Pearl

Fantastic, didn't know I was a Joplin fan but she just has so much emotion

I’m so sad I was too busy all day to listen. I love Janis Joplin!

brill!

Rock and blues. Cry baby, masterpiece

Amazing voice.

When I think of bright lights and candles burning at both ends, Janis will always be the first one I think of. Psychedelic gospel ballad queen. The amount and quality of sound, the sheer power of emotion she conveys on Cry Baby— have I ever given that much of myself, not just in a way that even one other person can feel, let alone the millions that have because of these recordings, but at all? To have been that close to it, whatever you wan to call it, god, the source, the beating, vital heart of existence—what a gift, what an unbearable, painful gift, and the voice to go with it, and the courage to use that voice, to be the vessel, the conduit, the megaphone, to recognize your access and allow for it, not to deny it, or tamp it down, or seal it off, but to expose yourself to the full and raw power of human existence and let it flow through you, it’s just a shattering thing to hear sometimes. And at the same time, ruthless as it is to say, the unbearableness of it, for her, herself, probably spared her, and the rest of us, from decades of her music not being like this. I don’t wish death on anyone and I would never wish death on a young performer, anyone, whether they had access to the source or not, but in this world, and that industry at that time, knowing what happens to people, knowing what happened to me, late in my 20s, and then out of my 20s, past that age where one stops acting completely intuitively, when the invincibility of youth wears off, and one starts to recognize the cost of life. It’s a truism they put on the headstones of children who die, “too pure for this world“ but I think there’s some truth in it. Not too pure for reality itself, for God‘s creation, but very possibly for what we’ve done with it. Impossible to go on in life having been Janis at 23. Anyway, I’m fucking glad she existed.

Whenever I hear her voice, it feels like it’s registering in the middle of my spine - like some kind of sonic electrocution. The shock is too strong for this to be to be an everyday kind of listen for me, but it’s nice to touch the wires and feel that jolt every now and then.

No albums on the weekend! Un auténtico descanso.

👍🥰 Get It While You Can A Woman Gets Lonely Cry Baby Me and Bobby McGee Piece of My Heart Kozmuc Blues

Love all Janis Joplin. One of the best of all time blues singers.

Todella kova. Kaikki hyvii biisejä ja Joplinia kovempaa fiilisyelijää saa hakea

Pure kunst

Janis Joplin was a musical force, who burned brightly, but burned out quickly. This is the 4th of her studio albums, released 3 months after she passed away. It is also the high-point of her discography. This album includes several masterpieces: "Cry Baby", "Me and Bobby McGee", "Mercedes Benz" and "Move Over". The rest of the album is just very good. The least compelling song is "Buried Alive In The Blues", which is notable as an unfinished piece. It is an instrumental, because Joplin died before recording the vocal tracks. All in all, this is a great record, and an important record in the history of rock. Easy 5/5 .

I was epecting some hippie music but man this kicked ass. Janis Joplin went hard and it's a shame we didn't get more music from her.

Fantastisch

I liked, I really liked .. Janis Joplin is really amazing, what a woman, she is for sure one of the best to ever do It, and this record does not have a single bad song. It is just... Good. A classic She deserves a 5.

She emerged damaged from the psych rock hippie scuzz and US middle school. Too ugly, they said, too try-hard, too white, too much. Constantly condescended to by talentless scabs riding her coattails, abused by cracker America for her soul orientation and never taken seriously by a record industry that couldn't understand the source of her particular, magnetic charisma. I love Janis. Some is a touch corny but her voice is rough, raw and soulful as a bleeding throat. She was vulnerable at a time that was considered a weakness and America destroyed her but she is American through and through. Tacky and sincere simultaneously, erratically sincere and flippant but ultimately rock, roll and soul. If anyone gets the chance listen to her version of Little Girl Blue in the Tom Jones show. She must have been 26 but embodies the world-weary, gentle patience of some ur-mother cradling a weeping child, perhaps cradling herself. Glorious woman, extraordinary talent, excellent album.

Great album

Soft 5

"I'd like to do a song of great social and political import..." What a legend. I've never straight up listened to "Pearl" but I know almost all of these songs. Her voice was so insane. I love to hear singers straddle the line of control and she rides that wave this whole album, emoting to the max, crooning growling roaring and howling out these jams. The band is tight, supplying bluesy funky grooves for her to excorcise her demons over. She sings with the blood. "Half Moon" and "A Woman Left Lonely" were the only new songs to me and I was digging them even more than the classics from the canon of Janis. "Me and Bobby McGee" what else can you say, Kris Kristofferson himself would tell you it's a Janis Joplin song now. The unfinished "Bury Me in the Blues" is a haunting inclusion, she died the day before she was scheduled to lay down the vocal track. Reading her wiki and jamming to this today made me want to rewatch the Festival Express doc and get into some Janis deep cuts just to hear more of her raw power. But seriously, folks, don't do heroin!

Absolute masterpiece.

One of the all time great voices. Honestly, the album doesn’t quite feel finished, but it doesn’t really suffer because of that.

An amazing voice backed by an incredible band.

