Reviews (page 9 of 12)
For 1968 this sounds surprisingly modern. It's pretty unique, although the vocals aren't really my thing.
Honestly, this album slaps. I always forget what a killer voice/presence Janis was.
It is clear that Janis is the driving force here. She shines, and I think that the rest of the band is happy to come along for the ride.
Janis has a killer voice. The overall vibe is a little too gritty for me.
Норм музло, но не более
нихуево но не ахуй
Random thoughts: * Janis Joplin is a singular talent. I can't really think of anyone remotely like her. * The announcement at the end of the album on "Magic of Love" by the host is quite the time capsule: Coming up are the The Who and The Grateful Dead. It must have been pretty awesome time to be alive. * "Piece of my Heart" is clearly the standout track. * I am today's years old when I discovered that Piece of my Heart is a cover of an original recorded by Erma Franklin. Go check her soul version and how awesome it is! * I am still today's years old when I learned that Erma Franklin is Aretha Franklin's older sister! Mind blown!
This is fine. Janis Joplin has the voice, and blues rock is my thing, but it doesn’t completely connect for me. It’s not at all bad, and I enjoyed it - but I also cannot remember a single thing about it except for the adequate cover of Piece of my Heart. It’s a high 3, but a 3 nonetheless.
This was a fun time. I didn't expect it to go where it went. It's fast paced, iconic and timeless, one of those albums that transcends time and trends and can be enjoyed by anyone at any time. Its reasonably easy to digest, even though Janis Joplin's voice did start to grate on me at times but I appreciate the rawness of it and the talent. Truthfully, I had never listened to her before but it was interesting. She blows a lot of male rock and roll singers out of the park with a vocal talent like hers. Again, I felt it could have been about 15 minutes shorter but still, it wasn't monotonous so I'll forgive the length. Worth a listen for sure.
Raw as fuck
capas mto fodas. robert crumb era mto bão no que fazia blues psicodelico bacaninha, bem lo-fi, divertidim
Solid 60s psych, real early which is why its here. Janis can certainly wail, to her bonus and detriment. I liked Piece of my Heart and Combination of the Two, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
3.5 solid psych blues. youll either totally get or totally hate the JJ vocals.
Fun listen as I haven't done a deep dive on either Big Brother and the Holding Company nor Janis Joplin. Although her vocals are clearly super powerful, raw, and good for blues, it is slightly too rough for my personal preference on some of the songs. It does make sense why she decided to proceed with a solo career. She clearly was the star in this group. I really enjoy the blues riffs and the uses of the electric guitar effects (phaser, flanger, delay, distortion). The solos are super grainy, treble-y and, I would consider, classic, fun, and energetic 60s guitar riffs that make me naturally play the air guitar. Very loud and in your face. The album is dynamic in a way where it takes on multiple "volumes" of the blues and classic rock n roll. A good combo of high energy and low energy songs with fun tempo changes. Very loose.
A couple bangers on this album
Was alright.. piece of my heart is clean af though.. 7/10
On Janis’s singing alone this gets a 7. Rating: 3.5
Swanky, but no melody for my enjoyment, un-humm-able
Most streamed song is cool
It has the energy of a rival from beginning to the very end. Janis has such a powerful voice. Overall, it’s hard to keep up.
She can certainly send a chill your spine but Janis and the band pretty much operate with the gates wide open almost all the time i may be missing the point but I am grateful when they pull things back just a touch and groove a bit.
Didn’t age well, but Janis is great!
I hadn't heard of Big Brother & The Holding Company before, but Janis Joplin is always awesome. The guitar work on this album is incredible, especially in Summertime and Oh, Sweet Mary. The vocals sound great, but the writing is not the strongest, a lot of the songs get pretty repetitive. All in all, a solid album, easy 3. Best song: Oh, Sweet Mary
Janis is great. A bit repetitive.
Great album, atmospheric. I'm listening at 9am at my desk with a coffee. Feels like it would be better to do it at midnight with a bottle of whiskey.
Pretty good
Yeah, endlich mal wieder was vernünftiges, wenn auch schon älter
Ball and Chain is the highlight here. The rest is quite sloppy but passable.
Interesting hearing Joplin with a whole band. That said, it was a little tough to get through. Not a huge fan of her voice.
It's fun, a tad bluesy in place, I've also only just discovered is Janice Joplin so it's got great vocals, but I feel like it starts to waver in the end..
3/5
combination of the two- we were some where on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. 6 or 7 I need a man to love- 5 summertime- 5 piece of my heart- 6 turtle blues- 5 oh sweet mary- 5 ball and chain- 5 road block- 5. keep thinking theyre saying roblox flower in the sun- 5
I'll admit that I haven't listened to enough Janis Joplin throughout the years, despite her place in rock 'n' roll history. In fact, I didn't show she was the lead singer of this group prior to getting this album today. I always thought she had worked solo throughout her career. Fun album for the most part. Joplin's raspy vocals fit well with the group and the whole blues rock/psychedelia thing. I did like some of the cover songs of classic blues/R&B recordings (Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain). The album gets very jam band-y at parts, though, which holds it back a little for me.
Piece of my heart janus choplin
I didn’t even realize that this was Janis Joplin’s band until I put it on. Another high 3 for me, production takes something away from it but the power of Joplin’s vice really comes through. I forgot what a great song “piece of my heart is”
3.3
It’s not working for me
Joplin's vocals are really powerful here. Instrumentally it has some solid moments that do capture a live intensity, but also some weaker ones that feel a bit tired. Overall a really enjoyable listen though.
Decent psychedelic album. Legendary Janis vocals.
Interesting album and almost feels timeless. Not sure if I would go back to it anytime soon though
I liked this a lot in college, but I’m not in college anymore 😂 Ball and Chain still rips though This is another case of .5 for me, would rather rate 3.5 but going 3 because I’m not feeling generous today
Love me some Jackie Jormp-Jomp
Don't love live (sounding) recordings, and a little bored of the style as I've heard it for over half a century. But I recognize it's a classic - passionate rock.
This one is a bit different than other records from the same period. Also, Janis Joplin is insanely good.
sunday night fuck i forgot listening. can i say this is immaterial to the music itself (i hope!) but some of the comic art on the front of the album is [uhm emoji]. okay thank god these people know how to use an electric guitar. that was a cooler big wave of guitar at the start of the 1st track on an album from 1968 than some of this shit that came out decades later. this lady has a cool voice! this is 1 of those songs from this 1 tumblr post i read years ago like "old ppl will b like all pop music these days has SHALLOW MEANINGLESS DRIVEL LYRICS back in the day music was DEEP POETRY n then u look at the lyrics to back in the day music n its like wooah i love my baby she is a sweetie". but the guitar shredding rlly shrill and grating was sick! retroactively makes multiple other albums lamer. FINALLY ITS A LOVE SONG THATS ABOUT A MAN <-- this user is gay unlike EVERY single fucking man weve heard singing. oh my god im obsessed w her voice shes cool as fuck. (there were also love songs abt men on like melodrama + tusk dont @ me.) shes got the voice of an animated cartoon villain whos widely considered morally correct + cooler than the heroes by everyone whos ever watched the movie. oh okay the comic art is 1 panel for each song! thats super cool!! but also even more uhm. listen summertime is a good song n shes cool on it but hm. HM. uhm. fuck she has such a fun voice for the song n this guitar is rlly fun w it i like how theyre doing "rock band but like doing blues bc theyre not super differentiated yet" but like not abysmal and uncool and technically unskilled at it. janice show some self respect u dont have to give him another piece of your heart actually. is it just me or is the mixing kinda funny on this she sounds kinda quiet n buried relative to the guitars <-- doesnt know jack abt fuck abt shit. love that turtle blues is that 1 tiktok like "girls being like im gonna go gay bc a man broke my heart dw baby ill treat u just as bad ; )" like is she bisexual? not 2 stereotype but she sings about men extremely bisexually. oh sweet mary has AWESOME guitar but not as much janis as i want but this other guys voice is fine too ig! rlly nice psychadelic vibe. okay janis a 9m song is rough for anyone but maaayybe u can pull it off. yeah sorry that was still a little too much. my notes have gotten less in depth sorry :( love rhat shes singing abt love problems kind of in the same way as a lameass guy but bc shes a woman its diversity wins. too sleepy to keep commenting but i think its like a 3! a very enjoyable 3 that i would listen to again but it fails a "would i get a physical vers of this album" test both for racist cover art reasons + bc its just also too long on some of these songs as they all fucking are lol its like a communicable disease they were coming down with at the time. she sounds good singing in the bg over these big jams but shed sound even better on somethin more trim + directional! but like her voice fucking rules im obsessed. standout tracks: i need a man to love, turtle blues, oh sweet mary
The sheer emotion from Janis is worth coming back to this album again some time. She just has so much power. Obviously Piece of My Heart will always stand out but there are other great tracks like Ball and Chain and Turtle Blues. Just a good album. Probably worthy of like 3.5 stars
Psychedelic, messy, raw, disheveled blues rock with a powerhouse belting on the mic. This one is a time capsule of the highest order, sounding like a blues band for an acid bar. “Combination of the Two” goes on a real journey between acid freakout and blues band, all the while driving ahead. Janis isn’t as featured here but it’s a real fuckin’ stomper of the highest order and a great kickoff. “I Need A Man to Love” is straight up blues and now we’ve got Janis in full feature. You get a sense of how sloppy and raw the band is here, but that’s kinda the point. They swing, they groove, even if the guitars and bass are drenched in reverb and sound like they’re being played through a wall. Janis’ whispering howls build and build, though this is a taste of what’ll come. The arrangement of “Summertime” might be one of my favorite things ever. Cribbing greatly from one of the all time greats, Nina Simone’s version of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” at Newport, the guitars perfectly frame Janis’ plaintive whispers for a gorgeous retelling of Gershwin’s classic. It’s an absolute powerhouse performance. But it’s nothing compared to “Piece of My Heart”. Perhaps the most