Cheap Thrills

oh yes! more boring blues rock! Piece of my heart is a good song, and I sometimes like Joplin, but this was just a boring listen

Damn this album starts super high energy! I don't know what's up with the racist caricature on the cover?? The music is amazing with a few songs I know an love and a few others I've never heard before. Janis really just had such a unique voice and the energy she puts into her songs just blows my mind. Pretty good album but it dwindles a bit near the end.

As with jazz, I find some blues tracks have a good starting idea that soon gets lost in too much self-indulgent, repetitive looping. This album has some of that, but also some genius tracks too. Where it’s good, it’s great. Where it’s not it’s tiresomely turgid. A good example of where less can be so much more.

Would have been a 5 but I'm not cool enough for these people.

Fabulous

For some hippie shit this is electric & potent to the max

Janis okayyy! Like many people, I didn't know she fronted a band before this but I'm glad I've been given the opportunity to hear it. Super fun acid rock and great guitar through-lines support this absolute time of an album. However, I also have to dock a point; I would've loved the cover art if it didn't have a bunch of racist caricatures plastered all over it. Yuck :/

Janis Joplin is overrated

6/10

At its best, this album was excellent. It is however, a mixed bag. The faux live tracks were jarring and there were times where it felt a little samey. The mammy figure on the cover is pretty tasteless too, but I'm not going to mark it down for that.

Fairly decent album, but Janis' voice has always been like nails on a chalk board for me. So much emotion, but just so much rasp.

Janis can jam

An undeniable classic. Janis is certainly a big part of the 60's rock revolution and this record captured her and her "acid rock" band right at the height of their creativity. It is a great record that certainly belongs on a "must hear" record. It's bluesy rootsy rock and Janis is just about at her peak as a performance. The raw production and live feel make it seem like a listener was "THERE" even today. A great rock record.

Very good surprise, Janis Joplin has a very good voice.

As a Gen-X kid who was more influenced by the 80's I appreciate influence later rock, blues, and alt artists would take from this era. The dirty guitar sounds that dominate the Grunge era are definitely felt here, Ball and Chain especially. Piece of My Heart is an obvious classic, but most of this is album if forgettable for me.

You knew this was gonna be a good one from the album art

Classic album that I recently bought. Artwork, songs, playing, and those vocals, stunning.

This just holds up. Such incredible talent and energy and soul. There will never be another like Janis.

The music is good and all, but Janis blows you out of the water. Her voice hits like a crashing wave.

Her voice was made for the blues.

I feel like Janis Joplin is the only reason this band is remembered. And I have to downgrade it for the shitty racist cover art.

This is one of those albums that make me contemplate the scope of this project. Was it fine? Yes. Did it stand out? No.

La voz de Janis Joplin es única. No me parece lo mejor que escuché pero sí es bastante disfrutable, los 55 minutos parecen 30. Muy buena banda pero no me sorprende honestamente.

60s freak out stuff. Cool sound but songs aren’t the strongest of the era

The only crumb of enjoyment was from a cover.

Her voice kinda drives me batty.

Some truly incredible tracks on here. Janis Joplin’s voice is just insane.

I had written a phenomenal review for this one, probably one of the best on the whole site, but I guess I forgot to save my notes. Very sad. Anyway.....the album's alright. I won't be listening again. There was one song I knew that I meant to add to a playlist and I forgot to do that too. I don't know what's going on with me. 3 Stars

Janis’ big introduction to the world. So much energy here. Such a weird, cool cover art too. Piece of my Heart is the star of the album, but it’s solid throughout and The Holding Company sounds great throughout the record. Don’t sleep on Turtle Blues.

I see why Janis Joplin left

So unique and some classic songs but this doesn’t really do it for me

Sick ass R. Crumb cover

Stundtals skränigt men mysig Janis, får Led Zep vibbar för det är så bluesigt stundtals.

Acid rock isn’t really a genre I enjoy. Too overblown and this album is no exception. Joplin’s voice is good, but it overall not an album that will linger with me for long.

Because of Janis I expected to like this album. However, the vocals were good, but the overall sound was a bit chaotic. I just just did not enjoy the experience.

The kind of album that makes me want to drop everything and travel aimlessly in the heat. The vocal style was something new for me, something I'm not very used to. As it was my first time listening, it was a really fun experience.

Blues in one of its highest forms, raw, vulnerable, and full of tension. The vocal performances steal the spotlight, with good reason, but they don't overshadow the rest of the band; hard hitting percussion and nasty guitar tones help maintain the album's high energy and emotional intensity.

The guitars are just like Janis Joplin's voice: harsh but warm. I like the dynamic range this has.

Joplin's vocals are good, but most of this one didn't grab me. Highlights-Combination of the Two, I Need a Man to Love, and Piece of My Heart.

Album 212. Cheap Thrills (https://open.spotify.com/album/2rogKfOpmCFuqNhtGKf2dX?si=i-yN8mpXSqKK336YZAmmrQ) — Big Brother & The Holding Company (1968) It's a really solid and great album. I had Ball and Chain, Piece of My Heart in my playlist for a long time, but never listened to the whole album. I listened to the album twice actually. The first time it slipped away too easily from my mind. I was too lost in my thoughts. The second time...it happened again. It's an album problem, not mine. It's great, I mean really great. But it somehow doesn't catch my ears enough. It's more hypnotizing in a good way, than catchy. Janis Joplin's voice is unique and marvelous. So, I have mixed feelings about the album, but this blues+psychedelic rock I love so much that I can't give it a rating lower than... 4/5 Liked: — Piece of My Heart — Ball and Chain

Good

EPICO

I wanted to be Janis Joplin when I grew up and this album reminds me why. Ball and Chain is by far my favourite in this album

Janis is impressive of course. Generally though, this kind of psychedelia is something I respect on an intellectual level more than it is a kind of music I would seek out to listen to of my own volition.

It was okay, the album art was more interesting than the songs.

Ihan ok. 3/5.

Incredibly amazingly filthy

Absolutely. The considered notes should be the workshop, not the verdict. Something more like: One of the surprises of revisiting this is how much of the album’s reputation rests on a handful of moments. In memory, I carried around a picture of a force of nature fronting a great band. Listening now, I hear a force of nature fronting a band that often seems unsure whether it wants to be a blues outfit, a psychedelic outfit, or simply an excuse to make an interesting noise for a few minutes. The singer remains unmistakable. What has changed is my relationship with what she’s doing. When I first encountered this record, I tended to equate visible commitment with greatness. The abrasion in the voice, the sense of somebody pushing themselves beyond comfortable limits, felt inherently profound. These days I’m less convinced. Some performances that once sounded like depth now sound more like intensity. Not the same thing. The album itself is a curious mixture of discipline and chaos. There are moments where everyone seems to be participating in the same song, and moments where the singer appears to have brought a blues record while the band have brought a San Francisco happening. The tension is occasionally productive and occasionally distracting. Either way, it is never boring. What struck me most was how young the central figure now seems. The mythology surrounding the record has a tendency to make her appear fully formed, almost elemental. The songs reveal something much more human. The emotional world presented here often feels less like wisdom than a set of assumptions being lived through in real time. I found myself responding less to the legend and more to the person. The album’s strongest moments arrive when force is balanced by restraint. The long blues performances towards the end work precisely because the singer doesn’t attack every phrase as though it might be her last. Space appears. Dynamics appear. The songs stop being demonstrations of commitment and become performances. That’s where the record reveals its real sophistication. The cover may be the perfect introduction. Not because it explains the music, but because it prepares you for a gloriously cluttered experience. Contradictions, competing impulses, questionable decisions and occasional brilliance all coexist quite happily. The miracle is not that the album is messy. The miracle is that something this messy works as often as it does. It’s one of those records that becomes more interesting once the legend starts to wear off. Not less impressive. More human.

Oh… is that cartoon cover done by Crumb? Yeah, this is a terrible recording. And Janis sings open. If she had lived, she would have had a short career anyway, would have developed nodes, if she didn’t have them already. With the exception of Summertime, which really is haunting and done amazingly, I could leave all the rest in the 60’s. My dad had some weird thing for Janis. I don’t get it. But this is history. Boolean: yes, suppose I had to

...

Janis elevated this

Janis Joplin's vocals are what makes this album worthy of inclusion in this list. She is electrifying and spellbinding with every note - I can't wait for her to reappear later! The music itself is spunky and bubbling with gumption; there's so much innate grit here, it pairs perfectly with Joplin's signature croaky voice. I think I have to be in the mood to listen to this album again: it's a case of "I fully appreciate this album, but I don't need to listen to it again by itself".

Legendary voice but pretty bland songs

The counter culture at it's finest.

Amei!!!

Rockin'

(4/7) that janis sure can wail

I’ve never heard an artist absolutely tear their vocal cords to shreds like Janis Joplin does on this album! You’d think that a vocal performance that makes your throat hurt as a listener would be less than stellar, but it elevates the record significantly. You’d feel everything she’s feeling. Combine that with some killer instrumental sections and this becomes one of my favorite records so far; I just have to find versions of these songs with a different album cover. I understand that the artist was a satirist, but I haven’t the foggiest idea what the point of the Summer Love panel is other than mocking black people. It harkens back to old-school blackface in the worst possible way, and makes me feel gross for enjoying the album as much as I did.

When I first saw this I thought of cheap thrills by SIA.

Some classics but not an overwhelming success and a bit of an Aerosmith sound initially 3

7.50-Mike and Josie Sandwich up the hill

There was only one Janis Joplin. Interesting to read that the crowd noise was added separately so that this would sound like a live album.

Nice! Didn't know I knew a lot of these songs.

Janis är alltid kul men annars finns det ju några bangers på denna men nog ganska mitt i raden!

Notable Textzeile: I guess I'm just like a turtle That's hiding underneath its hardened shell Like a turtle hiding underneath its hardened shell But you know I'm very well protected I know this goddamn life too well Ich finde die Idee, so zu tun als sei es ein Live-Album in dem künstlich Zuschauer*innengeräusche eingespielt werden eigentlich völlig bescheuert – in diesem Fall kann ich aber den Impuls auch irgendwie nachvollziehen. Denn die Lieder haben ein Livefeeling, die Energie und positive Spannung zwischen den Instrumenten und Stimmen ist zu hören und manchmal ist die Band auch nicht ganz so tight wie sie sein könnte. Insgesamt gefällt mir das sehr gut, es hat den Bluessound, die Hippe-Hair-Verbindungen, aber ergeht sich nicht in Love&Peace sondern rockt.

Okay, das funktioniert für mich besser als das Solo Album von vor ein paar Wochen. Hier ist Energie und Rohheit die zur Stimme passen. Aber: die Songauswahl und die Arrangements finde ich nicht immer passend und ich hätte mir noch mehr Fuzz und weniger Blues Standards gewünscht.

Meh, es hat Höhen und Tiefen und ne Stimme die mich einfach nicht catcht.

I was ready to be a curmudgeon and be like “1001 Album COVERS You Must See Before You Die” because that’s mainly how I know this album, and the whole psychedelic jam-y white person-blues is a style of music I have not generally vibed with throughout this project, but hey, I love to be wrong. I enjoyed this a lot and was on its level almost immediately. Surprised myself at how much fun this was. Pleasant to listen to, great musicianship on display, didn’t overindulge itself.

Ok 3

Buenardooo amé

it must have been a religious experience to hear Janice perform live. Truly an amazing album. The band also excels, setting up a forceful platform upon which Janice can shine.

This was an enjoyable album although jot really my rhing. 3/5

Janice sure could belt it out, couldn’t she? Big Brother tried to hold up the instrumental aspects but, really, the guitar work can’t hold a candle to her vocals and we just want Janice to recover enough to continue. Oddly my previous album of the day was James Brown - at least one of whose songs reminded me of Joplin. But after I checked the dates I wondered if the influence was the other way around and Joplin had done a bit of cultural appropriation

I didn’t think I’d heard of this band before this morning but the R Crumb cover art had me very interested. It turns out that I’d always assumed “A Piece of my Heart” was a Janis Joplin song, when it was a song she sung as the vocalist for Big Brother and the Holding Company, which is almost the same thing, but not quite. This is good, properly heavy, psychedelic rock. I’ve never been big into Janis Joplin but she has a powerful voice and it works well with the big amps and big riffs. A nice surprise here.

Debated wether I would give this a 4 or 5 then I listened to it. It's a seminal blues rock record

306/1089 okayy some kinda beachy “cool” rock, interesting. first janis joplin record too and unfortunately i fear this vocal just isn’t for me at all Piece of My Heart is outstanding (as i already knew ofc) and hearing it properly actually did make this listen worth it in a way also liked Oh, Sweet Mary. the album/band as a whole just isn’t for me 32/100

Man, I love Janis. She’s so raw and chaotic and messy and the music from BB & the Holding Company matches her to a tee. Her voice is outstanding and when she sings she gives you her whole soul, and you can feel it. Great album, I actually own this one. I was happy to see this on the list.

This should just be billed as a Janis Joplin album. The music behind her was well produced, but she is all I heard while listening. Decent, basic rock music when it’s all said and done.

There are no hidden gems on this one … you know the hits and the rest is fairly standard blues. We know Janis can sing, though this is not her most soulful, and the band is not breaking any ground here either. Overall, pretty predictable.

My experience with this project is beginning to have an impact on me. I love Janis, and I've always liked this album, but I really enjoyed this last listen. Having now heard a few other psychedelic 60s rock bands, I can really appreciate how great this album is. Janis, of course, pure emotion with a bit of tenderness. Always a favorite. Always shines. It's the music that hit differently this time. Hippie psychedelic rock done right. A very well curated and dosed trip.

Janice joplin

Never was a big Janis Jopln fan. This album is all right but there are much better 60s rockers doing it better. Top tracks: "Piece of My Heart," "Summertime"

I don't love psychedelic rock, but this was fine.

--Combination of the Two…decent groove --I Need a Man to Love…some cool dirty blues. Janis is in good form here --Summertime…the lyrics combined with the R. Crumb album cover illustration make me a little uncomfortable. That might be the point. Who’s to say these days? The tune is pleasant enough --Piece of My Heart…classic --Turtle Blues…basic blues. Joplin’s voice shines --Oh, Sweet Mary…decent jam but not enough Janis --Ball and Chain…nice, dirty guitar opening. Janis is clearly the star on this LP. her transition to solo work isn't surprising

Fuck yeah Jackie Jormp-Jomp!

