Reviews (page 7 of 14)
I had always heard of Janis Joplin but never had heard much of her work. This is a classic type of rock album.
Good
I loved it! I learned that this is Janis Joplins band.
Fav: Piece Of My Heart Least Fav: I Need A Man To Love I’m just bored of most blues music tbh
Really good stuff, I liked it a lot
Trippy. Janis sounding like Marge Simpson
great voice , but i think i just don’t like 60s blues rock that much 2 awful cover art .
10/10 I’ve heard a few of these songs before, but they’re so timeless I could listen to them hundreds more times :D
Luojan vitun kiitos vihdoin kunnon rokkia. Menevää, hyvää ulvontaa, tää on varmaa räjäyttäny tanssilattiat 60-luvulla. Hyvää bassoa ja taustakitaranäppäilyä. Hieno levynkansi: kaikille biiseille oma ruutu (ei puhuta Summertimen graffasta :D)
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to unhear the Axl Rose / Marge Simpson influence. I think it does a good job encapsulating that era though (at least, the image of it that has been presented to those of us who weren't there). My 21st-century attention span had a hard time with the full hour, but I enjoyed most songs. This album feels like a good representation of 60s SF rock.
Gave Janis her start. But, Janis made the band. Even though she had a very unique voice, she died too early.
Janis sounds great
A good album, I liked Piece of My Heart and Turtle Blues the most.
Really good. Like it al lot 4/5
I've done over 100 of these reviews and this singers voice was the most annoying by far.
VERY NICE
It was great, but I didn't just immediately love it as I was expecting like I love Janis Joplin's solo albums. Also, I had heard most of the songs from their live albums before, so there were no surprises, really, which is my favorite part about slogging through this challenge.
I didn't know this band existed. Piece of my Heart is iconic and so is her voice. Weird cover and I like the way this album goes. Cool listen. You can feel the cultural shift in this type of album.
The album cover and the band name hitting me at the same time had my head spinning. I didn't know what I was getting into. Well, Piece of My Heart is a classic. Didn't know where it came from. The Blues vibe throughout the album got me. I'd like to try and dig deeper in the future. Maybe jam along with it.
RIP Janis Joplin, but I did not enjoy this album very much.
Fine.
A solid listen to let you experience that 60’s festival feel. Janis does really well and doesn’t blow out her voice like later in her career
That opening track boy howdy
Pretty decent album, but I don't really think it was my favorite. I wonder if I'm not the biggest fan of Janis Joplin but overall it was a good rock and roll/blues album. Eh nothing really memorable stood out to me, though I did know one song that I didn't realize was by this group.
Classic
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland Sehr gut, wie immer wenn Joplin mitwirkt.
3,7/5
nothing special, all the songs sound similar but i enjoyed the album overall, it really shows how far music has come
Janis es una cantante que escucharía si estuviera bien high pero para el día a día definitivamente no es mi estilo
Janis is such an immense and powerful talent. Here though the songs don’t shine and I found this album pretty boring. It feels like they were taking too many drugs making this.
Some hits that I recognize. I enjoy listening to a band that later launched a solo artists career
Piece of my heart is a banger. Not the biggest Janis fan but she rocks
The voice is good, but the writing lacks and most of these tracks go on for way too long
love it - should be a late night listen with a drink in hand
An excellent singer with an average band, is still worth it, it’s Janis after all.
31/1001. Bluesy, hippy, raw and the one and only Janis. I already had Surrealistic Pillow on my turntable for this project, and I guess this — by geographic area and time at least — could be grouped together. But as Airplane was more varied in their songs, this one is about the ding-a-ling, and for me it just doesn't speak too much. Joplin's solo efforts were more interesting, and started exanding out of the hippie rock scene, but it seems every bit of cough she has ever produced has been put an a 14th extended-great-best-of-mega-box-special-edition collection, which kind of makes me go meh, (similar thing of course has happened to many others with similar fates, take Hendrix or Drake for example). But waiting for Pearl. 2
Not sure why I didn't know that Janis Joplin was anything but a solo act. I usually hate live albums, but this is undeniably great. Just pure energy.
1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE #11 (10 Word Review) A rock album that isn't afraid to shows its age. Overall Score: 85 / 100
Cheap Thrills is fine I guess. I’ve got no issue with it being live, actually kind of like that, but I do have an issue with boring, bland blues rock. And this doesn’t do much for me, Janis wailing included.
Janis Joplin has one gear, and it's not for me.
And Janis Joplin
I really love Janis voice
Cool to hear Janis.
Solid.
R Crumb album cover. Cool. Combination of the Two - Live track. 2 track mix is crazy. Audience in one ear. Janis comes in late and brings a dead hippie jam to life. Solo is garage punk dirty. Guy singer is meh. I want to go listen to The Make Up now. I Need a Man to Love - Ok this is dark bluesy fire with Janice sounding sexy hoarse from the jump. Dual track guitars probably cut together from different performances is a happy accident. Summertime- Subdued music box picking. Janis adjusting volume and intensity like Robert Plant without the over glossed Britishness. Piece of My Heart - That intro is like Janice rushing up to you and yelling in your face..and it’s cool. Clear champ. Partially bc it’s stripped down, mostly J. Almost VU in its sparseness. Turtle Blues - J channeling Etta. Good track sequencing; transition feels perfect. Soulful af. Tinkling of glasses in bg is a nice touch. As is J’s coughing lol Oh, Sweet Mary - Surf rock Durango. Giving the drummer some. Gorgeous build. This is the track you time your LSD peak to. Ball and Chain - Superfuzz bigmuff intro that must have popped Mark Arm right out of the womb. Probably Glenn Branca’s favorite track on the album. This distortion tone is a thick furry caterpillar and you’re riding her into the psychedelic sunset. Roadblock - Hippie tonk. Funsies. Drums go on and git it. Flower in the Sun - Upbeat skiffle telling a romance fail story. “Once in a green time” is evocative as hell. Best lyrics on the record. Catch Me Daddy - Sparse shrieker that kicks into a punky jam. Dance floor kick drum siren call. Memphis repped in the solo, which fuckin rips. Really wish JJ had stuck around. She would have been the Queen of Punk. Magic of Love - Elvis-y barn boogie that fell in a vat of LOVE-style acid jam. Just the right length. This is the only track you can say that about. Not particularly my jam, musically, but enough risks taken that I appreciate it. JJ is easily the highlight, and at this point she was just getting started.
3.5
Not something I'd go and listen to on my own. I usually think a lot of songs have grating and repetitive drums but this album definitely doesn't; the drums elevate the songs by a lot. Considering this came out in '68, the songs are quite impressive and ahead of their time.
i guess i didn't know what janice joplin sounded like - the woman performs like a deranged muppet on this album. you could slap some of this audio over footage of sy snootles wailing jizz for an audience of bounty hunters in jabba's palace and nobody would think anything was off. not complaining, by the way. it's excellent. love the announcer at the end of the live bonus tracks letting us know the electric prunes will be playing the venue soon. hopefully jabba drops them into the rancor pit in the middle of "the toonerville trolley"
Big Brother was a pretty poor backing band from a pure expertise standpoint, but this is still a good historical record.
Would be 5* for the vocals alone, but I like the music too. I'd say this is more blues rock than psychedelic with some great guitar playing, and the rhythm section brings a nice groove. Ball & Chain was an epic closer. This was a great discovery for me
If you have Janis Joplin in the band, why the hell is an out of tune male hippie singing???????? Janis rules though and I love the vibe
Not totally sure if I understand Gideon’s critique this feels like very mainly a Janis album. And it rocks for the most part, although it’s not like my favorite music ever. Piece of my heart is an all timer though, and I always thought it was a Janis solo song, so the more you know!
Not really my kind of music, but a couple of songs were good.
Loose, gritty, blues driven old school rock and roll. Sign me up!
I had no idea Janis Joplin was in a band prior to her solo work. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but you get pretty much exactly what is advertised; a Janis Joplin fronted psychedelic blues band. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it’s probably not something I’m going to reach for all that often.
I recognize her
Janis is fantastic. The band is great. Not an album I usually pick to listen to, but it really is enjoyable
I had no idea that Janis Joplin was originally part of a different band and that Piece of My Heart is technically by Big Brother & The Holding Company. Anyway, I enjoyed most of the music. Combination of the Two may have been my favorite. All in all pretty solid.
meh. I don't get the appeal of Joplin
Very good
Their energy is so great. And the live crowd sounds are actually pretty convincing. Interesting factoid that those were a studio trick. Janis is incredible, but kinda like Faces, Queen, or the 90s Bulls, the rest of the team can hold their own! Killer total package.
