The thirty-second edition of YHO has on its
front cover a still from a TV performance of Janis Ian singing The Man You Are In Me. This issue takes as its starting point a
sequence of LPs Janis made in the mid-‘70s and their wider context and
connections. Musically this mid-‘70s
sequence frequently has the melodic invention and warm intimacy of the finest
easy listening/adult contemporary sounds, but the songs never seem too smooth
or self-absorbed, overly polished or plush.
There is a bit of an edge, an air of mischief, a suggestion of
spikiness, a bit of bite. She never gets
too mystical, too ethereal, too wispy.
She is more earthy and argumentative than many of her
contemporaries. That may be part of the
appeal. In Janis’ case, it’s fascinating
to look at her background, experiences, environment, influences, interests,
attitude and approach. It’s also
revealing to look at her associates, the people she has worked with, by design
or by accident, their connections, their significance. So this issue flits back and forth through
Janis’ career, and takes in a cast of characters including:
Ø Shadow
Morton
Ø Brooks
Arthur
Ø Richard
Davis
Ø Charlie
Calello
Ø Laura
Nyro
Ø Bob
Crewe
Ø Frankie
Valli and the Four Seasons
Ø Herb
Bernstein
Ø Dusty
Springfield
Ø Ron
Frangipane
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