Not really my sound, but screamy. Had some nice songs and moments though

Fun

I'm so glad that the album is as good as the cover art makes it look like it's gonna be. There's definitely a visual aspect to music that gets ignored a lot despite how much it can influence the listening part of music. One of my favorite recent memories was seeing By Storm in concert (incredible band, check out their new-ish album, My Ghosts Go Ghost) because of the lighting. All of the lighting came from under them, I noticed it damn-near immediately. That and the fog machines they used had this insane visual effect to it, like they're playing in a void. Even the more innocuous stuff like the color of a record has an effect on the listener, especially now that black records aren't the standard like they were when this album came out. Speaking of the cover art, fun fact: the artist refused to take any money from Columbia Records for the art, saying, and I quote, "I don't want Columbia's filthy lucre." What a badass. All of this isn't to discount the actual music, by the way. The music is incredible. For crying out loud, Janis Joplin is the lead singer. That's like an automatic 5 stars. I wish I could put half as much energy into anything as she does into her singing. That and those insane instrumentals. That guitar tone at the start of Ball and Chain had me tearing up. Damn thing goes beyond the Blues Stank Face™, it nearly made me fall out of my chair. It feels like one of those rare albums that not even the band that made it could replicate if they tried. It's incredibly hard to find an album that's this perfect on this many different fronts.

Anything involving Janis Joplin has to be good. Piece of my Heart is an amazing track. The rest is good and the live aspect of it provides extra energy. But ultimately I'm not really up for a whole album of this sound, just the glimpses of Janis Joplin genius please.

I like Janis Joplin a lot, but I thought this album was a bit of a mixed bag. Piece of My Heart is an outstanding song, with Janis’ vocals working fantastically well. But, the cover of Gershwin’s Summertime doesn’t hold a candle to the Fitzgerald version. It added nothing remotely interesting and was, in my opinion, an outright bad cover of a beautiful song. The other tracks were mostly fine, but I don’t see myself giving this a 4 right now. I’ll come back to it sometime and reevaluate, though.

The music is a nice novelty for me, but it is a bit long and chaotic near the 2nd half. I should relisten in a better head space.

Really blistering album, at the start certainly - Janis Joplin's vocals are crazy, so gravelly and powerful, and the album has a heady, unhinged energy. A great mix of soul and rock that I was completely unaware of! The album settles into more typical blues rock as it goes on, less inspiring and less justified in being so overblown. Still, the start of this album is incredible. I didn't know Piece of My Heart was from this!

Janis has some classic tunes. I’m fine with this album being on the list.

I mean, it's great to see how far Janis Joplin have gone, but I'm not a big fan. Sounded nice though.

Well I mean Piece of My Heart is such a classic. One of my all time favourite songs. But the rest of the album is meh to me

Pop off, Janis Joplin!!!!

When I put this on I really didn’t think I was in the mood for it, really just needed a distraction, but this is just incredibly good. Very fun, technically talented parts of this that make me stop and just appreciate a 2 minute guitar part and the like, really good stuff. Not every song was a memorable standout, but the experience overall was wonderful. Also LOVE Janis Joplin, that needed to be said. Favorites: Piece of My Heart and Oh, Sweet Mary Rating: 7.9/10

Some great guitar tones on here for 1968. Decent vairety of themes and song-types as well. Holds up better than expected for its age.

had higher hopes for this, not bad but nothing spectacular either

Starts off like an average rock jamming session then kicks into some great guitar licks and bass lines with some great vocals from JJ

This started off really well for me; "Combination of the Two" was a jam. Took a bit of a downturn though, because I really didn't get along with the vocals on "Summertime". Musically, great - I enjoyed the Blues vibes and the overall sound, but Janis' vocals were really polarising for me across different tracks - sometimes they worked, sometimes they really didn't. Also loses points for faking being a Live album - I hate Live albums so the idea of it being faked in production is just downright awful.

This clearly had a lot of inspiration from Jefferson Airplane. But it was still really good. The singer was a bit hit or miss but it was either "okay" or "damn she's killing it". Really liked it tbh, Ball and Chain is amazing and I can see why they decided to go for the live version of that song. Retroactively making the whole thing sound like a live album because of that song is a but wild tho. 4/5

Very enjoyable actually

Ooooooff janis' voice hits you right in the guts. That rasp, that honey. Wish she outlived her 20s - incredible talent, terrible disease. That band & guitarist are fucking serving the most elite kind of cunt. Lucky the wind didn't change otherwise it would be stuck in stank face for the rest of my life.

Janis sings the blues, Piece of my heart

Discazo. Uno de los mejores discos de Janis, aunque solo tenga 4. Puta chad.

one of the best and most fascinating albums i have ever heard

Janis kinda sounds like Marge Simpson at points of "I Need a Man to Love." I really like the guitar on "Summertime" Honestly, I'm liking this album a lot more than I thought I would. I wasn't sure I liked Janis Joplin that much, but the band is great and her voice is definitely powerful.

Man this fucking rules. I could listen to 10 more albums. The vibes and groove is perfectly complimented by Janice Joplin's voice. 5+

oh no

Even more than half a century later, Janis's voice sounds like Living Fire! It Burns! Piece Of My Heart is still one of the great rock and roll songs. 5 stars

Meh

I really like how much Janis Joplin gets after it.

I feel like half of these albums are only on here because they have one or two songs that got really popular at one point. its not bad tho i like turtle blues janis joplin 3-4

It was ok. Liked Turtle Blues and Piece of My Heart best.

okay didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would have. Rating: 3/5 GEMV (11.05.2026)

