Revelling/Reckoning - Ani DiFranco
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Pick from either the funky Revelling or the more downbeat Reckoning and you'll be rewarded with an intimate new mood or insight, expertly framed by the singer's acoustic-based every-style. [13 Apr 2001, p.76]
  2. 90
    She once again raises the bar for her personal best... [#50, p.85]
  3. 90
    This inspired, two-disc, 29-track set is one part musical grandstand like Prince's Sign O' the Times, one part marital saga like Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love. [5/2001, p.139]
  4. Revelling/Reckoning is a dense, daunting work -- and, quite possibly, her strongest one yet.
  5. Revelling/Reckoning is both an accomplished album complimented by a loose-jam of ensemble players and a bare sketchbook where DiFranco sits alone in her room, creating a private universe accessible to anyone with the will to listen.
  6. 80
    Not every moment of Revelling/Reckoning is a winner. But the record is probably DiFranco's first where all the tags -- staunch D.I.Y.-er, feminist, bisexual folk-punk -- and the baggage of her brutally personal songwriting play second fiddle to the songs found within.
  7. While the acoustic simplicity of Reckoning seems thin at first, particularly beside Revelling's sensual, bombastic joy, the croons and ballads grow on you, if not for their melancholy navel-gazing, then for their languid, old-school folksiness.
  8. Her most skillful and soulful work thus far.
  9. Supposedly split into two themes, it turns out that the music throughout is interchangeable; any track could have appeared on either CD.
  10. Revelling/Reckoning represents DiFranco at her best and worst.
  11. This is a double album where the best songwriting never meshes with the best horn writing, which is what gets her juices going these days.
  12. Though the music on Revelling/Reckoning ranges from brilliant to mediocre, DiFranco's bold, descriptive lyrics (as usual) redeem any shortcomings. [#155, p.75]
  13. 40
    Would have benefited from more stringent editing... [Jun/Jul 2001, p.108]
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Most definitely in my top 5 favorite albums by Ms. DiFranco. Not necessarily an album that you would loan to someone that you wanted to start liking Ani's music, but definitely an album full of emotional themes! Full Review »
  2. Incorporating a variety of musical styles and utilizing her talented ensemble of musicians, Ani rides one of her great musical peaks while retaining her crown as our best modern poet. This album was one of the best of the decade. Full Review »
  3. JohnM.
    9
    Bombarding (occasionally annoying, "Subdivision" being the very low point) political assertments aside, this is Ani at her best. It is almost impossible to categorize this work; it breaks through so many genres. A welcoming and intriguing listen for anyone who can get past the occassional political ranting sure to piss you off a little. Full Review »