Amazing

I guess you cant transport more emotions through music than JJ does on thos album

Me and Bobby McGee and Cry Baby- such classics!! Amazing album

absolutely glorious. easiest 5*s of the week

I really enjoy Janis's sound, very unique. I knew a couple songs by her but great to be introduced to new ones ❤️

I really really enjoyed this. I’d heard of Janis Joplin, but didn’t know any of her music other than a little piece of my heart, but this album blew me away. Absolutely superb from start to finish, so bluesy and cool with Joplin’s incredible singing. This has been the first album that’s caught me off guard so much and will be the first album I rate 5 that I didn’t know, but it thoroughly deserves it. 5/5

Belíssimo disco

Janis Joplin siempre en vinilo. SIEMPRE.

Super good, bunch of absolute hits. Little too short.

Really good music - good blues is just so great, and this is good blues. Good bass guitar (interesting to listen to it), good piano parts, good guitar. Singing is really good too, almost a little screamy but actually just perfect - fits the vibe perfectly. It's probably not revolutionary, but all of the pieces coming together in this way is unique and makes for a great listen. The album has slow, it has fast, and it's soulful. Chef's kiss Oh man there's organ here too. It has some blues brothers vibes which is amazing. I feel like I would want my band to sound like this.

All time classic

So many classics in one album. Love that the generator is reminding me of such amazing artists who I haven't listened to in years!

What a set of pipes. Such raw emotion and vulnerability. Half Moon is a rocking standout, along with My Baby. Brilliant singer.

Just love that voice, unique and soulful. Lost way too early

Another classic album, one that admittedly I'd never listened to in its entirety. Half Moon is a great song I'd somehow never heard before. Her voice wasn't the greatest, but she's got the blues spirit and vibe to her like no other.

Soft 5

Very fun

Not an album I knew before, though obviously I was aware of her work and her extraordinary voice. This is a full throated, literally, blues album that absolutely blasts through the speakers. This is going to be the first 5 star that I hadn't heard before. It's a hell of an experience of sound and emotion.

Absolute perfection.

4.5 for the album, 5 for the voice

Next time cleaning I will hear this album and sing along and dance with it, good momentum to these songs

Brilliant album with a fantastic vocal from Janis. Particularly liked the opening track ‘Move Over’. There wasn’t a song that I didn’t like! 5/5 ⭐️

Pretty good overall. There are a lot of similar sounding songs, but a few standouts that make this a great album. Also Janis Joplin's voice is gorgeous and I love her energetic delivery

Exciting

10/10

What an album. Top to bottom just solid. Listening to this makes me sad as to what else she could have given the world if she had been alive longer. Amazing vocals, lyrically solid. Top to bottom great album.

Wow, Janis! What a voice. I think some are covers. I like the vibes, blues/rock some gospel (mercedes benz). A shame you leave us so young.

Very surprised by this one. I always thought Janis wasn’t a great singer, but this album showed me that her range wasn’t just about vocals. This album evokes a feeling and has a timeless quality.

A beautiful oldie

Loved listening to it again

Definition of a 5 star. Solid all the way through. Greats include: Bobby McGee, Get It While You Can, Mercedes Benz, and Half Moon. Need to buy the vinyl.

Album 159 of 1001 Janis Joplin - Pearl Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Track : Me and Bobby McGee I grew up with this one. It was in my home soon after its release and I'm grateful for that. Just a wonderful album. Usually I would go for her Greatest Hits album, so some of the deep tracks here are sadly overlooked, from time to time. I enjoyed it this morning as much as I ever. Easy to rate this one.

I FUCKING LOVE JANIS JOPLIN

Excellent album, really showing the range of Janis Joplin.

An all time iconic voice!

Love Janis, and this is a great album from top to bottom. My favorite songs on it are probably "Cry Baby," "Trust Me," and "Get It While You Can," but honestly there's not a bad song on here.

This shit rocks.

Amazing voice. Great album. Legendary

I love Joplin’s fuzzy vocal virtuosity. I also loved learning that Mercedes-Benz was the last thing she recorded before she died. This album is part of the sad mystique of rock and roll excess.

Beautiful.

A singular voice.

She was taken too soon from us. To me, Cry Baby is the stand out on this album.

Lekkere krijsblues uit de oude doos, uit de tijd dat een beetje artiest zich loungend op een vintage stoel van de kringloop liet fotograferen. Is zoiets nou overschat omdat de zangeres in kwestie op jonge leeftijd het leven heeft gelaten? Dit is toch eigenlijk prima muziek en er staan meerdere klassiekers op. Dikke blues met een knipoog, dat waarderen we.

God DAMN. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I could argue that Joplin had the single greatest voice in rock n roll history. Everything on this record is packed with undeniable soul and rawness that it’s impossible to look away from. It’s a shame that this album is loaded with such an awful story, and I fucking hate the industry for what they did to her. I dare you to listen to Cry Baby and tell me you’re not impressed.

What a Rock album! What a Blues album! Although any judgement is inevitably obscured by the knowledge that this was Joplin’s last, released posthumously, the quality is unquestionable. Some of the songs are probably not in their intended final form, but the rawness and the nude emotions just drip out of them, they are soaked in the stuff. 5 unavoidable stars! Fab tracks: Cry Baby, My Baby

A shame she died before this album was finished. Such a great album.

This is a masterpiece.

Великолепный классический американский рок 70ых с налетом кантри

Powerful vocals backed by great band. There is real blues inside her. Hard to believe she’s been gone for more than 50 years.

This is a perfect album from a great voice.

This is not the most remarkable when I think of a Janis Joplin album, but of course, it's a 5-star.

absolute bangers especially love my baby and cry baby

I love this one!

One of the best to ever do it. Fantastic album.

