Pearl

‘Pearl” by Janis Joplin (1971) Very familiar with this album and artist. It will be a struggle here to focus on this album as an album, simply because there is so much worth saying about Janis Joplin and her times. But here goes: “Pearl” is stellar, even without context. Joplin’s soul soars in this recording, which is, almost incidentally, very well produced and arranged. The songwriting is first rate (only “Move Over” was written solely by Joplin herself), and the instrumentals of the Full Tilt Boogie Band excel. Top notch lead guitar, with some great solo riffs. Elaborate bass lines, always in concert with steady and dynamic drums. Nice colorings on Hammond organ. All very professional. But the chief topic of interest here is the vocal performance by Joplin. Her inimitable tonal characteristics are on full display. She does things with her voice that literally no one else can do. Tightly disciplined yet delicate trills. Effortless execution of singing two pitches simultaneously (e.g., hear the first word of “Cry Baby”! I actually did). Dynamic variation as an art form in itself. Listen to the constant interplay between the soft and the loud on “Me and Bobby McGee”. Few singers (or listeners) pay attention to that nowadays. There’s only one way to articulate the line “Windshield wipers slappin’ time”, and it’s the way Janis Joplin does it, though others have tried. Here we’re treated to Joplin’s prodigious range and exemplary pitch control, with vibrato that is customized for each phrase. Moreover, none of her vocal stylings are affected or artificial. It’s as if each song has been internalized, and thus it springs from her soul with minimal interference by her considerable physical singing tools. Listen for what’s going on beneath her breathing, vocal cords, oral and nasal cavities, and phonetic mechanisms. It’s passion. And passion rules over the body as the sound comes out. It’s not just ‘singing the blues’. It’s the blues emerging as song. Her frequent exclamations and extra-lyrical flourishes are not contrived. They seem unrehearsed. She is feeling, and we have the privilege of hearing what her feelings sound like. There is a maternal aspect to her singing. Mom can scold, comfort, rage, caress, and lament with abandon. So does Janis Joplin. But also, there’s plenty of eroticism—of a kind that is not bound by constructs like identity or even gender. It’s lust without heavy moral overtones. I’ll resist the urge to be more specific. This album is superb work of art. Recommend on every level. 5/5

What an excellent album, and yet a desperately sad one. She was just a kid. Such a tragedy.

She is a talented singer but this is the exact music your least fave aunt loves

Janis is a tiger shooting firecrackers. What an excellent, punchy, and fiery set of songs.

Janis Joplin is, hands down, top 5 coolest artist ever. This, being smoother and more polished than her previous work, is her at the top of her career.

Nr. 5/1001 Move Over 3/5 Cry Baby 4/5 A Woman Left Lonely 4/5 Half Moon 4/5 Buried Alive In the Blues 2/5 My Baby 3/5 Me and Bobby McGee 3/5 Mercedes-Benz 4/5 Trust Me 4/5 Get It While You Can 4/5 Average: 3,5 Enjoyed this quite a bit more than expected

Really, really good. Makes you want to take a star off everything else to make it look better still.

Jantastic. Jop of the Pops

Janis is a favorite. Bluesy, jammy, rock-n-roll with one of America’s best voices. She conveys love and torture and hope all at the same time. Backing band is great but doesn’t overshadow the star of the show. Also have a soft spot for “Me and Bobby McGee” because it won us a round of drinks at Silky O’Sullivan’s bar on Beale Street on my 40th birthday. American classic, and sad member of the 27 club...

Sexy and the voice of a chain smoking angel.

A candidate for the greatest singer of the early 70s. This is her most polished album, full of instant hits that it's a crime only two of them are modern radio staples. It's not just her powerful voice, full of raunch and passion, but the full bluesy instrumentation that energizes every line she puts in. The fast-pace ensures there's always something happening in these songs. I'm really glad "Buried Alive in the Blues" exists to back up my claim that it's not just Joplin that makes this album amazing, but it's when they combine forces when they become something else entirely. I liked how the beginning of that track sounded like the start of a 70s sitcom intro. I'll for sure be coming back to this album, probably as much as Carole King's Tapestry.

