Janis Ian

This double-LP anthology contains songs that were purportedly -- as the moniker would infer -- chosen by Janis Ian (guitar/vocals) from her string of superior mid-'70s albums Stars (1974), Between the Lines (1975), Aftertones (1976), Miracle Row (1977), Janis Ian (1978), Night Rains (1979), and Restless Eyes (1981). However, it is undoubtedly the otherwise unavailable "This Night" -- which briefly reunited Ian with Stars and Between the Lines producer Brooks Arthur -- that makes My Favourites (1985) such an indispensable set. As Ian was catering to a specific market, her choices may be a reflection of those songs that were hits and favorite deep cuts of the European audiences. The mesmerizing title composition "Stars" -- from the long player of the same name -- begins the sojourn of offering Ian's at time uncomfortably intimate illuminations in a fresh context. She relates alternate senses of liberation. On the one hand there is the adamant urgency of "From Me to You" and "Let Me Be Lonely," which is starkly contrasted by the disparity and haunting visions imbued within the post-Vietnam experienced "Jesse," or the almost disturbing minor chord progressions on "In the Winter" as they evoke palpable feelings of impending isolation. Of course no accurate assessment would be possible without "At Seventeen" -- which was not only Ian's biggest hit Stateside, but it garnered her a spot during the October 11, 1975 debut episode of NBC-TV's Saturday Night -- a revolutionary variety program featuring comedy and live music. There are numerous nuggets from several of the often overlooked mid- to late '70s. Among those found on My Favourites are Ian's collaboration with Albert Hammond on "The Other Side of the Sun" and with producer Giorgio Moroder on "Fly to High" -- both from Night Rains. The scintillating "Silly Habits" is a refined and romantic torch-fueled ballad highlighting Ian's far-too-underutilized skills on piano. As the artist has been reassessing her catalog, she began offering the same contents as Up 'Til Now (1997) on her own Rude Girl Records label. More information can be found on Ian's website at www.janisian.com. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide