Cheap Thrills

Good old Rock - a lot of nice Songs

Summertime is super cool Piece of my Heart is a classic, I didn't know it was this band that sang it TIL Turtle Blues (theres blues on this rock album?! hell yeah!) Ball and Chain is crazy Roadblock hellyeah this was rad

Awesome and influential album from the great Janis Joplin and her band. I may be biased as someone who dresses as Janis most Halloweens, but damn what a queen. This was also so cool to listen to knowing some of the live material was recorded at Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium, avenue I've been to countless times. God imagine that. Apparently this was the opening show at the venue. Anyway I couldn't give this less than 4 stars!

Janis Joplin is impressive

Portada icónica (a cargo de Robert Crumb). Un disco muy reconocido, sobre todo por la versión, en clave blues-rock de Piece of my heart, que de ningún modo supera a la original de Erma Franklin. Es un disco muy bueno, pero porque lo sostiene Janis con su voz y energía, el resto de la banda están lejos de ese nivel. Más discos excelentes de 1968: THE BEATLES- White Album , THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Electric ladyland, Odessey and Oracle de The Zombies, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - White light, white heat, THE KINKS - The Village Green Preservation Society, VAN MORRISON - Astral weeks, THE ROLLING STONES - Beggars banquet, CREAM - Wheels of fire, THE BYRDS - Sweetheart of the rodeo, THE SMALL FACES - Ogden's nut gone flake, THE PRETTY THINGS - S.F. Sorrow, OTIS REDDING - The dock of the bay, BLOOMFIELD , KOOPER & STILLS - Super Session, JAMES CARR - A Man needs a Woman, Dance To The Music de Sly & The Family Stone, Safe As Milk del Capt. Beefhart, Surrealistic Pillow de Jefferson Airplane, Lady Soul y Now de Aretha Franklin, The Notorious Byrd Brothers y Sweetheart of the rodeo de The Byrds, We're Only in It for the Money de Zappa, Idea y Horizontal de los Bee Gees, For Once in My Life de Stevie Wonder , A Saucerful Of Secrets de Pink Floyd, Spirit de Spirit, Bookends de Simon and Garfunkel, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida de Iron Butterfly, el Soundtrack to 1968 TV special de Elvis, Nuff Said! de Nina Simone, Blood, Sweat & Tears de Blood, Sweat & Tears... Debuts de JEFF BECK GROUP, NEIL YOUNG, THE BAND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, OS MUTANTES, SILVER APPLES...

UGH

Oh this one is groovy! Love Janice's voice!

Janis joplin is really good and I have never heard her sing before this! Now yes I am trying to catch up and I will but Let me be behind I thrive that way

Do we consider this early psychedelic rock? This album is a studio recorded record, yet is produced and performed in a way to make it sound live. I think Janis Joplin is another one of those Artists similar to Bob Dylan, in that you love or hate them due to their voice. There’s a ton of fun guitar jamming here. I think this record has a TON of room to grow on me, I really do like it, I just need more time with it to fully appreciate it. Favorite tracks: Summer time Ball and chain

Come on Janis, it's not fair on the rest of us

What a great album. Can’t believe I haven’t listened to it before.

81% Best: I Need a Man to Love; Piece of My Heart; Ball and Chain Must-Hear? Sure

Other than the black face on the cover pretty good album.

The lead guitarist and Joplin are standouts against a backdrop of boilerplate rock numbers. Otherwise, its spot here is boomer fan service.

4.5!

Janis was something else

Very much of it's time and not what you'd call an easy listen. You can definitely smell and taste this album. Didn't know any of the material before listening other than the ubiquitous Piece Of My Heart but itvwas alright.

Great album, great cover art. Janis Joplin is incomparable and probably influenced everyone from Chrissy Hynde to Bon Scott to Stevie Nicks. Just another level. I love the timelessness of this record, there's nothing on it that is topical or connected to the time it was made. Should last another couple hundred years. Could be tighter. And if Janis Joplin is your singer, why would you relegate her to backups on "Oh, Sweet Mary"? Really the only flaw on this album.

I didn't absolutely hate this like I thought I would, but there is a lot of cultural baggage here that I'm not sure I can disengage from that. It seems like my 3 rating is my o can't decide what to do with them rating.

Big fan of the Jan

This is the kind of music that should be playing in the background of every record shop you walk into. The kids loved it.

I enjoyed this album much more than I thought I would. The album was listed as psychedelic rock in Wikipedia, a genre that is over represented in the 1001 challenge. After a few worrying, live guitar noodlings this album quickly turned into an awesome listen. Janice Joplin's voice is so distinct and emotional; such a great loss at such an early age. Loved the album art. This would be a 3.5 but I'm rounding it down for the noodling.

I thought I'd enjoy this more - and I did enjoy it, but I think maybe it's just a genre that is so overrepresented. Janis Joplin's voice is incredible - she really tests it limits in this album, so raw and passionate! The musicians really know their craft! The cover is pretty wild, though not as wild as it could have been reading about the album!

went hard but a bit bland tbh

Late 60s rock. Playful, fun. Janis Joplin was lead singer before going solo. Her voice is something else. Interesting Summertime cover. Piece of My Heart just knocks me off my feet. There are absolute pearls on this, other tracks don’t really appeal to me.

I LOVED THIS. Ok I’ve got to be honest I’ve never listened to BB&THC, let alone Janis Joplin before. Sure, I’ve heard of JJ, but I know her being referenced in the same sentence as Woodstock or the infamous 27 Club. I’ve never been particularly pulled to seek her out and listen. Anyways, I popped this on in the car, commuting to work and from the first listen I was truly blown away. It’s fun & funky and I couldn’t get enough. (….I was kinda getting Marge Simpson vibes with Janis’ voice from time to time. ) I’m grabbing the album on vinyl as soon as I can and putting into my rotation.

Everything about this album works on some level- the unique cover art, raw vocals, epic guitar riffs- is it possible for the '60s to get much cooler?

Until you start doing an exercise like this & realize how much of the music completely sucked, this might be how you imagine 60s rock: bit rough around the edges, guitar solos partly standard blues lines and a rumbling thunder of psychedelia. obvious blues influence on everything, vocals dripping with it in a range from 'cool, electric blues takes it to the limit' to 'hmmm uhh this might be kinda uh blackface??'. you know. 60s stuff. if it were all interesting, and not as often like the worst of Byrds/CSN.

“Psychedelic blues” is not a combination of words that I like to hear, but leave it to Janis Joplin to overcome that and then some. I love the way the band kinda sucks. They sound like they’re about to fly off the rails from the first few measures of the first song, right up until the end, but they never really do. And Joplin herself was never on the rails to begin with. Everything she did was good to me, but this is the best. Sounds like her in a natural state, whereas later albums sound a bit reigned in. Love Cheap Thrills, always have always will.

Rough production but influential

I am very familiar with this album. Janis ' voice is like no other, raw and emotional. Her version of Summertime is one of my favorites. Its tragic to listen knowing she would be gone at 27 a couple of years after Cheap Thrills.

This is a raw an powerful rock and roll album. It is a peak for 60's blues driven music. The classic hard driving fuzzy 60's guitar work is exemplary. Joplins voice and style fits perfect for the band and the moment. SHe sings with such power and emotion. Now, knowing her traumatic history, how troubled she was, and that she would be dead within 2 years makes it feel like you are listening to someone tragically in throws of killing herself. Summertime is famously one of my favorite numbers and I love the juxtaposition of her voice singing what was meant to be a jazzy operatic song. 4.6

I would say this is a very good but not great blusey rock album. It does have the all time clasic Piece of my Heart and a great version of Summertime. Much of the rest of the album is fun but not exceptional.

Janis Joplin was truly one of a kind. Her voice is her signature, never to be duplicated. This is a pretty good album with decent songs and the band backs Janis perfectly and rises to the occasion when featured. The classic standouts song is "Piece of My Heart". The version of "Summertime" included will never allow me to hear the song the same way ever again.

Somehow I’ve never listened to this whole album and so thankful I did. What a snapshot of an era and an incredible talent.

Raw album, wasn’t a big fan of her voice

Janis certainly has a voice, ain't for me

This was good and I enjoyed it, BUT it's a lot of Janis Joplin. Obviously talented and unique but better in small doses in my opinion. 6/10 (3/5)

I'm not TOTALLY sure what to make of this album. Love the cover, at least. It's solid stuff and some notable songs but I'm not entirely sold either.

Musically this rips; psychedelic rock 'n' roll fused with soul and blues. I am, however in the minority, in that I really don't like Joplin's vocals. Honestly feel like it sounds like someone torturing a cat. She actually sounds more haggard on this recording than some of the later ones I've heard. Everything is at its best when the band is really jamming on something. I think because Janis's voice becomes the focus when they slow down and show some restraint. If this was an instrumental album it would be amazing.

Loved it

Simply one of the best psychedelic rock records ever recorded, and a prime example of why live albums are often better than studio recordings.

a bit screamy for me. but piece of my heart is fire

Top 10 no skips album of all time

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Pre-listening thoughts: I have no idea who this band is but upon further inspection it seems they were fronted by Janis Joplin which means crazy impressive vocals are on the way. Kinda hype Post/during listening thoughts: as expected Janis’s vocals are crazyyyyyy. She was so so talented. Why why WHY is Ball and Chain almost 10 mins. No song needs to be that long! I think most of these songs could use some editing/shortening tbh. I think it’s good overall but I think so much of it is carried by Janis Joplin. Like the songs themselves are fine and the arrangements and production is fine but without Janis idk it would be kind of mid. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no bc personally I would pick Pearl over this in terms of Joplin material but this was good Fav tracks: Summertime, Piece of my Heart, Ball and Chain if it were 5 mins shorter 😭, Flower In the Sun, Magic of Love Least fav tracks: turtle blues (man maybe I don’t like blues sorry!), Ball and Chain length

nicht gut bzw. absolut nicht meins

Echt nicht meins

Getting real tired of listening to rock only albums on this 1001 albums experience, and I'm on day 45.

I enjoy the first side quite a bit more but this is very solid blues rock. Janis has an interesting, “distorted” voice but maybe sometimes she uses it a bit much. Some very electrifying guitar work in this one by three different guitarists (not necessarily all playing in the same song). Highlight: “Piece of My Heart”. 3.5 stars.

To me Janis carries the band, which to me the band gave me Jefferson Airplane vibes. In fact, I kinda feel like this album is a lesser Crown of Creation which was recorded and released about the same time. (both being Bay Area bands, there was probably some cross influence going on). The two songs where Sam Andrew takes the lead vocals are easily my least favorite songs of the set. Pretty much through the entire play... until "Ball and Chain" which is the crown jewel of this album. Not only is her vocals just on top of it, the dark distorted guitar work of Andrew absolutely kills. I think that one 9 min epic closing the album definitely lands this in 4 territory (8.25) ★★★★

Like the music and playing, hates Janis Joplin's vocals. Low 3.5 stars

like the sound of the band -- there's some very cool fuzz guitar -- and Janis' voice is cool, but the songs themselves leave a bit to be desired. The stuff I knew was my favorite, but the rest was kinda filler. 3.5

2.5

Straightforward classic with immensely raw blues rock sound and phenomenal singing from Janis Joplin throughout. Amazing artwork and featuring top notch songs such as Piece Of My Heart and others.

couple of good hits but just kinda blended together

Psychedelic!

Janis is clearly an icon and has an incredible voice but this band isn't really my thing. If I were on acid in Haight Ashbury in 1967 I'd probably think it was cool.

A very cool album. An interesting mix of genres and styles, and Janis Joplin absolutely killing it on vocals. Loved it.

I know what im going to say is sacrilege but her voice really didnt bring me joy. I didnt know anything about this band and only realised who the singer was afterwards. I listened to this and enjoyed the whole psych, 70's, vietnam feel to it. It made me want to watch Forrest Gump. But the covers weren't good and i had to force myself to finish the album.

Who let Marge Simpson join Jefferson Airplane?

8/10 Good vocals and etc. But I prefer it to be without this 'live' effect. It's hard for me to listen the whole bunch of songs in a row.

Fun album. Tbh I didn't always love JJs vocalising

Piece Of My Heart was on high rotation as a kid (my mum loved the China Beach Soundtrack). Hadn’t heard anything other than that by these guys and the rest is alright but I probably won’t listen again. The janky mixing at the start had me freaking out that my headphones were busted and the album artwork is pretty naff.

