Miracle Row
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Miracle Row
| type = studio
| artist = Janis Ian
| cover = Miracle Row.jpg
| alt =
| released = January 1977
| recorded = November–December 1976
| studio = Hit Factory, New York City
| genre = Pop rock, singer-songwriter
| length = 40:55
| label = Columbia
| producer = Ron Fragipane, Janis Ian
| prev_title = Aftertones
| prev_year = 1976
| next_title = Remember...
| next_year = 1978
}}
Miracle Row is the ninth studio album by Janis Ian, and her fourth for Columbia Records, released in 1977.
In contrast to her previous three albums, Miracle Row was recorded in New York City with her recent touring band and lacked the orchestration. Following her previous album Aftertones, Ian would spend much time in Spanish Harlem with her mother, and aimed to capture that vibe on her new album.{{cite web|url=https://www.janisian.com/albums/miracle.php|publisher=janisian.com|title=Miracle Row}}
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.0|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/miracle-row-mw0000742871|title=Miracle Row – Janis Ian|publisher=All Music Group|author=Lindsay Planner}}
| rev3 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev3score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}DeCurtis, Anthony; George-Warren, Holly and Henke, James; The Rolling Stone Album Guide – Completely New Reviews: Every Essential Album, Every Essential Artist, p. 339 {{ISBN|0679737294}}
}}
The Kingsport News gave the album "A" upon release, saying that Janis was "the best realist woman poet around today" and also one of its best vocalists.{{cite news|work=The Kingsport News: Times News-Weekender|title=Miracle Row, Janis Ian (Columbia)|location=Kingsport, Tennessee|date=January 22, 1977|page=3}} The Irving Daily News’ Jason Christopher also praised the album, saying that Janis Ian "scored another triumph" and that the album was "highly recommended for rainy-day listening".{{cite news|title="On the Turntable": Top January Albums Feature the Ladies|last=Christopher|first=Jason|work=Irving Daily News|location=Irving, Texas|date=January 27, 1977|page=5}} Joe McNally writing for the San Antonio Express, said that Janis "did what she did very well" and the critic admitted that he was a sucker for what she did.{{cite news|work=Express-News Sunday Magazine|location=San Antonio, Texas|title=A Dream Rewoven|date=February 13, 1977|last=McNally|first=Joe|page=3}}
Miracle Row, despite these positive reviews, was substantially ignored by most critics, many of whom, for example Robert Christgau,{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Janis Ian|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Janis+Ian|accessdate=October 6, 2021|publisher=robertchristgau.com}} did not review the album at all. Miracle Row proved a major commercial flop, failing to crack the top 40 of the Billboard pop albums chart, whilst none of its three singles would chart anywhere except for "Will You Dance?" being a top 40 hit in Japan. It proved to be Ian's last album to dent the top 100 in the United States, for her efforts to adopt a highly commercial pop sound on her subsequent Columbia albums{{cite news|date=October 11, 1980|work=The Journal-Herald|location=Dayton, Ohio|last=Hunt|first=Dennis|page=22|title=Believe It or Not, Janis Ian Has Changed}} would gain success only in Europe and Australia, and not do so consistently even there.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Janis Ian
| total_length = 19:52
| headline = Side 1
| title1 = Party Lights
| length1 = 3:24
| title2 = I Want to Make You Love Me
| length2 = 3:21
| title3 = Sunset of Your Life
| length3 = 3:29
| title4 = Take to the Sky
| length4 = 4:34
| title5 = Candlelight
| length5 = 4:04
}}
{{Track listing
|headline = Side 2
|total_length = 21:03
| title1 = Let Me Be Lonely
| length1 = 3:58
| title2 = Slow Dance Romance
| length2 = 3:09
| title3 = Will You Dance?
| length3 = 3:05
| title4 = I’ll Cry Tonight
| length4 = 3:25
| title5 = Miracle Row/Maria
| length5 = 7:26
}}
Personnel
- Janis Ian – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Rubens Bassini – conductor, congas, percussion
- Claire Bay – vocals
- Phil Kraus – bass, cymbals, percussion
- Jeff Layton – guitar, guitar arrangements, horn
- Barry Lazarowitz – drums, percussion
- Stu Woods – bass
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1977)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|45|artist=Janis Ian|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 25, 2020}} |
| scope="row"| Australian (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=145}}
| 58 |
| scope="row"| Japan (Oricon Albums Chart)
| 26 |
| scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Charts)van Slooten, Johan; Albumdossier 1969-2002 GottmerBecht, 2002.
| 20 |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Janis Ian}}
{{Authority control}}