I’ll go ahead and admit this, but I’m not a huge fan of Janis Joplin. In fact, I don’t like her voice at all. It always just sounded like a banshee wailing to me. It never hit my ear as a pleasant sound, and I was never able to grow into it. Maybe things have changed, as today’s album is Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills. For those who didn’t know, Janis Joplin sang for this band before breaking out on her own as a solo artist. The band formed in 1965, with Joplin joining them in 1968. This would be the group’s second album, produced in the studio, though made to sound like a live album. Only one song on the album was actually recorded live, and it was Ball and Chain. The band released just one single from the album, and it was Piece of My Heart. The song only got to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it became synonymous with Joplin, though it was Big Brother & Holding Company that recorded it. Track 1 is Combination of the Two, written by guitarist Same Andrew. The song starts out all San Francisco psychedelic rock with screaming guitars. Wow, it really does sound live. Okay, I guess Andrew sings as well because he’s on lead vocals with this song. He sounds just like most dudes back then. Joplin shows up in the backing vocals and a few screams here and there. The song is less psychedelic rock now and more Stax soul. Oh snap, here’s the big guitar solo. That’s pretty good. It’s nice and fuzzy. I’m a softie for a fuzzy. This was just a nice-sounding soul-fried rock song. Track 2 is I Need a Man to Love and I’m sure Janis will be singing this one. This was written by Jopling and Andrew. The song starts out with a really great psychedelic guitar solo. The song sounds like a blues tune with fuzzy guitars. It reminded me off the bat of Crosby, Nash, Stills and Young’s I Almost Cut My Hair or Steppenwolf’s The Pusher. Both great songs. It’s our first introduction to Janis on lead, and she’s singing in the raspy, bluesy tone of hers. She’s very good about going from soft singing to screaming. As I said, I don’t really like her voice, but no one has sung like her ever. I admire the raw, almost ready to blow a vocal chord at any point in her voice. That said, the song is a good groove. I even hear a bit of how David Lee Roth sang on their album Women and Children First, especially on the song Fools. Track 3 is Summertime, and I hope it’s not the song I think it is. Ugh, it is. “Summertime, and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin' So hush, little baby, don't you cry” That Summertime. I loathe that song. I hate that song and Fever the most. It’s just the go-to song for women to show they’re sultry or something. I don’t get the appeal of the song at all. Now, you mix a song I hate with a vocalist I’m not into, and maybe we’ll get something great. Andrew’s guitar work is great. Janis’s singing is still horrible. She’s trying to sing it sultry, but it’s coming out like a screech owl, so it’s at least different. I’m beginning to think the real star of this group is Andrew. He’s really blowing it out on the guitar. I may hate the song, but this is probably my favorite version. I assume Andrew also arranged it. In fact, his playing is making Janis sound less screechy. Uh-oh, I already said Summertime is one of my most hated songs, here comes track 4, Piece of My Heart. I may need to reshuffle my list. I don’t guess I hate this song so much as I’ve heard it enough. I could go the rest of my life and never hear this song again and call it a good life. This time I’m going to listen more to Andrew’s guitar and less to her voice. Ooh, I’m learning that when Joplin left Big Brother, she took Andrew with her to form her solo backing band. Smart move. Andrew is a very underrated guitar player. I guess I’ve never really heard his playing because as soon as I hear Joplin’s voice, I’d either change stations or turn it off. I just don’t get her appeal. There are plenty of better screamers out there than Joplin. It must be the tragic death. Track 5 is Turtle Blues, which was the B-side for Piece of My Heart. Joplin is the sole writer of this song. It’s just an old-fashioned blues song. I actually dig this as Joplin is staying under control. John Simon, the album’s producer, is playing piano on this song, and he’s really standing out. The song sounds like it was recorded in a small club, as you can hear conversations quietly going on in the background. I do love the concept of a live album that’s not live. Track 6 is Oh, Sweet Mary and it seems to be a band-written track. Andrew sings the lead vocal on the track, but the whole band sings the chorus. This song is very different from the other tracks on the album. It’s less psychedelic blues rock and more like an electric folk song. It reminds me of an old traditional English tune. Peter Albin is playing lead guitar on this song and is really killing it. Albin usually plays bass for the band, but on this song, Andrew is playing bass. Joplin is wailing like a banshee in the back. The song isn’t bad, but it sounds like it was leftover from a previous album or the last one in on a rushed writing session for one more song. It just doesn’t fit what the band seemed to be doing up until this point. Track 7 is Ball and Chain, and apparently, this one was indeed recorded live. Oh wow! It starts with an explosion of psychedelic guitar by Andrew. It’s filled with feedback and fuzz. It’s an old blues song written by Big Mama Thornton. Janis isn’t screaming. She’s as quiet as a mouse, and I think she sounds better like this. You don’t want to hear Joplin screaming all the time. You need those quiet moments to make the loud moments count. Joplin’s screeches lose their impact if it’s all you hear. Now we’re getting into the Joplin sounds I just don’t like, screechy, loud, noisy. Then later on, they bring things down, and she’s singing very softly, and it sounds so much better. In future releases of the album, they would add four more songs, but I’ve had enough. It seems I’ve always been right. Janis Joplin just doesn’t do a lot for me. Again, it’s probably more because I’m not cool. But I think a lot of people are enamored with her death and how others seemed to have built her up into this goddess of rock. I just don’t see it. I am saddened that she couldn’t pull herself out of her troubles before her life ended. I can’t recommend this album to anyone as my ears are still ringing. But, if you want to follow the cool kids, have at it.

not much to say....

Didn’t realise Janis was in a band before. Surprised how good this is as a first listen to me. Raw, bluesy and still holds up. 4.1/5

Not my usual cup of tea, and nothing on here changed my mind Not bad though

sonically not too different from anything Janis did solo

Give me a dark, smoky bar with this playing and I would be one happy girl.

It was ok. Not my fave

Classic soul-funk blues-rock. Great singing as expected.

Janis's vocals are insane genuinely. Album has alot of great songs

Somehow ended up listening to the Mamma Mia and Les Mis sound tracks after this, take that as you will...

great artist, but not a huge fan of live albums

The era of live musicians, rock was still young and feeling meant more than technical skills. And Janis. Magical Janis. There has never been and never will be anyone like her. Still as a whole album... meeh, it's a STRONG 3 stars!

Good music

Classic psychedelic festival rock at its best with Joplin possessing the crucial rasping vocals to set off the sprawling blues guitars and make this album one of the top achievements of the genre.

I always forget how much 60s rock stole I mean borrowed from the blues. Like this is pretty much just a blues album for white hippies, right? Janis has a super strong, distinct voice, and the band is solid, but pulled out of its time, I dunno, doesn't hit for me. That and boomers have been selling me this era my whole life so I instinctively push back. It's okay.

Janis is great, and this album was lots of fun!

Best Song: Piece of My Heart. There's a reason this song is generationally loved. It's hard not to be affected by Joplin's aching, straining vocals. She sings with such emotion that it is easy to imagine alternately that she's giving away that piece of her heart freely and joyously, or spitefully and despite herself. I really love how the sing ebbs and flows in these waves, cresting each time with that effervescent "Take it!" Worst Song: Oh Sweet Mary. I'm here for Janis Joplin, that's it. Get this male singer out of here. Overall: Janis Joplin makes this whole album. Her voice is electric, and has the exact kind of raw energetic force that I love in a vocalist. The album definitely exceeded my expectations.

Still working through it

😃

Much better than I expected

I knew half of the songs on this album, which may sound impressive at first, but there are only 7 proper songs on Cheap Thrills. I listened to the edition of Cheap Thrills that had two bonus tracks, which I believe were outtakes, and I can see why they were outtakes. Roadblock and Flower in the Sun were not on par with the rest of the album. Cheap Thrills had to be in this book, as the mix of Janis Joplin and the blues were an essential part of the late 1960's. Pretty much had to be in the book and hearing Janis Joplin at her peak is a great listen. Favorite songs: Combination of the Two I Need a Man to Love Summertime Piece of My Heart Ball and Chain

Nice vocals and guitar.

I love Janis Joplin

Its a different album! My first contact with janis joplin but there is some song i already knew. I like it!

4/5 Best Song: Piece of My Heart Worst Song: Oh, Sweet Mary Weirdest Song: Summertime Janis Joplin's voice is so tastefully raw and raspy. Combined with the great selection of bluesy and frenetic melodies, this album contains some great classics and hidden gems.

#4 Janis Joplin's vocals are the most prominent element throughout this album, for better or worse. Piece of my Heart is a classic, and it would not be as iconic had it been sung by anyone else. At the same time, I find her vocals to detract from the otherwise fantastic rendition of Summertime. Just too much squealing... It is a solid example of early psych-rock and has some great instrumental work throughout, but it has its flaws. The production quality is lacking, and the fake crowd noise I especially don't like. Overall, it's a decent album that I'm glad I was exposed to, but not one that will go into my rotation.

Funny to get this right after Jefferson Airplane, another band straight out of the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene, but I enjoyed this one a lot more. Janis Joplin's voice is electric, what a talent. Standouts: Piece of my Heart, I Need A Man To Love

This album was really incredible. Honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. I need more.

Janis’ vocals are impressive but each song starts out strong instrumentally and seems to be interrupted when she chimes in. ‘Turtle Blues’ is a gem. ‘Piece of my Heart’ remains incredible and is the highlight. Cheap Thrills is a great time capsule, but shouldn’t be on the list.