Before this, I only knew Janis Joplin by name and maybe Me and Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz. I expected another mediocre 70s blues rock album with a rating of maybe 2/5. But this... After the first listen of the album I immediately had to listen again. This is exceptionally good. I was acquainted with Joplin's voice; but the songs are unbelievably well put together, too. It's such a shame that Joplin died before finishing this album, so that she couldn't even sing the vocals of Buried Alive in the Blues, which remains an instrumental. And a good one at that. This album comepletely hit me out of the blue, as I wasn't expecting this to be 5/5. But it is.

I've heard this album a few times, and thought of it as a 4-star album. On this listen, however, I've had hard time finding fault. Janis has such an incredible, raw, powerful voice, and the songs covered here are almost uniformly fantastic. The Full Tilt Boogie Band are perfect accompaniment, bringing smooth style to the arrangements. And it doesn't outstay its welcome at just over half an hour. I love this.

RIP Janis, gone before her prime and such a shame that this album was released after she was already dead. Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz. I've listened to this album in the bar booth where she had her last drinks (screwdrivers) before she died in LA. Her initials are still carved in the table from that night.

I have never picked up Janis and I regret that after today. This album is incredible. Cry Baby, A Woman Left Lonely, and Buried Alive in the Blues were all incredible. I immediately listened to this album a second time after finishing. It's not often you listen to an album for the first time and it becomes a favorite; Pearl did that.

Holy hell what a powerful voice and amazing sounding guitar to go with it. I was never the biggest fan of the song Me and Bobby McGee, but after listening to it in the middle of the whole album my mind has been completely changed. This album was amazing. Move Over and Cry Baby were such powerful songs to start it off and set the tone for the whole album and Get it While You Can ended it perfectly.

This album really blew me away. I was not prepared for it. The raw emotion in her voice is something I've never heard. Amazing.

*****

This album is so bittersweet because it was Janis finally getting in with a great band and a great producer and who knows what the follow up could of been like. The instrumentation is A tier and her voice is just so uniquely hers that anytime you hear it you have to go for a Joplin binge. Brilliant album.

Wonderful album. I loved Janis voice throughout the record. Mercedes Benz is stunning. I understand that was the last thing she recorded. I had the impression that Janis work was always a little dated, like in the Big Brother and the Holding Company albums, but here the production was flawless, the sequencing pleasing, and the songs outstanding. It changed my perception and make me understand why she is widely considered a critical character in the rock Pantheon.

This album is THE BEST. It's the perfect mainstreaming of Janis and her music to the pop world.

First time hearing much from her. I've been missing out. Her voice is so raw and rough, but still beautiful. Like soul come to life. Wish she could've made more.

Janis, Janis, Janis. What a talent! Her voice was just incredible, and her music is timeless. Beyond the amazing songs, what stands out here is the potential. Imagine this being released three months after her passing at 27 years old. What music could we have gotten throughout the decades! Standouts are Move Over, Half Moon, Me and Bobby McGee, and Mercedez Benz.

Great album by a great singer. One of the all time best.

Songwriting and Joplin’s ability to emote on this album warrant the 5 star rating

Everything that is said about Joplin's talented career can be summed up in one word. Pearl. This album hits the sweet spot in raw R&B/Soul that you feel in your chest every time you listen to it. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Excellent album and one I've listened to probably 20+ times in my life. Janis was a shooting star. Just an incredible talent.

Haven't listened to Joplin properly for 20-odd years, incredible.

Virkilega flott og heilsteypt plata, vissulega minna þekkt lög inn á milli hitteranna en enginn filler. Og þvílík rödd.

Exceptional, one of the best voices of all time

I haven’t heard much by Janis Joplin as far as I’m aware. I certainly know Piece Of My Heart (which isn’t on this album), but beyond that, I’m not so sure. I know she is somebody that tragically died very young, and she is seen as a legendary singer, so I’m excited to hear an album in full. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Cry Baby, Me And Bobby McGee, Mercedes Benz Truly, I’m quite blown away by this album. After the final track finished, I immediately pressed play again because I wasn’t ready to stop listening. I knew she was considered an excellent rock singer, but I didn’t expect her to sound so soulful. Heartbreakingly, I read online that the instrumental track Buried Alive In The Blues was intended to have vocals included, but Janis passed away before they could be recorded. If you haven’t heard much be Janis Joplin before, as I hadn’t, I’d really encourage you to give her a listen.

Già conosco questo album, 6 stelle!

An unforgettable classic. Incredible songs and performance.

yup

The band name works! What was with that holding company nonsense? When driving up the coast of California on vacation we took a detour to have lunch in Salinas just cause it was where Bobby McGee slipped away. It's interesting that Janis changed Bobby's gender. I expect she would have been comfortable singing it with Bobby being a woman - as the song was written. Janis added the words "I'm gonna call him my lover . . ." and, since she was bi-sexual, she probably would have sung that just fine too but this would have been a little too risky for radio at that time. I read that this is one of the first or second posthumously released songs to hit #1. I always said I prefer Chris' original version but listening to it again I'm not sure. The playing and production on the album is excellent. In addition to Bobby, there are two other monster hits. I think Cry Baby is my favourite Janis song.

I love Janis. She was an amazing talent gone too soon.

Excelente

She is a God in my book

so close to being a perfect album. I was not expecting to love it this much. the dead do a better Bobby Mcgee and it could use a little dynamic variety but otherwise a fucking masterpiece

It was great! What a wonderful voice :)

Oh just fantastic, What a voice, what a sound, what a Joplin

Pure 70s blues funk rock. The whole band was hitting it out of the park on this one. I can def picture Janis and Co. wailing on these songs at a festival back in the day. Loved the funky riffs on Half Moon.

