Reviews (page 8 of 13)
6/10
Fairly decent album, but Janis' voice has always been like nails on a chalk board for me. So much emotion, but just so much rasp.
As a Gen-X kid who was more influenced by the 80's I appreciate influence later rock, blues, and alt artists would take from this era. The dirty guitar sounds that dominate the Grunge era are definitely felt here, Ball and Chain especially. Piece of My Heart is an obvious classic, but most of this is album if forgettable for me.
This is one of those albums that make me contemplate the scope of this project. Was it fine? Yes. Did it stand out? No.
La voz de Janis Joplin es única. No me parece lo mejor que escuché pero sí es bastante disfrutable, los 55 minutos parecen 30. Muy buena banda pero no me sorprende honestamente.
60s freak out stuff. Cool sound but songs aren’t the strongest of the era
Her voice kinda drives me batty.
I had written a phenomenal review for this one, probably one of the best on the whole site, but I guess I forgot to save my notes. Very sad. Anyway.....the album's alright. I won't be listening again. There was one song I knew that I meant to add to a playlist and I forgot to do that too. I don't know what's going on with me. 3 Stars
So unique and some classic songs but this doesn’t really do it for me
The kind of album that makes me want to drop everything and travel aimlessly in the heat. The vocal style was something new for me, something I'm not very used to. As it was my first time listening, it was a really fun experience.
Joplin's vocals are good, but most of this one didn't grab me. Highlights-Combination of the Two, I Need a Man to Love, and Piece of My Heart.
Janis is impressive of course. Generally though, this kind of psychedelia is something I respect on an intellectual level more than it is a kind of music I would seek out to listen to of my own volition.
Ihan ok. 3/5.
Oh… is that cartoon cover done by Crumb? Yeah, this is a terrible recording. And Janis sings open. If she had lived, she would have had a short career anyway, would have developed nodes, if she didn’t have them already. With the exception of Summertime, which really is haunting and done amazingly, I could leave all the rest in the 60’s. My dad had some weird thing for Janis. I don’t get it. But this is history. Boolean: yes, suppose I had to
...
Janis Joplin's vocals are what makes this album worthy of inclusion in this list. She is electrifying and spellbinding with every note - I can't wait for her to reappear later! The music itself is spunky and bubbling with gumption; there's so much innate grit here, it pairs perfectly with Joplin's signature croaky voice. I think I have to be in the mood to listen to this album again: it's a case of "I fully appreciate this album, but I don't need to listen to it again by itself".
Legendary voice but pretty bland songs
(4/7) that janis sure can wail
I’ve never heard an artist absolutely tear their vocal cords to shreds like Janis Joplin does on this album! You’d think that a vocal performance that makes your throat hurt as a listener would be less than stellar, but it elevates the record significantly. You’d feel everything she’s feeling. Combine that with some killer instrumental sections and this becomes one of my favorite records so far; I just have to find versions of these songs with a different album cover. I understand that the artist was a satirist, but I haven’t the foggiest idea what the point of the Summer Love panel is other than mocking black people. It harkens back to old-school blackface in the worst possible way, and makes me feel gross for enjoying the album as much as I did.
When I first saw this I thought of cheap thrills by SIA.
Some classics but not an overwhelming success and a bit of an Aerosmith sound initially 3
7.50-Mike and Josie Sandwich up the hill
There was only one Janis Joplin. Interesting to read that the crowd noise was added separately so that this would sound like a live album.
Janis är alltid kul men annars finns det ju några bangers på denna men nog ganska mitt i raden!
Okay, das funktioniert für mich besser als das Solo Album von vor ein paar Wochen. Hier ist Energie und Rohheit die zur Stimme passen. Aber: die Songauswahl und die Arrangements finde ich nicht immer passend und ich hätte mir noch mehr Fuzz und weniger Blues Standards gewünscht.
Meh, es hat Höhen und Tiefen und ne Stimme die mich einfach nicht catcht.
Ok 3
This was an enjoyable album although jot really my rhing. 3/5
There are no hidden gems on this one … you know the hits and the rest is fairly standard blues. We know Janis can sing, though this is not her most soulful, and the band is not breaking any ground here either. Overall, pretty predictable.
Never was a big Janis Jopln fan. This album is all right but there are much better 60s rockers doing it better. Top tracks: "Piece of My Heart," "Summertime"
I don't love psychedelic rock, but this was fine.
--Combination of the Two…decent groove --I Need a Man to Love…some cool dirty blues. Janis is in good form here --Summertime…the lyrics combined with the R. Crumb album cover illustration make me a little uncomfortable. That might be the point. Who’s to say these days? The tune is pleasant enough --Piece of My Heart…classic --Turtle Blues…basic blues. Joplin’s voice shines --Oh, Sweet Mary…decent jam but not enough Janis --Ball and Chain…nice, dirty guitar opening. Janis is clearly the star on this LP. her transition to solo work isn't surprising
Fun
I like Janis Joplin a lot, but I thought this album was a bit of a mixed bag. Piece of My Heart is an outstanding song, with Janis’ vocals working fantastically well. But, the cover of Gershwin’s Summertime doesn’t hold a candle to the Fitzgerald version. It added nothing remotely interesting and was, in my opinion, an outright bad cover of a beautiful song. The other tracks were mostly fine, but I don’t see myself giving this a 4 right now. I’ll come back to it sometime and reevaluate, though.
Janis has some classic tunes. I’m fine with this album being on the list.
I mean, it's great to see how far Janis Joplin have gone, but I'm not a big fan. Sounded nice though.
Well I mean Piece of My Heart is such a classic. One of my all time favourite songs. But the rest of the album is meh to me
Some great guitar tones on here for 1968. Decent vairety of themes and song-types as well. Holds up better than expected for its age.
had higher hopes for this, not bad but nothing spectacular either
This started off really well for me; "Combination of the Two" was a jam. Took a bit of a downturn though, because I really didn't get along with the vocals on "Summertime". Musically, great - I enjoyed the Blues vibes and the overall sound, but Janis' vocals were really polarising for me across different tracks - sometimes they worked, sometimes they really didn't. Also loses points for faking being a Live album - I hate Live albums so the idea of it being faked in production is just downright awful.
