{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Knuckle Down | type = studio | artist = Ani DiFranco | cover = Knuckle_down-cover.jpg | alt = | released = January 25, 2005 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = {{hlist|Indie rock|folk rock}} | length = 57:07 | label = Righteous Babe | producer = {{hlist|Ani DiFranco|Joe Henry}} | prev_title = Educated Guess | prev_year = 2004 | next_title = Reprieve | next_year = 2006 }} '''''Knuckle Down''''' is the 14th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. It is the first album where DiFranco has collaborated with a producer; Joe Henry. The record is also her first studio album to feature a string section. It is considered among her most accessible records, and compared to the stark ''Educated Guess'', it is more abundantly produced.<ref name=allmusic/>
==Reception== {{Album ratings |MC = (73/100)<ref name=meta>[http://www.metacritic.com/music/knuckle-down/ani-difranco/critic-reviews Critic reviews at Metacritic]</ref> |rev1 = Allmusic |rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=allmusic>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r723393|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]</ref> |rev2 = ''Blender'' |rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=meta/> |rev3 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' |rev3score = B<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Short Takes (Ani DiFranco: Knuckle Down)|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|issue=803|date=January 2, 2005|page=85}}</ref> |rev4 = ''Filter'' |rev4score = 84%<ref name=meta/> |rev5 = musicOMH |rev5score = (positive)<ref>[http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/ani-difranco-knuckle-down musicOMH review]</ref> |rev6 = ''Paste'' |rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2005/02/ani-difranco-knuckle-down.html|title=Ani DiFranco – Knuckle Down :: Music :: Reviews|last=Lewis|first=Cathering P.|magazine=Paste|date=February 1, 2005|accessdate=June 29, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306102246/http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=1432|archivedate=March 6, 2005|url-status=live}}</ref> |rev7 = PopMatters |rev7score = (6/10)<ref>[http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/difrancoani-knuckle/ PopMatters review]</ref> |rev8 = ''Rolling Stone'' |rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/anidifranco/albums/album/6885194/review/6955981/knuckle_down |title=Rolling Stone review |magazine=Rolling Stone |accessdate=March 8, 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121073943/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/anidifranco/albums/album/6885194/review/6955981/knuckle_down |archivedate=November 21, 2007 }}</ref> |rev9 = ''Slant'' |rev9score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>[http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/ani-difranco-knuckle-down Slant review]</ref> |rev10 = ''Uncut'' |rev10score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=cduniverse/> }}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot--> The album so far has a score of 73 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".<ref name=meta/> ''Billboard'' gave the album a favorable review and stated: "The results are a selection of high quality that veers between brightly spirited ("Manhole," "Lag Time") and somber ("Callous")."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/bb/reviews/album_article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000748208 |title=Billboard review |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=June 29, 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050111132725/http://www.billboard.com/bb/reviews/album_article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000748208 |archivedate=January 11, 2005 }}</ref> ''The New York Times'' gave it a positive review and said that DiFranco "is still self-sufficient, but an extra pair of producer's ears gives her some new dimensions."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/31/arts/music/31choi.html?oref=login&_r=0 The New York Times review]</ref>
Other reviews are very average or mixed: ''Mojo'' gave the album three stars out of five and said it was "More honed and richly-textured than former offerings."<ref name=cduniverse>[http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6806345&style=music Album reviews at CD Universe]</ref> ''Q'', however, gave it two stars out of five and called it "Deliberately sparse and bare."<ref name=meta/>
==Track listing== #"Knuckle Down" – 4:34 #"Studying Stones" – 3:53 #"Manhole" – 3:45 #"Sunday Morning" – 4:49 #"Modulation" – 4:31 #"Seeing Eye Dog" – 4:02 #"Lag Time" – 5:13 #"Parameters" – 5:58 #"Callous" – 5:46 #"Paradigm" – 4:33 #"Minerva" – 4:55 #"Recoil" – 5:08
==Personnel== *Ani DiFranco – guitar, vocals *Patrick Warren – piano, sampling, Chamberlin *Todd Sickafoose – string bass; Wurlitzer (track 3) *Jay Bellerose – percussion, drums *Andrew Bird – violin, Glockenspiel, whistling (2, 3, 7, 9, 12) *Tony Scherr – electric guitar (4, 8, 10, 12) *Noe Venable – vocals (2, 3, 10) *Niki Haris – vocals (10) *Julie Wolf – melodica (11) *String section on tracks 2 and 7
==Production== *Ani DiFranco and Joe Henry – record producer *S. "Husky" Hoskulds – engineer, mixing *Jason Mott – assistant engineer *Greg Calbi – mastering *Ani DiFranco and Brian Grunert – design *Danny Clinch – portrait photography *Eric Frick – photography
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2005) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)<ref name="ARIA">{{cite Ryan|page=81}}</ref> | 82 |- |align="left"|US ''Billboard'' 200 |align="left"|49 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Metacritic album}}
{{Ani_DiFranco}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2005 albums Category:Ani DiFranco albums Category:Albums produced by Joe Henry Category:Righteous Babe Records albums