Heavy psyche elevated to legendary status by Janis Joplin’s absolutely legendary voice

Janis' voice is special, no doubt, but not very versatile. The band is playing a decent white psychedelic blues, no more, no less.

Pretty cool. Great vocals

elle me casse les oreilles avec sa voix là, sinon musique ok, y'a de bon sons mais azy

Sympatoche

J'adore la cover, mais un coup j'aime beaucoup la voix de Janis Joplin puis un coup je l'aime pas. En tout cas c'est de la bonne

Depressing

Good live blues rock but I can’t imagine myself returning to this album

Joplin's vocal delivery make this a very memorable listen. Great album that I'll definitely revisit again.

i've never been a huge fan of janis but there is no denying the raw fuzz and rock on this 1968 release. and that crumb artwork! respect.

A perfect blend of a very good band with a vocalist that blasts the top layer off of you and pulls out the core of your being. Janis isn't a pretty listen but has something so pure it goes deep inside

I've always loved Janis. The world will never have another voice like this.

Господи, ну какая же Дженис икона, это пипец.. Моментально захватывает всё внимание. Я дико извиняюсь, но открывашка альбома - уже взрыв жёпы. Насколько же шикарно звучит, это соло, этот голос. Просто потрясный блюз. Я редко пишу обзоры до того момента как прослушаю альбом полностью, но здесь мне все стало ясно. Вообще с "Большим братом" и с Дженис в частности, у меня предпринималась попытка их слушать ещё в раннем подрочестве, но не вывез. Да, некоторые лиричные песни были в мое плейлисте но не более. Не дорос видимо. Но сейчас... Боже, ну какой же мёд. Потрясно.

I can see why Joplin wanted Crumb's artwork on the front cover. The music itself is fine, and really lights up when Joplin gets roaring. An important album for the West coast counterculture. Not sure it has aged particularly well.

Big Brother was always my preferred band supporting Janis and for that reason this is my favorite of her released albums, with Pearl running a close second

Auf Dauer nervt janis

7/10 Buen album, me gusto como se desarrolla. No se hace aburrido, se disfruta si le prestas atencion o estando de fondo, no es invasivo para tener de fondo tampoco

Siempre merece la pena escuchar a Janis Joplin, aunque su grupo no sea gran cosa.

This is a surprisingly good album that shows how really good Big Brother & The Holding Company were. Janis really hits it on some cuts like Ball n Chain plus Summertime. The bonus tracks are not really a bonus they sound just okay at best.

Janis is always a 10 from me

I didn’t mind this and I don’t mind Janis Joplin’s hollering style but, barring the obvious standout (Piece of my heart), there wasn’t a huge amount to recommend.

Arghh…please stop with the 12 bar blues. Joplin lends a bit more heft to the vocals but the songs themselves again do very little for me. Forgettable and done to death.

I love this.

Had not listened to this in a while. It held up decently. Another album that would take advantage of a 3.5 rating.

Síðsjöunda fuzz-blúsrokk og fínt sem slíkt. Janis á afar góða spretti í Summertime og (sérstaklega) Piece of my heart, en ég er ekki eins hrifinn af hinu eins og ég var fyrir þrjátíu og fimm árum, aðeins of losaralegt og vantar þéttari production. Rúmur þristur hér.

Didn't really like it that much

Solid classic with lots of soul. Will continue to hold up with time.

Even if Janis Joplin isn't usually your thing, there’s no denying the pure, chaotic energy this album radiates. It’s less about polished studio perfection and more about capturing a lightning-bolt moment in time. The whole record feels like a sweaty, crowded basement show in San Francisco where the floor is shaking and the amps are pushed way past their limit. The beauty of it lies in that loose, jagged chemistry between the band and the vocals. While the guitars are fuzzy and almost psychedelic, they have this raw blues foundation that keeps everything moving. Even if you aren't a fan of Janis's specific style, the way she throws her entire soul into tracks like "Piece of My Heart" or "Summertime" creates a tension that is genuinely thrilling to hear. It’s fun because it feels dangerous—like the whole thing might fall apart at any second, but it somehow stays on the tracks. The album does a great job of blending live recordings with studio work, which gives it a gritty, "as-it-happened" vibe. It’s a loud, unrefined celebration of the blues-rock era, and that infectious sense of fun comes from how much room the band gives themselves to just jam and explore. It doesn't ask you to overthink it; it just asks you to turn it up and feel the momentum. Even without a deep connection to the lead vocals, the sheer instrumental power and the high-stakes atmosphere make it an undeniably entertaining ride.

What an amazing performance from Janis Joplin on this. Some great songs, piece of my heart being a particular highlight, but others passed me by. Glad I got to listen to this though.

JJ had a great voice, genderless and powerful and some of the songs on this record are great but for me the production lets it down a little. That said the highlights are frequent enough to make this a really good record if not quite great 3.4

I remember a flatmate having this album and we listened to it a lot. Still a bit of a mishmash of bluesjam mixed in with truly great songs. 3.4/5.

There's some cool moments on this and when Janis Joplin is on it, she's really is on it. Piece of my heart is great. But a lot of the record is quite roughly put together and lacks polish. Maybe this was intentional, but it didn't work for me like perhaps intended.

I loved the raspy voice. The rage, the soul and the rock. Overall a goodt 60s album

Could see the influence it had but didn’t really hook me.

There's an indisputable energy to this record, and Janice Joplin's performance is off the scale alongside everything else that was going on at the time. I don't know who the lead guitarist is, but it felt like there were several moments in almost every song where I just wanted him to do his breathing and have a think about what he was doing. And given it's not actually a live recording, why do the guitars sound so bad? The Robert Crumb cover is great, and way ahead of its time - this is NOT how record covers looked in 1968. Joplin could really belt it out but I think you can have too much of a good thing so towards the end, I just wanted her to take a breather and gargle some salt water. I'm glad I listened though - I've never heard it before and spending a little time with it felt like a musical education.

This is one of those "classic" albums that really gets on my wick. No doubt fabulous misicians but the constant noodling is tedious to my ears. I completely hate this version of Summertime too. Janis Joplin's voice is raw and pwerful but the only redeeming feature. I couldn't make it all the way through.

Some great songs and the fake live vibe is cool I guess but poor recording

I liked it

Such a great Janis album, definitely one of her best. She brings such an energy that makes this a very interesting and dynamic listen. 9/10 [KEEP]

I kinda feel for the fellas in the Holding Company. You're lucky enough to be a talented young rocker in the epicenter of the emerging psychedelic rock scene - you're lucky enough to hook up with one of the great vocalists of that time and place - you're lucky enough to make two records with her - and everyone who sees you play live is thinking "Janis is GREAT but she needs to get out on her own." And then she does, and you're.... back to square one. Anyways. This is the record they were able to make before Janis left for greener pastures. I've gotta say - the performances for the most part are good - it's the lead guitar tone that's killing me. Sounds like razor blades. The songs are good. Overall a quintessential 60s rock record. FOUR STARS

Janis elevates the material here. The covers were the highlights.

her voice is annoying

Feels like this might have been pretty cool as a live performance, if there IRL, but just didn;t grab that much. Summertime was fairly unenjoyable.

