Janis Ian: Live – Working Without A Net

When someone talks about seeing a spectacular, superlative live performance, it’s rare for the listener to think of a “folk” artist being the object of that admiration. Janis Ian’s two-disc set might change that perception forever.

Live: Working Without A Net showcases Janis as performer as well as a songwriter. Songs from her extensive catalogue, from Society’s Child (here given a gorgeous and haunting solo treatment) and Jesse to newer material, such as Breaking Silence and Days Like These, have been taken from various concert recordings made over the past ten years or so. The kicker is that this CD is all direct to two-track, which means there’ve been no overdubs whatsoever. And the results are amazing! The energy and emotion behind each performance pours through your speakers or headset like a living thing.

Most people know of Janis the balladeer. Whether dealing with heartache on a personal scale (Paris In Your Eyes, Love Is Blind) or musing on epic tragedies (Tattoo, Honor Them All), she uncannily manages to find the perfect phrase, both lyrically and musically.

Fewer people have heard her sensuous side. Songs like Take Me Walking In The Rain and Ride Me Like A Wave carry the listener to dizzying heights of ecstasy. In the latter song, Janis uses her voice and an amazing use of analog delay (think of Mark Knopfler’s guitar solos) to create literal cascades of harmonies that tumble over and over each other. The effect is nothing less than breathtaking.

In addition to joy, humor also takes center stage. I don’t think I’ve laughed at a “serious” writer as much as I did listening to gems like Cosmopolitan Girl and Boots Like Emmy Lou’s. And it’s hard not to be happy when hearing her perform such a jazzy number like Silly Habits, even if Mel Torme isn’t around to sing along.

I especially enjoyed hearing the four songs from her album Between The Lines – the title track as well as Watercolors, In The Winter and, of course, At Seventeen. Owing to an injury, she’s created fascinating solo guitar arrangements for songs she used to play on the piano. Her take on Between The Lines, while not quite the fancy solos she plays elsewhere on the CDs, demonstrates what an imaginative guitarist she is.

The second disc closes with a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walking and everyone, performer and audience, is having the grandest time. You can’t help but hope that Janis is walking into your town soon.