A unique vocalist. And the drumming has be a very organic sound. Some of the tracks feel like jam sessions though which isn't really my jam. Standout track: Combination of the Two

Favourites: I Need A Man To Love Ball and Chain I enjoyed this album Janis Joplin's unique vocal style brings a lot to the music that I think would be missing with the band alone. Also the cover and the story behind it is really cool.

"Piece of my Heart" is the one memorable song. Interesting live recording but mostly forgettable for me.

Summer of love psychedelic feel good rock with Janis Joplin's voice that pop music has been chasing ever since. Ahead of it's time and massively influential. Kick back and enjoy some dripping guitar solos with chilled out bass.

Such good performance and energy.

К сожалению, этот альбом не сильно зацепил, хотя такой добротный хард-рок, очень драйвовый.

One good song and some classic guitar sprinkled throughout.

Mediocre album. Not a 60s fan

This album is heavy and rules.

Janis Joplin is an amazing singer, really powerful and raw. This album had a strong blues feel and had some great guitar riffs. I really enjoyed it. There are some great tracks on this like Turtle blues and piece of my heart. The album cover is also fantastic. Favourite song: Piece of my heart and magic of love Least favourite: all songs are good Album artwork: I love the cover

Combination of the 2 - Love the guitar solo, plus the chorus is fun I Need a Man to Love - Backup vocals are fun (oh no!), the intro kicks ass. This one's a little jazzier Summertime - Slower, stringier. Joplin's voice needs louder, more jamming type guitars for me. Not a skip, but not a favorite Piece of My Heart - I actually know this one, still rocks. Slower than I remember though... Turtle Blues - Very bluesy, fun guitars. Love the claps. Not usually a fan of live, but it works here. Oh, Sweet Mary - Another cool guitar solo. Almost western? makes me think of cowboys for some reason Ball and Chain - This one's real quiet. Another really bluesy one. Love a long last track. Very cool album. I don't usually like live stuff, but I didn't mind this. Not sure if I'm a huge fan of Janice Joplin's voice, but I like the rest enough that it didn't bother me at all. 4/5

janis joplin has SUCH a voice, her rasp can literally shake up whatever room she's in i feel. this alone makes me rank it pretty high. this album is a loud, trippy and almost choral sounding ride. while some people may find it a little bonkers, it's this pivotal turn in rock music that was refreshing especially for its time.

3.5 rounded down a bit too wandering and bluesy for me i think. album cover goes hard tho highlights: combination of the two, piece of my heart (sep 8 2024)

Great vocals, and fun songs

2.5, siisti kansi.

Hello, it’s me, the broken record. Just wanted to stop by and remind you that literally every band in the late 60’s San Francisco psych scene were better songwriters, better musicians and more engaging performers than the Grateful Dead. Why you would listen to the Dead when Big Brother and The Holding Company could harness more focused intensity in the first 45 seconds of this record than the Dead were capable of in their entire career? I am not one for conspiracies, usually, but I do believe that when MK Ultra shuttered, the CIA allowed the Dead to traverse the US giving out LSD as a means to further study the effects of the drug on the population. They may not have been involved directly, but i can't imagine that they weren't watching the results intently. Think about it, they no longer had to worry about the risks of CIA involvement in dosing civilians when there was a band who was traveling town to town doing it for them…There's no way they weren't more than happy to let it go on unfettered. Anyway… On “Cheap Thrills”, Big Brother and the Holding Company are in fine form. The band is tight, with an excellent rhythm section, guitar leads that are fuzzy and frenetic and Janis Joplin at the top of her game. I highly recommend it.

This album is raw and wild. The vocals soar with a raspy, bluesy power, almost like Aretha Franklin meeting Grace Slick in a dive bar. The guitars are gritty, unpolished, but full of energy, like early Cream. It’s loud but emotional, switching between soulful ballads and heavy rock without losing its edge. You feel every note, every growl.

It was ok

This was (shamefully) the first time I've actually sat down to listen to Janis Joplin beyond single songs or hits. I enjoyed it more than expected.

This is (shamefully) the first time I've ever intentionally listened to Janis Joplin beyond single songs or hits. I enjoyed it more than I expected.

The blues flows freely in here. With great addition of Janis Joplin's voice.

Janis rocks!!!

Recognized Janis Joplin's voice.

Before today, I had no clue that Janis Joplin ever sang in a band. So that was a nice piece of information I learned. It’s also welcoming because I love her voice a lot, as it always felt filled with a surprising amount of soul, and it is a much needed addition when it comes to this style of rock. I doubt I would have enjoyed this album as much without her on it, but with her singing this album is an absolute joy to listen to.

Pretty generic folksy rock to me.

Great music with an obviously STELLAR lead. Fantastic overall.

It's a bit inconsistent, and some of the songs are a tad too long, but it's an enjoyable enough listen.

The late great JJ... must be a drag to know that, as a band, she was the one made you and then just went off to do her own thing. Lovely listen, but not something to write home about, so right down the middle we go....

I don't have anything to really mention about this album, Janis Joplin's voice is a bit too harsh for me to enjoy and I didn't like the music a massive amount. The only track I found myself liking the most is Piece of My Heart.

This music itself was mid, but honestly I question the judgement of any group that would give the o.k. to have several instances of blackface/Black caricatures on the cover (even in the 60s). I mean, that puts forward a pretty clear statement about what audience they'd like to listen to this. And I guarantee that audience is not the Black audience that revolutionized blues music and rock. 1/5

They sound like Fleetwood Mac before Fleetwood Mac was Fleetwood Mac

Way back in my review of The Who's LIVE AT LEEDS, I made a big deal vouching for the inclusion of live albums on this list. In short, if you haven't read it: there are just some bands where the studio setting didn't do their sound justice. Sure, they could sound **good** in the studio, but what they could do on stage is another level entirely. The Holding Company—as far as I'm hearing from this video I'm watching as I type this—was one of those bands. After their smash hit show at the Monterey Pop Festival and their debut studio album, the people were **clamoring** to hear the band's live sound captured on record. For some people, it was a hotter, more anticipated release than The Beatles' White Album. And come August 12th... Well, they sort of got it? Kind of, technically? Maybe not, depending on how you look at it? Most people these days probably know this, but in case you, the reader, don't, lemme jus' rip this off: this is a studio album. And it's not even a funky hybrid case like Frank Zappa's SHEIK YERBOUTI, where he overdubbed the shit out of live tracks. Despite what the cover claims, only one song on this album was recorded live, and it wasn't even where the cover says it was supposed to have been. This album is "live" in the same way "Bennie And The Jets" is, or Richard Cheese playing a royal wedding or Mos Eisley Spaceport. But putting that aside—would you know if I didn't tell you? They still kill it. They still rock to shit. Sure, even the **crowd noises** were recorded in the studio, but it's all put together so well, and the music is so good, I can hardly care. It's like the accusations lobbied against KISS's ALVIE! or Thin Lizzy's LIVE AND DANGEROUS being a studio creation. Sure, they lied about what kind of album this was, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get over it, y'know? Generally, I'd still enter it into the same pantheon as NO SLEEP 'TIL HAMMERSMITH and MADE IN JAPAN. And with it being at a nice, tight 37 minutes, too, there's no reason why you shouldn't give it a spin and try it out. It ain't a ball and chain; y'ain't got nuthin' to lose.

Wasn't hitting for me in the first couple tracks, but once Piece of My Heart came on, that sentiment changed into one of "Holy fuck, this is some good ass blues rock." Janis' vocals are one of a kind, and the instrumentation is superb, 'specially on the more bluesy tracks. 4.5 bumped up to 5, despite those slower tracks at the start.

I’m at a 10. I’ve never heard Janis Joplin’s voice until today – her name is pretty damn well known, but finally listening to her… god, what a voice. Extremely unique for its era – Ella Fitzgerald she sure as shit is not. One of the grittiest, harshest, and yet most empowering voices I think I’ve ever heard, and the range of her voice is on full display throughout this album. Really, the only thing I could complain about is that the band behind her is so fucking good that it’s incredibly easy to zone out and be mesmerized by their guitars and percussion. Combine that with Janis’s voice and you have a deadly weapon of “being so into it you literally forget what the best parts are,” and that’s where I’m at – I would normally wax poetic about individual pieces of an album, but this all blended together to make 37 of the most entertaining minutes I’ve heard yet. The one thing I can wax poetic about though is the absolutely stunning “Piece of My Heart” – just a bombastic track. Janis is on fire, the band’s on fire, the whole thing is a masterpiece on wax, and a truly flawless song. It’s worthy of a 5 by itself, but this whole album feels like it deserves far higher; just a masterclass to me. Absolutely fantastic stuff.

Idk what it is, because I don’t really love this music, but there is something undeniable about Janis Joplin.

i know Janis sings with heart and all that, but to me she sounds like a thrown rod.

Live albums are not my thing, personally.

Janis Joplin has some pipes! Really enjoyed this after not knowing what to expect

Janice is a really interesting character. Everything about her life suggests she didn't want or was heading toward being the rock and roll, drugs and free love icon most people see her as today. Straight A student, chubby kid, supportive parents. An unfortunate set of circumstances abruptly ends her life, so young. As for the band, despite the fact she didn't really dig them, I thought they were good. They have style but don't really keep it tight, but it's still some really great music in this album. A very good listen from a time so viscerally engrained in everyone's mind.

YES!! Oh Janis, why did you have to leave us so soon?

To preface this review, I'd like to mention how this album was reissued as recently as 2016 without the album cover being altered.....huh.......the album itself is pretty solid, nothing that absolutely blew me away besides Piece of my Heart. The rest of the album kinda lags pretty far behind that track though. I did like listening to this, but I probably won't ever do a full relisten on this one. Good record with some excellent performances, especially from Janis, but far from an essential listen.

70' cool

Janis Joplin kills it in the vocals, strong blues roots, great guitar

Soulful and full of vim and vigor, especially Ms Joplin’s gritty and expressive vocals.

I'm not a huge Janis Joplin fan, and I think it's because I've only heard a few of her songs that are considered the hits. However, I loved the acid rock that was in the background here and the rawness that this album brought. Definitely made me rethink her stuff.

Looking at the Robert Crumb cover, I thought psych, the name didn't ring a bell and conveyed funk vibes. I only tweaked when Ms Joplin's voice resonated. Apart form said. Voice there were not anything special about this album.

The cover art could’ve been beautiful but instead it’s just straight up racist. I know the maker of it was a satirist, but I’m not sure that compensates for that. The music is great though. Janis Joplin has an amazing and unique voice which in my opinion reflects a lot of emotion.

Engrossing listen, well-produced. Fake crowd noises are kind of a crutch but interesting. Classic late-60s heavy hippy stuff.

Rip Janis💛 sempre una leggenda

This album was quite unique from anything I had listened to previously, I was a big fan of the instrumentals but not so much the vocals. My favourite songs were Combination of the Two and Ball and Chain.

AMAZING production, but it kind of falls flat and feels repetitive in some of the slower songs. Favorite song: Combination of the Two & Ball and Chain soft 7/10

Only knew the hits for Big Brother because of Joplin’s talent. First time listening to this album and it did not disappoint. A great history lesson of a time that was romanticized but had, like anything & everything, some darkness to come…Joplin’s OD at 27 years old and entry into the 27 Club. Great albeit dated, problematic Crumb cover.

Cool blues influence.

first listen pretty great blues rock feat. janis joplin

Okay, I guess.

Mostly too bluesy 4 me. I liked "Oh, Sweet Mary" and "Piece of My Heart" obv.

Kinda fun with the fake live stuff, but nothing else really stood out for me. I did have a headache when listening to this tho, so maybe it wasn’t the optimal time to try to appreciate Janis Joplin’s singing.

piece of my heart summertime

*mostly screaming and screeching vocals, some calm instrumental tracks, but many screaming guitars.

Amazing. Piece of my heart alone cements this in history. Some feels like filler. Grade A filler, but still.

Albumi #6, 02.08.2024 Janis Joplinin bändin toinen levytys ja viimeinen ennen kuin Joplin siirtyi soolouralle. Albumi on tunnusomaista 60-luvun lopun blues-rockia pienin psykedeliavivahtein. Albumi on pääosin studiotallenne, mutta siihen on miksattu jälkikäteen yleisön ääniä luomaan vaikutelmaa livetaltioinnista. Singlejulkaisu "Piece of My Heart" on cover-versio Erma Franklinin vuotta aikaisemmin levyttämästä kappaleesta ja se on levyn ehdottomia kohokohtia. Levyllä on myös kaksi muuta cover-kappaletta: Summertime (George Gershwin) ja Bell and Chain (Big Mama Thornton).

Groovay... there's no other way I can put it ☮️

Janis Joplin is so amazing. I adore her cover of Summertime, Piece Of My Heart is a classic and I Need A Man To Love Me is also just extremely good. Then you even have the wonderful progrock of Ball And Chain. Amazing album.

Zonder na te denken een 5. Janis Joplin is de meest underrated Club 27 artiest. Wat een stem. Wat een vrouw. Wat een muziek.

Truly showing the potential of Janis Joplin

4/5

The album was fun. Janis Joplin has a characteristic and great voice. The old rock tube. I had almost forgotten Piece of My Heart. I didn't know the version of Summertime yet and I really liked it. 4/5

I had no idea Janis Joplin started with this band. Surprising. A little piece of my heart has been on my playlist for a long time.

Oh man that album cover has not aged well

Intense but good

the music is ok but the vocals sound like you put a dying chicken through a meat grater

Pretty good album, Janis is talented, but I actually felt that the band was the main attraction of the record. Great groove and guitar solos, cool woodstock vibes.

Favourite Song: Summertime

Are we able to vote higher than five stars? Such a brilliant album. The more you listen to it the more you want to listen to it. Another great example of music written and recorded when it was artists pushing other artists to be their best. This album holds a special place in my library.

The best album so far, i regret i gave 5 stars to other albums before this

My unpopular music opinion is that Janis Joplin wasted her talents when she made tasteful Soul music, when she is put in a Freak-Psych and Blues setting she soars higher than anyone else ever could. Also, this one friend of mine said that "Summertime" sounds like Marge Simpson is singing and that is difficult for me to unhear. It's an easy joke to make but wow is that all I can hear now.

Cheap Thrills is an awful name because it implies this album isn't absolutely awesome. It also gets bonus points for releasing in the 60s and not being slop. There are some genuinely great guitar tones here, and some really recognizable riffs. A lot of influence can be traced back to this one and there really is a little bit of everything here. There's a bit of Blues, a bit of Metal, a bit of Rock and Roll, and they kinda do all of it well. Favorites are Summertime, Ball And Chain, Piece of My Heart, and Flower In The Sun

I absolutely loved this one. Really neat pseudo-live style that works for the music. Great vocals and ripping guitar that sometimes sounds like a precursor to metal. Also doesn’t outstay it’s welcome at a brisk 37 minutes.

Looooooooove these tunes

would this be on here if not for Piece of My Heart?

Funky

Alright! This is a good album right here. First of all, I just want to praise the album cover for a bit. It has this underground comics vibe supplied by Fritz the Cat creator Robert Crumb. I like it. Anyways, the album itself is also pretty good too. Of course, the most notable thing about this album is Janis Joplin's vocals. This is my first time hearing her vocals, and I can safely say that the praise is absolutely warranted. I really like her vocals. The rest of the album's sound is also great. I like the guitar tone. The songs, of which there are only 7, are all quite good. Overall, this is a fairly short album that I really like. 4/5.

It’s good. But I wonder what the hype is about. The live tracks are great.

I like the Janis solo stuff, surprisingly. But man, take a lil piece will always be her great banger.

++: I Need a Man to Love, Summertime, Turtle Blues, Ball and Chain +: Combination of the Two, Piece of My Heart, Oh, Sweet Mary 9,0/10

Great, great broad, not very pc intro Combination of the 2: Starts psyche, but quite quickly soul pop a la early Dead. Some pitchy moments, bloke singing lead but even on backing vox she drowns him I need a man t love Aretha would destroy this. Dreadful lead tone. But the rest are decent. Feels like a bit of a Piece Of My Heart rewrite, possibly because that works well for them. Summertime: Making this raucous misses the point. It’s fine, and it’s a physically impressive if not emotionally

Cheap Thrills I’ve never listened to this despite Piece of my Heart being so well know. I didn’t know it was made to sound like a live album until reading a bit about it. It’s kind of an interesting one, rightly lauded for Janis’ voice, which is of course fantastic throughout, so distinctive, rough and smooth, just brilliant really. Despite much of it being relatively generic blues rock, there is a level of excitement and urgency to the guitar, which combined with the voice just about sets it apart from the other blues/acid/psychedelic rock we’ve had from this period. But I suppose we need to remember that at the time this would have been quite striking, and would not be affected by the fatigue that we suffer from a lot of stuff at the shittier end of the west coast blues rock scene. It is a bit of a shame that they went for a fake live production style, it definitely gives an unnecessarily dated feel. It would absolutely have benefitted from a bit of ‘normal’ production to give the music, and the drums and bass, in particular a bit of clarity and a better place in the mix, while keeping the rough edges. The ‘live’ sound of some of the lead guitar too, particularly on Summertime, that kind of fuzzed up needle in the red sound, is a bit grating, and again it would benefit from a normal non fake live sound perhaps. Combination of the Two is good, but Summertime, Piece of my Heart and Ball and Chain stand out. It outstays it’s welcome a little, but Turtle Blues’s 30s kind of barroom piano blues is a nice break from the heavier blues rock, but the remaining songs aren’t really that notable or memorable outside of her voice. It’s certainly a decent example of west coast blues rock, clearly due to Janis’s voice as well as the overall sense of musical exuberance, but it is absolutely let down by the dated production style and the patchiness of the quality of the songs, as evinced by the best songs being the covers. Its not its fault that it feels dated of course, and although it does work as a much more listenable historical snapshot than say Iron Butterfly or the Grateful Dead, it probably doesn’t have a great deal of re-listenability - one of those ones to file under ‘Glad I listened, not terrible, may or may not re-visit’. That puts it firmly in the 3s. 🤏☮️❤️ Playlist submission: While the version of Summertime is great, I think it has to be Piece of my Heart.

Kinda wacky You can definitely tell this is from the 60s LMAO there's a certain musicality to it

Really fantastic. Not as good as some of the other stuff by members of this band but incredible none the less

I think this album showed what Janis Joplin. could’ve really been. I know most people like Pearl better. but I think this one showcased her power and energy more. What a shame.

Last year, I read a history of The Mamas & The Papas (All the Leaves Are Brown), and that was the first time I'd heard of Big Brother & The Holding Company. The book chronicled quite a bit about the Monterey Pop festival, so I know this album has a lot of significance when it comes to rock music. Janis Joplin is a fellow Texan (I think my mother in law has a friend who knew Janis growing up), but I've never really listened to much of her music, so I'm interested to see what's in store on this album. I thought this album was pretty good for the most part. While I'm not the biggest fan of Janis's gravely singing, she has so much power and energy in her voice, and that really made some of these songs more enjoyable. The combination of blues and psychedelica created a really unique sound. "Oh, Sweet Mary" is probably the best example of this sound; there's a really heavy bass line that gives the song a good groove, but the frantic guitar playing and fast paced drumming give the song a heavier boogie-feel. "Piece of My Heart" was my favorite song on the album. I always thought this was a solo song from Janis, so I was surprised to find it on here. Janis's singing and the ebb and flow to the song make this one of best songs to come from San Francisco in the late sixties. While there were some songs that I enjoyed, most of the album wasn't too remarkable in my opinion. Granted, I'm not really fond of blues rock for the most part, and psychedelic rock can be pretty hit-or-miss with me. Both of those genres can be a bit dull and repetitive to me, and parts of this album fell into that category. Still, I know this album is incredibly influential, and I understand why it's on this list.

Janis Joplin went the fuck off here. Amazing album.

Too much blues and only one good song

Janis had one of the best voices in rock, no doubt. Piece of my heart is one of the great all-time rock songs. But man, the amateur level production, fake crowd noise and disappointing backing instruments/vocals bum me out. When you had Janis in the studio, her voice should have been front and center with as little in the way as possible. No wonder she went solo after this.

Not bad

very aweomse !!!

weird voice but fire!!!

Not for me

Surprising album I didn't think I would like it but it was really good.

Janis Joplin has an interesting singing voice. She can project good power and emotion. Combination of the Two: I like the energy. Cheap Thrills: I like the guitar. Piece of My Heart: a classic!

Dit album klinkt als een hoop fun. Dit ervaart de luisteraar in volle glorie, door de bijzonder lo-fi productie, waarin weinig weggefilterd is. Het klinkt als een groep hippies, die gewoon ff wat muziek maken na het roken een paar flinke toeters in een oude schuur bij een ranch in de San Francisco valleys. Puike bluesrock, maar de vrijgeestige jam-vibe zorgt er ook voor dat er weinig echt sleutelmomenten te vinden zijn. Iets meer to the point zoals 'Piece of My Heart' had wel gemogen. Maar daarmee doe ik één van de beste covers van één van de meest gecoverde nummers ooit 'Summertime' wel te kort, geweldig gitaargeluid. Een 7, deels ook door de hoes die nooit verveelt. 7/10 Highlights: Summertime Piece of My Heart

Bijzonder plaatje. Klinkt als een live-opname in een leeg theater of studio wwar je af en toe wat verdwaalde mensen hoort klappen en hoesten. Lekkere lo-fi productie in de hoogtijdagen van de Amerikaanse hippietijd. Tof om deze plaat eens helemaal te checken. Vind de stem van Joplin gewoon geweldig maar de muziek ook interessanter dan verwacht. Het is genuanceerder en minder rock 'n roll dan ik in mijn hoofd ha. Positieve verrassing dus. 8/10 Highlights Summertime Piece of My Heart (gouden track, heerlijk)

This is everything I wanted it to be. The distorted guitar, the trance-like rhythm section, Janis' wailing vocals. Love it.

Joplin steals the show but the band are tight and raucous and full of blistering energy. But why oh why did they put this fake audience crap on there? And why do the first couple of tracks sound like they were recorded under water? To answer that you’d need to have been there (man) or be so far out (man) you don’t care. Nice artwork from Crumb.

Nice album that I want to return to.

I like it, not much more complicated than that.

A very fine specimen of psychedelic proto-stoner rock, this is a splendid soundtrack for my secret and occasional desire to have lived in that space and time. Dropping some acid, floating to the Fillmore, listening to Ginsberg read some poetry and then this. Phoahh! The Kozmic Kaleidoscope, man! Favourite track: "Oh, Sweet Mary" indeed. I rate this 4.20 radiant tendrils of dazzling blooms. ✌

Summertime is too slow, Piece of My Heart and Ball of Chain are kind of slow

I wasn't a huge fan of this album, but the last track ended with an emcee mentioning some of their contemporaries, and I liked this a lot more than anything those bands were releasing around the same time. Pretty good for being well over half a century old.

A big late-60s nostalgia hit. Unbelievable at the time, not my thing these days. But there's Janis!

Love Janis’ voice. So raw.

Besides “Oh, Sweet Mary” this is just a platform to deliver Janis Joplin’s voice straight to your skull, which wears thin pretty quickly. Production and arrangement are irrelevant as nothing else is getting through.

Bluesy as hell.

It’s boring for me.

Great band, great backing vocals Ball and chain, guitar sounds like a car at the beginning. Love on ‘oh sweet Mary’ the way it drops to the vocals and the drums coming out of it

not my cup of tea

Zu viel Rock. Weiß stimme der Sängerin, allerdings nicht mein Geschmack.

Imagine the hammer God must have used to pound this mighty voice into this little body. 3.5/5

❤️JANIS

Some great songs

This was an ok album. Janis Joplin is great, but her vocals can be a bit much at times. The songs are good though for the most part. Pretty good album!

Ooft turns out I’m not a fan of Janis Joplin’s voice. Blimey, I was tensing and grimacing all the way through this. Musically, it was decent enough though but it’s still a low scorer for me

Not a Big Joplin fan but if I had to pick one this is it

Not a huge Janis fan, but this album really captured her as a force of nature. I enjoyed the album musically and appreciated the sound of the late 60’s.

Obviously love "Piece of My Heart." Some of it is a little too hippie 60s for me. The bluesy stuff is great

can’t stand joplin…

Pretty boring

If it weren't for Janis Joplin, this would be a plain 2. The songs are not too bad with the covered ones the better, the instrumental delivery is amateurish. No real joy here.

I never knew Janis Joplin sang with a band....or never really gave it a thought until now. Very good, not great. Her voice tho.

3.5 I liked it and Janis is great but sometimes her vocals just irritate me

This is a fantastic album. Janis Joplin is such a rockstar. Her voice carries every song, but it’s set against impressively heavy music and really blended seamlessly with it. I listened twice and will listen again in the future.

Why aren’t I stoned?

Solid

I don’t care for live albums

Great vocals, super fun classic guitar tone. Solos really fun, drums keep the groove and feel moving. High energy with loads of variety keeping the album fresh and fun to listen to.

Do not love this album.

it feels like some of the live stuff is chock full of sample potential. definitely a fan of this album.

Sounds like Whites in the 60s wanted to show appreciation for Black music by having a White woman screech over some music

This album was fine, I just wasn't in the mood to possibly enjoy it more than maybe the credit deserves. Definitely gets an A+ for the album cover artwork.

This was ok for a 60s blues rock album. Joplin's voice is an acquired taste, but the backing band was pretty good.

Great vocals and blues rock. But sometimes Janis overdoes the hoarse vocals

I already listened to this one wtf

3.5, deserves a second listen. Soulful showing of Joplin’s voice accompanied by quite standard bluesy licks and solos. Overall a nice album.

New to me. Great album with some nice guitar tunes and an amazing female singer. Saved 3 songs as favorite.

Thoughts before listening: I own this record...it's okay. I mean Janis is amazing and some songs are classics, but it feels like there's a lot of filler on the album as well. Janis would go on to have a short but legendary solo career while the band wouldn't do much without Janis. Review: As an album, this is at its best when the band sits back and lets Janis cook. Sure there are some nice psychedelic rock moments sprinkled throughout, but really we're all here to hear Janis wail...which she does on some truly magical blues rock tracks such as "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain". Overall this is better than I remember it being, especially as an historical record of a fascinating time in popular music, and it's always a pleasure to be reminded of what a powerhouse Janis was. Too bad she couldn't avoid the pitfalls of the 60s rock lifestyle cause I'd love to see what she would have done as she matured as a person and artist. 4 stars.

This is sloppy blues but I mean that in a good way. Janis knew how to deliver a song through her singing. This is a decent album, exactly how I thought listening to a full Big Brother album would be. That probably doesn’t help someone reading this review but it justifies it to me. Choice cut:piece of my Heart

This was a delightful, if unpolished, musical romp. I love Janis and I love her bluesy band but parts were uneven.

4/10 This one falls squarely into the "clearly good at what it is, really not for me" category Bluesy jammy serious rock music with seemingly no room for fun Certainly evokes the time and place I am now a couple of Joplin albums in, and am developing the take that she might be in the elite league of most overrated artists ever...

I'm not a big Janis Joplin fan. There's still some decent stuff here, and she does sing with big emotion/passion, so that's good.

I loved this album and will be revisiting. I suppose it makes sense as I am a a bit of a 60s gyal. Not much more to say, I thought it was great.

This record is really carried on by Janis Joplin. It has some good moments, it has some very cool guitar solos and like aI said before Joplin's raspy voice really is the main attractive of the record. It doesnt feel to longas a record, but really I didnt find many highs or many lows on this album, is quite consistent, but it didnt have anything that really surprisedme

I never knew that Janis Joplin was in a band before she went solo. This was a rare treat, not quite perfection, but pretty close, and definitely worth a repeat listen.

3.9/5 listened 3x - cool album, history (Joplin), and cover art (crumb)

Not my thing. Doesn’t groove

Groovy

Janis Joplin....

Janis joplin

The cover might be more iconic than the album, honestly. Blues-rock that became so ubiquitous that it now sounds dated and commonplace, but at the time was surely groundbreaking. Wikipedia suggests the live treatment is completely studio-driven, which really just means it sounds like it was recorded in the very back of a long room. More than anything, it highlights the fact that Janis was too big to be contained within a band. It's fine, but I doubt many people listen to this for the "backing band."

Great Jazz / Blues rock album. Janis Joplin carries the vocals and there's a lot of bluesy riffs from the rest of the band Favorite Song: Summertime

Listened to almost all of it, very cool

Doesn’t hold up

Nah

Didnt finish it

This feels like the ultimate 60s rock record to me. Blew me away.

Not my normal jam. Appreciated it though, and my foot was tapping along occasionally.

6/4/24 not crazy about janis joplins voice. i like the heavy rock sound but the vocals take me out of it. 3/10

Quite a voice there. Walks a line to grating but some classic stuff here too.

Flippin’ sweet little album. Love the heavy soul sound and Janis’ vocals just absolutely carry the whole thing as she brings so much uniqueness and passion to the music. 8/10

Great music. Solid vocals from Janis. Altogether a very enjoyable album. It's definitely getting more airplay around here!

Joslyn the goat, big brother the goat

Fantastic album. Prefered the blues to the psychedelic side. Still amazing record.

Not something I'd seek out, but I definitely didn't mind having it on. Quite a fan of some of the guitar parts. 3/5

Yeah, ya know? It's fine. Like most of these albums. It's perfectly good.

Janis needs a cough drop after all the fucking screeching she did.

Interesting that the name Janice Joplin gets thrown around all the time. But she was just a member in a band. Some classic songs on here. But Janice does have a big Kermit the frog vibe.

Great music that makes you want to dance.

Fantastic, legendary album. I feel like the combo of Joplin’s voice and those guitars rewire my brain every time I hear them

She seems influential but I’m not a big fan of her voice or her story.

Overall lots of fun listening to this even with Janis Joplin doing a little too much at some points. My favorite was “Piece of My Heart.”

This was pretty good a couple of very good songs.

It was quite an interesting listen. Janis Joplin sounds like a cross between Marge Simpson and Robert Plant. The songs are quite good to listen to. Adding applause to a studio album isn't a smart move and should be avoided. "Cheap Thrills" is a nice psychedelic album. I'll give it 3 stars.

Nice mix of groovy good times tunes & timeless classics. Janis Joplin was on another level, man.

Ok

Mixture of soul,funk,blues. Liked it

House favorite, especially when Janis shows up and belts out her talents.

Did not realize Janis was in another band although she dominates the album. Wish I could give 3.5. Better than a 3 though

Some of the songs are way too long and rambling. This gets three stars only because of Janis Joplin.

Really enjoyed this, Janis Joplin has such an amazing voice!

Raw, dirty bluesy album. Stand out for me was Ball and Chain. Jains Joplin would have been awesome to see live. But listening to her in car or home is something I can only take in tears, small doses.

Janis has a fine set o' pipes. Almost too "counter-culture 60s" generic but nothing that a liberal dungaree wearing blonde chick with a little grass looking for a groovy time couldn't fix.