Like it. Favourite track is Piece of My Heart 3/5
Only really giving that the time of day because the obvious song on there, her voice grated on me after a while. Which is strange, because I quite liked pearl
The first two tracks felt weak to me but the album kicked into another gear after that with the classic “Summertime.” There were a couple of other standouts after that: “Piece of My Heart,” one of Janis’ most famous songs; “Sweet Mary;” and the closer “Ball and Chain.” I enjoyed hearing the 1968 Fillmore East crowd on that one. Janis’ scratchy and ragged vocals aren’t necessarily pleasing but her uniqueness, delivery, power and passion are undeniable. I also liked some of the jam elements and guitar tones and solos. But overall, is this a great record to me? It’s a 3.5 and given that I don’t think I’d necessarily throw it on again, I think I’ll round down on this one.
Janis is so good.
- One of the great live albums from the 1960's -
Hyvät vibat, hyvää musaa
Both Joplin and the band are raw and powerful. The cover versions are incredible. Album art by Robert Crumb. Not sure about the audience sound effects, but a great album nonetheless.
OK
Live album with that very distinctive hippie late 60's-early 70's sound. Unfortunately not my thing, really struggled trying to get through this one and eventually just gave up. From a "technical" standpoint it's well put together, just not a sound I enjoy.
this bangs
Decent, kinda boring
8/10.
Listened on 5/26/25 3.5/5 Favorite song: piece of my heart Janis Joplin has a voice that scratches your brain in the best way and the album cover is so fun
not a fan
Solid album, didn’t think it was anything crazy though. Probably won’t listen again but good while it lasted
Anybody else clock the crazy racist cover art for Summertime
Glad Janis is in the 27 club
The album cover already raises expectations and Janis Joplin completely lives up to them. Let's go!
Janis gets her earned accolades as one of the greatest voices in rock. You can hear an entire generation of imitators on these tracks. But, I want to point out how ahead of the time the guitar playing is on here. I mean, the tones are always incredible. The solos can only be described as ‘sick nasty.’ This is hardly an underrated or overlooked album, but the actual band themselves are often overlooked.
Janis Joplin is a great singer whose voice just grates on me. That being said, this was still a great listen. Knew a few songs but several were new to me. 3.5/5
Very fun album! The vocals on Janis Joplin are absolutely incredible. The soulfulness that radiates from this album makes it one that I want to continue listening to over and over.
I wasn’t a fan of the opener but after that it got good fast “I Need A Man To Love” and “Summertime” show a bit more of Joplin’s softer vocals and “Piece Of My Heart” is obviously amazing and shows off her fantastic vocals. The next two tracks were also very good and “Ball And Chain” was a fantastic closer
I didn’t think I was a Joplin fan. This album makes me think I should be checking out more of her stuff
Classic Blues Rock / Acid Rock featuring the truly amazing voice of Janis Joplin. Although not a live album, (apart from "Ball and Chain"), the album captures all of the energy of a live concert. The best tracks on the album are the three cover songs: "Summertime", "Piece of My Heart", and "Ball and Chain", but the rest of the album is almost as good.
Not a fan of Joplin's voice but otherwise a classic album
cool album
This is a great well rounded psychedelic rock album. Sometimes they can be alittle heavy handed and dramatic and this album has those moments but I think they are well balanced with a variety of other sounds. Honestly I was really impressed by this album. My only real problem is I find Janie can be a lot, like her vocal delivery is very distracting from time to time. I’d say this is probably my favorite of her albums. Her self titled would be just under this album just cause this album has more to offer.
Lots of respect for this album, not quite as much enjoyment. Best enjoyed in smaller doses. Funnily enough, I do not find this music to be psychedelic really at all.
This album sucks
good
Another mistake of judging a book by its cover. Loved this way more than I expected. I had never heard of this album or Big Brother & the Holding Company, yet I actually knew some of the songs (and had wrongly thought they were solo Janis Joplin songs). I think the obvious runaway star of this album is Joplin’s voice but a close second is the absolutely stunning guitar solos. I confess to not having listened to much 1960s rock at all but can hear how this album has influenced Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crowe and Lady Gage to name a few. Probably not one to listen to on earphones for future repeat listens as the sound quality didn’t hold up great there - my fault though!
