Janis Ian's first album in several years is notable chiefly for the seven-minute title cut. Far superior to its acoustic sources, "Stars" deals autobiographically with the confusing experience of becoming a celebrity. In Ian's case, it was brief, the result of her hit, "Society's Child," which she recorded in 1966 at the age of 15 and which led Leonard Bernstein to tout her as a musical-intellectual teen prodigy. Though a flawed cut — its listless melody exists mainly as a vehicle for the lyrics — "Stars" rings true as an expression of wisdom gained through suffering. On the rest of the album, Ian reveals a versatile writing talent in search of a style. The strongest tunes belong to "Jesse," a recent hit for Roberta Flack, and the Laura Nyro-like "You've Got Me on a String." Though Ian's approach to material is sensitive, her voice sounds fragile, sometimes shaky. But she is still young, still promising. (RS 161)

STEPHEN HOLDEN