Very enjoyable actually
Janis sings the blues, Piece of my heart
I really like how much Janis Joplin gets after it.
It was ok. Liked Turtle Blues and Piece of My Heart best.
okay didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would have. Rating: 3/5 GEMV (11.05.2026)
I’ll go ahead and admit this, but I’m not a huge fan of Janis Joplin. In fact, I don’t like her voice at all. It always just sounded like a banshee wailing to me. It never hit my ear as a pleasant sound, and I was never able to grow into it. Maybe things have changed, as today’s album is Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills. For those who didn’t know, Janis Joplin sang for this band before breaking out on her own as a solo artist. The band formed in 1965, with Joplin joining them in 1968. This would be the group’s second album, produced in the studio, though made to sound like a live album. Only one song on the album was actually recorded live, and it was Ball and Chain. The band released just one single from the album, and it was Piece of My Heart. The song only got to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it became synonymous with Joplin, though it was Big Brother & Holding Company that recorded it. Track 1 is Combination of the Two, written by guitarist Same Andrew. The song starts out all San Francisco psychedelic rock with screaming guitars. Wow, it really does sound live. Okay, I guess Andrew sings as well because he’s on lead vocals with this song. He sounds just like most dudes back then. Joplin shows up in the backing vocals and a few screams here and there. The song is less psychedelic rock now and more Stax soul. Oh snap, here’s the big guitar solo. That’s pretty good. It’s nice and fuzzy. I’m a softie for a fuzzy. This was just a nice-sounding soul-fried rock song. Track 2 is I Need a Man to Love and I’m sure Janis will be singing this one. This was written by Jopling and Andrew. The song starts out with a really great psychedelic guitar solo. The song sounds like a blues tune with fuzzy guitars. It reminded me off the bat of Crosby, Nash, Stills and Young’s I Almost Cut My Hair or Steppenwolf’s The Pusher. Both great songs. It’s our first introduction to Janis on lead, and she’s singing in the raspy, bluesy tone of hers. She’s very good about going from soft singing to screaming. As I said, I don’t really like her voice, but no one has sung like her ever. I admire the raw, almost ready to blow a vocal chord at any point in her voice. That said, the song is a good groove. I even hear a bit of how David Lee Roth sang on their album Women and Children First, especially on the song Fools. Track 3 is Summertime, and I hope it’s not the song I think it is. Ugh, it is. “Summertime, and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin' So hush, little baby, don't you cry” That Summertime. I loathe that song. I hate that song and Fever the most. It’s just the go-to song for women to show they’re sultry or something. I don’t get the appeal of the song at all. Now, you mix a song I hate with a vocalist I’m not into, and maybe we’ll get something great. Andrew’s guitar work is great. Janis’s singing is still horrible. She’s trying to sing it sultry, but it’s coming out like a screech owl, so it’s at least different. I’m beginning to think the real star of this group is Andrew. He’s really blowing it out on the guitar. I may hate the song, but this is probably my favorite version. I assume Andrew also arranged it. In fact, his playing is making Janis sound less screechy. Uh-oh, I already said Summertime is one of my most hated songs, here comes track 4, Piece of My Heart. I may need to reshuffle my list. I don’t guess I hate this song so much as I’ve heard it enough. I could go the rest of my life and never hear this song again and call it a good life. This time I’m going to listen more to Andrew’s guitar and less to her voice. Ooh, I’m learning that when Joplin left Big Brother, she took Andrew with her to form her solo backing band. Smart move. Andrew is a very underrated guitar player. I guess I’ve never really heard his playing because as soon as I hear Joplin’s voice, I’d either change stations or turn it off. I just don’t get her appeal. There are plenty of better screamers out there than Joplin. It must be the tragic death. Track 5 is Turtle Blues, which was the B-side for Piece of My Heart. Joplin is the sole writer of this song. It’s just an old-fashioned blues song. I actually dig this as Joplin is staying under control. John Simon, the album’s producer, is playing piano on this song, and he’s really standing out. The song sounds like it was recorded in a small club, as you can hear conversations quietly going on in the background. I do love the concept of a live album that’s not live. Track 6 is Oh, Sweet Mary and it seems to be a band-written track. Andrew sings the lead vocal on the track, but the whole band sings the chorus. This song is very different from the other tracks on the album. It’s less psychedelic blues rock and more like an electric folk song. It reminds me of an old traditional English tune. Peter Albin is playing lead guitar on this song and is really killing it. Albin usually plays bass for the band, but on this song, Andrew is playing bass. Joplin is wailing like a banshee in the back. The song isn’t bad, but it sounds like it was leftover from a previous album or the last one in on a rushed writing session for one more song. It just doesn’t fit what the band seemed to be doing up until this point. Track 7 is Ball and Chain, and apparently, this one was indeed recorded live. Oh wow! It starts with an explosion of psychedelic guitar by Andrew. It’s filled with feedback and fuzz. It’s an old blues song written by Big Mama Thornton. Janis isn’t screaming. She’s as quiet as a mouse, and I think she sounds better like this. You don’t want to hear Joplin screaming all the time. You need those quiet moments to make the loud moments count. Joplin’s screeches lose their impact if it’s all you hear. Now we’re getting into the Joplin sounds I just don’t like, screechy, loud, noisy. Then later on, they bring things down, and she’s singing very softly, and it sounds so much better. In future releases of the album, they would add four more songs, but I’ve had enough. It seems I’ve always been right. Janis Joplin just doesn’t do a lot for me. Again, it’s probably more because I’m not cool. But I think a lot of people are enamored with her death and how others seemed to have built her up into this goddess of rock. I just don’t see it. I am saddened that she couldn’t pull herself out of her troubles before her life ended. I can’t recommend this album to anyone as my ears are still ringing. But, if you want to follow the cool kids, have at it.
