Here’s our first sunflower to bloom. Goes perfectly with my review of Jannie’s music!
Color me enchanted by singer/songwriter Jannie Funster’s debut CD “I Need a Man.” I’ve been a fan of Jannie since I started reading her blog. She’s warm-hearted, witty, and poetic in a way that manages to be both wise like an old soul and luminous like a child at play. And her music embodies the full range of this delightful spectrum.
Jannie has one of the purest, most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard, and her songs are, by turns, playful and poignant. She can be laugh-out-loud funny on one song, and on the next song, I find myself brushing a tear from my eye.
Jannie’s melodies and arrangements are those of a woman whose spirit shines with music and the joy of creating it. Her joie de vivre is in a class of its own, and it deeply touches my heart.
As a musician myself (classically-trained pianist), I’m picky when it comes to music. It isn’t often that I can say that I love all the songs on a CD. “I Need A Man” is one of those CDs. So here’s a song-by-song rundown, with my impressions of each.
1. Hearts and Bones. What a great opener song. It engages the philosopher in me. It’s about being a multi-faceted person in a multi-faceted world filled with all kinds of people, all of whom are “souls out sailing like me.” Filled with heart and compassion, toe-tapping rhythm, and groovy syncopation.
2. Motorcycle Cop. Incredibly cute song which gives me the gigglesnorts. Being a biker chick myself and married to a guy who rides a Harley (though he’s not a cop, lol), I relate to such lines as “Oh my hunk, my Harley man / I catch a glimpse of you.” Great guitar fingerpicking here, too.
3. Kissing 39 Goodbye. Oh yes, I relate to this one. Here, Jannie sings about how time passes so quickly it’s as though it’s been greased: “Took my youth for granted / Thought I was the chosen one / But this isn’t how I planned it / I was supposed to stay young.” Love the minor key resolution on “Goodbye.”
4. I Need A Man. hehe, this rocks — the humor, its tongue-in-cheek mood. Gave me the gigglesnorts, but had me nodding in recognition, too. I have a man who can do all the things Jannie sings about, and if possible, I appreciate him even more after listening to this song. *grin*
5. Hurricane Jane. I recognize her. She’s me sometimes. I think all us women who try to cram 48 hours of activity into 24 hour days, minus a wee bit of sleep, can see a bit of Hurricane Jane in ourselves. I find myself nodding at “running from ghosts and shadows, running to stay in place” — with everything we try to pack into our days, that’s exactly what life can feel like, even though we enjoy the things we do. Paradoxical, yes, but isn’t that part of the mystery of life, the paradoxes?
6. Bones. This is the darkest song on the CD. Jannie asks us — and probably herself, too — “Whatcha gonna do with those bones?” To my mind, the “bones” in Jannie’s song function as metaphors for all kinds of things: not-so-pleasant memories, issues we want to sweep under our mind’s rugs. And the “law” is that no matter what we try to do with those darned bones, they rattle and make noise — they make us pay attention to them even when it’s the last thing we want to do. And since this is lovely, musical Jannie we’re talking about, the arrangement of the song with its funky percussion complements the lyrics perfectly.
7. What’ll I Do With Me. A good follow-up song to “Bones.” It’s about those days we feel frustrated, restless, dissatisfied with how things are going in our lives. Here, Jannie sings that despite our best intentions and our dreams and our courage, we are all only human, and it’s natural, sometimes, to feel overwhelmed by it all.
8. Sugar Lady. I double-dog dare you not to tap your foot while listening to this one. I dig the bluesy keyboard arrangement, and the lyrics: “a day without a donut is like a day without the sun.” Yup, Jannie’s got a sweet tooth, and so do I. Let’s hear it for a one-pancake-to-one-gallon-of-syrup ratio!
9. Rosie’s Song. This song is about sisterly love and missing a loved one. Touching. I have a brother whom I dearly love, and because we’re both so busy, we don’t get to see each other as much as we would like, but our bond exists forever, beyond time and space. Jannie’s song reminds me of how lucky I am in that way.
10. Bob’s Coffee Shop. Absolutely charming — Jannie’s singing to God, asking him how he’s doing, and letting him know that she’s counting her blessings and still has a million left to count. This song makes me smile every time I hear it. Jannie is a human sunflower, *grin*.
11. Mystery Tune. The only instrumental piece on the CD, and it’s a knockout. It’s beautiful and peaceful, with a timeless feel. It speaks to that part of me which is most at home with the beauty of nature, listening to the rush of the creek while looking up at the blue sky.
12. Wedgie Wedding. Mischievous, frolicsome, and laugh-out-loud funny. The funky percussion and string arrangement really set this song off. “I had a wedgie of atomic force / I would’ve loved to give it a yank, of course / I had a wedgie but what could I do / Standin’ at the altar with my love so true.” Bwahahahahaha!
13. Smallest Songwriter. hehe, adorable. Jannie’s little girl makes an appearance on the CD, and she’s in fabulous voice! Sounds like she’s inherited her Mom’s talent, creativity, and joyful spark.
Jannie’s an original: a rare talent and a woman of star quality. I’m sure she’ll be famous someday. Every time I listen to her CD, it’s like enjoying a visit with a dear friend, and I find new things to love with every listen. You can purchase “I Need A Man” from Jannie’s web site. I give it my highest — and heartiest — recommendation.
