Janis Ian - God & the FBI

Sixties phenom turned '70s comeback queen Janis Ian is now well into her third resurgence, which kicked off in 1993 with the release of her post-Columbia Records debut, Breaking Silence. God and the FBI, the one-time prodigy's third post-Breaking Silence release, is something of a mixed bag. Most at home with graceful, melodic efforts such as this set's "She Must Be Beautiful" and "On the Other Side," Ian's up-tempo forays are more problematic. The title track, an oral gusher in the tradition of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business" and Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," suffers from stiffness, while "The Last Comeback" and "Murdering Stavinsky," despite some adept wordplay, are dragged down by dated rock production. On the plus side, "Memphis" benefits from guest vocals by the ever welcome Willie Nelson, while "Boots Like Emmy Lou's" (Harris, that would be) is a playful delight that feels like a hit for someone with Nashville connections. God, however, is notable for its scope and ambition-qualities that have allowed its creator to keep her last comeback on the horizon. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

Lose The Gimmicks!

Janis-sure liked you a lot better when you were more stripped down musically! Far too much studio wizardry on this one, especially on tracks like the title song. Get AFTERTONES or BREAKING SILENCE if you want the real deal. May 26, 2002

Society's Child grows up and develops for the year 2000

Janis Ian is back and has released one of her best works since "At Seventeen" and "Society's Child." The new CD features a blues twinged " God and The FBI" as its opening track. This song tells a story about Janis' own experience with the FBI. On " Boot's like Emmylou's" Janis sings about Emmylou Harris. My favorite songs are " The Last Comeback" a song about losing fame, and "Murdering Stravinsky" an excellant avante garde piece. Janis's new cd is amazing and presents many unreal musical ideas. August 13, 2000

The truth at 17

The truth I learned at 17 was that Janis Ian was going to a formidable musical force in my life, through re-invention and resurgence she has been with me for over thirty years and still she has the power to surprise. God and the FBI is a staggeringly good piece of work, with Janis' voice a virtuoso instrument easily encompassing the varying styles, from the haunting passion of She must be Beautiful to the electric insistence of When you love Someone, I was captivated anew. The Last Comeback, hopefully not a prophesy, is a powerhouse singalong with a darker undercurrent. The playful "Boots like EmmyLou" a poke in the eye for those who insist that Janis has no sense of humour. Jolene and Murdering Stravinsky are commercial, upbeat winners and this whole CD will be on my favoutites list for a long time. If you don't know her work, this is a hell of an introduction July 2, 2000

A Musical Jewel

What really can I say that other reviewers on this site haven't already? I have been a fan of Janis Ian for some time and I must say this is the best since Between the Lines in 1975. Her music here is upbeat, witty, ecclectic and very singable. Of note among the tracks are the title track, Jolene, and Memphis. Of course, it's not just the music that is well-crafted, but the lyrics show her normal clever turn-of-phrases and talent for lyric writing. I would recommend this to ANY Janis Ian fan and anyone who would like a relaxing CD. June 10, 2000

Janis Ian's surprise - one of the years best pop CD's!

I was pleasantly surprised to learn a CD I heard in a store was by an artist that, well, I had never liked, Janis Ian. I had found her earlier music self-righteously liberal.

"God and the FBI" is one of the best crafted album of the new millennium, a grab bag of musical styles. The more you listen the better it gets.

The lead off title song "God and the FBI" is the best song on the album, reminiscent of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" with a funkier beat, and similar subject matter, evokes the paranoia of the 60's, but with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Janis' lead guitar player even sneaks in a few notes from "Purple Haze"!

The album is uniformly tuneful with a complex, many layered production. All sorts of sneaky stuff in the sides and background!

As is stated below, Janis pokes gentle fun at Emmie Lou Harris's rhinestone boots and Hummingbird guitar. Sings an eerie first-person song about a hero who saved a group of children and we come to find is a ghost. A pean to obsessive love "When you Love Someone" has a whisper chorus like The Doors "Riders on the Storm".

The album meanders through the vast variety of styles with its center of gravity in folk rock and country and end with the "Stravinsky" song and layered voices coming at you from different directions like the end of the Beatles "Good Day, Sunshine". Janis Ian's voice occationally sounds like Sarah McLaughlin. She manages to maintain her sense of humour and perspective throughout.

Deserves a lot of airplay. If you've written off Janis Ian before, you will be really surprised. MY Rating - Four and 1/2 stars - the best music Janis Ian has ever done. May 24, 2000

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