Not my usual cup of tea, and nothing on here changed my mind Not bad though
sonically not too different from anything Janis did solo
It was ok. Not my fave
Classic soul-funk blues-rock. Great singing as expected.
Somehow ended up listening to the Mamma Mia and Les Mis sound tracks after this, take that as you will...
great artist, but not a huge fan of live albums
The era of live musicians, rock was still young and feeling meant more than technical skills. And Janis. Magical Janis. There has never been and never will be anyone like her. Still as a whole album... meeh, it's a STRONG 3 stars!
Good music
Classic psychedelic festival rock at its best with Joplin possessing the crucial rasping vocals to set off the sprawling blues guitars and make this album one of the top achievements of the genre.
I always forget how much 60s rock stole I mean borrowed from the blues. Like this is pretty much just a blues album for white hippies, right? Janis has a super strong, distinct voice, and the band is solid, but pulled out of its time, I dunno, doesn't hit for me. That and boomers have been selling me this era my whole life so I instinctively push back. It's okay.
Nice vocals and guitar.
Its a different album! My first contact with janis joplin but there is some song i already knew. I like it!
#4 Janis Joplin's vocals are the most prominent element throughout this album, for better or worse. Piece of my Heart is a classic, and it would not be as iconic had it been sung by anyone else. At the same time, I find her vocals to detract from the otherwise fantastic rendition of Summertime. Just too much squealing... It is a solid example of early psych-rock and has some great instrumental work throughout, but it has its flaws. The production quality is lacking, and the fake crowd noise I especially don't like. Overall, it's a decent album that I'm glad I was exposed to, but not one that will go into my rotation.
Janis' voice is special, no doubt, but not very versatile. The band is playing a decent white psychedelic blues, no more, no less.
elle me casse les oreilles avec sa voix là, sinon musique ok, y'a de bon sons mais azy
Sympatoche
Good live blues rock but I can’t imagine myself returning to this album
i've never been a huge fan of janis but there is no denying the raw fuzz and rock on this 1968 release. and that crumb artwork! respect.
Auf Dauer nervt janis
7/10 Buen album, me gusto como se desarrolla. No se hace aburrido, se disfruta si le prestas atencion o estando de fondo, no es invasivo para tener de fondo tampoco
I didn’t mind this and I don’t mind Janis Joplin’s hollering style but, barring the obvious standout (Piece of my heart), there wasn’t a huge amount to recommend.
Arghh…please stop with the 12 bar blues. Joplin lends a bit more heft to the vocals but the songs themselves again do very little for me. Forgettable and done to death.
Had not listened to this in a while. It held up decently. Another album that would take advantage of a 3.5 rating.
Síðsjöunda fuzz-blúsrokk og fínt sem slíkt. Janis á afar góða spretti í Summertime og (sérstaklega) Piece of my heart, en ég er ekki eins hrifinn af hinu eins og ég var fyrir þrjátíu og fimm árum, aðeins of losaralegt og vantar þéttari production. Rúmur þristur hér.
What an amazing performance from Janis Joplin on this. Some great songs, piece of my heart being a particular highlight, but others passed me by. Glad I got to listen to this though.
JJ had a great voice, genderless and powerful and some of the songs on this record are great but for me the production lets it down a little. That said the highlights are frequent enough to make this a really good record if not quite great 3.4
I remember a flatmate having this album and we listened to it a lot. Still a bit of a mishmash of bluesjam mixed in with truly great songs. 3.4/5.
There's some cool moments on this and when Janis Joplin is on it, she's really is on it. Piece of my heart is great. But a lot of the record is quite roughly put together and lacks polish. Maybe this was intentional, but it didn't work for me like perhaps intended.
I loved the raspy voice. The rage, the soul and the rock. Overall a goodt 60s album
Could see the influence it had but didn’t really hook me.
There's an indisputable energy to this record, and Janice Joplin's performance is off the scale alongside everything else that was going on at the time. I don't know who the lead guitarist is, but it felt like there were several moments in almost every song where I just wanted him to do his breathing and have a think about what he was doing. And given it's not actually a live recording, why do the guitars sound so bad? The Robert Crumb cover is great, and way ahead of its time - this is NOT how record covers looked in 1968. Joplin could really belt it out but I think you can have too much of a good thing so towards the end, I just wanted her to take a breather and gargle some salt water. I'm glad I listened though - I've never heard it before and spending a little time with it felt like a musical education.
Some great songs and the fake live vibe is cool I guess but poor recording
Janis elevates the material here. The covers were the highlights.
her voice is annoying
it was fine, highlight was piece of my heart. rambling vibe
Alright
Psychedelic jam album. It's a good album and has held up to the test of time in my opinion. I just personally don't love the music all the way through. Ball and Chain is an all time banger.
Not a big Joplin fan but this is very classic. Would never listen again though
This is a fine album, but musically it is not really any different than just listening to Janis Joplin directly. So I think it is redundant.
Not a Fan.
I didn’t remember right away after seeing the band’s name, but after hearing Janis Joplin’s vocal at the start of the album I remembered this was the band she was in just prior to going solo. Great solid rock, with Joplin’s signature vocals made this quite enjoyable.
Such hippies! Some great songs though.
Ok, a couple of tracks that I enjoyed
Es nuevo para mi completamente, pero la portada se ve fantástica. Entrando a mi Spotify, me di cuenta que ya tenía una canción de ellos. De lo que escuché, solo guardé dos canciones, aunque la de Summertime me parece una gran canción. (No lo terminé)
Some big songs here with Summertime and Piece of my Heart. But lost interest as it went on. 3.5
ok
didn't listen to yet
Piece of My Heart is great, but the rest of the album is really lacking for me. This sounds like the kind of band that would be amazing to see live, but it just doesn't translate through recording.
