Janis Joplin "Pearl" (1971)

Pearl

release date: Jan. 11, 1971

format: cd (1999 remaster) / vinyl (2020 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,02]

producer: Paul A. Rothchild

label: Columbia - nationality: USA

Track highlights: A) 1. "Move Over" - 2. "Cry Baby" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Half Moon" - 5. "Buried Alive in the Blues"

B) 2. "Me and Bobby McGee" (4 / 5) - 3. "Mercedes Benz" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Trust Me" - 5. "Get It While You Can"

2nd and final studio solo album by Janis Joplin - her fourth including two albums with Big Brother and the Holding Company is a master class blues rock album that follows a little less than 1½ years after the less succesful solo debut I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (Sep. 1969). Janis lived life in the fast lane and she was the leading star on two iconic studio albums from 1967 to 1971 - the other being Cheap Thrills (Aug. 1968) by Big Brother and the Holding Company. The 1999 cd remaster contains four live tracks from the Festival Express Tour, all recorded on Jul. 4, 1970 in Calgary. The tour was arranged with various artists all travelling together by train across Canada from East to West, from Toronto, via Winnipeg, and ending in Calgary featuring acts like Buddy Guy Blues Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Grateful Dead, and The Band - the tour was originally planned for five events but eventually the concerts in Montreal and Vancouver were cancelled.

The album was released three months after Joplin's death (Oct. 1970) during the recording sessions for the album, which means that "Buried Alive in the Blues" involuntarily ended up being an instrumental. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" and on Rolling Stone's list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and it's still a mighty highly recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Big Brother & The Holding Company "Cheap Thrills" (1968)

Cheap Thrills

release date: Aug. 12, 1968
format: cd (1999 remaster) / vinyl (2012 remaster - gatefold)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: John Simon
label: Columbia / Music On Vinyl - nationality: USA

Key track: 4. "Piece of My Heart" (5 / 5)

2nd studio album by Big Brother & The Holding Company follows one year after the self-titled debut (Aug. 1967), and this is a different breed and what appears as a live album. In reality, it's instead the band's second studio release. Cheap Thrills is the band's most famous release and its last featuring Janis Joplin. The band members credited here are vocalist Janis Joplin, bassist & guitarist Peter Albin, bassist, guitarist & vocalist Sam Andrew, bassist & guitarist James Gurley, and pianist and drummer David Getz. Additionally, producer John Simon is also credited on piano. Compared to the uneven debut, which unfortunately wasn't given the time nor the effort the material asked for, Cheap Thrills is considerably better arranged and produced.
The album has gained iconic status primarily for the band's and in particular Joplin's performance, and it's part of numerous 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 'Underground' cartoonist Robert Crumb is just as legendary as the musical content. The front cover here is a copy of the 2012 remaster, which replicates the original US cover.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

Big Brother & The Holding Company "Big Brother & The Holding Company" (1967)

1968 + cd cover
Columbia Records

Big Brother & The Holding Company [debut]
release date: Aug. 1967
format: cd (reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: Bob Schad
label: Columbia Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Bye, Bye Baby" - 2. "Easy Rider" - 3. "Intruder" (3 / 5) - 4. "Light Is Faster Than Sound" 3 / 5) (tv performance) - 5. "Call On Me" (3 / 5) - *6. "Coo Coo" (4 / 5) - - B) 1. "Women Is Losers" - 2. "Blindman" - 3. "Down On Me" (3 / 5) (tv performance) - 4. "Caterpillar" (3 / 5) - 5. "All Is Loneliness" - *6. "The Last Time"
*Bonus tracks on 1968 reissue

Studio debut album released by Big Brother & The Holding Company originally released on Mainstream Records. The band formed in 1965 on initiative of Peter Albin (bass guitar) and Sam Andrew (guitar, vocals), and initially worked as a trio after including James Gurley on guitar and vocals. After the inclusion of drummer David Getz the quartet then needed a stronger vocal and Janis Joplin was the last to join in the early summer of 1966. The album is quite typical as an early blues rock and psychedelic rock album, and some argue that it lacks really great tracks or extraordinary performances.
Perhaps Joplin is still new to rock and her voice may lack a bit of the strength you'll find on the successor and on her masterpiece Pearl (1971). The album, however, still contains fine traces of greatness, and I find that the band appears as a tight unit of American electric blues rock with a strong original vocal. The real "weakness" of the album is the poor production sound and a lack of stylistic direction. Some tracks seem inspired by British beat, whereas others are pure (original) experimental psychedelic rock compositions, but as a whole the album comes out as somewhat unfocused. The best tracks, A6 and B6, both originally released only as singles, but these were included on the '68 reissue and are both outtakes from the original recording sessions - on newer cd issues they may be enlisted after the original tracklist as tracks #11 and #12.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

org. cover
Mainstream Records