It’s so interesting for them to have added the crowd noise after and was mainly a studio album. Really great energy and vocals. Nice groove and rhythm. Sometimes, would actually prefer a less strained vocal eg ‘Summertime’. Enjoy the guitar runs and also changing tempo and energy. Great selection/order of songs and flow throughout. So much soul and heart. Raw, energetic and broad.
Ok
Love the band name. Love the cover. Love the energy here. This is my jam, onichan
Pretty good, some songs really drag though. Janis' vocals rip for the vast majority of the album can kinda grow to be grating on some of the down tempo tracks. The guitar parts are consistently killer. 3.5/5
I liked the blues songs on here. The rest I was meh about.
I've found that over time my appreciation of JJs voice has diminished. This album contains some great songs and is a bit of a best-of, but in truth I won't be going back again too often.
3.5 -- enjoyed.
One Janis Joplin song at a time, please. Too much pretend blues here for me.
What a voice. There was a time In my teenage years when she was one of my all time Favourite vocalists. I’ve listened to her less over the proceeding years but whenever I hear her I remember how powerful she is. She had a punk aesthetic that I would imagine influenced the likes of Patti smith. The album as a whole is good, the band is ok.
One of the joys of this project has been discovering Janis Joplin Not discovering really as I was always aware of her but this has been the first time I’ve really listened to her Hell of a voice. One of a kind
Oh Janis. Qué cosa hermosa de la vida. No hay mucho que decir. Sólo conocía summertime y piece of my heart, pero el resto no se queda para nada atrás. Al fin puedo puntuar bien sin dudar. Nota: 4.0
4.0/5.0: Great
fantastic listen
I do enjoy Janis Joplin and her unique voice, but listening to a full hour of it is too much for me. I expected more out of this album, but it was ok. Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song:
=The beatles
5/15/25. Wow, completely blown away by Joplin's vocals, her voice is really like another instrument. Solid songs as well.
Janis Joplin is a force of nature. And I can definitely see the appeal of this album. But I’m left with a feeling of…meh. I’d give it 2.5, but I’m feeling generous and will go with a full 3 stars. I like the album artwork a lot more than the music itself 🤷♂️
Crazy that this was the breakout for Janis Joplin. Would have been cool to see this one stick together.
Ok
I had no idea what to expect, I really enjoyed this in particularly the Janis Joplin lead tracks which were dirty bluesy
I never realized Janis was part of a band - I even thought that some of the songs on this album were her solo stuff. Pretty solid album, overall! Great singer, and really good backup band. Definitely a 3.5 - round up.
Cool band, distinct voice. Unconventional album artwork for the time
This is solid!
ok
Šta se dobije kad se pomiješa fenomenalna blues psych muzika i vjerovatno najgori glas koji sam u životu čula? Nešto što mi nimalo ne smeta, začudo. Ne bih sad uvijek slušala ali mi se sviđa.
One of the greatest blues album by a white band. Janis is spot on. And BBatHC is magnificent. A classic. 4/5
I think this is the first time I have listened to Janis Joplin before in the context of knowing it was her and really paying attention. V good album nothing stuck out as an absolute fav but I will add this into the rotation. Fun having the fake crowd and then ball and chain being real. That song was probably my fav
excellent album. the type of album where 5 seconds into every song you can tell its quality. Joplin with legendary vocals.
Good album. Joplin was so bluesy and sultry. The Psyche-Acid Rock didn’t fit her well, her decision to leave the group was a good one. She is a blues singer. And great at it. Her vocals seem out of place with BB and the HCO. The stand out songs are with her on lead. The rest - where she provides backing and harmony - are simply not as good.
It was okay.
Janis Joplin is one of those artists that everyone will come across one time in their lives, willing or not. This time, I wasn't expecting at all, but it was a delightful surprise. I never knew Joplin had a band before her solo career, so "Big Brother and the Holding Company" was not a familiar name to me. But the moment I saw "Piece of My Heart", I knew this album was going to be special. And so it was. This is an experience full of mixed feelings. On one hand, Joplin's intense and sincere feelings expressed by her unique voice are touching to say the least. To this day, it's still hard to find artists who can replicate what she is able to express - it's not only about vocal power (and yes, it is definitely here. I can suppose a lot of influence on Prince and Axl Rose), but being able to really connect to Joplin in such a way that almost had me in tears. I have to admit, though, that a part of this reaction was because of her young passing, it's really painful to listen to this gem remembering her fate a few years later. On the other hand, I must give credit to the band, especially to the guitarist. Come on, you didn't need to go that hard and experimental - or maybe he did, it was the late 1960's, after all. While this is not a 5-star album for me - some tracks are just indifferent - the high points (no pun intended)... oh, they hit hard.
I enjoyed this album more than I thought that I would. I know Joplin’s voice is a bit much for some, but I like it. Guitar was pretty good overall.
It was her voice that was the reason for this
Okay. She had a very distinct voice that, for the most part I like, but this album didn't really do it for me. On the slower stuff I think she sounds a lot weaker which is unfortunate. The backing band sounded really nice, liked them a lot. Overall this doesn't really do it for me one way or the other. Do not like the album cover art, it's just too much.
musically it was ok. vocally, Janis' voice is like nails down a chalkboard.
Absolute banger
Janis was brilliant. She's one of the greatest rock and roll singers of all time and it's a shame we never got more from her. Backing band is pretty good too. A lot of late 60s American rock music is over-rated dreck but this is really good.
Essentially this is a Janis Joplin album. Not bad.
Janis Joplin sounds like a female Robert Plant who smoked 2 packs a day. What a voice and what an eclectic album.
This is just the kind of Blues oriented rock noodling that was extremely prevalent in the 70s, and that just leaves me shrugging. Very cheap thrills, indeed. 2/5
I knew of (and liked) Janis Joplin by reputation, and had heard a few bits, including a version of Piece of my Heart, which I'd liked. I found listening to a whole album of her voice a bit more difficult, although I'm not casting aspersions on her talent or passion, I just didn't enjoy listening to it as much as I expected to. What I did enjoy was the band, including the quite basic stereo production (guitar twangs suddenly sounding in one ear) who conjure up a free, smoky atmosphere. I'm aware it's not actually an entirely live album, but I bet it would have been a great night if it had been. Some of it maybe went on a wee bit.
I Had never heard of this band before but obviously immediately recognized piece of my heart. I also had heard on Janice Joplin but did not realize she was in this band first, its a very good album with some great songs but is just a little lacking to call it a five star album for me personally.
Joplin rules
Better than expected and I did not know Janis Joplin fronted a band for a while. She elevates things. Too much jamming and riffing kind of stuff for this to really shine for me.
Janis is just OK in my book. Would she be as revered today if she hadn’t died so young? Liked about half of this. 2.5 rounded up. She was fascinating to watch in Woodstock and the Monterey Pop Festival documentary movies.
c: ball and chain
Love the bluesy guitar work but cannot stand the vocals.
I normally would like this more, but maybe I just wasn’t feeling it today.
OK, Janis very loud and in your face at times. 2.8/5
Bluesy, loose and fun. “Piece of My Heart” is far and away the strongest song, but it’s fairly fun throughout.
Enjoyed this, didn't realise Joplin sang the blues
I loved this album honestly, the vocals kind of give it so much vibe+ the guitar solos and just the guitar all over the album,second track which was actually a jazz song The Brother covered but Janis turned it into a whole another song with her incredible vocals, I loved it.
Que capa incrível. Só ela já vale o disco todo!
Lotta hits, some though arent as good and can get repetative
Yeah ok I didn’t mind it
Yeah goes pretty good. Probably the best Janis album
Can’t member but it couldn’t be good
Super cool! I don't really mind if Janis could sing or was just screaming. Her performance was full of passion, and there's a bunch of all-time classics here. One of the key albums from that period.
Great album
Very good upbeat Added Magic of Love and Piece of My Heart to playlist
The album cover... I still listened to the album though and Janis Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson. And it starts to sound like nails on a chalkboard after the second song. In piece of my heart, she started to sound like James Brown. I wanted to immediately dismiss her as a culture vulture, but after reading her biography, I began to feel a little bit bad. Only a little bit though. Consider my score a 2.5
Not my type of thing. She has an incredible voice though, especially on Summertime. Quit after Turtle Blues which was good, but...blues.
Janis Joplin anyone? Some great stuff here.
Janice Joplin!
This was a new experience for me, as I've not heard much of Janis Joplin. Her vocals, in accordance with what I'd heard, are excellent, and this album was a good bit of fun to listen to. I still don't think I'm into psychedelic rock but this was a decent listen.
Have on vinyl
Bangers. Ball and chain is amazing.
