Search - Janis Ian :: God & The Fbi

Small but mighty

John Jenks | West Hollywood, CA | 06/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Janis Ian is a tiny woman with a tiny voice. And yet, tiny voice notwithstanding, she packs an emotional punch infinitely more powerful than, say, Celine Dion. No bombast. No pyrotechnics or vocal acrobatics. Just her voice & her guitar. And, of course, her songs, which have always dared to take us to places that we may not wish to go. "God & The FBI" is no exception. Her tune "She Must Be Beautiful" is one of those songs that sends chills down my spine. Again, her vocals are understated, and yet she captures an emotional connection with the song in a way that 10,000 Celines or Michael Boltons never could. Effortlessly. Another pleasant surprise was hearing her duet with Willie Nelson, "Memphis," which I see was written with country star Deana Carter. I don't know why it should surprise me that their voices should blend so beautifully -- after all, Willie was able to pull off a duet with Joni Mitchell on "Cool Water" from her "Chalk Mark In a Rainstorm" album. But it does surprise me.From what I can gather from the liner notes, this CD was made for virtually no money, as Ian hasn't exactly burned up the pop charts in decates. There is even an intimation that Ian may retire as a recording artist, which would be a crime, given her body of work that has spanned decades and has been consistently excellent."