Search - Janis Ian :: Billies Bones

Poetry becomes music

Judy | Missouri | 04/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On my first listen to "Billie's Bones" I wondered, "Where's the punch?" It was a nice enough listen, but I wasn't struck by my usual awe that Janis Ian inspires. So I listened again...this time really listened and I ended the CD thinking that this is the most consistently powerful, creative writing I've heard from her (or anyone) in years. The writing is extraordinary. There are too many perfect lines from too many songs on this album for me to elaborate. Briefly stated: this album should be used as a teaching guide for high school and college students who need to hear written thought reduced to a few exquisite words."

Make No Bones About It!

Judy | 04/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I'll admit it. I've been a Janis Ian devotee since I was a teenager identifying with her infamous "At Seventeen." Every time Janis is in town, I make it a point to see her concert. There is not one person in all of the music industry, in any genre, who even compares. Janis has it all. She is the quintessential renaissance talent. Her songwriting gift outshines in every possible genre. Her guitar playing is above and beyond the best in rock, jazz and blues. Her tender vocals express the pain and joy in every lyric line. And with "Billie's Bones," Janis has once again risen to the occasion on every track. As a followup album to her "Live Without A Net" CD (also a must buy), "Billie's Bones" speaks to all ages.There simply isn't a better songwriter to be found. Janis makes every word count. Every note rings true.If you think you know Janis Ian, she proves that there's much more to discover. If you've never heard Janis Ian, buy "Billie's Bones" and "Live Without A Net." And then get thee to her next concert for an amazing performance!I guarantee you that once you've experienced Janis Ian's music, you will be moved by the power of her talents."

Print of Palm on the Pillow

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 05/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Billie's Bones" continues the creative streak for Janis Ian who is repeatedly hitting artistic heights. Four songs on the set comprise a bit of a travelogue. The most familiar for me is a song I fell in love with on Joan Baez's 1992 CD "Play Me Backwards." Janis writes "Amsterdam" with Buddy Mondlock who recently worked with Art Garfunkel & Maia Sharp on the gorgeous "Everything Waits to Be Noticed" CD. Janis marries a particularly haunting melody with intricate lyrical images, "Just the scent of perfume on the linen, just the print of a palm on the pillow, just the hint of the moon from the window, Amsterdam." "Paris In Your Eyes" boasts a romantically drenched lyric with a soft acoustic melody, "Every time I touched you, I could taste a breath of spring." Another stop on Janis' travelogue is the excellent instrumental "Marching on Glasgow." The last song with a geographic title reference is "My Tennessee Hills" with Dolly Parton's lovely supporting vocal. The most powerful song for me combines a Billie Holiday "Strange Fruit" jazz-blues approach to the death of Matthew Shepard, "What makes a man a man? The cut of a coat, the hint of a tan? It's not who you love, but whether you can, What makes a man a man." On "Save Somebody" Janis' distinctive melody combines with an incredibly poetic lyric, "There's a crack in the heavens & a tear in the sky; it cuts through the shadows living in her eyes." Janis' tribute to Mary Black is quite lovely. If one measured the creative high points of Janis Ian's career, an appropriate metaphor would be the Andes Mountains. This is another exquisite set by one of our master musicians. Bravo!"