Loved it. So bluesy, great guitars, and Janis Joplin is remarkable. Highlights are "I Need a Man to Love", "Piece of My Heart" and "Turtle Blues."
some great tracks, rest in peace janis joplin
Album 753 of 1089 Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968) Rating : 4 / 5 Awesome album. Some of Janis' solo stuff is better but this album is a banger. There are a couple of weaker tracks but not weak enough to take away from the overall listening experience. She outgrew them.
favorite track: Piece of my Heart. Overall score: 7.0/10
Of it’s time.
Очень здорово, классический рок, женский вокал, неприевшаяся мелодия, но знакомая оранжировка, мне понравилось
I thought I would like this more than I did but unfortunately I don't think this has aged well. Its far too screechy, Janis' voice is much better utilised on Pearl. I have no doubt that BB&THC are a tight band and they are, it's just that sometimes lengthy guitar solos can get too grating.
Die Sängerin ist ja eine Legende, muss aber ehrlich sagen das mir nicht alle Songs gefallen haben.
Verstehe, dass es gut ist, aber es ist nicht mein Fall.
Absolutely loved this album. Janis Joplin, I was unfamiliar with your game
Excellent album!
Not good at all.
So Joplin had stuff before her solo work? There you go, who knew! And the style of the recording, really rugged, matches her rugged voice perfectly. Great album.
Love me some Janis!
At first, I thought this was an album by a great studio band that wasn’t quite as good live. Then I learned that this was a studio album and I was left thoroughly confused. I liked Janis Joplin’s voice. The rest wasn’t too special. Favorite Track: Turtle Blues
Well, Janis Joplin has _a voice_. Classic, summery, bluesy rock. I imagine they were incredible to see live.
love Janis Joplins vocals across this album, so much energy and early grunge stylings in the playing. Into it!
Nice to have a decent blues album after Bluesbreaker. It's a fun listen, Piece of My Heart is the obvious highlight
Was indifferent to this until 'Piece of My Heart' started but that was sadly the only bit that grabbed my attention
Didn’t grab my attention
Lead singer sounds like Marge Simpson but the instrumentals are very good. Ruined by the vocals
Exactly what I expected. What a time to be alive
Never heard any of these before but had a good time. 👍
Angrygood.
Some great bluesy rock roll with hippy vibes
Easy to see why Janis went solo.
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.
I didnt realize Janis Joplin was in this band! Sounds like a good band to see live
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.
Flows from ripping guitar solos and intense vocals to slow build ups and back again. Passionate and energetic, peak late 60s rock and roll.
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.
Rock, but not really that much better.
That I can’t sing (or scream) along in the shower so not for me. 1/5 💥
there was too much stuff going on and at the same time it was all really underwhelming 2/5
hell yeah
- relativ moody, aber nichts, was ich andauernd hören könnte (glaube ich) und auch nichts, was ich außerhalb von 1001 anmachen würde
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
This is a great exhibition of Joplin's talent, but also the band's as well. When we had one of her solo albums I mentioned that her backing band was really good and complimented her antics, this is very similar though she's much more of a part of the band rather than the primary focus. If you look past the singing, the album is a pretty solid 70's era psychadelic blues/rock mix. The cover of "Summertime" is pretty interesting; I've never heard it performed like that. The standout is of course "Piece of my Heart" which is great and suits not only Joplin but that band's talent as well. The one thing I didn't particularly like about this was the amount of reverb or other effect that make it sound like it's being recorded in a concert hall. Apparently that was intentional and I think it detracts from it. It certainly sounds like an old recording but after hearing so many records from this time frame they could've made it a lot cleaner and I think it would've improved it significantly. This is of course not including the actual live tracks. This dragged on a bit by the end but it was never boring. There's a lot of high energy in this album which some albums of this type seem to not have enough of. I'm glad I heard this because it only reinforces my opinion that Janis Joplin is a really top shelf rock singer.
nice fun album!
It had such a captivating energy from the beginning, that I got mad when it got interrupted by a phone call and started again from the top, so that I can live through it from start to finish. This is an album that I’ll listen to from start to finish many times with no skips.
Really good stuff.
