Amazon.com
In the mass of singer/songwriters that seem to surface weekly it is easy to forget that older masters of the craft still walk among us and offer vital work. Janis Ian’s brilliant 2000 release
God & the FBI got lost in this glut--more’s the pity.
Working Without A Net sums up a career to date that while producing the justly famous "Society’s Child," "At Seventeen," and "Jesse," also given us such lesser known gems as "Love Is Blind," "Boots Like Emmy Lou’s," and many of the others included here. Over a decade’s worth of live performances reveal an emotionally wrenching singer, a fine guitarist, and a remarkably consistent writer. Hopefully
Working Without A Net will make people want to go back and explore gems like
Breaking Silence, and the aforementioned
God & the FBI. At the very least it raises the bar for the current crop of would-be troubadours.
--Michael Ross
Product Description
Janis started recording her performances back in the eighties; by 2003 she had amassed a huge selection of recordings. When the opportunity arose to release a live album, Janis enlisted co-producer John Leonardini to review and digitally transfer over 400 hours of concert recordings in a variety of formats, looking for the best of the best. Those selections were filtered down to the 26 songs on this album. Offered as a "Live to 2 track" recording, the production team eschewed studio tricks and instead delivered to the listener the exact experience of the performance. Highlights:"Silly Habits" is transformed from the smoky blues originally recorded on Janis Ian II into a raucous swing melody, complete with some of Janis' strongest piano playing & other incredible instrumental solos. Due to a hand injury, Janis no longer performs on the piano, so this recording provides the listener with a glimpse of her prodigious talent on the keys.
See all 12 tracks on this disc