A classic psych rock album of the highest order. Sizzles in the summer sun.

Good old time rock and roll. Janis had pipes like few others since.

Remembered that one

Blusey

I get that she has an instantly recognizable, iconic voice. I just can take an hour of it all at once :/ 2/5

blorgbp NNN

My favourite kind of Janis. This was a good listen,

This wasn’t a Ball and Chain nor was it a Flower In the Sun. Probably a Combination of the Two.

Have been meaning to get around listening to Janis Joplin, so finally got a good taste of her sound + Big Brother! What a fantastic voice, and I love her blend with the band. The sound gets a little too blurry at times, but a god damn amazing groove to it. Favourite tracks: first 5 songs

In love with the vibes and the mix between blues and rock. Makes you wanna go on a road trip

Classic album by one of the most distinctive voices in music.

I like Janis Joplin. Had no idea this was her album.

Joplin's backing band. Not a Joplin fan and the guitars have that sloppy sound that permeates so much hippie music. The bass is on point though.

I enjoyed Sam Andrew's guitar playing. Janis I can take or leave. Sometimes her voice is really something special. Sometimes it just sounds forced and grating. The fake live sounds were cheesy, but overall I enjoyed listening to this album.

That album is awesome!

I do not like this. Good to put Janis into a bit of context (I didn’t know she was in a band before the solo stuff) but this has only cemented that I don’t enjoy her singing. Everything is too fuzzy and raw. I don’t get how ‘sounding like you were recorded live, when you have all the advantages of being in a studio’ is a good thing? - Just a poor use of a studio, surely.

Cheap Thrills is the second studio album by San Fransisco-based band Big Brother and The Holding Company. Their debut self-titled record was released the year prior (1967) on the somewhat underground jazz label ironically named Mainstream Records. It was largely forgettable to the masses although it does have some solid blues psych tracks. Big Brother truly hit the jackpot with their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. They were only supposed to play one day at the festival but upon hearing that their performance would not be recorded, Janis Joplin demanded to play a second set the following day that would be included in the film. In attendance were many powerful record executives looking to cash in on the new San Fransisco sound. One of those record executives being Clive Davis, of Columbia Records. He, like much of the crowd, was blown away by the commanding presence of Joplin and subsequently signed the band. Cheap Thrills was their first record for Columbia, and was the last Big Brother record to include lead singer Janis Joplin. Now, onto the album. It was originally planned to be a live album, but the live cuts were not up to par with the executives' expectations so most of the album was re-recorded in the studio. The only live performance to remain on the final cut was Ball and Chain. I think moving to the studio was not the best move. Big Brother was known for their live act. The backing band wasn't the best, so I think they benefited from the more gritty live sound. However, the presence of Janis Joplin is so attention-demanding that it just makes the album. Her voice is so powerful on these performances and you can feel the pain and heartbreak from her soul. Her voice surely isn't for everyone, but it's certainly for me. That combined with the dirty fuzz guitar is just a match made in psychedelic blues heaven. This album is truly a relic of the psychedelic era of the late 60s and is sure to transport you to Haight-Ashbury in 1968 or maybe even to an evening at the Fillmore West. Sleep in the stars, Janis.

Great

Live rock and roll with female vocals. OK background music, but nothing I will come back to.

Janis ti amo, Riccardo e Daniele possono anche non sapere chi tu sia, ma sarai sempre una delle voci più iconiche del rock.

Pazzesco. Questo album è un concentrato di tutto ciò che rende il rock entusiasmante. Quando senti che la musica scuote ogni fibra del tuo corpo e non puoi fare altro che muoverti, ballare, saltare per esternare tutto ciò che ti fa provare dentro. In più, qui c’è un tocco di blues apprezzatissimo. Janis Joplin, non ti conoscevo, ma sei la mia nuova queen. Che voce incredibile!

Rip Janis💛 album davvero bello, la prima volta gli ho dato 4 ma merita di più

Not for me

Bluesy and spicy, with lots of Janis Joplin sauce. The sound gets old pretty fast, but I can definitely appreciate the music for what it is, and Janis's singing is quite masterful. Three stars.

Hot dog, Janis Joplin has some pipes. I mostly enjoyed this album overall. Great tunes and fun to listen to. Solid.

Good listen fo today i like when artists do cool things with my headphones and make noise move around and shit its cool 3.4/5

Flabby old Rock nonsense. And that's before we even look at that rather, er 'dated', cover. Just say no, kids.

Bloody awful racket. Dull. With a capital D.

You know what? This might be the best Janis Joplin album. First time hearing it and even without Piece of My Heart which might be her best song, this is chock full of good tunes. Sam Andrew's vocals and the bigger influence of psychedelic music than on Joplin's solo work add another dimension. Interesting trick they used here is incorporating the "live audience sounds" even though only 1 song here was recorded live.

Actually really fun

what a voice! lots of fun

So Janis Joplins voice is so raspy and scratchy, I really struggle to see what made her so highly praised as a key figure In rock history. Now the music aspect of this album was amazing, and on that side of the spectrum, I can totally relate to why this album was very influential, especially to the psychedelic movement.

Amazing album. Obviously, the VOX are great and the overall sound is amazing but just the live feel is so unique all the way down to the last track and you can hear the house emcee telling the exiting crowd about the bands that are playing at the venue in the coming days (which alone is an incredible lineup)

Somewhere, somehow, Janis is still singing. And if that voice doesn't get you on this album, the guitar and percussion will pull you through.

I love the blues guitar. No idea that JJ had a backup band before her solar career

Quite good.

The album cover is fire. The music on the other hand is a bit meh. Competent performances, but nothing that truly stands the test of time. Janis' voice, like Joe Cocker, Robert Plant, and Axl Rose gets a bit gimmicky and tiresome after awhile. None of these tracks made it into my regular rotation.

I liked the vibe but the singing made me feel stressed lol

Good music but probably wouldn’t listen to again

Not bad but just ok

Great guitar work. The fake live feel is a lot of fun.

Easy listen. Felt like I was at a small venue, standing room only, with a cold beer.

Janis Joplin sounds like a dying cat. It’s awesome when she’s belting like in Piece of My Heart, but unbearable when she’s soft like in Summertime

Really nice bluesy vibes. I am a fan.

DNF. Not for me. I see the appeal though.

It’s ok - joplin has a great voice but album is pretty boring