utterly vulnerable belting you’ll hear committed to record, Janis Joplin cemented her legend right here. Her voice reads pure desperation with the band at full power. The chorus is worth the price admission alone. It’s just an amazing tune and she’s absolutely incredible singing it. Godspeed sweet Angel. Side 2 kicks off with “Turtle Blues” to keep things a little more mellow, and it’s not as great. Janis is in full bar singer mode here with clinking glasses but it’s a bit strange to kick things off with a stripped back blues song. But oh well, she’s good nonetheless. “Oh, Sweet Mary” goes full freak-out which is probably to be expected, and while the guitar sounds great, this is just not a good fit all around. This band is better when they’re going full blues and then wrapping it in crazy colored LSD packets. Going psych rock just feels weird. “Ball and Chain”, the only ACTUAL live song, gets us back where we need to be. The guitar intro is just face melting in the beat way possible, letting you know that yes, you are listening to a Big Mama Thornton tune, but no, it is not gonna sound like a normal backing band is playing. And if you thought Janis sounded desperate before, buckle your fucking seatbelt. She’s channeling all the energy of the women coming before, and her voice is perfect to match the song here. Her whole range is on display here, over all 10 minutes. It’s a fitting finale for a sloppy yet powerful record that birthed a shooting star. This is not gonna make a top 10 of all time lost, and it might not be a must listen for everyone. But if you want to hear the blues done by a woman who ACTUALLY sounds like she feels them, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. The guitar shreds, way more than one can say for some of the rock gods of the era. And it’s a real document of the era. 3.5, but knocking to 3 for the dragging 2nd half and the messy production choices
This is almost a defining album of the era, and while it is not necessary to my taste, I do recognize the cultural significance. It is definitely a must hear, even if it won't be added to my regular rotation.
Rather gloriously ramshackle at times. And it evokes something or other I reckon. Not a massive fan of Joplin, but her voice works fairly well here most of the time. It probably needs a bit more discipline – as does much of the album really – but it works well enough I guess. Not something I'd search out, but it's half decent I suppose.
Can't get used to Janis voice. But I guess it goes with the music, which ends up working fairly well. 7/10
Nice raw sounds. Don't like the fake Live audience. And Janis Joplin screaming is giving me a headache. But overall not bad. Crazy hippie rock jams.
Im pretty medium on Janis joplin, and that's all I've got to say about that.
Knew that I knew them but couldn’t figure out how until I got to Piece of My Heart. This was easy to listen to and I liked it but likely won’t seek it out if in need of an album
The incredibly poor production really hurts it, the songs don't really hit like they may otherwise. But it is solid.
Obviously Janis is the big draw here, but I enjoyed most of the songs on this album. I found some great songs that I had never heard before, Roadblock, Catch Me Daddy, plus the cover art is veryyy sexy.
The “crowd” noise has a bit of an uncanny valley effect, and the best songs are the covers. But if I’d been a teen in the late sixties I would’ve been enormously into this.
Janis (aka proto-Robert Plant) is the star of the show here. She could be playing bluesy rock with any number of filthy hippies and it would be the same effect. Luckily the Holding Company has the goods too. Highlights include “I Need a Man to Love”, “Piece of My Fart”, and “Ball and Chain”. Naturally points have to be taken off for including the lazy 12-bar blues “Turtle Blues”. And “Combination of the Two” sounds like it should be exciting but is just a mess.
Janis saves Big Brother from being another boring-ass Bay Area acid rock group. They’re adequate, she’s electric. It kinda hurts to think what she coulda done with Booker T and the MGs behind her. We’ll sadly never know. The best songs are when the boys just lay down a groove and let Janis do her thing. The jams might be Jefferson Airplane, I can’t be certain. Everyone’s here for the same thing: hearing her bend a note until it breaks, and get so blue that words don’t even work (or matter). Overall, this is an uneven but at times great record. I’ll come back but I’ll choose the tracks.
instrumentals are abrasive and hit you low while janis joplins voice hits you high. summertime is a weak point. i started off really liking this album but as it went on it felt like i was begging for it to be over, not due to the length, but due to the constant high energy. the songs start to blur together.
Can't say I have ever listened to the entire album though so this is a great opportunity to listen to it. Classic Crumb cover that I remember from thumbing through my dad's LP's as a little kid. I know the the one radio hit from this very well, I think "Piece Of My Heart" is an All Time Classic track and it put Janis on the map. There's a reason though that few people ever mention Big Brother & The Holding Company vs just calling this a Janis Joplin album. From my vantage point they were an above average band who likely wouldn't have made it out of San Francisco without her. I listened to the entire album twice and have no idea why it would make the Top 1001 other than it's importance as a launching tool for Joplin who left the band the same year this hit it big. I'd give it 2.5 stars, nothing notable, no lightning in a bottle other than the one GIANT hit.
