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

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

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

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.

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

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

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...

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

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.

Jantastic. Jop of the Pops

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.

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.

So much character and soul in her voice. Band sounded great as well.

Great album. Iconic voice

Incredible. The tone of her voice is so special. This album is fun, emotional, rollicking, anything else you want from music. It's only 34 minutes, but it feels like a full lifetime is contained in those 34 minutes.

I knew most of these songs, but really enjoyed listening to them again. Joplin was a real talent that we lost too early, but her music is great. Five stars.

Could just copy and paste my rumours review. Which came out first?

O grande feito dos trabalhos de Janis foi reconhecerem seu talento e para isso ter grandes produções nos seus álbuns. Explorou-se sua capacidade para o bem e para o mal. Isso é uma obra prima da música!

For all her infamy, I’ve never actually heard any Janis Joplin. Now I can see what the fuss was about! So raw and energetic

I have no words. This was a delight!

A true classic.

What is there really to say about this album. Some of the best vocal performances in rock history.

Blues my not be my thing entirely but Janis Joplin's posthumus album is a great one. Her vocal range was simply fantastic and her raw emotion and passion on these songs was one of a kind. The album is well produced and the backing band did a really good job, the music is great and they never overshadowed Janis. It doesn't have some of the my favorite songs (Piece of my heart, for instance), but it is still a very strong collection of songs, which overall deserve a close 5 (4.5 rounded up to 5).

Just beautiful. Her voice is just beautiful and full of raw emotion. The lyrics really touch the heart and the time period. Listening to the whole album was so much better than just one song because it of all worked together to write a story. I hate to say this b Bobby McGee (beautiful song!) almost felt out of place and to commercial for the rest of the album. Half moon and my baby were my favorites.

Soulful and passionate. Janis is awesome. Her band is really groovy too. Especially love the organ playing. Bobby McGee is actually a cover. It was written by Kris Kristofferson and other people have sang it, but Janis' version is the best. Move Over is a favorite of mine and reminds me of some of her earlier stuff with Big Brother & Holding Co. This is her last album. Released 3 months after her death. A beautiful voice and a beautiful spirit that we lost too soon. Loved this album.

F**king love it!Made me almost cried

Pretty perfect. Also love 34 min albums.

What a fun album. So much passion coming from Janis.

JANIS JOPLIN!! HELL YEAH!!! I used to listen to this album with my mom when I was little!

When Joplin (supposedly) said to Leonard Cohen "we are ugly but we have the music", I'm not sure she was right about the former, but she definitely was about the latter. This is my first time hearing her at all, and holy shit she's incredible. This is the first album I'm gonna give 5 stars to on my first listen.

This is a great album, very bluesy, with distinctive elements from that time (Hammond organ, but wisely used), and her voice. What a voice! All killers no fillers, and the highlights of the album are just stellar. Move Over, by itself, deserves more than 5 stars.

This reminds me yet again that I need to listen to more Janis. Sad knowing the context, but the music is so so good.

Never heard any of Janis' solo material & only I'm only familiar with a few Big Brother & the Holding Co songs. I may have heard "Me and Bobby McGee" but wasn't intentionally listening. I'm really enjoying this! Her voice is incredible, lives up to the hype in every way. Favorites: "Half Moon", "Move Over" (3x) 5 stars, A+

Great album from an artist who left us with too little.

wow!

# Playlist track - Get It While You Can # Notes - Janis vocals are so refreshingly fun and unique. - The accompanying band is absolutely amazing. Instrumentals are top-notch throughout! - Janis seems like a fascinating character, and the album cover just compliments that nicely. - Definitely worth giving a listen, or two, or three. Super fun and rewarding.

Epic, beautiful, powerful, sad. I think Move Over is my fave today, it's all good.

Iconic stuff - she was a phenomenon! Joplin is, of course, amazing, but her band on this are tight AF. Fave tracks - "Move Over" is an awesome tune, and I liked Slade's version of it a few reviews back. It's got me wondering how many songs appear multiple times on this list, and which song is the most common! 🤔 "Mercedes Benz" is also tremendous stuff, though leave it to late stage capitalism to co-opt it into an actual advert. 😒 I also enjoyed hearing "Me and Bobby McGee" - I feel like that song title gets referenced a lot but I don't recall listening to the lyrics closely before...

Totally Blown away by this. A sensational album with beautiful bluesy rock. An artist I have never really listened to and cheap thrills absolutely will go onto the "must listen to" list. The album is littered with incredible and powerful songs

07/10/24 Surprisingly enjoyed this album.

One of those brilliant and tragic albums only released after her death. What a talent. Ok not all the songs are hers but she makes them hers with that voice and swagger. One of my all tine favourite female vocalists.

This album rocks. The Full Tilt Boogie Band should've been a household name. It's an odd coincidence I got this album the day after Kris Kristofferson died. Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose. Janis always has dem ol' kosmic blues. 5 stars all day.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again: having a powerful voice is not about singing scales. Janis probably wouldn’t have made it past the first round of American Idol, but she deserves her place among the best vocalists this country has produced, period.

Man, did she know how to sing the blues! The one song on the album without her voice (because she had passed away) reminds us that there was a funky band there, too.