Quite the album to get for Valentine's Day. Warm and saucy and bluesy with an ever-present undertone of heartache. That's Janis. There are very few artists who have the power to grab you from the first note like Janis Joplin does. If you've ever watched recordings of her performing live, you can see how she physically threw herself into her singing. She put everything out there until there wasn't anything left. It's always a little bittersweet listening to her, because we know how her life was tragically cut short and you can hear her struggles in her music. Haughty, gritty, heart wrenching, vulnerable, songs of longing and passion. That's Janis. Pearl is probably Janis' most polished, perfectly realized album. Three or four of the best songs of her career reside on this album, some of the great songs of that era. The album gets just a little soft in the middle, but the best songs more than carry the weight of the whole work. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Me and Bobby McGee, Move Over, Cry Baby, Get It While You Can, Trust Me, Mercedes Benz, A Woman Left Lonely, My Baby, Half Moon, Buried Alive in the Blues

The raw emotions Joplin brings us here are so ridiculously well put together. The writing sinks to the core of the message and Joplins voice is just AS raw. Beautiful record.

Man I'm thinking a 5

Great singer with a wonderful voice. Great musicians. Greaaaaat album overall

What a start to my new project. Is there a better voice in rock? Love how frequently piano makes an appearance.

Love Janis. Sf represent.

Got shit to do, so keeping this short: Janis Joplins had an amazing voice and this album is fantastic. Brava.

Janis is one of my favorite vocalist & she nailed the Southern blues-rock genre. This album's got great story telling & all the feels. Cry Baby shakes me to my core every time hear it, Mercedes Benz makes me wish I could sing like her, and Bobby McGee nearly makes me cry every time I hear it. Love love Janis.

Such a voice. Such a shame we lost her so soon. Incredible music. Just all around a solid album from start to finish.

What a tragic, beautiful, wonderful album. Can't fault her.

Una maravilla!!

This is rock!! This is music!! Wow!! I had a fucking ball listening to this album. Janis Joplin the woman you are. This is music that makes you feel things. No bullshit, I feel a stir in my heart after listening to this album. Just electric. Wow. This shit right here, this means something to me man!!

Every song had a lot of feeling and movement to it. I found the song without lyrics a bit daunting having just recently learning why it has no lyrics. Made the second half of the album a bit eerie at times. Overall I loved it.

Janis is a top 5 female artist for me. As a kid Pearl and Cheap Trills were played often on my parents record player. On that old Sansui skipping tracks wasn't really a thing, but with Pearl you wouldn't want to; absolute perfection front to back. I know most of the tracks are covers, but it's like Jimi covering Dylan, sublime. Me and Bobby McGee may be the greatest song of all time. If you haven't seen the documentary Little Girl Blue, check it out tonight.

Super album d’une legende. J’aime beaucoup ! 5

Move Over!

Janis Jopli's final statement is a rock and blues classic. I love the way it starts with hard charging Move Over. The rest of the album is a study in how to sing the blues in a rock context. Every collection of rock albums must include Pearl. 5 stars

Classic and powerful, she was.

Superb. She's amazing.

Discazo de la Bruja Cósmica. Además de que amo su voz, toda la música es excelente y la acompaña perfecto. Además de Bobby McGee, Cry Baby y Mercedes Benz, Buried Alive in the Blues y A Woman Left Alone sobresalen. ¡Clásico!

Discazo, no hay más. Las rolas famosas son rolones, y las que no son tan conocidas, la neta es que también son muy buenas. Qué bandota traía Janis: grandes músicos que se adaptaban muy bien a su voz y estilo. Me hace pensar a dónde hubiera llegado y cómo sería la historia de la música (especialmente para las mujeres) si ella no fuera del Club 27. 5 estrellas facilito.

One of the greats

Classic album without a doubt, each song with that powerful and unique voice. Move Over, Half Moon, Me and Bobby Magee are favorites. Easy 5

In this case, dying young may not have been the savvy career move it so often is, but one has forgotten how great this posthumously related record was/is. One always thought Janis too much of a screamer but on this record, she stays just inside the line of control, while still unleashing ample passion. Plus, the band knows its role, keeping it tight and playing to set up and complement the vocals. A cohesive sound throughout adds to the experience, and every song holds up – all filler cuts should be as original and endearing (and silly) as "Oh Lord." "Bobby McGee" will live forever (and should). One's not sure he'd go as far as editors in ranking her with Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, but those comps aren't way off and overall this is awfully good. Personal bonus points for being reminded of one's own long forgotten, college-era girlfriends who didn't necessarily turn one on to this record, but played it a lot (thinking that it equated to feminism). 4.5/5

I was expecting to only know "Me and Bobby McGee", but there were other familiar songs, too. "Move Over", "Cry Baby" and others are standouts. Much more rockin' than I had expected, frankly. The band is great!

"Cry Baby" is played in "Look Who's Talking," one I my favorite movies that I grew up with. Also the rest of the album was just wonderful. All of the love.

Great Album, always loved her raspy voice and hug personality that comes through her music

incredible

Such outstanding music and, of course, the vocal performance by the inimitable Janis is just wonderful. She always draws me in. I do like her other albums, but this one I like in particular because things (the writing, arrangements, performances, recording, all of it) overall seem more clear and well put together. I don't mean that in an over-produced way; I genuinely like the way it all sounds here. I feel like it lets us (or at least me) hear much better just how incredible she is. Such superb songs on this amazing album. Rest in power, Janis. Shine On!