Fake love album. A bunch of songs not much more than just fairly executed blues. More overrated 60s.
must have been incredible live 3/5
𝘖𝘩, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘺. 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ Stand Out Songs: 𝟐. 𝐈 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝟑. 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 5. Turtle Blues, 6. Oh, Sweet Mary I can't lie, at first glance I was not feeling this album just based off the cover art alone. HOWEVER, I can appreciate the sentiment of singing off key without a care in the world and the idea of being a mega bitch and telling people to just deal with it.
An enjoyable listen but not really enough cohesiveness for me to enjoy it as an album. Would probably be a great live show though. 3.5 stars
This album is a good one some very historic tracks on here. A very tight band even if I did personally rate Janice as well as others in that time period. Overall worth a listen.
Very fun and good to hear Janis Joplon
Kind of just sounds like your standard 70s noodly rock - nothing stood out particularly to me.
Aan classic rock album - good one but there is a reason why I forgot about it.
Never heard the album before. Interesting choice to try and make a studio album sound like a live album by just adding crowd noise. Generally another bad 60's blues album. The only saving grace is Joplin's voice which is one-of-a-kind and when used properly is really amazing. The only standout songs for me are Piece of My Heart. and Turtle Blues. Giving it 3 stars for historical significance, but generally not that great an album to listen to.
I liked Janis Joplin's voice but not the rest of the album. Oh well.
Five stars for Janis Joplin. I got fatigued listening to the entire album, it had a sort of unwashed feel to it, better to pick a song or two at a time.
Psykedeelistä ja blues rokkia. Instrumentaaleissa menoa, mutta Janis Joplin kuullostaa Marge Simpsonilta ja en oikein pidä sen äänestä. Piece Of My Heart oli tosi tuttu klassikko, mutta en tiedä missä se oikein soi, oisko radiossa. Parhaat: Piece Of My Heart, Oh Sweet Mary
neat
3/5 meh mid
There are certain 60s iconic artists who don’t get much play in my rotation. Not that I dislike them; it’s more that their music doesn’t fit a mood for me, and might feel a bit dated 60 years later…Janis is one of those artists. Cheap Thrills has a couple things going for it, though: several of JJ’s finest moments, a spectacular R Crumb album cover. Shailene Woodley is slated to play Janis in a biopic, and she's into eating clay for some reason, what could go wrong
Good album but not something I would listen to start to finish at home. But Piece of My Heart is genius and sometimes you just want raspy Janis vocals.
Great album cover for a bunch of racket. "Piece of My Heart" is an awesome karaoke track.
A wild drug fuelled booze fuelled psychedelic/acid rock album. Made to sound like a live album, it's messy and dirty and fuzzy and rough but there's a strange beauty in all that chaos. Banger opener, loved those 'woahs' of Janis. Janis' vocal performance is everything in this. I feel like her voice could've been the inspiration behind death metal vocals. Summertime had some really haunting guitars. Loved the beautiful Piece of My Heart. Ball and Chain (the only song that was actually a live recording) was a heavy guitar jam that ended the album well. It can be very off-putting for first time listeners. But it grew on me.
Ich wusste nicht, dass Janis Joplin mal in einer Band spielte.Ihre Stimme ist einzigartig, man mag sie oder nicht. Ich bin selber hin und her gerissen
as good as joplins vocals are, they can sound a bit grating at times. otherwise a solid record
Janis Joplin sure has a unique voice, you can't deny that. But somehow she's never really been a favourite artist of mine, can't put my finger on it. 'Summertime' is a pretty good song though, gotta give em that. I think I could grow to like this over time perhaps, as the sound should kind of gel with me. 3 for now.
Janis's voice is sublime on "Piece of My Heart," but though the group was clearly aware of her as a standout, they weren't quite ready yet to give themselves over to her completely yet. Thus, there's some unevenness of this album. (Though that might also be because it's a live performance).
Ramshackle blues jamming with the most distinctive part being the unmistakable voice of Janis Joplin.
Good but sometimes Janis sounds like Marge Simpson
Some excellent guitar moments ensure that I could not give this album less than three starts. But unfortunately, Janis Joplin's voice is a taste I have not acquired, and ensures that any more than three stars is an impossibility.
It's wild that I randomly listened to this one last week and it popped up on my 1001 list. That said, it's only OK as Janis was still fighting Big Brother for status in the band. Piece of my Heart is an all-timer tho.