OK but not stunning
Call me jaded; I judged this album by its cover and honestly thought it was going to be easier to shit on. I was so wrong. The album sounds like it's recorded live from a large room, the musicianship is good and, though I've grown to dislike Janis Joplin through only hearing "Piece of My Heart" over my life, imagine my surprise to find that Janis has range. Even "Piece of My Heart" is more enjoyable in the context of the record. I love that the band its able to harmonize with her as well. The album is absolutely being played through a cloud of weed smoke, no question, and at the very least, the guitarist is tripping. This is good psych rock. Sadly, I'm still not a fan of blues, so Cheap Thrills only scores so many points with me. The fuzzed-out and freakier moments do help the bluesy medicine go down. A delightful surprise nonetheless. Highlights: "Combination of the Two", "Oh Sweet Mary"
I had no idea that the crowd noise was added by a producer. Add me to the list of people who were duped and thought this was largely a live album. Great guitar riffs, and I love Janis Joplin's voice.
man I was totally fooled into thinking this was a live album, the crowd noise added definitely gives it that feel and makes it feel more raw. Joplins vocals do a lot of the heavy lifting here, iconic as is it. The blues backing is good for what it is, if its your jam. I got really sucked into I Need A Man To Love and of course A Piece of My Heart, but everything else was okay. Also the racist as hell cover art doesnt do it any favors!
Janis Joplin had an iconic voice but this was a live blues album so not really my cup of tea. She wails and screams and carries the whole damn thing though
Feels like sacrilege to say this but I don't enjoy Janis Joplin's vocals.. It sounds like she's lost her voice but is trying to sing anyway- especially on Summertime. There are moments when I do understand the hype but it's not consistent for me. Favourite song: Piece of My Heart Least: Summertime
not my thing but not baaaad. shrill voice kinda annoying. juuuuust barely not a 2 star for me.
I don't think the length of this artist name will be topped. Pretty good album with some good stuff, somewhat pioneering for the 60's, however it lost me the further through it got. Also... I only just noticed the album cover, that's... oof.
3.5. Underrated classic rock live album.
It's okay. I'm not a big fan of Janis Joplin's voice so some of the songs kind of grate on me.
Instrumentals are fine. Pretty standard rock with some good moments but nothing impressive. When I first heard this sort of raspy female singing style, I thought it was unique and refreshing, but as I've listened to more albums from this time period, I'm starting to think this was just a popular singing style at the time. I'm not against it, but I've already heard it done better multiple times e.g. Betty Davis.
Didn’t know Janice Joplin fronted a significant band before she went solo. This album is in a similar style to her solo work - bluesy psychedelic rock. Jammy soulful and fun. I feel like even though there are big songs here like Piece of My Heart, the songwriting quality is a bit uneven with more than a few filler songs. Let’s say three stars.
Es gibt Besseres von diesen Künstlern.
I have never really listened to Janis Joplin. She's not exactly my thing, but man the talent was insane. I enjoyed this!
STINKY
has a few songs I like that I already knew but the album doesn't stand out to me in any way
I can definitely hear what people like in this music, but it's not for me. I would enjoy it live, but not anywhere else.
Not my favorite thing in the world but I was honestly expecting to find it more annoying than I did. The band has a good sound maybe entirely attributable to the guitar tone.
She’s really awesome but sometimes hard to listen to
It was okay but I really didn't like her voice...
I really enjoyed this album! Janis Joplin’s voice is fascinating and fits the vibe of the music perfectly. Piece of My Heart was particularly great. I enjoy listening to one or two songs of this kind, but an entire album starts to feel a bit repetitive, and by the end, I wasn't enjoying it as much. It's just not the kind of album I would want to listen to from start to finish again, but there were some really fun pieces on it.
It's interesting because most of the songs on this album are over 4 minutes, many pushing towards 5 minutes and even one that's 9 minutes. That's pretty exception given it was released in 1968. To modern ears, it's just rock and roll but I can see why this would be included on the list. The artwork is also kinda cool but the back story of the graphic artist only agreeing to do it if he got to pinch Janis's tit is kinda wild.
this is cool, i would come back to a handful of songs here but probably not the whole album
Very interesting, and Janis Joplin’s vocals are great. I don’t know that most of the songs hold up that well though. Another Piece of My Heart is a notable exception.
A bit dated and I’m not sure I actually enjoy Joplin’s voice all that much. Decent enough rock.
Liked it more than I thought, but greatest?
Interesting, rather than amazing. Fascinating to see Joplin's early style and some innovative guitar work, but i'd want to see what this developed into more. Two best songs are clearly covers. Strange to get this before any other Janis Joplin, feels like its here for historical value. A straight 3.
Rock, Blues, (Janis Joplin), 1968 -> 3
cover does not look like it would be from this year if you get what i mean
3/5
Always nice to hear Janis Jopping, but I think a lot of this album is missing the intensity I like from her. There's some obvious highlights (Turtle Blues is very good and I hadn't heard it before) but yeah not sure about her with the band
A lot of classic Janis Joplin on here. I had no idea she was in a band rather than a solo artist.
There are people who like Janis Joplin's voice and then there's me; when she hits the high notes, a cat in heat comes to mind. And yet, I think this album's decent in spite of that. The band is terrific, and the record sounds good. The album cover (illustrated by Robert Crumb, one of the best album covers of all time) says "live material recorded at Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium" but this is a big, fat lie with a band introduction and crowd noises added in post. Only "Ball & Chain" is a live performance (from Winterland Ballroom, not Fillmore). In any case, it does have the loosey-goosey, raucous feel of a live performance (although the outtakes compilation Sex, Drugs and Cheap Thrills showed us it took quite a few attempts to achieve that vibe). A few of the slower songs focus too much on Janis histrionics for me to enjoy, including the nine minute "Ball and Chain," but "Combination of the Two," "I Need A Man To Love," "Piece of My Heart" and "Oh, Sweet Mary" are twenty minutes of good music where Joplin feels like part of the group rather than the main feature.
The live recording isn’t the best and there’s too much screeching on the guitar for my taste. But boy it’s hard to beat the voice of Janis. The R. Crumb cover art is fun to look at also.
Overall a fun and playful album with some good vocals and fun riffs. Production wasn't all too well but it still sounded good enough. 5.5/10, Favorite Song: Ball and Chain
Notable for early Janis Joplin. 3.2 stars.
Good opener, ultimately failed to hold my interest for long as a broader album.
Enjoyable enough
A pretty good rock album, but man I did not like the vocals.
gritty blues led by one of the most powerful vocalists, tracks like “Summertime” and “Piece of My Heart” are classics.
That Robert Crumb album art tho! Anyway, I've never been much a fan of Janis Joplin's voice, but when it works, it works. And here? It works! Mostly! I enjoyed it well enough, but probably won't come back to this any time soon.
powerful voice. in your face. blues? rock.
6/10
Niet helemaal afgeluisterd, maar chill blues tunes. Grappig 'live' effect. Rauwe sound, voelt echt
I liked the songs I already knew on here, and a couple more. The problem for me was I didn't really like the band much, and any time anyone other than Janis started singing the whole thing became kind of unpleasant.
Honestly I really liked it at first and it was a solid 5 for me. But as the album continued I just felt it begin to drag more and more. By the end I was just happy it was over. First five songs are great and will probably make their way into my rotation in some way or another though.
good
Solid album. Always like Joplin's voice, but I prefer her solo stuff.
I'm not really into Janis Joplin, but there were some songs I liked. Piece of my Heart is amazing. Summertime is a classic. Other than that, it was a pretty freewheeling blues-rock album. Probably one that I'd put on in the background, but not an album with much more than that.
I very much enjoyed this album listen from Big Brother & The Holding Company! I loved the psychedelic rock and blues vibes of this album and Joplin is such an electric and iconic singer. It must have been a trip to experience Joplin and this band back in the day. Overall, I enjoyed this album and would listen to it again!
Wondered what this was until "Piece of My Heart" appeared. A decent listen as Janis Joplin certainly sings from the heart but it didn't quite jibe with me for some reason.
It was probably great hearing some of these songs live but as an album, not really my thing.
Janis Joplin's the kind of name I'd make up for an alien pretending to be a human.
Appeciated the R Crumb cover having just taken a deep dive into him and documentaries on him. A little less into this Music, together with the recent Jefferson Airplane think I find Crumb a More interesting figure of the SF counter culture than either of those two bands.
Fav- I need a man to love (3/5)
not bad, it's kind of rocky, kind of jazzy, kind of led zeppeliny?
2026.02.18.
60’s rock Janis
Wailing’ Janis
Glad to see Janis again, and I had no clue she’d been in a band. Didn’t like this as much as Pearl, but it’s on the higher side of 3. I really liked the cover art until I noticed the racist caricature which is blatantly not how the artist draws other people. It was cool to have all the songs represented on the cover like this; shame they made that decision which taints it a bit.
I had no idea Janis Joplin fronted a band before her solo career so I was surprised to get this album since I didn't know that fact and had never heard about BB&tHC. Their songs though? yeah, i had heard them before. This is a raw and dirty blues rock record, even going so far as to put live sounds as if it were a live recording. The guitar sounds as if it was just assembled with parts found by the side of the road leading to the gig. Her voice, as raspy as ever, somehow fits perfectly with the songs and the band. Summertime and Piece of my Heart are incredible songs.
I love Janis Joplin
ja ik ben niet de grootste fan van Janis Joplin. Wel leuk, deed niet heel veel.
Of the era production but it’s got some screeching guitars that are way heavier than I expected. Shame the production sounds like a live show and not as clean as it could be. Still Janis vocals on some songs are wild. Good but not great, important for sure
I listened to the original release. The album cover is clever and informative. Other than “Piece of my Heart”, the remaining tracks are new to me. It seems they took old tunes and made them psychedelic or rock/hard rock, which was novel in 1968. The album is ok so let’s go with three stars.
Круто, энергично Лучше чем лед зепелин. Может быть немого скучновато Хиты есть 3.5
Good album. A 3,8 for me
Couldn't get past the fact that this is quite clearly Marge Simpson in a rock band. 'Piece of my heart is alright', which I imagine she wrote during that time she was fantasizing about banging Ned Flanders. All in all, middle of the road, a feature from Abe or even Moleman would have bumped it up an extra star.
Janis Joplin’s vocals are incredible. Heard a few songs of hers but never a full album listen. The band and her play off each other perfectly. Great screeching guitars throughout and some really catchy songs. Ball and Chain was my favourite
I don't really like Janis Joplin's voice, just like I don't like the racist caricature in the top right. Besides those flaws this album is ok. Every song here basically sounds the same. Low 3.
Really liked this. Not the stuff I usually listened to but the instrumentals were incredible, as was Janis Joplin’s voice.
piece of my heart is a bop janis's vocals are amazing, uplift the album significantly fun, but quite a few boring slow songs 7
Pretty enjoyable, like a dance party in Golden Gate Park. Not something I'd probably revisit (vocals were harsh and the vibes weren't something I'd look to revisit very often) but wouldn't walk away if it was playing.
Just a great rock album. The "live" feel makes it feel dated just as studio production technology was leaping forward, but the songs are strong and the performances, especially Janis Joplin's vocals and James Gurley's guitar, are amazing.
Its not something I would normally listen to, but impressive rock vocals from Janis Joplin.
The thing I don't understand is why they wanted to make a studio album sound live. Why not just record it live? Recording in the studio and adding crowd noise seems fake (bacause it is). And if you're in a studio why not use the facilities to get the best sound possible. That being said, this was listenable, but I think it could have been done better and I didn't like being conned.
that acid psychosis making you think you're a rockstar
Helt ok. Blues er ikke min greie, men denne er innafor, men det blir likevel fort bakgrunnsmusikk for min del.
Ene so ok, ene mi ful niso
3.5/5. Janis Joplin’s vocals on this album are great, it feels like she was made for this type of bluesy music. Was also an interesting choice to try and make this sound like a live album even though most of it isn’t, the crowd sounds are edited in which is kind of funny to me. Not an all time favorite for me but I enjoyed it and I’m glad to got to hear it.