Classic and soulful jewel of the South, infused with R&B, folk and gospel into an unmatched voice. Gone too soon.

Shits a bop, definitely added to the album to on collection

First listen. Awesome such a powerful and unique voice.

Joplin is in top form. Sadly her band can’t keep up with her energy for every song and felt overshadowed during the first two songs. Still a 5 star album.

All around amazing, have always loved.

hell yeah, man fuckin amazing - 10/10 she just has such a beautiful, powerful voice I love it

Ooh. Power. Not usually into blues, but this is amazing. So sad that she was nit alive to see it released. I always though janis joplin was a folk singer songwriter. I have now been corrected.

This album made me sad. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it really is a shame that Joplin died so young. The enthusiasm and soul that she can sing on a track is absolutely unparalleled. I don’t think there was a single song I didn’t enjoy. The opening track “Move Over” is a perfect introduction to the album. The vocals missing “Buried alive in the Blues” is haunting. Then “Me and Bobby McGee” plays like a Dolly Parton song and I love country shift and the lyrics freedoms just another word for nothing left to loose. 5/5

Ah, one of my first albums, definitely one of my favorites!

One of a kind talent.

10/5….excellent album..became a fan year before she died..wish I had attended a concert…what a voice, gets right in your soul

What a powerful and legendary voice! Proved that woman can rock and make classics for all pub bands to play for the rest of time. Great run time, sounds great, the grooves are amazing.

Janis Joplin was a great singer. In this album his better songs are "Move Over", "Cry Baby", "Half Moon", "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Trust Me". In every album she mades there's a hits.

I skipped the live bits because I'm not a huge fan of live recordings. But other than that a great album. Love Janis Joplin, so this is a great listen. With maybe an exception of only few songs from this album that are just -too country- for my personal taste. Great listen though.

My wife hates it, I love it - 5/5

A mastapiece

An all-time favorite. Tragedy that we lost her so young.

Raw and authentic as Janis always was, but more polished and tighter than other of her records (especially those with overly loud Big Brother). Lots of winners here, including "Bobby McGee," a classic among classics, and really no losers on either side. There's also a touch of sweetness to these blues that belies the early death.

Janis Joplin siempre en vinilo. SIEMPRE.

Ah Janis, 3rd member of the 27 Club, whats not to love about the co-star of Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel" Her perfectly raw blues voice was a gem of the 60's and an inspiration to so many. Favourite tracks on Pearl have got to be "Mercedes Benz" "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Get It While You Can" A great album which is rightfully on the list imho

Amazing, startling, arresting, wonderful, complex, emotional, and brilliant.

Excellent. Love her energy and her songs are fantastic

Janis Joplin is good as always.

Prachtige stem. Topalbum van een vrouw die veel te vroeg is komen te gaan

cool

I grew up with my parents listening to that album. It's great!

This really felt like a personal experience with Janis Joplin. This is a voice that's raw and real. I listened over and over today.

I was already very familiar with about half of this album and the rest was filled with newly discovered gems.

Its only flaw is that it is too short. Power, vocal agility, and so fucking much heart.

FIVE STARS An all-time classic As is usually the case with those five-stars albums, I won't write a full-blown review here, because others have already written wonderful stuff about this record and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. This album is just a gem. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 994 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 1 (starting with this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 4 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 3 ]

I have never really listened to a Janis Joplin album before, strangely enough. I knew some of the 'hits,' but nothing really more than that. I now know I was missing out. This rocks!

"I can't take it no more baby And furthermore, I don't intend to" (Move over) "You said you'd try to look for the end of the road You might find out later that the road'll end in Detroit" (Cry baby) Ojalá molar alguna vez la mitad de lo que molaba Janis Joplin <3

PEARL A beautiful, precious, little gem from the sea (where Janis Joplin - oh! such a powerful voice! - rests now). I don't even know who Janis Joplin is, but this posthumous album blew my mind. Just a standard soul album, but with a great band and a passionate voice. The Full Tilt Boogie Band's performance slaps. Setting aside the haunting context of "Buried Alive in the Blues" (what an ironic title), the band's bluesy beats here are irresistibly moving, not undermining the energy of the rest of the album. Her voice is of course, incredible. This album is a great showcase of her voice's vigor (perhaps not, but the empty space in "Buried Alive in the Blues" might give us an idea of what more she could possibly achieve). It's a lasting final statement. It's possibly one of the best soul albums of all time. It's a pearl.

I love this album. All of my favorite Janis songs are on here.

Awesome

Forget the Beatles, This is the sound of the 60s.

The most iconic blues of the women blues.

This is a HEAVY ROTATION album in the Spence house. Her voice. Jesus. And the band is so damn good. I remember one time an 80's hair band shredder that I worked with at a guitar shop said something like "Yes, Janis is a great singer. You'd think she would've had a decent band that was at least proficient..." F-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-uck you! This band has it all. Technical chops, feel, groove, psychedelia. I love this record and it really bums me out that Janis was in a better place when this record was made and had plans to be on the up-and-up, given her past addictions. It's a sad story. She was treated horribly as a kid in Texas. Lots of self medicating happening. Which is interesting because her voice and songs are like medicine, in a way.

