release date: Aug. 12, 1968
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: John Simon
label: Columbia - nationality: USA
Key track: 4. "Piece of My Heart" (4 / 5)
2nd album released by Big Brother & The Holding Company is a live album from one concert at the Fillmore East, Mar. 8 1968. The album is the band's most famous release and its last featuring Janis Joplin. The band members at the concert were Janis Joplin on vocals, Peter Albin on bass and guitar, Sam Andrew on bass, guitar, and vocals, James Gurley (also) playing bass and guitar, and with David Getz plaing piano and drums. The additional personnel at the concert features producer John Simon playing piano, but apart from that, this is just live music by the band. The album has gained iconic status primarily for the band's and in particular Joplin's performance in the summer of '68, and it is mentioned in numerous of best of lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years, and "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Note: The cover art by comics 'Underground' cartoonist Robert Crumb is just as legendary as the musical content.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]
