NOT A PRETTY GIRL info
(RBR007-D) 1995

NOT A PRETTY GIRL, the first album which sported the current Righteous Babe Records logo (of a woman flexing her muscles in a proud, defiant stance), was recorded at The Record Complex in Buffalo and at 1:2:1 in Toronto in 1995. Ed Stone returned for the engineering duties, while Tom Heron and Mark Peters assisted. George Graves handled the mastering, Mark Dellas contributed photos. Ani designed the cover art herself. This was the first record to not contain Dale Anderson's presence, and the first record to mention "Goat Boy" (known here as Goatie), a.k.a. Andy Gilchrist. Ani and Andy Stochansky shared musical accompaniment duties (with Kate Fenner adding backing vocals on Asking Too Much).

      NOT A PRETTY GIRL seems to mark the end of an era in Ani's career and look forward to the next. This was the last album before the Alanis Morissette era began with the inevitable comparisons. For Ani, the album marked a return to some of the folk motifs she'd used to make her first two albums so endearing. It's perhaps her most fully realized album, one where all the elements flow perfectly in total synchronicity. The music, usually Ani on guitar with drummer Andy Stochansky, is a heady mix of folk, punk, and rock, both modern and acoustic. Ani's voice is a powerful instrument, lashing out where needed, muted and breathless when called for. NOT A PRETTY GIRL is the culmination of her earliest recordings and the promise of the future. For many fans, this album embodies what makes Ani great. ~ Raffaele Quirino