, one of her most personal to date.
“Seeing Eye Dog” has a Tom Waits / New Orleans / Bluesy feel. It features Todd Sickafoose’s stark upright bass tones and a haunting percussion backing that sounds like ghostly clanging pipes.
“Modulation” is a tight pop song that buzzes with sparse rock guitars and moody keyboards
“Paradigm” is one of the few political songs on this album. Deep lyrics, but a melodically beautiful song. She has mastered the art of displaying her feelings in song.
“Recoil”, the album’s closing track, is great and simply beautiful. The band kicks into high pop-rock gear mixed with a twanging alt-country twist. Ani's breathy lyrics fit perfectly.
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Add this classic, Ani DiFranco rarity to your collection today. It would make a great addition to any vinyl record collection.  ~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page! All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,200 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 20 years, so please bid with confidence!

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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN