Reviews (page 5 of 12)
love Janis Joplins vocals across this album, so much energy and early grunge stylings in the playing. Into it!
Exactly what I expected. What a time to be alive
Angrygood.
I will not include the bonus tracks and live recordings from the 1999 re-release for this review. Let me first address my one gripe with this album—I do not like how this record was mixed. More often than not, the vocals are pushed back in favor of the grainy instruments, and that's before the crowd noises John Simon inserted to give it that "live album" feel. The sole exception to this production style is the one actual live recorded cover of Big Mama Thornton's "Ball and Chain" at the Fillmore. It was common practice back in the 1960s to edit the studio recordings to try and replicate the live experience, an element that would have been desired to pursue given Big Brother & the Holding Company's history; their breakthrough was a live performance at the Monterey Pop Festival after all. The problem with faking the live experience is that it leaves this sense of it feeling antiquated, locked to a production practice that has died out, and makes me wonder how much better it would have been if they stayed true to the nature of the studio and polished their sound. That said, this is still an amazing record, rooted in the psychedelic blues of the at-the-time purveying counterculture. I've already mentioned "Ball and Chain", but other tracks like "I Need a Man to Love" and the cover of Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart" were all well-executed by a young and hungry band that could swing for the fences. This was especially the case for their powerhouse vocalist Janis Joplin, who, needless to say, stole the "show" here with her belting voice that took command. Even if I don't like the mix of this record, Cheap Thrills was still a thrilling album, and as such, it belongs on this list.
Janis Joplin einfach unglaubilch 🥹 Der Gitarrenmensch hat es jedenfalls auch drauf
Piece of my heart. What a banger. Cool album I didn't know, but that aged well since 1968.
Janis does sound like a cat at some points but her voice and the riffs are enjoyable. Hope her throat is okay though, sounds painful. The song piece of my heart really plays to he voices strenghts.
Like: Piece of My Heart, Flower in the Sun, Magic of Love, Combination of the Two Janos Joplin’s voice gets grating on some tracks. But for the most part I like it. Instrumental parts are good.
Band has Janis Joplin in it. I Need a Man to Love is a nice song; good vocals and guitar work, almost Hendrix-like. Piece of My Heart is good and I think I've heard it before. Oh, Sweet Mary has a cool drum beat and guitar. The screeching at the end of Ball and Chain isn't pleasant. Flower in the Sun is pretty good. Pleasant album to listen through but not sure if it's worth seeking out.
Not my wheelhouse but undeniably great, unique, nothing ever has sounded like Janis.
Excellent, love the idea of this album. Love the analog really fuzzy high volume sound of the solo guitar, but I think other albums of the time period are just better, take workingmans dead, surrealistic pillow, do it again. The songs can be a bit repetitive or just one riff
Man she can fuckin sing!
Pretty good. Joplin's vocals are great and the backing band goes hard
nice fun album!
Really good stuff.
Janis Joplin’s vocals are just awesome, and they really shine here. Favorites: Turtle Blues, Ball and Chain
Would love the album cover, if not for that dated and frankly quite offensive charicatures featured in some of the panels, yikes. Janis has a powerful voice which she lent to several classic songs throughout the years. Looking forward to hearing this album, though can't say I've heard it discussed much which leaves me a bit worried. Combination of the Two Kicks off with an effects heavy guitar and sampled crowd noises, sets the atmosphere. Sounds a bit busy. Great guitar solo. Ends up bulding a sound that I'd describe as large and dense, has many elements that work together to create layered experience. Doesn't really build much upon that however, and ends up being a bit formless. For what it is it still manages to be an interesting pseudo-psychedelic track and an alright experience. Decent. 3.5/5 I Need a Man to Love Bluesy bassline and squealing guitar with an atmospheric delay. Janis has a lot of soul and grit in her voice which seems to be the highlight of this song. Pairs really well with the clean instrumental. The backing vocals add texture to the song. The instrumental passage has a great psychedelic feel, hazy, smooth and mysterious. Really wish the ending was a bit more integrated into the song, the fade out comes suddenly and is not a satisfying way to close it off. Good. 4/5 Summertime That opening instrumental is amazingly written, sets a slow, warm tone for the rest of the trick. Unique, while remaining evocative of the late 1960's. The squealing guitars and the moody bassline work really well in contrast with eachother. Janis's vocal performance pierces through and really adds an element of unpredictability to the track. Great. 4.5/5 Piece of My Heart A classic piece of 60's blues rock which really encapsulates the era. The chorus really is the highlight here, elevating what would be a decent, but not spectacular blues rock track into a legendary piece. The vocal performance is extremely good, and had this track been performed by anyone else it wouldn't be as remarkable. Any other version of the song doesn't even hold a candle to this one The instrumental does it's job supporting the main event, remaining consistent, yet never taking away from the stellar vocals. Timeless. 5/5 Turtle Blues The lyrics are delivered in a believable and charismatic way. Instrumentally the track sounds quite empty and sparse. In this case I feel like it's to its detriment, as while the vocals are pretty great it doesn't really do much to support them. Lacks a bit of secondary points of interest as the generic blues piano, and the flat bassline have very little to do, where in the end the final product lacks any punch or unique feel. The vocals completely carry this track. Decent. 3.5/5 Oh, Sweet Mary Unique bassline and guitar. The drums provide some pretty cool rhythm. Has quite the interesting composition, though the unusual structure makes it a bit aimless towards the middle. Really dig the western feel. Quite psychedelic. Decent. 3.5/5 Ball and Chain Surprisingly heavy guitar playing during the intro. Great buildup. The background guitar is crunchy and has a nice distortion effect, adds great texture. Soulful and powerful vocal performance. Every note feels thought out and full of passion and care. A sprawling epic of a song which keeps delivering great moments. Great. 4.5/5 That was quite the exhilarating listen. Great vocals, the band is quite tight and it sounds really good considering its age. Has plenty of memorable moments, though Janis Joplin carries most of the tracks with her uniquely powerful and unmistakingly charismatic performances is responsible for most of them. Never really gets boring, which for how much blues influence this album has is a bit of an achievement as I feel that genre veers into similar territories much of the time. I'll also give some kudos to the guitar playing on here, has some great solos, and adds a lot of texture to the tracks with high pitched screeches and interesting effects. Does not do enough to get full score, due to some tracks feeling a bit aimless and others sounding a bit empty, but still has plenty of things to like even in its lowest moments. Enjoyable listen. 4/5 Fave track. Piece of My Heart Least fave track. Turtle Blues
What a voice, great music, starts off strong, last few tracks I didn’t care for as much. Raw and fun to listen to.
