Breaking Silence

Breaking Silence is an album by the singer-songwriter Janis Ian, released in 1993, on Morgan Creek Records in the US and Europe and on Columbia in Canada and the Netherlands.[1]

Breaking Silence
Studio album by Janis Ian
Released	1993 (1993)
Label	Morgan Creek Records/Columbia
Producer	Janis Ian Jeff Balding
Janis Ian chronology
Uncle Wonderful (1983) Breaking Silence (1993) Simon Renshaw Presents: Janis Ian Shares Your Pain (1995)

History

Although Ian was outed as a lesbian in 1976, by the Village Voice,[2] her sexuality was largely ignored until the release of Breaking Silence, when Ian herself brought it to the forefront because of her concern with suicide rates among gay and lesbian teenagers.[3]

Decades previous, Ian met Pat Snyder and, after significant financial and health setbacks, they purchased a house together by 1991. They took on a second mortgage to fund the album, as major record labels were no longer interested in Ian's work. "I thought I was only going to get one more chance to record, so I wanted to make it count," Ian said.[1] It was her first album in 12 years.[3]

The album contains controversial songs such as "His Hands" (about spousal abuse) and "Tattoo" (about the Holocaust). The title track, "Breaking Silence", is about incest.[1] It also includes Ian's version of "Some People's Lives", previously recorded as the title track of Bette Midler's 1990 album. The album was nominated for a Grammy, making it Ian's seventh nomination.[1]

Track listing

1. All Roads To The River—3:05
2. Ride Me Like A Wave—3:40
3. Tattoo—4:20
4. Guess You Had To Be There—4:07
5. What About The Love—4:58
6. His Hands—5:17
7. Walking On Sacred Ground—3:26
8. This Train Still Runs—4:03
9. Through The Years—3:40
10. This House—5:05
11. Some People's Lives—3:52
12. Breaking Silence—3:09

Personnel

• Janis Ian — Writer, Guitars (Acoustic, electric), Piano, Primary Artist, Producer
• Jeff Balding — Producer, Lead Engineer, Mix Engineer
• Jim Brock — Drums, Percussion
• Jim Hoke — Harmonica
• Chad Watson — Bass
• Dann Huff — Guitar (Electric)
• Doug Sax — Mastering
• Jess Leary — Co-writer
• Kye (Rhonda) Fleming — Co-writer
• Jon Vezner — Co-writer
• Lisa Powers — Photography
• Jerry Joyner — Design
• Virginia Team — Art Direction
• Steve Bishir — Assisting Engineer
• Patrick Kelly — Assisting Engineer, Overdubs
• Greg Parker — Assisting Engineer
• John David Parker — Assisting Engineer
• Christopher Rich — Assisting Engineer
• Toby Seay — Assisting Engineer
• Carry Summers — Assisting Engineer, Overdubs

References

1. Ian, Janis. "Breaking Silence". Janis Ian. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
2. Kinser, Jeremy (23 August 2012). "Coming Out in Print". Advocate.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
3. "Owen Keehnen: Interviews". Queerculturalcenter.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

External links

• "Janis Ian - Breaking Silence at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
• "Breaking Silence - Janis Ian | Credits". AllMusic. 1993-06-08. Retrieved 2017-03-03.