Fuck Janis Joplin is crusty. You can smell the stains on her fingers just looking at the cover. Singing is pretty impressive (especially considering all the drugs and ciggies), but wears out its welcome kinda quick. Music isn't too bad, just average rock of the time. 2.5/5.

meh

Yeah it’s good but I can’t listen to her song for more than a minute or two.

"My friends all drive Porsches," sang Janis Joplin, and so did she - a 1964 356 SC Cabriolet that she bought when it was four years old and used as a daily driver. What made her car special, compared to other 356s was its psychedelic paint job, which was as flamboyant as her music and persona. Joplin is said to have paid her roadie, Dave Richards, $500 to decorate the light ivory car, portraying the "History of the Universe" in every colour of the rainbow. He did, starting with a coat of Candy Apple Red, then adding portraits of Joplin's "Big Brother and the Holding Company"band-mates and other motifs such as "The Eye of God" on the hood, and a California valley on the right door. This car is a tribute to that work of art painted by former GM designer, Nick Moskatow, for its current owner. Loved the iconic album from Janice Joplin 5/5

Certified 5 stars. RIP to the goat

I’m not big on the San Francisco psych-rock scene of the 60’s - the Velvet Underground are far more psychedelic and interesting to me than most of the San Francisco bands - but this record is proof of Janis Joplin’s phenomenal talent. Her band here is exceptionally tight and funky. Excellent musicianship all around. By every metric, Pearl is a great record.

Today I'm listening to Pearl by Janis Joplin and released in 1971. I remember being introduced to Janis Joplin by my sister when I was starting to devour good music in my late teens. And this was done by sitting and listening to Me and Bobby McGee over and over again. Then Piece of My Heart became a big deal to me. I've never actually listened to any of her albums. Another in a long line of greatest hits artists I've enjoyed. I'm definitely enjoying this album, and that voice is towering and unique and full of feeling as always. And like other albums, hearing Me and Bobby McGee just roll out of the speakers is a lovely experience. It makes me think of road tripping in the 60s with Kris Kristofferson. It's the best feeling I can imagine right now. This is all tinged with sadness of what could have been had Janis not been part of the 27 year-old rock start death club.

Honest, raw and polished in equal measure. A good listen.

TIL Janis Joplin (in conjunction with Juanita Greene) paid for a tombstone for Bessie Smith's previously unmarked grave. Bless her. Janis Joplin really helped set the template for rock singers, male and female alike, in ways that were both positive (big raspy blues-influenced voice, powerful stage presence, wild public persona) and extremely negative (self-destructive consumption of drugs and alcohol, tempestuous relationships, wild private persona). The vocal affectations can be a little OTT sometimes although generally kept under control by the firm hand of Paul A. Rothschild, a producer with a good track record of managing volatile singers. But Janis' style has been massively influential over the years, often copied but rarely bettered by others. Her live performances can be excessive -- I bet they were awesome if you were there on a good night -- but on record she made more deliberate choices that really are something. It's big and emotive and free, but she has a deceptive amount of control. underneath all that apparent reckless abandon. I wonder whether she might have gone on to use her more 'normal' voice if her career had extended. You can hear moments of it on some of the out-takes on the deluxe version of Pearl, like her snippet of 'Happy Trails' on her birthday message to John Lennon. Or maybe the damage of this full-throttle singing style and hard-living would have aged her voice into something more worn, but beautiful and expressive in its own way. The band is tight, funky, well-rehearsed and dynamic. A special shout-out to Ken Pearson on Hammond organ; I really dig his contributions. This is Janis at the height of her powers, with great material. Even though it was not entirely finished before her death, this really does feel like a complete album (instrumental track aside). The legend of Janis Joplin overshadows her actual music these days, which is part of the fetishization of trauma that is part and parcel of rock iconography. Was her personal unhappiness a result of her repressed homosexuality? Her affairs with women were well documented and not secret, but she strongly resisted being labelled a lesbian (understandable given her upbringing in Texas). Did her struggles with self-acceptance lead her to self-destructive behaviour? Janis 'earned' her iconic status with self-harm and an early death, but I am sure she would rather be a happy 80 year old (out and proud, perhaps?) than a famous dead person. I do pull this record off the shelf from time to time and always enjoy it (especially side 1). I have played 'Move Over' in DJ sets on occasion. Janis is an essential part of how rock and rock codifies itself (for better and worse), and the music is actually really great.

