Janis Ian, also titled Janis Ian II to avoid confusion with her debut album of the same name, is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Janis Ian, originally released in 1978.
| Janis Ian | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | The Hit Factory, New York City | |||
| Genre |
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| Length | 42:30 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Joe Wissert | |||
| Janis Ian chronology | ||||
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Before the release of Janis Ian, the singer had been spending most of her time touring Japan,[1] where her previous studio albums Aftertones and Miracle Row had been much more successful than in the United States, where her early 1978 live album Remember...[a] would never be issued. Janis Ian was recorded in late 1977 but not released until her return to the United States in the late summer of 1978, by which time she had been engaged and married to Portuguese novelist Tino Sargo.[2]
When Janis Ian was released, the singer was pleased,[3] and the record at first appeared to be doing well. However, the early commercial promise of Janis Ian faded rapidly, and the album would continue a commercial decline in all territories, reaching only number 120 in the United States and number 97 in Australia.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Tampa Tribune | B[5] |
The Globe and Mail wrote: "Perhaps it's the toughness of some of the rhythms that suggests she's hardening a little, but it isn't enough to shake off the soft-spoken image, buttressed as it is throughout the first side and, more quietly, at the end of the second, with that toughness."[6]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Janis Ian
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Grand Illusion" | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Some People" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Tonight Will Last Forever" | 2:27 |
| 4. | "Hotels and One-Night Stands" | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Do You Wanna Dance?" | 5:07 |
| 6. | "Silly Habits" | 3:08 |
| Total length: | 20:56 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Bridge" | 4:00 |
| 2. | "My Mama's House" | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Streetlife Serenaders" | 4:56 |
| 4. | "I Need to Live Alone Again" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Hopper Painting" | 4:40 |
| Total length: | 21:34 | |
Personnel edit
- Joseph Wissert – producer
- Ed Sprigg – engineer
- John "BJ John" Smith – assistant engineer
- Ted Spencer – assistant engineer
- Mike Reese – mastering
- Ron Frangipane – conductor
Musicians edit
- Janis Ian – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Wayne Andre – trombone
- Claire Bay – backing vocals
- Richard Davis – upright bass
- Sal DiTroia – guitar
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Al Gorgoni – guitar
- Artie Kaplan – baritone saxophone
- Jik Malin – percussion
- Jeff Mironov – guitar
- Tony Studd – bass trombone
Charts edit
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 120 |
| Australian (Kent Music Report)[8] | 97 |
Notes edit
- ^ Remember... would apart from its Japanese release only be issued in Australia under the title In Concert.
References edit
- ^ Kröse, Ron (October 20, 1978). "Singer Janis Ian Dislikes To Talk About Comebacks". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. p. V5.
- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (November 3, 1978). "Janis Ian: "A Junkie for That Grand Illusion"". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 31.
- ^ Boyer, Peter J. (November 25, 1978). "Janis Ian's Working on Her Second Comeback". The Charlotte News. p. 3C.
- ^ William Ruhlmann. "Janis Ian [1978] – Janis Ian". All Music Group.
- ^ Kilgore, Michael (January 12, 1979). "Janis Ian Abandons Sorrow for New Styles". The Tampa Tribune. p. 6-D.
- ^ McGrath, Paul (September 13, 1978). "Janis Ian". The Globe and Mail. p. F2.
- ^ "Janis Ian Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 145. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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