Janis Joplin’s vocals are just awesome, and they really shine here. Favorites: Turtle Blues, Ball and Chain
Combination of the Two is great. This is psychedelic rock I can get behind. Feels like it could have been a Wilson Pickett song. I Need a Man to Love lets Janis Joplin's voice shine. There are better versions of Summertime, it's not terrible, but i don't love it. Piece of My Heart is the hit from the album. Albums used to be a thing so it makes sense that there weren't a bunch of singles off this album, but I think there are better songs on the album. Blues/psychedelic rock is the best psychedelic rock. I guess if I have a complaint it's the phony crowd noise. This is the yacht rock challenge, is music in its purest form live in front of a crowd or in a studio? A glass breaking is too much. I do really like Turtle Blues though. Oh, Sweet Mary is more straight psychedelic music, it could be a Jefferson Airplane or Doors song. All of these San Francisco bands have a similar sound. 5 blues songs and two psychedelic songs, that's a more palatable way to take some acid rock. Ball and Chain is maybe a mix too. Janis just makes everything feel like a blues song, gone too soon. There's a definite Screamin' Jay Hawkins vibe to this.
Excellent. Very Janice and fun.
I'm not big on the blues, but this band can play rather well. Joplin screams a little too much for my liking, but she also shows she can really sing (especially at the end of the first track 'Combination of the Two').
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
Late 60s rock at it's very best, the playing is great, I love the garage rock feel to the production, but the shining star is Joplin's vocals, you'll go along way on this list to find better.
Never been a big fan of substance fuelled blues jamming
Again one one these albums I don't know what to think about. Style+, singer + and -, sounds old and flat -, mood +. Tough to rate.
This doesn’t sound like an old album, it hits with a raw, live-wire energy that still feels fresh. The guitars are a highlight, buzzing with bluesy grit and psychedelic flair. Janis Joplin shines throughout, her voice full of soul, fire, and heartbreak. She brings serious weight to the songs, especially on standouts like “Piece of My Heart.” I’ll definitely come back to this album.
I knew Janis was in a band before her solo career, but it never stuck which band that was. I'm happy to finally hear this album. While I'm happy to hear this, I'm also quick to point out that this kind of blues rock vibe is not really my jam. It's cool and I don't mind listening, but often it gets hung up in mannerisms that don't really serve where the song would've wanted to go. Or that's how I feel about it anyway. The album has it's moments tho, especially enjoyed the history and energy this recording has.
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
Jeg er ikke fan av Janis Joplin, lærer jeg. Den rustne innrøyka skrike viben er ikke noe for meg.
groovy 60s blues rock fronted by the fantastic Janis Joplin
Another one I own on vinyl. And up and down affair, but Janis is undeniable. "Summertime" is the highlight, and the live atmosphere adds to the lo-fi element of it. Good, but ultimately not as good as the bands it's trying to be. Worth a listen now and then.
Janis Joblin at her best
Great
Holy shit this rules
Janis Joplins raspy voice works wonders in certain conditions but becomes a bit much over a full album. Interesting listen but not something I would return to.
Pretty cool odlschool vibes
Amazing
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
Some cool guitar stuff. Won't be playing it again.
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
Fantastic lp
A bit patchy but some amazing tracks.
always
already had this album saved
Not enough of a bop
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.
Didn’t give much to offer to me but it was alright anyway. 3 stars
For 1968 this sounds surprisingly modern. It's pretty unique, although the vocals aren't really my thing.
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.
Honestly, this album slaps. I always forget what a killer voice/presence Janis was.
The guitars and vocals are raw and fuzzy and great, but the songwriting is non existent. Just endless bluesy noodling. Sure it sounded good at the time, but that time has passed.
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!
It is clear that Janis is the driving force here. She shines, and I think that the rest of the band is happy to come along for the ride.
Janis has a killer voice. The overall vibe is a little too gritty for me.
A nice reminder of how sometimes classic rock is, in fact, classic.
Прикольно если слушать альбомом
Норм музло, но не более
нихуево но не ахуй
Janis Joplin is totally wasted on me.
Solid album all around.
Janis Joplin is dope
Mag ich nicht
Some excellent guitar. Didn't like the vocals particularly. All sounded quite samey. Roadblock raced along - enjoyed that.
This album is 10 days younger than me! I don't mind it, some cool bluesy guitar. Is it just me or is Janice Joplin the most overrated singer of all time?
I did listen to this album. That’s about it.
Gotta be Marge Simpson’s finest work
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.