This is the sound of the psychedelic 60's. This is the bass guitar and Janis is the voice you think of when this music comes to mind. I liked "I Need a Man to Love" and "Flower in the Sun" the most for the lesser-known songs. I'm on a hot streak but another 5 stars.

it was fine, highlight was piece of my heart. rambling vibe

I don't love the fake live album thing. I did do leo-pointing at "Piece of My Heart"

Alright

Of course Joplin is phenomenal, but you shouldn’t sleep on the rest of the band, as they are great too.

With a list loaded with a bunch of white guys who wanted to be blues players, this is where it's at. This is rock and roll. This is drunken, blues soaked guitars with feeling. Beyond that, what we have here is a perfect example of the '60s. From the Crumb artwork, to the fake "live" additions, to the three covers on this album. It's just great. Oh, Sweet Mary is probably the only lull in the album, but while you know Piece of My Heart and Ball and Chain, Turtle Blues and Combination of the Two really shine. Grab a beer, sit on the deck and put this on. Can't go wrong.

I like it, it rocks. Janis Joplin was just so good!

Really good.

Great sound great vocals. Best: I Need a Man to Love, Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Oh Sweet Mary, Ball and Chain. Worst: Turtle Blues.

Psychedelic jam album. It's a good album and has held up to the test of time in my opinion. I just personally don't love the music all the way through. Ball and Chain is an all time banger.

One of the greatest albums of all time. I wore this record out in my youth. Listening to it now it more than holds up. From the first shucka shucka opening percussion it explodes with a mix of joy, sorrow and wistfulness. Janis’ voice is extraordinary moving from sweet high notes to gravely punctuation seemingly effortlessly. The album just manages to pass the “no skips” rule. Oh Sweet Mary doesn’t really need to be there. It feels like a 1960’s “everyone is important” moment where they allow the rest of the band to take center stage while Janis sings backup. It’s fine but every other track is great. The Spotify version has bonus tracks. They are not included in this review because they were not on the album. They are nice to listen to but would bring the overall quality of the album down if included.

Couldn’t really connect with this. Janis Joplin had talent, but her voice grates too. Being there in 1968 might have been different, but listening now it’s ok for what it is but nothing particularly spectacular.

niceeee

Not a big Joplin fan but this is very classic. Would never listen again though

I have always liked Janis Joplin but was not aware of this album. Like it very much. A good choice for this list.

Joplin delivers a raw and mesmerizing performance, and although it's a studio recording (except Ball and Chain), it feels very much like a live recording.

A perfect bit of late 60s blues rock. Janis was incomparable.

This is a fine album, but musically it is not really any different than just listening to Janis Joplin directly. So I think it is redundant.

One of the best psych rock albums. The missing link between the Butterfield blues band and Led Zeppelin

Awesome album!

It earned a lot of points just by the sheer energy put forth by the band. Not all of the songs were really that good as a whole, but Janis's energy was incredible.

Whelp now I know where some references come from.

Surprisingly ferocious for its time, the half-live, half-studio release from Big Brother famously features the oft-imitated never duplicated Janis Joplin as its frontwoman. Joplin was known as a loud, gravelly wailer throughout her all-too-brief career, but she really shows her understated sense of dynamics and phrasing on the live half of this release. Check "I Need a Man to Love" as the prime example of her innate talent as a singer-interpreter. Joplin was also known for her ability to triumph musically despite her voice's own imperfections: the coarse falsettos that pop up here and there recall Marge Simpson to my ears. Other than that, this is a surprisingly cutting-edge late 60s rock album that draws from the blues, the emerging hard rock sound, and psychedelia to give a succinct, yet comprehensive picture of the bigger, louder side of rock in this era. There's even a straight-up 12 bar blues piece on here in "Turtle Blues," a song that could easily pass for being 20 to 30 years older than it really is just based on how it was recorded and performed. There's even of latent prog rock flashes on songs like "Oh, Sweet Mary" with its complicated intro riff and structure that moves from a capella harmonies to noisy freak-outs. The louder moments are actually quite Stooges-esque, as heard on both the fiery A-side opener "Combination of the Two" and the excellent "Ball and Chain," which sounds deceptively doctored despite being recorded live...! Truly a monumental release of its era and a must-hear for any exploration of late 60s heavy psychedelia. Key Tracks: I Need a Man to Love, Piece of My Heart, Oh, Sweet Mary, Ball and Chain

Rough hewn and powerful

rock insano dos anos 60 e vocais incríveis. experiência foda.

This was an actually good album! Quit enjoyed it, and it proves the 60s are able to produce some good stuff too.

I had a nice time listening to this

Not a Fan.

No es de mi gusto este album. Entiendo su relevancia pero no lo disfruté tanto.

I didn’t remember right away after seeing the band’s name, but after hearing Janis Joplin’s vocal at the start of the album I remembered this was the band she was in just prior to going solo. Great solid rock, with Joplin’s signature vocals made this quite enjoyable.

Janis joplin es espectacular

A tortured soul’s tortured voice is torture to me.

grating, croaking voice, some alright rock.

Such hippies! Some great songs though.

Ok, a couple of tracks that I enjoyed

Es nuevo para mi completamente, pero la portada se ve fantástica. Entrando a mi Spotify, me di cuenta que ya tenía una canción de ellos. De lo que escuché, solo guardé dos canciones, aunque la de Summertime me parece una gran canción. (No lo terminé)

So four things: 1. Didn't plan on seeing a depiction of Janis Joplin's erect neeps... 2. Also, disturbing is the racist depiction of an African American woman...Thanks Crumb. Side note, I'm realizing he may have been the American Toriyama (Dr. Slump) just way less charming. 3. The music actually goes along well with the album cover. Feral and a good bit of fun. 4. So yeah, Janis Joplin is like Robert Plant with a vagina?

And feel more. Primally screaming words not heard hitherto. Unleashing a box, sockin' ya, knockin' ya. Don't ya cry, but feel more.

Very good album. Love Joplin’s voice and some great guitar!

Some big songs here with Summertime and Piece of my Heart. But lost interest as it went on. 3.5

me sorprendió mucho. nunca había escuchado a esta banda pero la verdad muuuy buena le doy un 4/5

ok

I always thought I'd heard this album in the past, but I was so wrong. Man, this album is sharp. Embedded in the SF psychedelic blues scene, Cheap Thrills fairly smolders. I hear some live tracks and some recorded in the studio. They all have the feel and looseness of a live show. The opening track, Combination of the Two, starts the whole thing really high and hot, with a searing guitar solo that feels utterly contemporary. The whole album feels like a road movie, or at least a soundtrack for a long road trip. R. Crumb cover is legendary. Janis is at the top of her form. Her rendition of Summertime is absolutely killer. In fact, this arrangement of Gerschwin's aria from Porgy and Bess is the best and most original I've ever heard. Those point-counterpoint guitars are effectively wrapping up the song in love. Piece of My Heart is outrageous. I'm too familiar with it by now to feel its urgency anew. But she sings the hell out of it. No doubt this Texas girl heard a lot of blues radio in her early years. Her command of Turtle Blues and Ball and Chain are drenched in that slow dangerous country blues grind. The roadhouse piano played by John Simon (producer) in Turtle Blues rings so true. Oh Sweet Mary is a track rock so propulsive, so fast it feels like it's there simply to tee up the next track.... Ball and Chain, which is almost 10 minutes of live blistering bluesy rock and roll. So soulful. So volcanic. Janis eviscerates herself all over the crowd. This track makes the album an instant classic. The guitar work is stupendous too; in fact, it's here that the whole band is as tight as a bud. I'm discounting the four tracks that were added to the Apple Music version of the album. I heard them, and they're fine, but really, I'm going to stay true to the original release and only rank those songs that debuted in 1968. A definite win here.

didn't listen to yet

Piece of my heart Magic of love Summertime

Piece of My Heart is great, but the rest of the album is really lacking for me. This sounds like the kind of band that would be amazing to see live, but it just doesn't translate through recording.