Classic. 5/5

Love this album, love Janis. I can’t believe I haven’t listened to this album before.

Awesome album

This was an amazing album. Loved it

Great. Jazzy but heavy at times. Love it.

Janis Joplin was a troubled person that left us way too early. She bared herself and put it all out when she sang. Very soulful and heartfelt album. 5 all the way on this one.

Janice has a great blues voice. A Woman Left Lonely is a wild tune, transcending the genre. Half Moon Comes in with this funk rock intro and I'm all for it. Wow what a back half of an album.

Nice

just great

Loved it.

When I bought my first iPod back in 2005, this was the first album I downloaded and basked in the irony of listening to “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedez Benz” on the then biggest symbol of conspicuous consumption. Anyways, I love this album so much. Janis’s voice is just one of the most powerful forces on earth. Favourite track: “A Woman Left Lonely”

i loved mercedes benz and the opening track. really good

This album is pure GOLD. She’s incredible

Really enjoyed it

Day-um.

SOUUULLL!

What a voice!

What a voice! Blues rock genius released after she died. What a waste...: Best Tracks: Move Over, Half Moon, Me and Bobby McGee

great album, makes me wish I was around in the 60s

Fabuloso. I and Bobby McGee es increíblemente buena canción.

Great album.

very nice listen, reminds me of simpler times and drugs. lots of drugs.

klasika, 5/5

Some great, classic songs here

Excelente, Janis inigualável

uma deusa uma louca

What a voice

Classic Janis.

Voz incrivel, musicas boas!

Amazing.

Holy Shiitttt!!! Legend

Großartig. Kannte ich bis auf 'Booby McGee' und 'Mercedes Benz' natürlich wieder nicht. Wahnsinn.

Great album!

Très sympa

3,5/5

Funkier that I was expecting. A good funk rock workout with one of the most iconic female rock vocalists of all time. The only woman I ever knew who could scream softly. There are also a few slower numbers, like her take on Me & Bobby McGee. She slightly overeggs the pudding trying to improvise and make it her own, but a fine performance of a great song all the same.

Favourites:Me and Bobby McGee, Cry Baby and Mercedes Benz.

Probs more like a 3.5. Decent though

Quite good. Such a unique voice gone too soon.

super energetic album! Really great throughout honestly

Really liked this album and finding out more about her life

This was so fun and I just love her voice. The Mercedes-Benz song was great. She has great energy. This is another artist who I've heard so much about but have never really listened to. I really enjoyed it.

Somehow I kinda enjoyed this album, even though I am not all that keen on blues and soul music. Perhaps it is the fact that the vocals reminded me of a lot of other female singers from later rock bands such as Debbie harry, Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and Lzzy Hale. I feel like they were heavily influenced by Janis Joplin's rough and wide ranged vocal style that would be popular in female fronted rock and metal bands. So there's no way I could bring myself to hate this album.

Janis is always an incredible listen, though her voice is so intense I don't usually want any more at the end of the record. Has some classics like Bobby McGee.

Powerful voice; not really my cup of tea but enjoyed it.

🫡

😃

Amazing album. Never listened to it before, and I loved it. Had no idea it was a posthumous release. Every track is solid.

It's a really enjoyable listen. Amazing vocals and blues. It's funny as I only had the Cheap Thrills album earlier in the week. This is more polished and professional sounding but I actually prefer the 'rough around the edges' Cheap Thrills album. Same rating though I think whereas that was a high 4 stars this is a low 4 stars.

I was actually looking to get into more female rock artists so I loved this as my first must able to listen to !! Favs definitely move over ! but I will have to let it simmer a few more times before truly ranking any song.

God i fucking love her voice. Why don’t I listen to her literally ever? Cry Baby omfg. Me and Bobby McGee. So good. This snowballed into me having Piece of My Heart stuck in my head for a good 5+ hours (performed by me, driving home from the ferry, in gibberish)

Is this song (Bobby McGee) about the trials of pre-cellphone relationships? I didn't think I would enjoy this, her voice is not my favorite. I ended up really liking it, much mellower than I thought.

RIP Janis. It's nice to hear some less-played tracks. Inevitably there's a sense of what-could-have-been. The a capella Mercedes Benz is heartbreaking.

No hay nadie que pueda replicar ese tono de voz tan único y especial. Realmente artistas de las que ya no hay. Igual he de admitir que en un punto se vuelve un poco cansador siempre el mismo recurso vocal, pero es que como no presumirlo.

dang Janice from the Muppets sure has some pipes

Such talent. RIP.

Very cool

Didn't know what to expect going in to this one but loved it, the music is wonderful it's funky at times and other times rock or folky or country all while getting hit with Janis and her powerful voice

Awesome stuff, but not much variety.

I mean, who doesn’t like Jackie Jormp-Jomp?

Yknow, you sorta think Janis Joplin is an overrated anomaly until you hear 1) Ball and Chain, and 2) Cry Baby. The latter is here, obviously. What a goddamn torch song, what a belter. It's the little bit of extra sauce that helps paint Joplin as more than the hippie-dippy stereotype that even many of her fans revere her as. That's sorta the magic of Pearl. It's the sort of icon that lots of people haven't really delved into. Sure, we all know Bobby McGee, so well that the song has almost become meaningless. Fewer of us know Mercedes Benz, a (presumably) ironic consumerist prayer. But are we familiar with the funk of Half Moon, where her voice smooths out into a surprising timbre nothing like that brazen rasp that defines our collective notion of her? What about the hedonistic yet chilling prescience of bluesy “Get it While You Can”? The ache of “A Woman Left Lonely”? We probably should be. Janis was a bigger loss than I think most of us realize. This album clicked for me before I was in my vinyl era. A good relisten and this is on the list to get on proper wax. Strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A: Yo. yay kvinnlig artist. Vill int ens veta i hurudan minoritet kvinnor är här 🏝️ (dom är ensamma på en ö). Det var classy, det var sparkly, det var en Mercedes Benz. Det var också med en Raye låt (nej men måste ju vara en stor isnpirationskälla för Rayes musik?). Idk om jag sku lyssna i sig men slay 4/5 (eeeh BA-tier?) D: Raye? Is that you? Kändes ställvis som att man sku ha tappat countrylåtar in i en jukebox och skakat om. Intressant men ganska kaotisk. 3/5

I'm not a big fan, but the singing and the instrumentation were top-notch.

Just one of the coolest and most soulful vocalists who ever walked the face of the earth. Another sad example of someone who was just getting started before thier untimely death.

Great vocals and she was gone to soon. She sounds a lot like a female version of Joe Cocker. 7/10 Top song... Mercedes Benz

Ridiculously powerful vocals. Definitely an album I haven’t spent much time with, which is a shocking thing to say considering I have it on vinyl somewhere. This is going into the listen again pile!

On October 1st 1970 Janis Joplin walked into Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood and recorded Mercedes Benz in one unaccompanied take. No band, no production, just her voice and three minutes of sardonic anti-consumerist blues she co-wrote on a napkin. Three days later she was dead at 27 in a Los Angeles motel room. The album was released four months later without her knowledge, shot to number one without her presence, and became her most defining work without her permission. The 27 Club does not wait for anyone to finish their business. Pearl is everything Cheap Thrills should have been. Big Brother and the Holding Company were holding her back sonically whether they knew it or not, a band built around psychedelic San Francisco excess surrounding a voice that needed room to breathe and arrangements worthy of what it was doing. The Full Tilt Boogie Band gave her exactly that. Bluesy, soulful, muscular, and completely in service of the most extraordinary instrument in the room. Me and Bobby McGee became her only number one single. Kris Kristofferson did not even know she had recorded it until after she died. The song captures something genuinely joyful, a girlish warmth that sits completely at odds with everything the music industry had decided Janis Joplin was supposed to be. It is the sound of someone whose life was finally improving, which makes it almost unbearable in retrospect. Buried Alive in the Blues exists on the album as an instrumental. The vocals were never recorded because she died before she could return to finish them. Nobody else was offered the chance to sing it. It sits there in the middle of the album, complete and incomplete simultaneously, which is the most honest thing on a record full of honest things. This album is everything Cheap Thrills should have been. Her demise was a warning to my generation. If the 90s is any indication, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, we did not listen. The volume was apparently too loud to hear the message, which is both the tragedy and the point. 4 out of 5. One star for Cry Baby, which opens with one of the great vocal entrances in rock history. One for Me and Bobby McGee, recorded in what turned out to be the final weeks of her life and sounding inexplicably like the beginning of something. One for Mercedes Benz, three minutes of a cappella genius recorded three days before the end. One for the Full Tilt Boogie Band, who gave her the arrangements she always deserved and never got to tour behind. The fifth star belongs to the album she would have made next, which we will never hear.

Great voice, great music. I'm always a bit skeptical of 60s/70s white person blues but she really did knock it out of the park. I've slept on this one until now

liked it

Such a powerful voice. A tragic loss.

#396 Loved the vibrancy of this album, very soulful, excellent voice, and I didn’t know it was her song that I know from the Mercedes Benz commercial! I’m more familiar with her name than anything else but a quick bit of research reveals a tragic addition to the 27 club. 😢 Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): Mercedes Benz Rating: 7/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gone too soon

This is the first album that I'm going to be reviewing as part of the 1001 Albums challenge! As well as doing this random generator, I'll be simultaneously doing them in chronological order from the book, that way I get to hear each album twice, something that I think is important to truly understand an album. So here's my review: While I didn’t enjoy this as much as my first listen, the talent presented on this album is incredible! Joplin has one of the most powerful and unique voices in the history of music and really uses it to its full capability on this album. The first two tracks are my favourites, after them the album goes on a slight decline, but never too far, it always remains enjoyable! The last 2 tracks were great and so is the iconic ‘Me And Bobby McGee’!

In college I had a Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits album and about half of it was tracks from this album. What a talent she was.

I really enjoyed this one tbh. The “half moon” and instrumental song after it were really groovy. She’s got a really gritted powerful voice :)

Such a talented singer, holy shit. There's so much soul packed into this album which hit even harder on a second listen. 8/10

Second JJ within a week! Not as good as Cheap Thrills

Very good she has a lovely voice and I would listen again

Woulda been a 3 due to its relative bland blues nature but Janis is just too legendary to ignore.

obviously she's got a killer voice. I was v pleased with the band's sound here too -- they're all rippin it from start to finish. songs vary enough to keep things interesting throughout. great stuff.

I only ever really heard “Me and Bobby McGee” before, so I wasn’t quite prepared for Janis’ full-throated belt. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and the band does a great job providing a backdrop just as powerful. “Cry Baby” really stands out. 4.5

80

Mercedes Benz is such a beautiful, raw and small, but arresting moment for that iconic voice.

Before my time but still a great listen

Tragically young.

