Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company

3.6 - The Robert Crumb album art would be the only reason I’d buy this LP. Still, Janis Joplin’s singular rock voice is loud and proud and I do love “Piece of any Heart.” Thankfully there’s more than just 12-bar white blues. “Oh, Sweet Mary” is a dark freak out with some bellowing guitars. Less successful is “Flower in the Sun” that tests Joplin’s limits and makes her sound shrill and slightly out-of-tune. It’s a fine example of San Francisco psychedelic culture, underpinned by LSD, but it feels rooted to its time and place.

3