Random thoughts: * Janis Joplin is a singular talent. I can't really think of anyone remotely like her. * The announcement at the end of the album on "Magic of Love" by the host is quite the time capsule: Coming up are the The Who and The Grateful Dead. It must have been pretty awesome time to be alive. * "Piece of my Heart" is clearly the standout track. * I am today's years old when I discovered that Piece of my Heart is a cover of an original recorded by Erma Franklin. Go check her soul version and how awesome it is! * I am still today's years old when I learned that Erma Franklin is Aretha Franklin's older sister! Mind blown!
Honestly shocked at how good this is, though I’ll admit that Janis Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson 2/3 of the time
Joplin's vocals and the lo-fi bluesy jams are just a winning combination.
This is fine. Janis Joplin has the voice, and blues rock is my thing, but it doesn’t completely connect for me. It’s not at all bad, and I enjoyed it - but I also cannot remember a single thing about it except for the adequate cover of Piece of my Heart. It’s a high 3, but a 3 nonetheless.
I don't really like it at all. Not really feeling like explaining why because I think that the things I don't like are pretty consistent and this is one of them. Favourite song: Piece of my heart Overall around 3/10
Zeitdokument. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger! Mehr Blues als Rock, das ist ok!
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
This was a fun time. I didn't expect it to go where it went. It's fast paced, iconic and timeless, one of those albums that transcends time and trends and can be enjoyed by anyone at any time. Its reasonably easy to digest, even though Janis Joplin's voice did start to grate on me at times but I appreciate the rawness of it and the talent. Truthfully, I had never listened to her before but it was interesting. She blows a lot of male rock and roll singers out of the park with a vocal talent like hers. Again, I felt it could have been about 15 minutes shorter but still, it wasn't monotonous so I'll forgive the length. Worth a listen for sure.
Janis Joplin's screeching voice... annoying.
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.
No. I keep getting trash albums. I refuse to listen to an hour of this
Raw as fuck
Fuego!!! Janis Joplin
Truly unique to its time. Incredible sound quality for a live recording. Enjoyable.
não fui com a cara segunda feira ruim
capas mto fodas. robert crumb era mto bão no que fazia blues psicodelico bacaninha, bem lo-fi, divertidim
Racist cover, boring music. Janis Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson.
Love it, love it, love it I'm so biased it almost hurts
Solid 60s psych, real early which is why its here. Janis can certainly wail, to her bonus and detriment. I liked Piece of my Heart and Combination of the Two, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
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 had no idea that Janis Joplin had a band before going out solo! This is that band...and they are fantastic!!! It's like psychedelic/blues rock...with Janis' raspy howl. Fucking awesome!! I knew the song Piece of My Heart, but always assumed it was just a piece of Janis' solo work, never knew it was a band. Pleasant surprise today!! Phenomenal!! Favorite songs: Piece of My Heart, I Need a Man to Love, Turtle Blues, Magic of Love, Ball and Chain, Roadblock Least favorite songs: "Oh, Sweet Mary" 5/5
Good album but I just can’t get behind her voice unfortunately
Excellent blues rock record. Janis was one of a kind and gone too soon, regardless of whether you like her voice or not; she was unique. For me she could belt it out like no other.
3.5 solid psych blues. youll either totally get or totally hate the JJ vocals.
Janis Joplin's voice makes me want to clear my throat. Difficult to listen to, but a bonus star for "Piece of My Heart."
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.
Fun listen as I haven't done a deep dive on either Big Brother and the Holding Company nor Janis Joplin. Although her vocals are clearly super powerful, raw, and good for blues, it is slightly too rough for my personal preference on some of the songs. It does make sense why she decided to proceed with a solo career. She clearly was the star in this group. I really enjoy the blues riffs and the uses of the electric guitar effects (phaser, flanger, delay, distortion). The solos are super grainy, treble-y and, I would consider, classic, fun, and energetic 60s guitar riffs that make me naturally play the air guitar. Very loud and in your face. The album is dynamic in a way where it takes on multiple "volumes" of the blues and classic rock n roll. A good combo of high energy and low energy songs with fun tempo changes. Very loose.
Probably was cool in the 60s. Not very good sound and pretty run of the mill blues rock. Janis sounds like Marge Simpson sometimes.
It wasn’t that good
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.
A couple bangers on this album
Was alright.. piece of my heart is clean af though.. 7/10
On Janis’s singing alone this gets a 7. Rating: 3.5
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