Fun album, although the best track in my opinion is still the single everyone knows, Piece of My Heart. I also couldn't help but notice on some of the softer tracks/quieter parts that Janis Joplin starts to sound like Marge Simpson. And then I couldn't get that out of head. Anyway, this album was perfectly good, but I didn't love it.
How many cigarettes did Joplin smoke?
It took me a while to lock in on this album and appreciate it on its own merits. I think that is to its detriment as I wonder if this isn't just too locked in to a particular time. It's a good representation of it, but it may require more comfort with it's sound than I have to give it.
Janis Joplin with her band.
Interesting but not great
Nous sommes en 1968, et pour moi qui suis né en 1970, c’est une année de préhistoire, mais c’est surtout l’année où le rock a commencé à sentir sérieusement la sueur, le stupéfiant de contrebande et le soufre. On s’attaque aujourd'hui à "Cheap Thrills" de Big Brother & The Holding Company. Alors, posons les bases : "Cheap Thrills" c'est du blues-rock psychédélique enregistré (ou faisant semblant de l'être, merci la production maligne de l'époque) au milieu d'une foule en délire. C’est gras, c’est lourd, et c’est exactement ce qu’il fallait à l'époque pour secouer les puces des mignons petits hippies de San Francisco. Ma note ? 3 sur 5. Pourquoi pas plus ? Parce qu’on sent que le groupe est à la traîne. Janis Joplin est une force de la nature, une tornade de douleur et d’extase qui hurle ses tripes comme si sa vie en dépendait. Et derrière ? On a des musiciens qui font le job, certes, mais qui semblent parfois ramer pour suivre la cadence infernale imposée par leur chanteuse. On est à mille années-lumière de la Janis impériale qu’on découvrira plus tard, une fois débarrassée de ce carcan parfois un peu poussif. L'album s’ouvre sur « Combination of the Two », mais soyons honnêtes, tout le monde attend le plat de résistance. « Piece of My Heart » est là pour nous rappeler que Janis n'était pas là pour faire de la figuration. Elle ne chante pas, elle supplie, elle engueule, elle explose. C'est viscéral. On sent déjà que Big Brother est devenu trop petit pour elle. C’est le syndrome classique : une étoile filante qui s'apprête à quitter l'orbite d'un groupe de bar, aussi bon soit-il. Il y a bien sûr la pochette de Robert Crumb, ce génie irrévérencieux qui a parfaitement capturé l'esprit du disque : un joyeux bordel coloré, un peu vulgaire, totalement culte. C’est l’esthétique de Haight-Ashbury condensée en un carton carré. Au final, "Cheap Thrills" reste un document historique fascinant. C'est l'acte de naissance d'une icône et l'acte de décès (artistique) d'un groupe qui ne s'en remettra jamais vraiment. C'est le brouillon génial d'une carrière qui allait devenir légendaire et tragiquement courte. On le garde sous l'oreille pour la ferveur, pour « Ball and Chain » qui te retourne l'estomac, et pour cette impression d'assister à une explosion en direct. Mais pour la suite, on sait tous que le meilleur – et le pire – restait à venir.
No. 353/1001 Combination of the Two 3/5 I Need a Man to Love 4/5 Summertime 3/5 Piece of My Heart 4/5 Turtle Blues 4/5 Oh, Sweet Mary 3/5 Ball and Chain 3/5 Average: 3,44 I actually didn't know Joplin was in a band. Nice blues songs, was an enjoyable listen.
Good blues rock stuff, ofc Janis Joplin has an amazing voice but the instrumentation here doesn't do much for me.
Eh
SUMMERRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTIIIME. Cool album, not my fave nothing stuck out. But I was also working.
That vintage sound is money… but still only a 3/5 but me
Janis Joplin! I probably wouldn’t listen on the regular, but it was a fun diversion. 6/10 Pretty Good
Like Roadblock; more beat driven Not a huge Fan of the 60s rock sound Like the parts that sound more blues-y, as opposed to the straight rock Don't love the screaming The whole thing has a slightly unhinged feel about it; there's not a lot of dynamics, just a wall of sound in each song
I don't have much to say because I don't really have any memories of this for the most part. I liked listening to it though.
I don’t know much about Janis Joplin. This was fun to discover. It has a feel of led zep about it, but the songs aren’t quite there.
Not bad
Not my vibe but a good jaz vibe
Decent classic rock album. Probably ideal for a segment of driving through Kansas?
Fine
Некоторые треки не плохие, но налюбителя
Do not like Japlin's voice at all. Lowkey ruins some of the songs. The songs themselves aren't very memorable. Would not listen to again.
Enjoyable enough. Janis is amazing. But I don't think I'll be inclined to listen again.
I had never heard it besides the big single. I liked the heaviness of it and the bassist and drummer made me happy. I needed a few more moments on it for it to make a dent in me, and I thought the production was very weird. The guitar is super reverb’s and far away with drums and bass WAY more present. It was distracting. Enjoyed it overall.
It was good.. hated vocals loved the tunes
janis??? UH <3
3.5
So and so
Perfectly adequate, though Joplin sometimes resembled Marge Simpson
3 würde ich sagen. Solide
Great taste
Some good music. Too much jamming
Not bad. I enjoyed listening to it but I probably won't do it again
Pretty reasonable bluesy rock, but I don’t get the adoration for Joplin’s voice. There are points where she ends up sounding like Marge Simpson
This one was alright, I wasn't a huge fan of the vocals but besides that a lot of the songs sound great. Favorites: Combination of the Two, Roadblock
I prefer Janis Joplin when she was solo compared to this earlier group stuff but it was still nice to hear her.
Better than I thought it would be
Not bad. I liked the vocals and most of the music, but it wasn't anything spectacular. 3.5/5
I love Janis Joplin, but I’m not sure I love her enough to sustain a full album. “Ball and Chain” has become one of my favorite songs.
Some gnarly stuff, but I just don't think I'll listen to it again
Janis joplin? Phenomenal. The music? Eh.
super bluesy and angsty record, loved all the live components! “flower in the sun” short and sweet one but personal fav. janis has such a unique tone go off.
Yeah I like this one
No standouts
liked turtle blues a lot, the piano and the lyrics. think its cool how they made it look as if they were playing live.
Couple good songs, Janis is unreal
2.5 (37:11, 7 tracks, 2nd album, 1968) Blues Rock 2nd and last album Janis Joplin was with BB& the HC. I mean this is a classic album, just Piece of Heart alone brings it up to 3 but it's hard for me to love this album. Throughout I felt like someone must have said 'we have enough room for one white guy and one white girl to sing raspy blues rock, we're already got Robert Plant anyone know a female version?) Best parts of the album - Robert Crumb doodles, great cover. Worst parts - poor production, Janis screeching more than singing overpowers the music at times (works on some tracks, gets old by the 37 minute mark and it's a short album). I'm not a musician but I swear some of this is out of tune. A faked "live" studio effects (why?). I'm glad Janis went solo, there wasn't much more she could do with a sloppy (at best) band. If this was a REAL live album I'd understand (even appreciate their musicianship) but for a studio album with funding it is poorly done (probably why the fake 'live' audience.) If there wasn't Piece of My Heart I would have two'd this album. I'm still very glad I listened to it before I died. 1. "Combination of the Two" 5:47 2. "I Need a Man to Love" 4:54 3. "Summertime" 4:01 4. "Piece of My Heart" 4:15 5. "Turtle Blues" 4:22 6. "Oh, Sweet Mary" 4:16 7. "Ball and Chain" 9: 02 (and too long)
It's a very standard blues album. Joplin does an amazing job on vocals the writing is on par too and the instrumentation is decent AOTY rating: 83
Very interesting and fun. I loved the heavy blues songs. Ended up liking 4 out of the 11 songs.
En del bangers. Lite all over the place som album
Classic old school R&B/soul with elements of late 60s wigout guitar
Not my cup of tea
Janis' voice gets annoying after awhile. It seems soulful, but I think it's just because she's so fucked up on drugs and alcohol. I like Summertime and Piece of My Heart. 3
Love Janis Joplin and think she is fantastic. However, I think if I had only heard this songs of hers, while some are the same, I don't think I would love her as much. Her vocals is what sets her apart and with the full band the vocals of hers are just drowned out, or at least more subtle.
I’ve listened to about half of the album so far and this is such a summer album like zoo-wee-mama. The piano in “Turtle Blues” is fire. The song “Oh, Sweet Mary” makes me think of Rocky horror when doctor Scott is in the zen room. This album isn’t the type of music i usually listen to but honestly the album will probably be apart of my rotation now.
God energi fra Janis Joplin, men for mye seig psychedelica-blues.
very vocal (kind of like scatting) - definitely won't listen to again - not my vibe - fave song was piece of my heart
I enjoyed this on first listen. It was a lot better than I expected.
I’m still not in love with her voice, but I actually enjoyed this more than Pearl.
Hørt i bilen på vei til Harstad sammen med Jon 23/12/25. Mye bra, litt for monotont for min del.
7.5/10 enjoyed would listen to again
eh
Raspikurkkuinen Janis Joplin jossa näitä mustia rytmiä. Hitsi että fiilaan välillä näitä. Sellasta soulia mitä Janis tekee mutta näillä rytmeillä.
Combination of rock and blues. The vocals too scratchy for my taste. Piece of My Heart is the most iconic one
Some good tunes; lots of decent, drug-induced, bluesy rock. Vintage Joplin.
Some great moments but overall alright
Alright aye
Nothing special, at least for me
Fikk litt ny respekt for Janis. Tror æ kan sette på denne plata en gang.
Not the catchiest songs but janis eats
Not bas energy in the morning
Hørt i bilen med Jon første juledag.
Heard piece of my mind before
Great sound, but I couldn't stop focusing on how Janis sounds like Marge Simpson.
Love to see the legends on the come-up.
Cover art was a shit choice for sure. Joplins voice is amazing. The cover versions are interesting. A fun listen
it was okay, but not a fave
An iconic voice that was gone too soon. Really carries the album with a performance and voice that can’t be replicated. However it gets a bit same-y for me after a few songs.
Cheap Thrills is raw, loud, and powered by Janis Joplin’s ferocious vocals, especially on standouts like “Piece of My Heart.” While its energy is undeniable, the album can feel uneven and rough around the edges. Flawed but iconic, it captures a moment more than a consistently polished record.
Vocals are slightly grating but otherwise nice sound!
Just not a Janis fan but interesting to hear where it started.
It was fine, didn't love didn't hate. Probably wouldn't choose to put it on again.
piece of my heart & summertime are by far best (most popular for a reason), joplin vocals solo
Not the biggest fan of this type of classic rock but Janis Joplin’s vocals are cool and overall the writing isn’t too boring; pretty fun.
Interesting hearing Janis on this!
A solid jammy rock album, but I think I prefer Joplin's solo albums. 3.5 ->3
sex, drugs, and janis joplin
i get why people like Janis Joplin. i think in the right mood, i'd really be into this record. "I Need a Man to Love" is soulful as fuck, but man, I just don't care right now. I can hear where a lot of modern bands draw influence from this album. I can't tell if "Piece of My Heart" is better than "I Need a Man", or if it's just the most recognizable song on the record.
Anerkjenner at det er bra, men ikke alt som treffer undertegnede
its some okay fun. guitar masturbation, with some shreaky vocals.
Pari aika legendaarista biisiä, mut muuten ei oikeen jaksa sytyttää. "aikansa kuva" voisi olla taas hyvä lause näihin taustoihin, mutta Janis Joplin kyllä loistaa mikin varressa
Onhan sillä Petkellä vallan hieno ääni, ei mahda mitään, biisit ei vaan yllä samalle tasolle. Hieman liian jazzahtavaa omaan makuun, mutta livenä toimisi vallan mainiosti. Notta mennään kolmosella.
