Dirty Linen (p.81) - "[With] explosively percussive guitar fingerpicking, and a globe-spanning variety of instrumental colors, DiFranco has consistently delivered genre-expanding music."
No Depression (p.88) - "'Both Hands' is presented with fuzzily distorted too-pop-punk-for-comfort guitar instead of acoustic, with a faster pace and a bigger sound...."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.117) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[The tracks] provide an engaging summation for anyone who's enjoyed dipping into her massive output."
Personnel: Ani DiFranco (acoustic guitar); Rory McLeod (harmonica); John Mills (baritone saxophone); Gary Slechta (trumpet); Jon Blondell (trombone); Michael Ramos (Hammond b-3 organ); Greg Dulli (Wurlitzer organ); Mike Dillon (vibraphone); Alisdair Jones, Sara Lee, Todd Sickafoose, Jason Mercer (bass guitar); Jerry Marotta, Allison Miller, Andy Stochansky (drums); Joseph Arthur (background vocals).
18 years and 18 albums into her career, Ani DiFranco chose her own idiosyncratic version of a greatest hits compilation with CANON. This two-disc, 36-track set covers the length and breadth of her career, from her early, acoustic folk-punk days to the forays into country, electronica, and jazzy adult contemporary that followed. Rather than focusing on her best-known or most commercially successful material, DiFranco merely chose her favorites of her songs, making CANON a fittingly personal and quirky stroll through DiFranco's back catalogue.
Detailed liner notes and lavish packaging make CANON a satisfying package on its own terms, and even longtime fans who already have all of DiFranco's albums will want it for the inclusion of a handful of rarities and five newly-recorded remakes of early songs, the fan favorites "Shameless" and "Napoleon" among them. CANON also works well as an introduction to this mercurial singer-songwriter, providing new fans with a comprehensive overview of her career, while still providing room for further exploration.