She has crazy good vocals.

La Joplin. Vinilazo.

La Joplin. Vinilazo.

I probably have heard this album in my youth. My dad was a big fan of Janis Joplin. I was probably a little young for this music, though, and I haven’t really listened to any Janis Joplin other than the occasional song heard on the radio. As I grew older I kept thinking I should change that but never got around to it. I’m very excited to listen to it now. This album is incredible. “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Mercedes Benz” I knew well going in to this, but those incredible songs barely scratch the surface of this album’s contents. From start to finish it is hard to fathom how a person can put so much into these songs. They are powerful. They are emotional, they are incredible, they are fun! I teared up on several occasions. How could you not during “A Woman Left Lonely?” There is incredible exuberance captured on this album and I can’t help but feel happy hearing songs like “Half Moon.” But could there be a sadder moment than “Buried Alive in the Blues?” Such a funky song. Such a sad song. Maybe the bitterest sweet as I listened and never heard her voice as she died before it was completed. I was quite glad that the writer of the song turned down the request to have him perform the vocals on it in tribute. The song sits in the middle of the album in sad tribute to the loss of an incredible performer. How about that album cover?! That smile. That drink. Those feathers. Such great spirit captured by that image. Fortunately we have Janis Joplin’s incredible music to give us a little of that today.

I've been a fan ever since I was little. Both my parents are huge fans so the you have it. When I found that Bobby Mcgee has her greatest hit couldn't believe it! then I found out that Janis had quite more than I believed. this is an awsome and gorgeous record. Cry baby always tears my heart. Thank you Janis for your work

Definitely a unique voice but really enjoyable

Strong record! Bluesy, raw, great lyrics.

Pearl Apart from Me and Bobby McGee I wasn’t really that keen on this on first listen, although the playing is much tighter and more professional than the band on Cheap Thrills it feels pretty soulless as it cycles through rather generic overly slick AOR blues rock tropes. I started to like it a bit more on repeat listens though, when the band turn up the organ and turn down the guitar and it can be pretty good; Trust Me reveals itself as a great little tune, Get it While You Can has a nice smoulder to it. Even Move Over, which I disliked on the first listen, improves on repeat, eventually settling into a nice groove. And of course Me and Bobby McGee is just an excellent song, by far the best thing on here, a great bit of bluesy country soul. Mercedes Benz is kind of fun and Cry Baby’s ubiquity has dampened it’s overwrought charm a little, but it's still a good track Looking back at our reviews of Cheap Thrills I think I’m a bit more partial to her voice than you both and I think it does sound really good here, particularly as the more conventional production showcases it better then the fake-live sound of Cheap Thrills. Overall it’s a decent listen, one I might try again, but I wasn’t into it enough for it to trouble the 4s. Solid 3. 🦪🦪🦪 Playlist submission: Me and Bobby McGee

Bueno

it features a blues rock singer wailing wommannnn and yet it's still fine. good job Janis.

Not great not terrible. Honestly, I do not think her voice is as legendary as people say. It's her attitude and vibe.

Respectable. Lively voice.