I was definitely not in the mood to enjoy this album at its fullest, but short i focused the most on how well it captured Janis voice! I cannot give it more than three cuz i didn’t feel it moved it at the time, however, i recognise it’s potential for the year it was recorded
Don’t take the brown acid
3.5
Look, I'm just not into Janis Joplin, and no amount of smutty cartoons on the album cover is going to change that for me. It's a fine album, and the music is enjoyable enough, but it's also just hard for me to understand why this album is a big deal 3/5
some good, classic psych rock. nothing super special unfortunately but this was the first time i’ve really heard Joplin’s chops and damn they hold up
Blistering guitar and vocals. Piece of My Heart is a classic. 3.5
If you've ever listened to a 60's playlist you probably already know half these songs already. But if you don't like the blues you probably won't love them. I don't love the blues. It's okay.
Vocals are great. Very fun. Not something I’d listen to everyday
So hippy. I wonder if Joplin's voice would have worked as well with better audio quality.
Very good, but not my style.
1001 Albums #2 - TUE 12/11/24 18:31: Why do they say whoa so much Lowkey just had it on as background noise, not really my thing but not bad. It's about a 60/100 to me. Understand why someone could enjoy it/don't think it's bad but not my thing.
Piece of My Heart is an all timer, I just wish the rest of the album was as consistent
This album was already familiar to me before I began listening to it and for the most part I was quite the fan. Janis Joplin is a legend in the music world and I felt she delivered her raw talent perfectly, however I thought it was quite long and if I had listened to just the good bits, it would’ve been a 4/5
I should have chosen a stronger coffee to drink to this one. Joplin had such a powerful voice, didn’t she?
Decent. Spirited performances. Better than I expected. I'm not the biggest fan of Janis Joplin. It's the blues.
Good
Pas mal
i believe ive listened to this album maybe once before. janis joplin’s vocals are great, i can see a through-line from her vocal style to robert plant’s. the guitar work is awesome and the effects create really awesome textures.
decent album. I am not a huge Janis Joplin fan, but can appreciate the praise she gets.
Die Band ist schlimm, die Songs sind von nix bis genial, Janis ist Janis. Ich kann verstehen, dass sie diese Garagenband verlassen hat.
Great performance from Joplin on this album. Fav song: Piece of My Heart
Funny hippy tunes from a better era.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 💥🗯️🙅🏿♂️ Production: 🎧😐🆗 Music: 🎤🌈💊 Rating: 🌈🌈(🌈)/5
At first I thought "who on earth is singing?" so I went to look up the album. I knew I had heard of Janis Joplin before but I didn't know anything other than her name (and a select number of songs of hers they still play on the radio). I think this album is good but would be more impactful to hear live.
Was okay - couple of banging tracks
Con Yannis Yoplin.
tra i 3 e i 4
Surprisingly decent. Wonderful? No. Very 60s, and Joplin is as screechy as ever. But eminently listenable.
Another solid album, didn't blow me away, but will listen again.
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
The lead guitarist and Joplin are standouts against a backdrop of boilerplate rock numbers. Otherwise, its spot here is boomer fan service.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rough production but influential
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.
Raw album, wasn’t a big fan of her voice
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.
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
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
Fun album. Tbh I didn't always love JJs vocalising
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
"Piece of my Heart" is the one memorable song. Interesting live recording but mostly forgettable for me.
К сожалению, этот альбом не сильно зацепил, хотя такой добротный хард-рок, очень драйвовый.
One good song and some classic guitar sprinkled throughout.
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)
Recognized Janis Joplin's voice.
Pretty generic folksy rock to me.
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....
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.
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.
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
Okay, I guess.
Mostly too bluesy 4 me. I liked "Oh, Sweet Mary" and "Piece of My Heart" obv.
piece of my heart summertime
Amazing. Piece of my heart alone cements this in history. Some feels like filler. Grade A filler, but still.
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
I like the Janis solo stuff, surprisingly. But man, take a lil piece will always be her great banger.
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
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 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
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
Nice album that I want to return to.
Love Janis’ voice. So raw.
It’s boring for me.
Imagine the hammer God must have used to pound this mighty voice into this little body. 3.5/5
Not a Big Joplin fan but if I had to pick one this is it
Obviously love "Piece of My Heart." Some of it is a little too hippie 60s for me. The bluesy stuff is great
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
Solid
Do not love 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.
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.
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.
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
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."
Doesn’t hold up
Didnt finish it
Not my normal jam. Appreciated it though, and my foot was tapping along occasionally.
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.
She seems influential but I’m not a big fan of her voice or her story.
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.
Ok
Some of the songs are way too long and rambling. This gets three stars only because of Janis Joplin.
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.
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.
Live rock and roll with female vocals. OK background music, but nothing I will come back to.
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.
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
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.
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.
Good music but probably wouldn’t listen to again
Not bad but just ok
Easy listen. Felt like I was at a small venue, standing room only, with a cold beer.
I want to like Janis Joplin SO BAD, but her voice is grating
Solid
aaah janis. albumcover huuuere geil. oke s isch afoch bluesrock i guess. und s isch live und sochli semi guet ufgnoh? combination of the two findi en funny titel. uuh uuh aah. i need a man to love het e sehr cools riff. gfallt mer irgendwie. summertiiime. afoch crazy song. sie singt huuuuere chratzig mann. finds scho fast unagnehm. ah holy shit s isch keis live album d publikumsgrüüsch sind spöter dezue tue. bi piece of my heart singt sie chli klarer tönt vieel besser. coole song. mbappé blues au sehr nice. sie cha scho singe. aber au nöd meega geil. oh sweet mary singt nödmol d janis heee. finds au easy whack gad ball and chain isch chli vibier, joplin beltet und d band spielt moody blues in moll. pässlet mer. gut glaub e solids nöd enthusiastischs 3.
decent
Sometimes that Janis caterwaul comes through like late 70's Donna in the Dead and it's all I can hear.
I’ve heard Another Piece of my Heart before and all of these songs sound like drunks at a BBQ. 3 stars for Janis though
There's an incredible album buried in here but it's covered up by so much noodling. Janis is predictably excellent and Piece of My Heart is an absolute classic. There is just a lack of taste throughout. Even Summertime is loud and long. Everyone involved is a talented musician with some tasty lines but it just feels like they're trying to fabricate big emotions instead of having those big emotions flow from them. Ball and Chain is the most egregious. 9 and a half minutes of mostly yelling. Check out Big Mama Thorton's version for some excellent music.
Janis’ signature voice is always good, the acid rock music though really needs the LSD to be appreciated and listening sober it’s just noise
When I first got this record on vinyl I had no idea Joplin sang; who would’ve known given the name? It’s an incredibly strange album (both song and art wise), never doing anything to hold on to any sound for long. Janis Joplin’s vocals are of course powerful and raw, but it’s never been quite enough to keep me fully engaged throughout every idea thrown at the listener.
One of those albums that really grows the more you listen to it. Started at a low 2. I'd now rate it a high 3. I love the album cover too.
Janis Joplin has a really special voice. It was interesting to learn that Piece of my Heart is a cover -- the original by Erma Franklin was released a year earlier. I didn't get a chance to give this album focused listens, but I found myself playing it in the background more. I could see going to 4 stars with more listens.
Thought I'd like this more than I did, based on "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart" but most of me didn't grab me nearly as firmly.
While Janis' voice is downright chilling in its intensity at times, the loose, live-sounding vibe just wasn't as compelling as her solo work. Besides the always great Piece of My Heart, enjoyed the bluesy Turtle Blues and Summertime cover.
Piece of my Heart (Janis Joplin) is such a classic
Not terrible but not for me. Sorry Janis.
favourite: oh sweet mary, ball and chain least favourite: piece of my heart how they get marge simpson on this second half is way better than the first cool album mayb 7/10
Reasonably good. The hits I know are hits for a reason, the rest was ok.
I may not be the badass punk rocker I thought I was. The album was a little too rough around the edges for me. I loved a lot of the instrumentation but had a hard time connecting to the vocals, to the point where I was savoring the parts with no singing. My favorite songs were at the end, Roadblock and Flower in the Sun. I also liked Piece of my Heart, which I've heard on classic rock stations plenty of times. I'll give it a 6/10 because I did add the aforementioned songs to my liked songs playlist. I don't think I'd listen to the album ever again.
Good vibes and joplins voice, love energy capture
not bad, classic bit of 60's hippy rock - Janis joplin needs to lay of the smokes and be healthier she sounds so unhealthy its sad🙄
Another classic find I’d never heard of. It starts really strong but the lead guitar droning and grating lead vocals detract from the staying power.
Chill
This album could have the second worst record cover in existence, just behind the 'Lionel Blair Does Aerobics' LP I saw in a charity shop the other day. One cannot wipe the image of him in a tight t shirt and skimpy shorts from one's head that quickly. The music is pretty good, a product of its time, garage style psychedelia, with a young Janis screeching over the top of it, as though she has been impaled on a rusty pitchfork. I like that some of it is live, to capture the energy of the songs. It might get another listen in the future, but I have no idea when that may be. A low 3
Piece of My Heart is a classic , the rest is pretty heavy with Janice going from a whisper to a scream. Roadblock has some good guitar buried in the mix and the lead in the end. The original album ended with Ball & Chain and was titled 'Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills'. Columbia passed on that. You wonder what Janice would have done with the right band, like Hot Tuna. There is a tape called the Typewriter Album with Jorma playing and Janice singing around a kitchen table. 3*
Average blues, with ‘Piece Of My Heart’ standing out, just with an excellent singer that bumps this up a star.
Musically, some nice arrangements of classic tracks. Vocally, I really wouldn't be a fan of Janis Joplin.
Eg
Great classic 60s blues based rock album. Janis’s voice is definitely unique and you either love it or hate it.
две Джоплин подряд это интересный ход. не уверена что за весь день осилила его целиком... всё смешалось и не отложилось(
I had no idea Jennis Joplin was in a band before her solo career I was pleasantly surprised it was a great album that I had never heard of.
Fun and trippy blues rock, with the iconic Janis Joplin on vocals. Not the most interesting thing I've heard, but I am one listening experience richer.
It all comes down to the voice really. I'm not a big fan of that creaky thing she does. Production is not great either. Couple of cracking songs
Janis Joplin - insane voice!
Better than Dusty, Janis voice though, not my favourite... Sometimes sounds like Kermit the frog on speed!
I can see how this would have been appreciated at the time but it hasn't aged well. Janis Joplin is an interesting character
Interesting early rock, not amazing, but not bad.
Piece of My Heart is an all time great.
(Mai ascoltato prima) Janis Joplin ha una voce pazzesca, però come album non mi ha presa molto.
Some good sounds here. Like some other reviewers here, I hadn't known that Janis Joplin fronted a band before going solo. I've never liked her songs much, but on some of these it suits the music really well and there is enough going on to prevent her rasping from outweighing the songs (like some of her solo stuff). Some good numbers here, with urgency to the music and lots of momentum. Others are more forgettably bluesy, and insignificant other than as part of music history.
fun album, love Janis voice, not exactly my genre, too much swinging
Well I guess you had to be there. I wasn’t. The stars are for “Piece of My Heart”, a great song by any reckoning, “Turtle Blues”, and maybe “I Need a Man to Love”. The rest is the acid-addled musings of her backup band. Maybe this is why she went solo.
Well done for its time and style.
This album has exactly what's missing from the Motown albums - soul. So much soul.
Decent Classic rock ablum
This album is fine as a time capsule. I haven't really listened to any Janis Joplin before, so I was surprised by how bluesy some of the tracks were. Not bad, not phenomenal. I probably won't listen to it again.
Sounds like it was probably a fun show to see live...except apparently it wasn't actually a live album, they just added crowd noise. Weird. Pretending like it's a live album is like giving yourself a license to be raw and unpolished in the studio, which I guess is fine if you're going for a raw sound, but I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to. Definitely some good stuff here, though. Can't deny that Joplin is a powerhouse.
I liked this one alright, Janis Joplin's vocals and energy are definitely the highlight.
Combination of the Two - 9/10 I Need a Man to Love - 7.5/10 Summertime - 7.5/10 Piece of My Heart - 8.5/10 Turtle Blues - 7.5/10 Oh, Sweet Mary- 7/10 Bell and Chain - 8/10 Roadblock - 8.5/10 Flower in the Sun - 8/10 TOTAL - 63/90
My first impression of this album was "Hmm... are my headphones broken?" I suppose stereo was 'it' in the 60s and everyone was doing it – some better than others. I enjoyed most of this as I was listening, seemed like some sort of middle-ground between blues and rock. Now as I go to review, I realise none of it has really stuck with me. Perhaps I should give it another listen to really get a feel for the album, but I probably won't find the time.
Never knew Janis was in a band before she was solo. Had heard of BB&THC before. But didn’t know anything about them. Wouldn’t listen to this over and over. By wasn’t bad.
This album was okay. There definitely some recognizable songs on there which were cool. But I found the faux live album thing to be odd
I’d give this one a 3.5, it has some potential to be good for sure.
Favourite song - combination of the two
Sometimes good, sometimes medium. Piece of my heart is definitely the best one.
3.3/5 Best Track: Piece of My Heart
Just ok. Not sure about the hype surrounding this album.
Rating: 7/10 Very good album overall. Janis Joplin's voice is very unique, she sings with a lot of personality even though I don't like it all the time. Instrumentally this album is pretty standard for this era, nothing stands out too much. Everything sounds good but overall this album is nothing special (besides Janis Joplin) compared to its contemporaries at the time, the highlights were quite good though. Favorite songs: Combination of the Two, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues, Oh Sweet Mary, Flower in the Sun. Worst song: Summertime.
Woodstock Feelings
Lot of energy. Piece of my heart is always amazing. I don't always care for Janis' voice. She has a lot of volume, but not a lot of range. 3/5
Joplin's voice just cuts straight through. Incredible power. And some incredible cuts on here! It wore a bit thin for me though, and I found it treading too much similar ground. Fave track: Piece of My Heart
Wusste gar nicht, dass Janis Joplin in ner Band war... Geiles Cover, krasse Stimme. Kannte nur Piece of my Heart. Album wirkt stellenweise 'improvisiert' und es werden belanglose Füller gedudelt. Stört mich irgendwie. Sonst aber ganz gut. 3,5
Die ersten paar Lieder waren der Horror, die kratzige Stimme.. Ab Piece of my heart gehts bergauf. Oh, Sweet Mary fand ich ziemlich cool. Das Albumcover hat für jeden Song eine eigene Zeichnung. Die sind zwar boomerig, aber coole Idee. 2,6.
Fast and wild, yeah.