High energy start, god she was so talented Cry Baby pulls at my heart and did in fact make me cry I’ve loved Mercedes Benz since I was a kid :) I didn’t realize how much she didn’t write but I don’t care, still incredible.

I think I just really love Janis Joplin’s voice. Without even recognizing the context of this album’s release (dropping three months after her untimely passing), there’s a persistent electricity marked by Joplin’s star-defining idiosyncrasy. She makes full use of her voice as the instrument it is, and the album is better for it. The songs could caterwaul for a minute too long on some tracks, but they were never devoid of the emotion needed to make the delivery land. Strong four! STAND-OUT SONG: “Cry Baby” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Me And Bobby McGee”, “Get It While You Can”, “A Woman Left Lonely”

Pretty great - wonder what kind of sound she would have today!

This was her crowning glory and unfortunately she didn't get to bask in it for one second. Highlights are Me n Bobby McGee Mercedes Benz Move Over opening track and the closing track Get It While You Can. She can really belt it out on some tracks usually the better known tunes. On the others it sometimes sounds like cauterwaling. I like her though.

Surement ce qui ce fat de mieux en blues/country rock

She’s so freaking cool

Enjoyed this. Janis put her whole soul into this album. Struggling to find the words to describe it, but I appreciated the variety of sounds and soulful voice on these songs. (4)

This is a great rock and roll record! I'd heard of Janis, but I'd never listened to any of her work. She's got an incredible powerful voice and blues influence adds a great touch to this piece. It gets a pit honky tonk towards the middle with Me and Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz, which brings this record down for me a little. Overall a great album which I forsee myself relistening to (albeit a few skips).

Great album from a blues belter. Janis was never subtle but the songs are packed with emotion. 4

Super great minus the 'acoustic' version of Mercedes Benz. That ragged voice really stands out.

I’m with Jeronimo. A mix of classic and so-so songs makes it hard time rate but man those great songs

Oh man this one is hard to rate. On one hand, she had an amazing voice and there are 3-4 bangers here. On the other, the rest of the songs are ok and I don’t particularly listen to blues. But those songs are so good!

great album! lots of fun and energy and joy in here, and the instrumentals are excellent. i couldn't listen to this on repeat but i will probably listen to this again

Her voice is absolutely unique and she truly used it as an instrument.

Very good album!

Well good morning, Pipes. Love her or hate her, you gotta' admit, this woman could sing! Sure we've got Heart, Joan Jet, Halestorm but damn are there not enough voices like this in rock and metal. We need more. Really enjoying the performance of the Full Tilt Boogie Band as well. As an accompaniment band you'd expect them to fade into the background but NOPE. They're front and center really jamming out. "Buried Alive in the Blues", hell yeah. Bummer Joplin never got to record her part. Sounds like it would have been amazing. PS: gurl, take that feather duster off your head. Drugs, I tell ya'

I recall not caring for the other Joplin record that came up earlier, but I dug this.

A Woman Left Lonely Half Moon Me and Bobby McGee Mercedes Benz Trust Me Get It While You Can

Unmistakable voice. Gone way too soon

de titel zegt het al.. pareltje

Powerful and bruised, the sad last will and testament of a tragic artist. Trades the raw energy of Big Brother for the polish Full Tilt Boogie Band, who to be fair do less to get in the way. Including ‘Buried Alive In The Blues’ as an instrumental because she died the day before she was due to record the vocal is a sad reflection on a lost talent.

Det er dælme godt - hun har bare en vild stemme.

*77 Ritti lækkert. Tak for kaffe, Janis.

Det er meget fedt

Det er altså et lækkert album. 3.9

Hvis vi lige tager en omgang Doors er vi vist ved at være hele vejen igennem klub 27. Har det lidt blandet med albummet. Det er virkelig godt, men samtidig synes jeg et helt album med skrige-vokal er lidt til den gode side. Men svært ikke at anderkende den musikalske kvalitet!

The louder played, the better. Great music and great voice. I can only take like 3 or 4 Janis songs at a time though. Not sure why. Still great though.

Enjoyed this, can definitely hear where she has impacted future artists

Je zou door die legendarische stem bijna vergeten dat je ook een waanzinnig goede band hoort die ijzersterke rock songs speelt.

Loved most of the songs. I knew I liked Janis, but there were a few songs I hadn’t heard that I added to my music library

Shockingly good sounding! Esp drums and guitar. Au naturel. Heck yeah!

Terrific. More than just Bobby McGee.

Bluesiest white lady. This album has a lot of energy and soul. I especially appreciate the political and historical relevance of this album, and how Joplin refuses to subdue her messaging.

From her is "Oh lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?"! Nice iconic voice. I like it.

Day #6 . 4/6 I own physically (3 LP, 1 CD). And already 2nd member of the club of 27 in my project. Guess Amy will come soon as well. This will be a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Janis sings from the top of her toes straight from her soul. She is meaning it and that reflects how she sings. Great bluesrock to underline it.

Janis Joplin's vocals are unmatched. an engaging, sometimes fun and sometimes somber album. You can feel the emotion in every song, every lyric, and every note.

Its was a good album but not my thing. I liked crybaby even though its the most popular. I didnt have time to listen to every song though.

first ever janis record i’ve listened to. absolutely killer

Damn, can she sing. Me and Bobby McGee is probably the big hit on this record, but not really my favorite. Lots of amazing moments can should be cherished.

4 stars for Mercedes Benz alone.