Joo ohan tää rohkeeta tavaraa pluussirokin tai jonkun vastaavan saralla. Kovaa revittelyä soitannollisesti ja varsinkin laulupuolella. Ihan hirveesti tämmöstä ei kyllä jaksas kuunnella vapaaehtosesti, mutta menee tähän samaan linjaan kun kaikki muukin näköjään tällä hetkellä, että ymmärrän kyllä, mutta en kuuntele. Sen takia ei voi ruoskia SÄILÄLLÄ. Varmaan osittain kärsii siitäkin, että on liveälppäri kyseessä, niin meno on enemmän semmosta fiilismiehelle sopivaa kun totiselle musiikkikuluttajalle. Sit kun ei oo fiilismies-olo, niin ei välity se lavameininki. Plussaa toki älppärin kansitaiteesta. Roopertti Krumppi on kova pikkutuhmien kuvien piirtelijä.
It sounds like a love album but it's not presented like one. The background ambience of the live crowd does add some character to it, though. Janis Joplin is ripping and screeching through some great blues rock. It's got tons of soul and some great jamming. Not more to say about that. 3.5 Stars
"1960s Rock - the band behind ""Piece of My Heart"". There is a lot of feeling and stage presence from Janis Joplin even in the recording. This is a 3.5/4 Stars for me.
Good album but I can't stop thinking about how Janis Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson. Faves: I Need a Man to Love, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues
This must be what it felt like going to a club in the 60s and hearing a local band that kinda sucked but went really hard and you never forgot that
Think this goes with what you think of Joplin. A blues belter or grater. At positive end Piece of my Heart it works, gets the Otis level of push and power and if all had been in this range would have liked the album, but at the other end Summertime , didn’t want to use the analogy because many had but yes nails, marge Simpson down blackboards. Just not a fan of Joplins thing, think it just falls too much into grating, and that’s the main draw of the album. 3 Star
Ok
Historical for sure
Solid. Janice Joplin cranks! Love those vocals. Great guitar too. Very solid.
I lost my beautiful Charly Garcia notebook.
Some iconic Janis Joplin moments in there, but overall a bit too heavy for my afternoon
More like a 3.5. Would def come back to this.
Has several classic radio hits that are familiar but the rest of the album feels like an average jam band to me
This was a good album, didn't know it was Janis Joplins band before she blew up! The more you know lol
As amazing as Joplins vocal can be it gets grating here. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.
good
Janis Joplin is a natural force and enfant terrible. But does she need to sing this old school psychedelic 60s stuff?
No strong feelings about this really. Some good songs, but like a lot of the other 60s SF albums, I think you had to be there. I appreciate Janis Joplin's vocal talents, but don't really enjoy them that much.
Good music but fake audience was strange.
Janis' voice is a tour de force for sure, but I didn't think this was quite as much of a knockout as I maybe expected? Piece of My Heart is an unbelievable song but nothing else hits quite that hard. The Summertime cover was a little much with some of her vocalizations. Overall wanted more although I can definitely appreciate her as an artist.
Pas mauvais. Janis a toute une drive. La captation est épouvantable.
3.5
Cool
I never knew Janis Joplin was in a band before she went solo. This album was a bit of everything: groovy, bluesy, funky, energetic, fun. I go back and forth on Janis Joplin’s voice though. Some songs I enjoy her vocals (like Piece of My Heart) and others not so much (Summertime). But there’s no doubt that Janis Joplin and the other musicians in this band were talented.
Definitely better than her solo album. Can't say I was expecting Janice Joplin to be the first artist I have two albums from
3.25
Never heard this album before. Janis is fantastic and the vibe rock but it's not one that I'll find myself going back to any time soon but if I stumble on it, I'd listen again gladly.
Just fine, Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson at points
It really feels like the band is constantly in a contest of who the best artist is which hurts the songs that are otherwise perfectly solid
A second Jenis Joplin related album for this week. Let's check this one. First track is more of a jammy kind of intro. Janis sounds so young in innocent here it made me shiver a bit. A high energy one with group vocals and solos to start. Second song is energetic and preformed very well. This version of summertime is what made fall in love with Janis when I was about 14 years old. Her voice is unbelievable here. And the guitar work... priceless. Piece of my heart is a classic rock classic for a good reason. It's a great song. Janis sounds amazing singing the blues on track 5. I actually really liked how basic it is. Only piano, vocals and a saloon atmosphere. Nice. 6 Most psychedelic one for sure. Liked it very much. Just super cool vibe and nice vocals. I was worried that the last track will be to long, but it turned out to be one of the best ine the entire thing. Just massive blues performance from Janis and the band. What a great one! Enjoyed it more than pearl I think. The rawness and singing is just great. Better than pearl but still a high
Appreciate her voice and get that this is good generally just not something I would put on to jam to just doesn’t speak to me
Meh, några goa bitar men för icke-melodiskt och skramligt
Is quite badly like to avoid overstating it, but it doesn’t feel like hyperbole to call this the sound of a thousand hurricanes making landfall. What Joplin and Gurney create whips and whooshes; cajoling road signs from their fastenings, tossing them into the mix with cattle, chattel, whatever’s not completely nailed down. And up and away you go with it too, perhaps initially with trepidation – but when the weightlessness kicks in and you realise you’re in this for good … it’s kind of impossible not to be romanced by it. That’s the hurricane covered, but why “a thousand”? Maybe one day I’ll name them one by one, but today I’ll run out of time – so suffice it to say what’s here is as irresistible as the process that creates the OG meteorological formation. These are sounds made thick by an intoxicating mix of sex, drugs and, ah fuck it, rock n’roll. I suppose every cliche started life as something incredible. This is the sound of Janis making landfall. Nothing was the same again.
A little too bluesy for my tastes, but the sweaty, swaggery delivery of Janis is pretty great. Instantly recognizable, and yet this album is probably somewhat forgotten given her untimely death just two years later. A small window into what might’ve been.
Janis!!