Wasn’t rlly feeling it idk why
Janis Joplin good. The rest...eh.
I have a deep ambivalence for Janis Joplin. On the one hand, she was a force of nature. Her stage presence was primeval and electric. Her voice is emotive and raw and it is fully a rock that paved the way for many others. On the other hand, she really doesn’t have a good voice. I don’t mean she’s a bad singer, as traditional vocal skill has nothing to do with a good voice or good rock and roll. I mean that when I hear Joplin, I really don’t enjoy her voice very much. So, I chalk this up as “I get why she was huge, but it’s not actually very good.” But rating this is hard because this album is very influential and Joplin is singular. The energy is undeniable, but is it any good? If I could give 2.5 stars, I would, as that is the way to rate something I am this torn about.
Some bangers but overall a mixed bag. Certain elements have not aged well.
Míticas canciones de Janis Joplin que conocía y no sabía que estaban aquí. Muy bueno pero igualmente, al rato de escucharlo, me aburría
3/5
Solid album. Probably won't revisit it but nothing to complain about.
Not my cup of tea but 3 stars for Janis.
Sloppy psychadelia, loose let it all hang out acid rock based in blues. The bass provides a solid danceable foundation with some pretty deep grooves, the drummer kicks it along, and then the extremely awesome sounding fuzzy as hell squealing guitar and Janis Joplin take it turns wailing over the top (or not and both just go for it at once). I used to have a licorice-type reaction to Janis Joplin's vocals, but they've grown on me. She's maxing out, pushing her voice into the red: there's something earnest about the hoarse, scratchy delivery where you can hear the effort exceeding the limits of her ability. Nothing complex musically here but its very effective and one of the most enduring artifacts of hippy culture. The guitar on here is really great - that 60s Santana, loud and fuzzy reverby mostly pentatonic thing that gets epic/melodic and then descents into scattered squealing - basic as hell, but so much fun. Favorites: Oh Sweet Mary, I Need a Man to Love, Ball and Chain, Peice of My Heart
An album that pairs well with its cover. Piece of My Heart is the stand out, of course, but this is all pretty listenable.
Good classic rock, kinda psych which im into. Janis sounds like marge simpson.
So so psychedlic music. Most doesn't really stand the test of time.
Didn’t love it.
3/5
Solid album. I wasn't very familiar with Janis' work before this but I can see why Janis eventually went off to have her own. Technically sound, and I personally like the live album gimmick, but it's not something I think I would revisit. "Piece Of My Heart" is a classic though.
didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. but I love Janis Joplin. Would be a 2.5 if I could but we move. Ball and chain and I need a man to love has been added to the likes 🤠
Det är väl egentligen inget fel på skivan, låtarna är inte asdåliga osv men de är inte heller minnesvärda öht. Den enda låten jag skulle lyssna på igen är PoMH, vilket är den klart bästa låten och dessutom en cover. 3 kanske är lite harsh men jag skulle aldrig lyssna på det casually, trots att det inte är särskilt dåligt
Ich mag Chanis, aber die Platte irgendwie nicht so besonders.
Listened Before? N Janis Joplin. A powerful and instantly recognizable voice. She's respected but not my cup of tea. I definitely get why she's so admired, and I can't help but wonder what would have happened had she lived longer. A moot point but still a thing to ponder. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Piece of My Heart
Con Yannis Yoplin.
Not really a fan of Janis Joplin but liked this one more than I thought. Rating: 3.3
The live sound is a bit gimmicky but I guess it works. Janis is just awesome. Certainly a good fun album with Piece of My Heart the standout track.
Never a big Janice fan as I can do without her screeching. But as a record itself this is extraordinary. The guitar work here is phenomenal.
Good, but not really my shit. Also, I never understood the hype around Joplin.
This album was pure 60 rocks in a bottle. Good listen overall
A pretty average blues album that only really has two stand out qualities - the big, fuzzy guitar solos that I could give or take, and Joplin’s powerhouse of a voice Unfortunately even that is a bit inconsistent here. On tracks like the classic Piece of my Heart and Ball and Chain she sounds absolutely mega, but then on some other tracks like Summertime (which is usually gorgeous but is absolutely butchered here) she sounds like Marge fucking Simpson
An unexpected delight. Joplin wailing over some psychedelic blues riffs…what’s not to like?
Very 60's album... hot take but Janis Joplin is a bit overrated in my opinion, no question she is talented and unique but there are better front women out there.
The band is very good, particularly the bass player.
Didn’t know Janis Joplin was part if a band before going solo. Interesting!
2nd album with Janis in a week...not as good as Pearl imo. good listen though
This album is the kind of thing I'm here for. I had never heard of this band nor did I know that Janis Joplin fronted any band, and I feel like I should have known that. Now I know. I didn't really care for her solo album on the list, but I did like this. Her voice here is incredible. I don't think I'd listen to this album again but I appreciated it just the same.