Energetic
groovy 60s blues rock fronted by the fantastic Janis Joplin
Pretty cool odlschool vibes
You know the Janis vocals will get you, but the searing psychedelic blues guitar tones are really something as well. Great loose vibe, partly thanks to the faux-live element. I am partial to the SF 60's rock sound
Love this album! Janis rocks
Enjoyed it, nothing of note but a solid album
I've obviously heard "Piece of Your Heart" but that's about it, prior to today. I loved the jammy licks and solos on the album. And the cover of "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess was a trip. I think "Turtle Blues" was the one that stuck out to me while listening. Not a bad listen and I'm glad I got to hear some songs I wasn't familiar with
ну ностальгия вот едешь на дачу в пизду росии на красном пежо и вот это играет а вы уже будто на ранчо нихуя в округе нет только коровы и красное пежо ну 4
I am going to admit that at first Janis Joplin’s whole deal was a little jarring. But then Piece of My Heart starts and you get into it and you kind of start grooving. I’ve always loved that song and Ball and Chain and the rest of the album is groovy too. A lot more country/bluesy on the rest of the songs too. I liked it. And great album cover.
A cool album! The psychedelic rock/acid rock vibe is cool, not my usual, but it was an enjoyable album in terms of shaking things up!
Wild ride of an album. Janis Joplin is really belting here and delivers some incredible performances, but the band can't be forgotten either. There's some great jams here especially in the early parts of the album. The covers are great as well on here. I feel this album lacks a bit in inspiration though, it feels very of its time and the best moments tend to come from covers of other songs. Damn great at performing them though.
It's fun, but I think Piece of My Heart carries the album. Janis Joplin's Pearl was more interesting too.
A couple great early Janis Joplin song but otherwise not very well written or musically talented. She left the band for a reason.
finally, some good fucking food!!!!
Cool album that still holds it's own all these years later.
With Janis Joplin, I expected the blues. What I didn’t expect was psychedelic blues with such electrifying guitar work. This was so much stronger than I expected, it deserves our attention…and demands it!
A nice reminder of how sometimes classic rock is, in fact, classic.
Прикольно если слушать альбомом
Solid album all around.
My wife and I have had many an argument about Janis Joplin: I, growing up with her, seeing her contribution value in music; her reeling at the screech of her voice. I remember staring at this album frequently as a kid as it was one of my mom’s favorites. It was the first time I remember seeing such pronounced boobs in comic strip form, too (think what you may, I was six and it was the ‘80s). Art aside, Janis and Co. produced an album that was SanFran blues-jammy jam rock like few others (maybe SanFran compatriots Jefferson Airplane was a close contemporary). Piece of My Heart is a classic rock favorite and a familiar roar around my house too. If you really want to know Janis, move to Turtle Blues, which shows her sloppy, soulful blues, a talent than can’t be taught (see Johnny Lang vs Muddy Waters). The entire Big Brother Company shines on this album, though Janis is promoted as a face/voice. Oh, Sweet Mary contrasts Janis and Sam Andrew’s vocals (his marble-smoothness vs her gritty howl), while adding Peter Albin’s somewhat erratic guitar against Dave Gertz’s precision drumming. Then there is the all-out assault of Ball of Chain, that in any way deconstructed would be a mess. Some say (mom included) that Janis’ Pearl was better, but let’s also remember that Kris Kristofferson wrote her biggest hits on that album. This collaborative album was revolutionary.
Joplin's vocals and the lo-fi bluesy jams are just a winning combination.
Not my jam. I get the allure. Joplin's voice is very powerful. Would have killed to hear/see them live in person. But not the sort of music I like streaming normally
The tides were increasingly turning for Big Brother & the Holding Company, as they not only were churning out hot product but had a once in a lifetime singer who had the potential to cross over and blaze a trail in Janis Joplin. Her final album with the band, Cheap Thrills, is a pseudo-live experience that offers what the Holding Company were capable of dishing out night after night. It's not a surprise that Janis dipped not long afterwards for solo stardom, for a continued stint with the band would have ended up stifling. But what came forth was a dose of late 60s psychedelic Californian magic. Favorites: Combination of the Two, I Need a Man to Love, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues, Ball and Chain.
Fuego!!! Janis Joplin
Truly unique to its time. Incredible sound quality for a live recording. Enjoyable.
Discazo. Enorme sinergia entre Janis Joplin y su banda, aunque la voz de Joplin obviamente domina sobre el resto. Los temas más blueseros no son nada del otro mundo, pero el resto, más psicodélicos y acordes a su época, son geniales. Un álbum que desborda pasión por los cuatro costados.
I have never purposefully listened to this band or Janis before, here we go. This is a very solid blues/psych rock album honestly. Not what I would go for in casual listening but I definitely see the appeal and why this is on the list. Janis definitely takes a minute to get used to but she is a phenomenal vocalist. The marge simpson comparison is apt. The piece of my heart cover is iconic if not only because of that 30 rock episode where they make fun of it. I don't know man I like this album. I just gave blunderbuss, a clearly better album a 4, but this is like the lowest four I can give.
Ég hafði aldrei spáð í að Janis Joplin hlyti að hafa verið í hljómsveit. Ég fílaði þetta strax í byrjun en áttaði mig ekki alveg á að þetta væri Janis fyrr en í Piece of My Heart. Þá spenntist ég allur upp og las mér til.
Good quality rock and roll. Feels like Janis Joplin meets The Doors.
I’ve got a soft spot for influential women of rock and melodic electric guitar
This is one of the early great blues rock albums and the genre combination is fantastically successful. Big Brother is terrific and Janice one of the all-time best vocalists of the genre. Really good.
Janis
An absolute triumph of production. Enigmatic and Electric.
Wow ok then! I was never a fan of Janis, just not my sound, but man when that girl sang, you could hear and see the depths of her soul - more than anyone I can remember. Just pure love and passion and emotion and that is beautiful - I appreciate her so much, but it's just not my sound - I can do 2 tracks, then I need a break
Exactly what I expected. Janis is powerful on vocals. Some cool guitar tones as well. Liked at the end when you can hear the promoter talking about upcoming shows with The Who, electric prunes, grateful dead etc
Good music that, definitely
Groovy. I dug it, man.
Overall: 8/10 Janis Joplin is one of my mom's favourite artists but I somehow have only heard one song off of this one. Every time I hear her voice I just get shocked that a human being can sound like her. The rest of the band are great too but let's be honest, this is the Janis Joplin show. If she wasn't involved it wouldn't be even half as good as it is. If I have a major complaint it's that the "live" atmosphere of the album encourages these long jam sessions that would fit in better on an actual live album. Still, great album with some incredible vocals (wish she stuck around to do some metal). Fav Song: I Need a Man to Love Least Fav Song: Oh, Sweet Mary
Really great album
TIL Janis Joplin fronted a band and wasn't always a solo artist. Some great songs on here.
Favorite Track: Piece of My Heart
The energy Janis brings to her music is pretty spectacular. This is very familiar sounding acid rock, sounds a lot like Hendrix, maybe a little more bluesy, particularly in the middle of the album. But the real highlight here is Janis' singing. Combination of the Two is a pretty fun opening, but my favorite was probably Summertime. A lot of this album works, even if it's a touch long for what I was wanting from it. Listening to I Need a Man to Love as I type this, and it's also rocking.
I'd rate it very highly—around 9/10—for its raw energy, psychedelic blues sound, and Joplin’s electrifying vocals.
Finally an album that deserves at least 4 stars. Love most of them, but specially "Ball and Chain".
Janis! A raw, powerful album full of great tunes. A little unrefined, I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a live album or a studio album, but the sound is good and the vibe is unmatched.
Janis Joplin!
Didn’t know this album wasn’t live They got me
Love this album. Janis always makes me yearn for summertime. Would listen again.
I liked this, stuck between and 3 and 4. will definitely be relistening
Fuckin bad ass. Really enjoyed the throwback tunes with Janice Joplin's vocals. Wouldn't have crossed paths with this album otherwise. Not quite a 5 for me but close.
An album full of so much life. Emblematic of the time and the psychedelic movement. Backed by great, blues-based instrumentation, Janis absolutely owns the album. I never doubted her place in the pantheon of vocalists, but she really is phenomenal. I could feel her physically owning the space in the concert of my mind. This is especially incredible considering how vibrant the genre is. A lesser performer would have been washed out by the music. Really only held back by the fact that I'm not the biggest psych rock guy. Nevertheless, they're undeniable. Favorite Track: Ball and Chain 8/10
8/10 Quintessential acid/psychedelic rock. Really wish janis wasn’t a member of the 27 club. This album shows her blues origins and merges them with the distorted and electric sound of her band to create something really electric. What could have been… Favorite Song: Piece of my Heart
janis joplin and i have the same birthday! music was meant to be heard live. i love that at the end they say the who and the dead are coming soon that’s so fun
Gritty blues and live to boot. Didn’t love every track, probably won’t revisit consistently, but it’s a good live recording. Janis kills it with those pipes and Piece of My Heart is a classic.
Engaging super fun and energetic, Janis Joplin has beautiful vocals.
Some of the songs on here are 5s, no doubt. But I tend to lose the thread on others, esp. when Janis isn’t singing
Piece of my heart, turtle blues, oh sweet mary, magic of love
Very good but but not particularly special. 3.5
FUCKIN BALLER THEY MADE SHIT THIS HEAVY IN 68 DAMN. Like this sounds like some 70s shit Really solid!!! Turtle Blues feels really out of place tho. Overall a good like, 7.5/10
solidly scuzzy psych rock, with lots of energy behind it. very fun vocal performances as well!
The first track feels so different than the rest of the album, it's kind of confusing. There was cool stuff happening, but set up a weird expectation. I love how raw and unpolished it was, guitar player shreds and drummer is awesome. It felt like a live album at first, and it feels real dirty, gritty, sort of punk- I think that fits well. It feels like it has misrepresented itself as a live album, and the two live tracks at the end feel a little tacked on. 4.5 there were a lot of really cool elements and the shit rocks.
Pretty killer blues/psychedelic rock. I'm never a big fan of people covering 'Summertime', but Goddamn this rendition shreds.
Where did Janis come from? This planet was certainly not her home. Then behind her, the musicianship is excellent, although some of the instrumentals went on a bit long for my taste. When you have Janis, focus on Janis!
solid ecord
I feel like one's opinion of Big Brother and Holding Company comes down to whether or not you appreciate Janis Joplin's voice. To me, this is an all-time classic with a stand out sound. That sound is of course almost entirely thanks to Joplin. The band itself is great but it's fairly traditional blues rock. That being said, I still love the guitar riffs, the grooves, the musicianship all punctuated by Joplin's vocal talents. But I get it, her voice is gritty, sometimes irritating, but it's original and to me, totally fits the sound of the band.
I didn’t like the Janis Joplin album we had before very much. It felt rather abrasive. And this had the same problem for me initially. But it helped that I knew a couple of tracks well from the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” film, and that Robert Crumb did the cover artwork. Eventually I got into the whole counter culture feeling of it all. I will play it again!
Ball and Chain is excellent and everything about this is great!
Janis Joplin amazing. Made me think of the Sonics.
Every time I hear this album, I'm always impressed with how good it is. I don't like a lot of 60's San Fran psychedelic music but this rocks way harder and has less twenty minutes of feedback as a solo. Even Janis I'm usually indifferent on but Piece of My Heart slaps as does the leadoff track.
Sounds like the soundtrack of a party with Jesus, Sasquatch, and your imaginary friend Quinton (obviously induced by one helluva of a crazy drug cocktail). Fantastic psychedelic musicianship!!! Ohh yeah and Janis’s voice 😍
Super solid album with fun hits
This must have been what Sia meant when she said “I love cheap thrills” Noticed “summertime” sounded like “rock bottom” by Eminem and lo and behold it was sampled.
Noice
Hippie rock ft janis joplin. Honestly her vocals fit perfectly here. This kept getting better song after song. Stand-out: Summertime
Quintessential 60s garage, blues-tinged psychedelia. The guitar tones are so crisp and buttery at the same time. Janis is at the top of her screechy, wailing game, which may or may not be a selling point depending on how you feel about her. At times the songs feel unfocused. And there are a few clunky transitions between tracks. But this is a classic in the genre for a reason. It's wild that Rolling Stone originally panned this record.
найс. вайбовый альбик. понравился монтаж. если бы не прочитал вики, ни за что бы ни подумал что альбом записан не на концертах.
Great late 60’s record. Have always seen this on lists and never gave a listen. I was wrong in doing that. I like the fake live show vibe. Very cool!
Fun and classic rock and roll
Honestly surprised by how listenable this is. sound and recording quality is electric 60s Janis Joplin, amazing voice sometimes like marge simpson or axl rose great album best tunes: I need a man to love, piece of my heart, ball and chain
Raw. Tortured vocals with emotional honestly. Janis should of stayed with the "The Holding Co." Joplin was never better. I love that R. Crumb did the album cover for CHEAP THRILLs. This album had some interesting production choices with the fakey live audience. Favorite song "I Need A Man..."
I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 just because it’s Janis. I do love her raspy voice and a good listen if you’re wanting something different. The art work on the cover is cool too.
Great vibes
I had a friend who had a theory that an album should never start too good because the listener could get stuck just listening to the first song or two. Cheap Thrills does a good job of heading that advice as I feel it starts very slow and nothing about the first two songs really grab me. They are good but not GREAT. Things start to pick up with Summertime and by the time we get to Piece of my Heart and into Turtle Blues it comes clear why this album is on so many lists of great albums. Janis shines from start to finish and the combo of studio recordings and live concert clips lend the album an electric feel.
Dit is wel een goed album. I need a man to love >>> 4.3
The not live live thing was weird but still enjoyed it. I'll be back
This is a special type of music, a mix of rock and latin, but I could be wrong. However songs are very pleasant to listen during an activity or just enjoy your Friday morning.
and i say OH WOAHWOAH WOAH WOAH 🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️🗣️
This absolutely rules, I hadn't heard of this album though I had heard Piece of my Heart before. Absolutely rip roaring blues rock, feels like such a time capsule of that particular moment in rock history. Highlights: Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues, and both live songs.
6/1001 Fantastic album. The brightest star is of course Janis Joplin, whos iconic coarse voice takes center stage whenever it is present. The rhythm section is tight with great musicianship all around, but especially the guitarist stands out with great riffs and solos throughout. Combining it with Joplin?s soulful vocals makes this one great blues record. 4/5
I felt like I was in a dive bar in the best way
Nice rock'n'roll, enjoyed joplins energy, some very nice instrumental moments !
After the first track, I was instantly into this. Raw, wild and great vocals.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I'd heard various Janis Joplin songs before, perhaps even from this album, but this is a good collection. I also appreciated the album artwork.
What a voice...man, we lost a lot of musical talent to drugs in that era.
Classic album. Janis Joplin is timeless. R. Crumb’s graphics on the album cover did not age well (even if meant to be a send-up in 1968…). 3⭐️ for enjoyment 5⭐️ for it’s place in this project ____ 4⭐️ average score
Much better than what I expected (old school rock for the old school farts)
This one definitely deserves some relistens. The power is immense and the guitar work is fine, it is blues supreme and Janis’ voice is just so complimentary. Some very excellent song structure and powerful composition.
Great 60's fun. Sounds great to drum.
Honestly, I think that if Janis Joplin had been replaced by some random guy off the streets, the band would have held up well enough for this to still a pretty good record. Now imagine how good this is WITH the inclusion of Joplin's powerhouse vocals.
I had never heard this before except for the one song and some bits that Eminem sampled. I never knew that Janis Joplin and Brittany Howard sounded so similar. That’s a good thing.
Pretty decent blues/psych rock album. Janis has a very distinctive voice and even though it was a bit distracting on some of the songs, she's obviously very talented and brings a lot of raw emotion to the music.
What a great album. Absolutely love the sound of Janis' voice.
Wow, this was a gem. Never heard of them but Janis Joplin sounds great.
und so tönt also gute musik aus den 60ern! wusste nicht das janis joplin vor ihrer solokarriere in einer band war, den einen oder anderen song erkannte ich sofort.
Pleasing, i mean not so special as to cry, its a 3 for me, but i liked the cover so so much, so 4
Get it Janis
A great album to listen to when a day is going great...kind of ironic for a rock blues band.
7/10, however its pretty much a 4 star, its on the brink of an 8. This album is fucking amazing, most songs are playlist worthy while also being an amazing album to just play in the background. Only problems with it was that the last 2 songs I feel were great but somewhat ruined due to them being a live performance, with audience noises. The album also didn't have any songs that 'hit hard', but thats just the genre, and a personal preference of mine. Overall extremely high 7, bordering a 4 star.
This is good but her voice does grate a wee bit at times and I’m not over keen on the version of Summertime. Bet they were great live though. Want to give this a 3.5
Initially judged this book by it's crude cover but really this is just about listening to Janis Joplin tear down the house.
I have always been aware of Janis Joplin and his iconic voice. That raspy loud growl that rivals the likes of Led Zeppelin and Axel Rose. What I was not aware was that she was involved in a band, especially a blues rock one. I figured she was mostly a folk singer. Shows what I knew about Janis. And I’m also kicking myself for never hearing this before. This is almost exactly what I want from a late 60’s album; embracing the underground counterculture that came with the end of the decade and the state of the world at the time. This feels like one of the stepping stones that would eventually lead to the punk and hard rock acts of the next decade. The biggest X-factor of the album is of course Janis herself. Her growl, mixed with the rest of the band and even the facade of crowd noises, made this album a kickass barrage of high energy. I kind of wish that was more tracks. I feel Ball and Chain drags a bit long, and it feels a little short with only 7 tracks. But for what it is, it’s still a near perfect effort. Favorite track: Piece Of My Heart Other hits: I Need A Man To Love, Oh Sweet Mary, Ball and Chain, Summertime
Unique sound that I am really enjoying, music that you can sit and really listen too, but also feels as if it would be played in the background of a record shop - in the best way possible. Towards the end of this now and it’s amazing, great tunes and vocal performance throughout
Never fell in love with this. Janis’s voice is singular, the music fairly basic garage rock. It IS good and I do enjoy listening to it but I think Pearl is my Janis Joplin album.
I love Janis Joplin's vocals and they shine on this album with mostly blues/rock with a nice rough edge (plus a few great covers like "Piece of my Heart" and "Summertime"). Nearly a 5 but a few songs (like the slow blues) are a bit less interesting and they faked a live sound by adding recorded applause to studio recordings. But still, a great album that sounds and feels very "period" in the best possible way.
Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills When I first heard the first song on this album, I thought that the person singing was some crazy person who was screaming like that. I would later come to realize that this album would end up being my introduction with Janis Joplin, so I was surprised when I learned who was singing on this album. Nonetheless, it's a pretty good album, with a lot of rock-based bangers, jam-packed drums and a whole lot of energy around it! It's groovy and catchy, and overall, it's just a fun album to listen to. This album cover perfectly depicts to how this album sounds, it's good! 1.- Combination of the Two = 8/10 2.- I Need a Man to Love = 8/10 3.- Summertime = 8/10 4.- Piece of My Heart = 9/10 5.- Turtle Blues = 7/10 6.- Oh, Sweet Mary = 7/10 7.- Ball and Chain = 10/10 FINAL SCORE = 8.1/10
Pretty good
final roll with Big Brother, Janis "goes solo" after this title really changing her styles and sound
Totally forgot that Janis was in another band. What a voice! What a wonderfully live sounding album. Great performances,
Really enjoyed this. I love the raw/live sound. The guitar at times sounding dissonant and haphazard and the sheer power of Janis Joplin’s vocals really drew me in.
Nobody sings like Janis.
Janis Joplin is great, always will be. Again, didn't vibe with it early on but it grew on me by the end.
Not what I was expecting but solid blues rock
Leuk
3.5.
Iconic. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
The perfect weekend chill chuunneesss. Not a care in the world. Layering of vocals against the incredible base music in this album generates a great sound.
Janis Joplin is an instrument
A wonderful expression of Janis at her absolute best.
"piece of my heart" is a banger, most of this is solid, just kind of rudimentary past joplin's obviously incredible voice. also what's with the racist caricature on the cover
Funky
It was good but I was done with Janis by the end of it.
It's pretty good. Looking forward to more Joplin Will I listen to again: 75%
This was a surprisingly entertaining album. Janis Joplin's vocals are excellent and you can hear hints of a softer less gritty voice.
There is some effortless musicianship displayed here. And what a force Janis Joplin is! Fun, steamy, energetic, salty.
Her affectations can be a bit much but ms Joplin was a force of nature, and the holding company provides an appropriately raucous bluesy background. Ball and chain at Monterey with her feet slapping in the sandals next to an inflatable pencil and mama cass's mind blown remains a contender for greatest rock moment. Rock you and sock it to you, unironically.
A really fun bluesy album with electric songs. I'm not sure why the producers thought to add crowd noise to each song, but I do feel like it takes away from the album in multiple ways - the studio songs feel distorted and unclear, and the one live song feels less impactful. Despite my issues with the production, the songs (and more specifically Janis Joplin), kick absolute ass and are a joy to listen to. Top tracks: Combination of the Two, Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain
Buena voz y es lo mas llamativo pero no me gustó la portada
Great band, loved this, had only heard piece of my heart
Side 1 is solid 5 stars. Side 2 isn't, so 4 stars it is. Favorite song: combination of the two
Soul at it's most garage
Nothing cheap about Janis Joplin, what an artist.
Sounds like a live album and has the high energy of a live album. Crazy that it's a studio album. That's pretty cool. Janis Joplin killed it with the vocals and there is some sick guitar playing. A lot of moments in this record remind me of live Grateful Dead when they had Donna.
This is a gem of a record. This is really really cool album. Its kind of quintessential San Francisco psych rock. It's kind of got everything you need. Blues inspired guitar and vocals, with progressive moving and building songs. Any song on this record could appear in a Grateful Dead live show and it would be a hit. I was really impressed with how the blues drive every song. Piece of My Heart is probably my favorite song on the record. Its such a classic, but Ball and Chain is incredible. Real Hurts Me Too vibes.
OMFG this was good. Janis has an amazing voice, and the psychadelic-blues guitar on the first few tracks was a joy. Faded a bit towards the end, but this album definitely belongs on the list. Best: Summertime, I Need A Man To Love, and of course Piece Of My Heart Worst: Turtle Blues
I freaking love Janis Joplin and I'm stoked to see an actual rock album lead by her.
Good old Rock - a lot of nice Songs
Summertime is super cool Piece of my Heart is a classic, I didn't know it was this band that sang it TIL Turtle Blues (theres blues on this rock album?! hell yeah!) Ball and Chain is crazy Roadblock hellyeah this was rad
Awesome and influential album from the great Janis Joplin and her band. I may be biased as someone who dresses as Janis most Halloweens, but damn what a queen. This was also so cool to listen to knowing some of the live material was recorded at Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium, avenue I've been to countless times. God imagine that. Apparently this was the opening show at the venue. Anyway I couldn't give this less than 4 stars!
Oh this one is groovy! Love Janice's voice!
Come on Janis, it's not fair on the rest of us
81% Best: I Need a Man to Love; Piece of My Heart; Ball and Chain Must-Hear? Sure
Other than the black face on the cover pretty good album.
4.5!
Great album, great cover art. Janis Joplin is incomparable and probably influenced everyone from Chrissy Hynde to Bon Scott to Stevie Nicks. Just another level. I love the timelessness of this record, there's nothing on it that is topical or connected to the time it was made. Should last another couple hundred years. Could be tighter. And if Janis Joplin is your singer, why would you relegate her to backups on "Oh, Sweet Mary"? Really the only flaw on this album.
I would say this is a very good but not great blusey rock album. It does have the all time clasic Piece of my Heart and a great version of Summertime. Much of the rest of the album is fun but not exceptional.
a bit screamy for me. but piece of my heart is fire
Top 10 no skips album of all time
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
I enjoy the first side quite a bit more but this is very solid blues rock. Janis has an interesting, “distorted” voice but maybe sometimes she uses it a bit much. Some very electrifying guitar work in this one by three different guitarists (not necessarily all playing in the same song). Highlight: “Piece of My Heart”. 3.5 stars.
To me Janis carries the band, which to me the band gave me Jefferson Airplane vibes. In fact, I kinda feel like this album is a lesser Crown of Creation which was recorded and released about the same time. (both being Bay Area bands, there was probably some cross influence going on). The two songs where Sam Andrew takes the lead vocals are easily my least favorite songs of the set. Pretty much through the entire play... until "Ball and Chain" which is the crown jewel of this album. Not only is her vocals just on top of it, the dark distorted guitar work of Andrew absolutely kills. I think that one 9 min epic closing the album definitely lands this in 4 territory (8.25) ★★★★
Straightforward classic with immensely raw blues rock sound and phenomenal singing from Janis Joplin throughout. Amazing artwork and featuring top notch songs such as Piece Of My Heart and others.
Psychedelic!
8/10 Good vocals and etc. But I prefer it to be without this 'live' effect. It's hard for me to listen the whole bunch of songs in a row.
Favourites: I Need A Man To Love Ball and Chain I enjoyed this album Janis Joplin's unique vocal style brings a lot to the music that I think would be missing with the band alone. Also the cover and the story behind it is really cool.
Such good performance and energy.
Janis Joplin is an amazing singer, really powerful and raw. This album had a strong blues feel and had some great guitar riffs. I really enjoyed it. There are some great tracks on this like Turtle blues and piece of my heart. The album cover is also fantastic. Favourite song: Piece of my heart and magic of love Least favourite: all songs are good Album artwork: I love the cover
Combination of the 2 - Love the guitar solo, plus the chorus is fun I Need a Man to Love - Backup vocals are fun (oh no!), the intro kicks ass. This one's a little jazzier Summertime - Slower, stringier. Joplin's voice needs louder, more jamming type guitars for me. Not a skip, but not a favorite Piece of My Heart - I actually know this one, still rocks. Slower than I remember though... Turtle Blues - Very bluesy, fun guitars. Love the claps. Not usually a fan of live, but it works here. Oh, Sweet Mary - Another cool guitar solo. Almost western? makes me think of cowboys for some reason Ball and Chain - This one's real quiet. Another really bluesy one. Love a long last track. Very cool album. I don't usually like live stuff, but I didn't mind this. Not sure if I'm a huge fan of Janice Joplin's voice, but I like the rest enough that it didn't bother me at all. 4/5
Great vocals, and fun songs
This album is raw and wild. The vocals soar with a raspy, bluesy power, almost like Aretha Franklin meeting Grace Slick in a dive bar. The guitars are gritty, unpolished, but full of energy, like early Cream. It’s loud but emotional, switching between soulful ballads and heavy rock without losing its edge. You feel every note, every growl.
This was (shamefully) the first time I've actually sat down to listen to Janis Joplin beyond single songs or hits. I enjoyed it more than expected.
This is (shamefully) the first time I've ever intentionally listened to Janis Joplin beyond single songs or hits. I enjoyed it more than I expected.
The blues flows freely in here. With great addition of Janis Joplin's voice.
Before today, I had no clue that Janis Joplin ever sang in a band. So that was a nice piece of information I learned. It’s also welcoming because I love her voice a lot, as it always felt filled with a surprising amount of soul, and it is a much needed addition when it comes to this style of rock. I doubt I would have enjoyed this album as much without her on it, but with her singing this album is an absolute joy to listen to.
Great music with an obviously STELLAR lead. Fantastic overall.
They sound like Fleetwood Mac before Fleetwood Mac was Fleetwood Mac
Janis Joplin has some pipes! Really enjoyed this after not knowing what to expect
Janice is a really interesting character. Everything about her life suggests she didn't want or was heading toward being the rock and roll, drugs and free love icon most people see her as today. Straight A student, chubby kid, supportive parents. An unfortunate set of circumstances abruptly ends her life, so young. As for the band, despite the fact she didn't really dig them, I thought they were good. They have style but don't really keep it tight, but it's still some really great music in this album. A very good listen from a time so viscerally engrained in everyone's mind.
70' cool
Soulful and full of vim and vigor, especially Ms Joplin’s gritty and expressive vocals.
I'm not a huge Janis Joplin fan, and I think it's because I've only heard a few of her songs that are considered the hits. However, I loved the acid rock that was in the background here and the rawness that this album brought. Definitely made me rethink her stuff.
Only knew the hits for Big Brother because of Joplin’s talent. First time listening to this album and it did not disappoint. A great history lesson of a time that was romanticized but had, like anything & everything, some darkness to come…Joplin’s OD at 27 years old and entry into the 27 Club. Great albeit dated, problematic Crumb cover.
Cool blues influence.
first listen pretty great blues rock feat. janis joplin
Groovay... there's no other way I can put it ☮️
Truly showing the potential of Janis Joplin
4/5
The album was fun. Janis Joplin has a characteristic and great voice. The old rock tube. I had almost forgotten Piece of My Heart. I didn't know the version of Summertime yet and I really liked it. 4/5
Intense but good
Pretty good album, Janis is talented, but I actually felt that the band was the main attraction of the record. Great groove and guitar solos, cool woodstock vibes.
Favourite Song: Summertime
My unpopular music opinion is that Janis Joplin wasted her talents when she made tasteful Soul music, when she is put in a Freak-Psych and Blues setting she soars higher than anyone else ever could. Also, this one friend of mine said that "Summertime" sounds like Marge Simpson is singing and that is difficult for me to unhear. It's an easy joke to make but wow is that all I can hear now.
Alright! This is a good album right here. First of all, I just want to praise the album cover for a bit. It has this underground comics vibe supplied by Fritz the Cat creator Robert Crumb. I like it. Anyways, the album itself is also pretty good too. Of course, the most notable thing about this album is Janis Joplin's vocals. This is my first time hearing her vocals, and I can safely say that the praise is absolutely warranted. I really like her vocals. The rest of the album's sound is also great. I like the guitar tone. The songs, of which there are only 7, are all quite good. Overall, this is a fairly short album that I really like. 4/5.
Really fantastic. Not as good as some of the other stuff by members of this band but incredible none the less
very aweomse !!!
weird voice but fire!!!
Surprising album I didn't think I would like it but it was really good.
Bijzonder plaatje. Klinkt als een live-opname in een leeg theater of studio wwar je af en toe wat verdwaalde mensen hoort klappen en hoesten. Lekkere lo-fi productie in de hoogtijdagen van de Amerikaanse hippietijd. Tof om deze plaat eens helemaal te checken. Vind de stem van Joplin gewoon geweldig maar de muziek ook interessanter dan verwacht. Het is genuanceerder en minder rock 'n roll dan ik in mijn hoofd ha. Positieve verrassing dus. 8/10 Highlights Summertime Piece of My Heart (gouden track, heerlijk)
Joplin steals the show but the band are tight and raucous and full of blistering energy. But why oh why did they put this fake audience crap on there? And why do the first couple of tracks sound like they were recorded under water? To answer that you’d need to have been there (man) or be so far out (man) you don’t care. Nice artwork from Crumb.
I like it, not much more complicated than that.
Summertime is too slow, Piece of My Heart and Ball of Chain are kind of slow
I wasn't a huge fan of this album, but the last track ended with an emcee mentioning some of their contemporaries, and I liked this a lot more than anything those bands were releasing around the same time. Pretty good for being well over half a century old.
Bluesy as hell.
Great band, great backing vocals Ball and chain, guitar sounds like a car at the beginning. Love on ‘oh sweet Mary’ the way it drops to the vocals and the drums coming out of it
Some great songs
This was an ok album. Janis Joplin is great, but her vocals can be a bit much at times. The songs are good though for the most part. Pretty good album!
Not a huge Janis fan, but this album really captured her as a force of nature. I enjoyed the album musically and appreciated the sound of the late 60’s.
Why aren’t I stoned?
Great vocals, super fun classic guitar tone. Solos really fun, drums keep the groove and feel moving. High energy with loads of variety keeping the album fresh and fun to listen to.
it feels like some of the live stuff is chock full of sample potential. definitely a fan of this album.
Great vocals and blues rock. But sometimes Janis overdoes the hoarse vocals
Thoughts before listening: I own this record...it's okay. I mean Janis is amazing and some songs are classics, but it feels like there's a lot of filler on the album as well. Janis would go on to have a short but legendary solo career while the band wouldn't do much without Janis. Review: As an album, this is at its best when the band sits back and lets Janis cook. Sure there are some nice psychedelic rock moments sprinkled throughout, but really we're all here to hear Janis wail...which she does on some truly magical blues rock tracks such as "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain". Overall this is better than I remember it being, especially as an historical record of a fascinating time in popular music, and it's always a pleasure to be reminded of what a powerhouse Janis was. Too bad she couldn't avoid the pitfalls of the 60s rock lifestyle cause I'd love to see what she would have done as she matured as a person and artist. 4 stars.
This is sloppy blues but I mean that in a good way. Janis knew how to deliver a song through her singing. This is a decent album, exactly how I thought listening to a full Big Brother album would be. That probably doesn’t help someone reading this review but it justifies it to me. Choice cut:piece of my Heart
I loved this album and will be revisiting. I suppose it makes sense as I am a a bit of a 60s gyal. Not much more to say, I thought it was great.
I never knew that Janis Joplin was in a band before she went solo. This was a rare treat, not quite perfection, but pretty close, and definitely worth a repeat listen.
3.9/5 listened 3x - cool album, history (Joplin), and cover art (crumb)
Groovy
Great Jazz / Blues rock album. Janis Joplin carries the vocals and there's a lot of bluesy riffs from the rest of the band Favorite Song: Summertime
Quite a voice there. Walks a line to grating but some classic stuff here too.
Flippin’ sweet little album. Love the heavy soul sound and Janis’ vocals just absolutely carry the whole thing as she brings so much uniqueness and passion to the music. 8/10
Great music. Solid vocals from Janis. Altogether a very enjoyable album. It's definitely getting more airplay around here!
Joslyn the goat, big brother the goat
Fantastic album. Prefered the blues to the psychedelic side. Still amazing record.
Great music that makes you want to dance.
Overall lots of fun listening to this even with Janis Joplin doing a little too much at some points. My favorite was “Piece of My Heart.”
Nice mix of groovy good times tunes & timeless classics. Janis Joplin was on another level, man.
Mixture of soul,funk,blues. Liked it
House favorite, especially when Janis shows up and belts out her talents.
Did not realize Janis was in another band although she dominates the album. Wish I could give 3.5. Better than a 3 though
Really enjoyed this, Janis Joplin has such an amazing voice!
Janis has a fine set o' pipes. Almost too "counter-culture 60s" generic but nothing that a liberal dungaree wearing blonde chick with a little grass looking for a groovy time couldn't fix.
A classic psych rock album of the highest order. Sizzles in the summer sun.
Good old time rock and roll. Janis had pipes like few others since.
Blusey
This wasn’t a Ball and Chain nor was it a Flower In the Sun. Probably a Combination of the Two.
Have been meaning to get around listening to Janis Joplin, so finally got a good taste of her sound + Big Brother! What a fantastic voice, and I love her blend with the band. The sound gets a little too blurry at times, but a god damn amazing groove to it. Favourite tracks: first 5 songs
Classic album by one of the most distinctive voices in music.
I like Janis Joplin. Had no idea this was her album.
Hot dog, Janis Joplin has some pipes. I mostly enjoyed this album overall. Great tunes and fun to listen to. Solid.
Actually really fun
what a voice! lots of fun
So Janis Joplins voice is so raspy and scratchy, I really struggle to see what made her so highly praised as a key figure In rock history. Now the music aspect of this album was amazing, and on that side of the spectrum, I can totally relate to why this album was very influential, especially to the psychedelic movement.
Great guitar work. The fake live feel is a lot of fun.
Really nice bluesy vibes. I am a fan.
This was sooo damn good woow
Janis Joplin is fucking awesome, and the first four tracks on this album go so hard. I do think it falls off a bit for me, it loses its charm a bit. But still a very strong psych blues album. Fav songs: - Combination of the two - Summertime - Piece of my Heart - Ball and Chain
Janis Joplin CRUSHES. This was a god damn blast.
I think this is my favorite Janis Joplin project I’ve ever heard and that’s in large part to ball and chain. What an epic song with epic electric guitars. The rest of the album was pretty fun and I didn’t find Janis’s voice as annoying as I normally do. Piece of my heart was also a standout.
Fantastic vocals by Janis Joplin backed by some pretty solid blues rock instrumentation.
Cover chido Covers chidos No tiempo de escribir
JANIS damn sie hend e gueti ziit oeff janis hert am schreie, huren geil oke mengisch chli too much hahahahaha piece of my heart usch en absolute banger vomene lied schaepmann blues (turtle blues) cool (han rig nö vill dezue sege aber ich han de funny welle mache) sehr cools live album und d janis fasziniert mich als person scho sehr, ich schwanke zwüscheme 3 und 4
A good rendition of late- 60s blues rock with a psych tinge and of course the soaring, raw vocals of Janis Joplin. All sounds very much of its time and feels like this may have had some influence on the likes of early Led Zep.
This was cool
On of the earliest albums I remember as a kid is Pearl. But obviously I’m familiar with much of this album as several of the tunes have become ubiquitous late 60s anthems. The rest of the album is okay enough, I’m not a giant Joplin voice fan. But still, it’s a solid timepiece.
My first introduction to Janis Joplin and an absolutely bonkers album + cover.
Didn't know Janis Joplin was in this band before going solo! Very nice raw album
I didn’t realize all these Janis Joplin songs I recognize weren’t solo songs
Janis’ early work here and her soulful voice really comes out on some tracks. If you’re into hippy blues or some blues in general this album should be for you.
Ikonisches Album.
Wasn't expecting how much more this leaned into blues rock compared to psych rock, but I was pleasantly surprised. Janis Joplin sounds great on this, powerful and fuzzy (except for on Summertime, where her constant singing in high register makes her sound like Marge Simpson). It's refreshing to hear a vocalist who is clearly inspired by Black singers, but doesn't sound like she's trying to do an impression of them. I'd love it if the album art was not racist, though.
Some great vocal performances from the legendary Janis Joplin along with the psychedelic offerings of Big Brother & The Holding Company make for a pretty engaging experience. The mixing definitely helps to deceive the listener into thinking this is a live recording when its actually not.
This was a banger of an album! Did not expect this, didn’t know what to expect to be perfectly honest! Loved it though! Is it perfect? No, it’s not but it’s a raucous, bish bash of an album! Bang a couple of beers in your belly and turn it up!
Fair warning - You have to like Janis Joplin’s voice. Personally I do, especially backed by Big Brother & The Holding Company. Piece of My Heart and Summertime are stand outs. Album feels raw and rough around the edges. It also runs on a bit.
Amazing
I liked this album. Amazing how awesome Janis Joplin sounds. I thought that the crowd noise gave it a live feeling without actually being live. I love that The Who would be there in another week…at the same venue of the last two songs. This sounds so late 60’s…I don’t think this is going into the rotation though.
This is one I haven't listened to, but overall Janis Joplin's fun, and the late 60s had some neat albums. I'm sure this one will be fine. If I hadn't read that it wasn't recorded live, I would never have assumed otherwise. It sounds so perfectly "live", down to small imperfections (like tuning) and that perfect concert hall reverb. I'd only ever heard "Piece of My Heart" on the radio before, which wasn't always a favorite, but it's interesting how much bluesier the rest of the album is. It's definitely not as psychedelic as I was expecting it to be, which is fine. Definitely liked "Oh, Sweet Mary > Ball and Chain" the most. Overall pretty solid.
Damn, an even better album than I previously realized! Wish I’d listened to this more before. Joplin obviously is the standout performer, but the whole band is phenomenal! Absolutely killer guitar solos too. Far out!
Combination of the two 3 I need a man to love 4 Summertime 3 Piece of my heart 4 Turtle blues 3 Oh, sweet Mary 4 Ball and chain 3 Roadblock 3 Flower in the sun 3 Catch me daddy - live 4 Magic of love - live 3
Absolute banger of a classic rock album
Don’t even know what genre this was, light jazz/rock? Really liked it Best song to me was “Summertime”, I really liked the guitar melody, reminded me of “selling England by the pound” song Female vocals could have been a bit better 4****, none of the songs are bad
Loved Janis Joplin's voice - was a nice album!
Janis Joplin's voice was so soulful, I really enjoyed this
wow, Janis Joplin is incredible on this. she completely steals the show. I had no idea this was a fake live album until i read about it - it certainly adds to the atmosphere it's trying to create, with the raw vocals and long jams, but it's too unpolished to be as conceptually astounding as, like, court of the crimson king. ball and chain is ridiculously good. easily my favourite. bluesy, full of heart, engaging throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed this album!
Janis!!
Love the “SF Sound”. And I love Janis, so everyone else just shut-up so’s I can listen to her. Oh, “I Need a Man to Love”, “Piece of My Heart”….that’s better. Lovely heavy feel to the album as a whole.
I'm a big fan of 60s psych, but 'Piece of My Heart' is overplayed to death and it's not nearly my favorite psych track out there. I didn't really know much else about Big Brother and the Holding Company except "Janis Joplin" and I had never listened to this record out of spite because my out of touch boomer parents loved it. well, DAD, i've finally listened to it and... it's alright. I don't think it's anything mindblowing or particularly progressive in the realm of 60s psych, but it is nice enough. there's some good musicianship here and Janis Joplin sure can wail. for some reason, John Simon, whose productions I usually like, decided to make this studio album sound like a live album with fake audience noises and having it sound more "live" and i think it's a kind of bizarre choice to make but whatever.
Incredibly raw albums with moments of polish or brilliance. Janis yo-yos as she finds her voice as does the band. When the track is good, it's great. When it misses, it's not by much
Good music, fun to listen to.
Album Nr. 51 Guter 60's Sound und dazu die unvergleichiche Stimme von Janis Joplin. Einfach gut.
The late, great Janis leads the group on this one (she always led, this isn’t a surprise or new information, just an establishing intro). Obviously, I have no complaints with Ms. Joplin. She is perfection. The group follows closely and keeps up and I have no complaints with them either. I would counter any complaints of this album being messy with the idea that it is the way the project was intended to sound. The parts I could do without were the live bits and lackluster blues covers. A cover is fine, but get into it. Overall, though, love this album. 4/5
Higher energy on the first track than I expected. Looked it up and it's a fake live album? What a fuzz tone. Janis Joplin is sounding like Robert Plant but better. Love the backing vocals on this thing. Makes it feel rowdy.
Faux live album with audience sounds added afterwards; Incredible vocals by Janis Joplin. Summertime (jazz standard in a blues style) Piece of my Heart Turtle Blues (traditional piano blues) Bell and Chain (long electric blues vamp)
Loved this album.