Would I listen again: no Best track: My Baby Worst track: trust me Surprise awesome track: Move Over Weirdest track: none really stand out Lyrics: mostly blues type lyrics. Nothing super deep but tons of memorable lines. No skips?: no Cover art cool?: no Notes: I am saying this out of the gate that I am not expecting much from this album. I totally respect Joplin and recognize her place in history but I just don’t think for whatever the reason that I am going to find this entire album to be something worth listening to again. I hope to be proven wrong. Full tilt boogie band is killer. What a great tight band. But same Blues rock shit over and over again. It’s fine but it’s not particularly memorable musically.

Her voice is phenomenal, that gravel and the way she controls it, can hit notes that seem impossible, a master of blues and gospel. This is a posthumous release, an excellent album that you can replay again and again

I had Adele's 25 album yesterday and today I get Pearl by Janis Joplin. Two very powerful and distinct voices, but unlike Adele, Janis sings with a fervor and a passion that is missing from Adele's album. Janis is on fire with this one. My oldest sister was a huge Janis Joplin fan, so I got to listen to this one a lot when I was young. Such a talent gone too soon.

Janis Joplin is a talent like no other. She’s in her own league. ‘Powerhouse’ feels like an inadequate description of her vocals. There’s a rawness to her emotions when she sings. It’s guttural and primal, and somehow beautiful and expressive at the same time. And this album is a perfect showcase of her power. Oh, and the band is incredible too! The music is a stunning blend of soul, gospel, and hard rock. The songs have a great, live in the studio feel, all fantastically produced. I love that organ too! 🙌

Really incredible album with great performances by everyone involved. After hearing the guitar solo in the first track, "Move Over", I actually re-played it and then started to look up some tabs/sheet music so I could learn it because it's so impressive. Great phrasing, flow, and technicality. "Me and Bobby McGee" is a classic, and possibly Janis Joplin at her best. She somehow has both a huge, soaring, powerful belt, and also a sweet, natural, and friendly voice, and she showcases both on this track. I love it so much. "Get It While You Can" is a great album ender. It's fun, it grooves, it's romantic, and playful. I think Janis Joplin and her band have some of the best buildup / releases in the history of rock music. They are so good at slowly adding layers of tension and not hitting the climax too soon. I think most musicians can learn from them. Loved listening to this, it's a 5/5. What Jimi Hendrix did for guitar, Janis Joplin did for vocals.

It's an imperfect classic; iconic voice with some signature tracks here. Maybe could've benefitted from being finished properly? It is still however a classic.

Top trop bon j’adore

Such a high energy and soulful album. It's such a bummer she died so young. I wonder what would have happened in the Grateful Dead community if she didn't die so young. Makes me wonder if she would have been more involved with the band. She has an amazing voice and you can just tell she has an amazing live presence.

Every time I listen to Janis Joplin I get sad. Her voice, her style, her band was all so good. She was gone too soon. I'm grateful for this record and her work with Big Brother, I just wish she was still with us making killer music. I think what's so good about her style is that its so close to delta blues. Its the natural progression from Muddy Waters, which is the progression from Robert Johnson. Its not that far removed, so she is able to harness that energy and spirit from early blues music and take it in her own direction. I would argue that most blues artists after Janis (and her contemporaries) were appropriating blues rock, they were taking what she and others had done and building on it (which is incredible in its own right!) But it's different. The raw energy in this record. The songs of love, heartache, poverty. Every song cuts to the core, and every song is its own journey. This is a really unique record and one that I can listen to over and over again.

My Rating: 5/5 Torn Vocal Cords of God Janis doesn’t “sing.” She erupts. Every note on Pearl sounds like someone duct-taped her heart and threw her into the booth yelling “Go.”

really good!!

JANIS MY BELOVEDDDDDD!!!!!!<333333 what!!!a!!!voice!!!! not many can do it like her. another favourite artist of mine who was gone too soon unfortunately, though still grateful that she put herself out there and we get to enjoy her absolutely insane vocals.

This woman could really sing! What a voice! raw, edgy, great range and musical as well. Not the kind of music I listen to generally, but respect for what she gave us. Move Over and Me and Bobby McGee iconic of the era.

Klassiker. 5/5

I love this album, her voice belting. classic

I absolutely love this album! Always have and always will.

Very pleasantly surprised

So so so good. Janis is one of my favorite voices. Had to listen to this one three times in a row. 10/10

Her voice is so good and the melodies are so catchy

This one has been in my collection for a long time and gets regular spins. This (along with Cheap Thrills with Big Brother and the Holding Company) is the Joplin album to own in my opinion. Me and Bobby Mc Gee and Cry Baby hit like a sledgehammer and you can just feel that she is putting it all out there. Mercedes Benz is Janis at her cheeky best and the whole album just resonates joy rage and pain. Love it

Now we"re talking! She comes right through the speakers and grabs you.

Hot damn Janis. Where has this album been all my life? Just beltin' it.

I think I'm going 5 on this one. Probably actually more like 4.5 for me. But I'm a sucker for late 60's hippie music. Joplin is the embodiment of that age. Such a vibe.

Grew up listening to this album. Janice is amazing!!

Love this album

A true classic, gone way too soon

What an amazing voice, so strong and forceful but with nuance and soul and a crackle. The band is great and she is great and the album is great. For me, her version of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" is the star here. I normally shy away from the big hit and the obvious but she puts everything in to this one and it slays. What a triumph.

Pure heart and soul channelled through contemporary blues. 9.8/10 Best Tracks: "Move Over" "Cry Baby" "Half Moon" "My Baby" "Me and Bobby McGee"

Cry Baby! Jes Jappelin.

This is everything you know and expect when you think of Janis Joplin.

Pearl isn’t just Janis Joplin’s best album—it feels like everything she was building toward finally came together. There’s raw power, yes, but also a sense of clarity and control she didn’t always have on earlier records. Her voice is ferocious and vulnerable in equal measure, full of cracks, growls, and aching soul, and on songs like Cry Baby, A Woman Left Lonely, and Me and Bobby McGee, she tears right through you. Each track feels lived-in, emotionally charged, and completely her. The production is tighter, the arrangements are richer, and the band—Full Tilt Boogie—gives her just the right platform without ever overshadowing her. Even the fun, loose moments (Move Over, Mercedes Benz) have that unmistakable Janis grit and charm. It’s a tragic triumph in some ways, released just after her death, but it’s also a lasting reminder of her brilliance.

4.5

Oh lord that's good 💯

Wow. This was fantastic. I dont know how it took me this long to listen to Janis Joplin.

I was already really enjoying this album (and was likely to give it a five), when Mercedes Benz came on and unlocked a core childhood memory. I had forgotten about it for 25 years, but my mum used to sing Mercedes Benz to me to try and get me to sleep when I was very young, (I can only assume she had already tried all the more traditional lullabies). I played the song for her to confirm and she recognised it instantly. I’ve now been playing this album all weekend. Mercedes Benz aside, it was always going to be five stars.

Love u Janis!

Live fast, die young and leave a cracking album

A great album. Never listened to it apart from the hits. Exactly what I hope to find by going through this list.

Favorite Track: Me and Bobby McGee

What a legend. Janis has soul, texture, power. Total package. Always adds extra layers when it's an artist's last go. Especially since the album came out after her death. Feels like a goodbye or memoriam. Love you Janis ❤️

What a voice! 🔥 I only knew 2 Janis Joplin songs before going into this. Ended up recognising a 3rd thanks to a highly annoying perfume advert. That does not do her justice because this album was amazing! Such a talent, died way too young. Reminds me of Amy Winehouse - unique voices and I think both would have gone on to incredible things This is in my top 3 albums on here so far. Loved it 5 ⭐️

eu amo, nao tem como

Wonderful album by one of the greatest pop/rock performers of all time.

Not much to say about this. It is a solid 5/5.

One of the most powerful female singers of all time. She deserved so much more than the way she was treated. It’s a shame she died before she had a chance to be embraced by the right people.

Great album

A great listen. Was blown away by the power and raw soul of Janis's voice. Such a shame this turned out to be her last album

Really enjoyed this album as it captures the raw power of Joplins voice. It is quite poignant that the instrumental track was left as it was because Joplin had died before she was able to record vocals. A tragic loss. 5 stars.

Freedoms just another word

Nice I liked it more than I thought I would. Also it clocks in at just over half an hour which seems right for how strong the sound is

bloody love it.

Sensazionale

She is the queen of rock.

Not something I want to listen to every day, but it feels wrong not to give it 5 stars.

god her voice and the guitar ... what a combo!! I can't believe I have never listened to this before

I mean, it's fuggin' JJ. Just amazing voice. Quintessential early 70s RnB

I’ve listened to Me and Bobby McGee before (thank you Kris Kristoffersson for that gem) and really enjoyed Janis’s voice on that one. That feeling can be shared to the rest of the songs on this album, she has such a powerful and raw voice with great lyrics and rock elements on all of the songs. Cry Baby is so raw and you can feel the emotion pouring out in her voice, Trust Me as well. What a sad story that this had to be released post humorously. It makes sense that this exalted her even further as this was one of the most complete albums I’ve listened to in this challenge with the vocals, lyrics, rock and blues elements, passion and raw talent. Truly a tragedy we didn’t get more music from her.

Had never heard the whole album. It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Wonderful musicianship, too! New faves: Half Moon, Buried Alive in the Blues, A Woman Left Lonely

That voice. That soul. I'm pretty familiar with this album, but it never fails to give me goosebumps at several points. Me and Bobby McGee is the greatest cover version ever (fight me!), and Cry Baby is up there with the great vocal performances, but every other track is great too. Top musicianship too, although Joplin always takes center stage. It doesn't matter to me that she didn't write most of these songs, because she makes them all her own

Incredible. Brilliant. Stunning album.

Chills. Damn. First album on this list I haven't heard before that is getting 5 stars. Can't wait to relisten

Yes what a screamer, obvs knew alot of the songs but not the totality.musical and poetic mastery with a touch if country soul and the hippie thing. Was awesome really.

First listen - I can’t believe I have to admit it. But holy crap- worth the hype!

Love it, from start to finish

one of the greatest voices of all time excellent blues/rock album I bought this on cassette for $5 in Sydney when I lived there, and only had a Walkman

Ein zeitloses Album. Die Band und Janis Joplin sind eine Einheit.

I’ve heard about Ms. Joplin my entire life and this is my first time ever listening to her. The soul in her voice JUMPED out the records, my goodness, I want expecting that whatsoever.

Ok I'm gonna need to stop you right there. You mean to tell me that Janis Joplin died at what I can only assume was the peak of her recording career? Because I cannot imagine her producing a better record than this one. Oh my goodness. I honestly don't even know how to put into words how I feel about this record. It has everything I love - fast, upbeat grooves played by an excellent rock and roll/soul band. Motown vibes. Soul. Amazing instrumentation and mixing. And on top of all of that (which would be enough for four stars for most albums with all of that), it's got Janis on vocals absolutely blowing everyone out of the water. I don't even care that there's a filler track on this album ("Mercedes Benz"). It's charming enough that I can let it slide. I am such a sucker for an album like this. There have been albums that have felt like they were made for me that I just didn't like. Albums I felt like, because they checked a handful of boxes that generally agree with my musical tastes, had to be a five star album but yet weren't because they were too perfect. I was worried after a couple of tracks that this would be one of those. It wasn't. It was just one kick ass album. God bless this woman. She died far too soon. Five stars. Standout Tracks: Move Over, Cry Baby, Half Moon, Me and Bobby McGee, Get It While You Can