Wow

I was not impressed by the big brother and the holding company record. This sounds like a masterpiece from the first note. I’m really enjoying this record.

huumehörhö... drugggiee... druggie!! DRUUUGS... DRUUGHEAAD....Olen puolalainen ja olen positiivisesti yllättynyt tästä... Saan tästä melkoisen määrän paskaa talossani, mutta Janis on jotenkin perseestä. Hänellä on yksi temppu - räikeä blues-huuto. Sen lisäksi hänen mumisevat tyylinsä kuulostavat fyysisesti tuskalliselta ja ärsyttävät minua. hippipaska, en tykkäisi tästä henkilöstä oikeassa elämässä oonneksi on kuollut niin ei tarvi tavata HEHHEH.... druggie..... She had no regard for her own life, so why should anyone care about her music. bobby mcgee

That's smooth.

Einfach gut

Heerlijk album, had m nog niet in z'n geheel geluisterd (bewaarde ik stiekem voor wanneer we de lp hebben), maar behalve de hits is de rest ook gewoon kneitergoed. 5 sterren.

Janis is a absolute fucking legend! Great listen!

Absolutely amazing artiste, and a fantastic album. 5/5

A bright, shining, shooting star.

Rock and Roll has given us many gifts. None exceed the power and pathos of Me and Bobby McGee.

Ihana tunnelma

What a legend

I listened to the Legacy version of this album. Easiest 2h 15m listen. Love Janis.

The cover says it all. Joyful flamboyance with a smoldering cigarette in the center.

Joplin is an icon, and "Pearl" serves as both a showcase of her considerable talent and a tribute to her enduring legacy. "Cry Baby," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Mercedes Benz" are standout moments, but the entire album has aged remarkably well in terms of songwriting, performance, and pacing, offering a poignant glimpse into what might have been. The inclusion of the instrumental "Buried Alive In The Blues" further heightens the sense of loss, reminding us of the unique voice and true legend we lost too soon.

This was sooooooo good! 5/5

love her

Was so good I actually have no complaints

I’ve always felt like you either love Janis Joplin’s voice or you hate it. No in between. I love her voice and I feel like everything comes together for this I love her voice and what she emotes. Always thought it was cool kristofferson said me and Bobby McGee was her song and as much as I’ve heard that song, I don’t get tired of it. It’s a 5 for me.

8/21/24. Wow, what a voice! First time really listening to Janis and now I understand the praise. Amazing voice with an incredible blues sound with her backing band.

Favorite Tracks: Me and Bobby McGee Cry Baby Mercrdez Benz

Very cool

This was much better than expected. The whole album was fantastic from start to finish. Much more bluesy than I expected, then again I hadn't really given Janis a chance until now, but that's why we're here!

What an incredible voice partnered with another sad story from the 70s.

Wonderful

This is a fantastic album. Janis bares her soul when she sings. This is no doubt an unpopular opinion, but to me the most well known songs (Bobby McGee and Mercedes) are the weakest songs on the album.

Great little album packed full of classics

If I had a Time Machine, I’d head back. Watch Janis Joplin live and head back! I’d then never use it again. This is absolutely epic! 4.9

Didn’t even notice when it looped back. Interesting and unique voice that cannot be mistaken for anyone else, but also the songs are really good too.

The great songs carry the weaker to a 5 star or A- rating for me.

I grew up on Janis. Easy 5/5

What can you say about Janis that hasn’t already been said? You either are going to love her voice or hate it. I happen to fall into the former camp and her final record is just great.

I’ve never really had much of an interest in Janis Joplin’s music, which is a shame since we’re both Gulf Coast Texans. A few weeks ago, I listened to Big Brother and the Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills, and I thought it was fine, but I certainly wasn’t blown away by it. I imagine I’ll probably feel the same way about this album. I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. I’m not usually a fan of blues rock, but this album was great. I loved that the sound was mostly driven by the piano and Hammond organ, with guitar playing filling things out when needed. This album had a much better sound from a technical aspect than Cheap Thrills, and that also helps set Pearl apart in my opinion. Janis’s singing is fantastic, and the full range of her vocal abilities is on display on this album. She can wail, she can croon, and everything in between. “Cry Baby” had my favorite vocals. The Hammond organ backed up her wailing on the chorus incredibly well. Take me to church, indeed. Janis’s softer vocals on “A Woman Left Lonely” were fantastic as well, and I loved that her singing was always in the spotlight. The instrumentals on this album were great too, and like the vocals, “Cry Baby” was my favorite track on the album, but the boogie sound of “Half Moon” was great too. The piano and organ playing sounded great with Janis’s vocals, creating one of the most unique and original blues rock albums I’ve ever heard. “My Baby” and “Me and Bobby McGee” started off side B with a bang. I really loved the lyrics to “Me and Bobby McGee,” which I know Janis didn’t write, but she sang it to perfection. I loved that each song on this album felt unique and fresh, but the distinct blues sound was still present throughout. This album was excellent from start to finish, and it’s a shining example of Janis Joplin’s vocal abilities. I had a great time listening to it, and it undoubtedly belongs on this list.

Move Over! Strong vocals. 5/5

Great late 60s blues, Janis was a force of nature

#52 - wasn't expecting to live this as much as I did. Perfect vibes, incredible voice, amazing band (those keys!!). Did not know much about her so could come into this without context. Perfect capture of its time. Amazing album.

There's a strange charisma about her voice that grows on me the more I listen to her. She was obviously great, but each time I put on one of her albums I have that same experience.

Absolutely fucking epic

Always loved this lady