Really liked this

This was enjoyable

Sorry but listening to Janis Joplin’s voice is painful

I always thought that Janis Joplin sounded like a dude, seriously, this is just alright, docked the rating for the fake live elements that didn't really add anything to my experience

OK but not stunning

Die US-amerikanische Band aus San Francisco, gegründet 1965 im Dunstkreis der Haight-Ashbury-Szene, lieferte mit Cheap Thrills ihr erstes Album für Columbia Records ab – produziert von John Simon und zwischen März und Mai 1968 in den Columbia Studios in New York und Los Angeles aufgenommen, ergänzt durch Livemitschnitte aus dem Fillmore Auditorium und dem Winterland in San Francisco. Das Ergebnis klingt rauer und unmittelbarer als die meisten Studioalben seiner Zeit, was kein Zufall ist: Eingestreute Saalmixer und eine bewusst unpolierte Ästhetik lassen den Hörer glauben, mitten in einem Konzert zu sitzen. Was das Album trägt, ist nicht zuletzt das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Janis Joplins Stimme und dem psychedelischen Gitarrengeflecht von James Gurley und Sam Andrew. „Piece of My Heart" ist dabei der offensichtlichste Treffer – ein lupenreines Stück Blue-Eyed Soul, das Joplin mit einer Intensität singt, die die Vorlage von Erma Franklin fast vergessen lässt. „Summertime" verlangsamt das Gershwin-Standard zur Bedeutungslosigkeit der Melodie und macht daraus ein hypnotisches Blues-Ritual, während „Ball and Chain", Big Mama Thorntons Klassiker, in Gurleys Gitarrenausbrüchen und Joplins abgrundtiefer Interpretation zum eigentlichen Herzstück des Albums wird. „Turtle Blues", Joplins eigene Komposition, ist das introvertierte Gegenstück: sparsam, fast einsam, mit John Simon am Klavier. Cheap Thrills erschien im August 1968 und war bis Jahresende das meistverkaufte Album der USA – ein Erfolg, der die Band paradoxerweise sprengte. Joplin verließ die Gruppe noch im selben Jahr, um eine Solokarriere zu verfolgen; der Abgang ist von der Musik her kaum zu ahnen, denn die Aufnahmen strahlen kollegialen Zusammenhalt aus. Das Coverartwork von Robert Crumb hat längst Ikonenstatus, doch das Entscheidende bleibt der Sound: ungezähmt, unretuschiert, zutiefst amerikanisch. Ein Album, das wie ein offenes Feuer klingt – wärmend und riskant zugleich.

Call me jaded; I judged this album by its cover and honestly thought it was going to be easier to shit on. I was so wrong. The album sounds like it's recorded live from a large room, the musicianship is good and, though I've grown to dislike Janis Joplin through only hearing "Piece of My Heart" over my life, imagine my surprise to find that Janis has range. Even "Piece of My Heart" is more enjoyable in the context of the record. I love that the band its able to harmonize with her as well. The album is absolutely being played through a cloud of weed smoke, no question, and at the very least, the guitarist is tripping. This is good psych rock. Sadly, I'm still not a fan of blues, so Cheap Thrills only scores so many points with me. The fuzzed-out and freakier moments do help the bluesy medicine go down. A delightful surprise nonetheless. Highlights: "Combination of the Two", "Oh Sweet Mary"

Just okay, nothing special

Didn't know Marge Simpson had a band

I had no idea that the crowd noise was added by a producer. Add me to the list of people who were duped and thought this was largely a live album. Great guitar riffs, and I love Janis Joplin's voice.

Janis Joplin sure has one hell of a voice on her, and my God does she use it well. Her screams of passion work so well to get her point across, whether it's anger or heartbreak, she really lets you know how passionate she is about it. And the intensity of her voice really suits the style of psychadelic rock that the rest of the band is playing, all ultimately adding to the chaos and loudness of the whole experience.

man I was totally fooled into thinking this was a live album, the crowd noise added definitely gives it that feel and makes it feel more raw. Joplins vocals do a lot of the heavy lifting here, iconic as is it. The blues backing is good for what it is, if its your jam. I got really sucked into I Need A Man To Love and of course A Piece of My Heart, but everything else was okay. Also the racist as hell cover art doesnt do it any favors!

Janis Joplin had an iconic voice but this was a live blues album so not really my cup of tea. She wails and screams and carries the whole damn thing though

Such a great album acting as a cornerstone for the psychedelic rock genre. Janis Joplin obviously has an amazing voice with so much force behind every lyric. I'll already own this album and listen to it fairly regularly, but it was to revisit today as it had been awhile. The only downside of this album is the cover art which has multiple depictions of black face and while I don't think it was designed with malice (most likely it is satire), but that doesn't change the fact it is uncomfortable. I usually flip the cover to the picture of Janis of the back when I spin it. Favorite Track - Piece of My Heart Least Favorite Track - Turtle Blues ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t love that they started this album w a song where Janis is turned up to 11 the whole time. I’ve never specifically enjoyed her voice and often what I’ve heard he joining in on, she’s completely overtaking the song in a way that’s annoying and detracts from the rest, like in this first song. In the majority of the rest of the album, she showcases her voice in a way that gives the rest of the band room to breathe and is actually enjoyable. Turtle blues 😎 Ball & chain 🔥🔥🔥The band is 🤌🤌🤌 Song 1 is a 1 for me but the rest of the album redeems itself.

Love it

Gorgeous album art. On top of that, this album was just so much fun. Janis Joplin killed it, and the songs were great. Almost felt like a jam band, but I actually liked Favorite Songs: I Need A Man to Love, Piece of My Heart

I took some time off from listening to music, so coming back to this was such a warm welcome! Loved every moment.

This is an absolute beast of an album.

no lo pude escuchar :(

Legendarni album, definitivno zaslužuje mjesto tu, ovo je opća kultura, ono što puštaš djeci jer ne možeš dopustiti da ne znaju za to. 4/5, 7/10

Algunas piezas ya las había escuchado en algún lado, están incrustadas en mi inconsciente colectivo. No puedo dejar de escuchar el álbum, es hechizante. Janis Joplin es una diosa. Todos los instrumentos tienen su propia magia. Summertime es mi favorita. Piece of my Heart también es buenísima. Oh, Sweet Mary es un viaje en todo el sentido de la palabra.

Que belleza de album en definitiva la voz de janis joplin era fabulosa y puedo decir que me gustaron todas las canciones

Fak, kok mam rada ta album. In kok ga sede poslušat na ta lep, sončen dan. Začetek ("Combination of the Two") mi je bil zmer všeč, ta zvok kokr od unga glasbila, k smo ga ponavad v šoli zmer imel, pa je izgledal kot žaba? (Grem guglat - güiro, wo, nism vedla, da je to ime glasbila). Dva bangerja, tko rekoč, po pa the fucking art that is "Summertime". Eden teh komadov, k men res nardi v trenutku filing poletja. "Piece of My Heart" literally ma kos mojga srca (lol, morm nehat kadit, ko poslušam... Nah.). Pozabila sm, kok je "Turtle Blues" hud. Ma, fak, kok so vsi na konc dobri.

Enjoyed this. Really liked the music. I enjoyed the vocals although it occasionally was a little too raspy for me. I found the songs a little repetitive at times, but had a good time overall. Fav song: Turtle Blues Least fav: Ball and Chain

Feels like sacrilege to say this but I don't enjoy Janis Joplin's vocals.. It sounds like she's lost her voice but is trying to sing anyway- especially on Summertime. There are moments when I do understand the hype but it's not consistent for me. Favourite song: Piece of My Heart Least: Summertime

I Need a Man to Love // Summertime // Piece of My Heart // Ball and Chain //

not my thing but not baaaad. shrill voice kinda annoying. juuuuust barely not a 2 star for me.

I bet it was a good live concert to be at but for me to listen at home I didn’t enjoy it

Very great album. I do love this kind of psychodelic rock and this album is great example of this genre. This was first album where i heard Janice Joplin beside her solo acapella and she was great. Really love this album and will listen more of the band and songs from this album in future)))

Damn, this slaps. Piece Of My Heart is a classic. The rest of this is very, very good. Glad I listened, would come back to it.

I don't think the length of this artist name will be topped. Pretty good album with some good stuff, somewhat pioneering for the 60's, however it lost me the further through it got. Also... I only just noticed the album cover, that's... oof.

It’s not often I start one of these reviews by talking about the album art. In fact, I think this is actually a first for me. My God, that is something. It’s terrifying to be completely honest. That really does just immediately reach out and tell you that you’re about to go on a hell of a trip. Are you on drugs?? I think Janis would prefer you were before turning this one on. Anyway, that was all an assessment of the album art before I’d even started listening to the album itself. Real review starts now. Yeah. It’s good. Vibes match the album art, it’s Psychedelic Rock with a twinge of Blues. Lot of understated gems, but I wouldn’t skip any of them. In fact, the actual hardest part of listening to this album for me is trying to figure out which one is my favorite. If I’m being completely honest here, I didn’t know that Janice Joplin was ever in a band. I thought she was always a solo career, and even then I couldn’t pull any of her songs out of my head. Not sure I’d actually heard any until now. The best thing I can say about her is that her voice is extraordinarily unique, and extraordinary in general. Her range is quite impressive, especially the high notes, and I could listen to her singing for hours. Now that I mention it, let’s change “could listen” to “did listen”. I couldn’t get enough of this one. I still do think there are some forgettable tracks here, but even they’re bangers themselves. Damn, if I’m forced to pick a favorite song, I’ll go with “Ball and Chain” because the intro starts off with a mind melting solo, continues into a great Janice performance, and has a few more killer bouts of guitar magic throughout. It’s also over 9 minutes long, so I get to spend some more time with this band when I’m jamming out to the “Best song on the album” playlist I’ve set up for this project. Very silly band name, but legendary performance by both the singer and guitarist. Psychedelic Rock is pretty hard to mess up, and when done right, it’s pretty damn hard to beat. This is a clear exemplification of the second option. It sounds amazing, and you can bet your ass I’m going to be returning to it!! Another mark of a great album. This concludes what very well might have been the most consistently good week of music I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying for this project so far. Keep it up bot, more of this please.

Essential, eh? “Piece of My Heart” is a song everyone knows, as it should be. And “I Need a Man to Love” ought to be in that category, too.

3.5. Underrated classic rock live album.

amazing and influential; i wished i liked it een more but i could never convince myself

It's okay. I'm not a big fan of Janis Joplin's voice so some of the songs kind of grate on me.

What an incredible album. Funky and gritty guitar solos with Janis Joplin’s gravelly voice fronting, just works so damn well. It’s pseudo live jawn and overall just raw, soulful, and electric. Amazing.

Instrumentals are fine. Pretty standard rock with some good moments but nothing impressive. When I first heard this sort of raspy female singing style, I thought it was unique and refreshing, but as I've listened to more albums from this time period, I'm starting to think this was just a popular singing style at the time. I'm not against it, but I've already heard it done better multiple times e.g. Betty Davis.

It's a bit basic but I'm a fan.

Didn’t know Janice Joplin fronted a significant band before she went solo. This album is in a similar style to her solo work - bluesy psychedelic rock. Jammy soulful and fun. I feel like even though there are big songs here like Piece of My Heart, the songwriting quality is a bit uneven with more than a few filler songs. Let’s say three stars.

The fuzzy, hazy guitar and Janis' voice? Chef's kiss.

Feels very 1968 and I love the album cover. I enjoyed the pace change, particularly the slower beginning of 'Summertime'. 'Piece of my heart' was particularly fun - can tell why its their most popular. 'Oh, sweet mary' also fun, particular with pace changes.

Nice and raw sounding, and pretty good songs.

Es gibt Besseres von diesen Künstlern.

This was an interesting one for me. It did not get off to a good start at least to my ear, The Combination of Two was just kind of an aimless track with a bunch of manic half singing half yelling. Things picked up with I Need A Man To Love. A better overall track with more of a point. Most of the rest of this album was not great, save for Piece Of My Heart which is a classic. All this album demonstrated is why it was so smart for Joni Mitchell to go off on her own.

I have never really listened to Janis Joplin. She's not exactly my thing, but man the talent was insane. I enjoyed this!

STINKY

off to a bad start... has gotten worse somehow. i can't even make it through the full songs. this is one of the worst collection of songs I have ever heard. ball and chain was the least bad one.

No es para nada mi estilo, pero no es un mal album. La Janis Joplin canta impresionante

has a few songs I like that I already knew but the album doesn't stand out to me in any way

I didn't know that Janis Joplin had a named band she was a part of. I always just figured it was her solo with backing artists. Piece of My Heart is one of the greatest love songs ever written and totally captures the free love vibe of the era.

Wait... this isn't a live album??? I became familiar with Big Brother before i listened to Pearl, and i can't believe how far back does Janis' influence stretch to contemporary artists. The covers are amazing, I was obsessed with this version of Summertime when I first heard it decades ago. What each band members lives could have been like to get this quality of blues music is a mystery to me for now, but i'll look into it.

I can definitely hear what people like in this music, but it's not for me. I would enjoy it live, but not anywhere else.

Not my favorite thing in the world but I was honestly expecting to find it more annoying than I did. The band has a good sound maybe entirely attributable to the guitar tone.

She has a powerful voice, but only a couple great songs.

Really enjoyable album. Nostalgic for me. Love the guitar and I enjoy the vocals!

Joplin has incredible vocals.

Really cool to hear this style

She’s really awesome but sometimes hard to listen to

It was okay but I really didn't like her voice...

I really enjoyed this album! Janis Joplin’s voice is fascinating and fits the vibe of the music perfectly. Piece of My Heart was particularly great. I enjoy listening to one or two songs of this kind, but an entire album starts to feel a bit repetitive, and by the end, I wasn't enjoying it as much. It's just not the kind of album I would want to listen to from start to finish again, but there were some really fun pieces on it.

-sort of screechy voice at times -voice aside at those moments, chill to have playing in the background Fav: I Need a Man to Love

It was ok.

need to listen to the rest because i didny finish it but the bits i listened to were good.

AMAZING, ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE