Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills

One of the most eagerly awaited albums in rock history, Big Brother & the Holding Company's 1968 major label debut (they'd previously released one thinly produced collection on the small Mainstream label) made good on all the hype generated by Janis Joplin's amazing performance at the Monterey Pop Festival the year before. Crowned by its hit single, a churning remake of Aretha Franklin's sister Erma's "Piece of My Heart," the album also contained Joplin's Monterey showstopper, Big Mama Thornton's "Ball and Chain," as well as the Gershwin classic "Summertime," on which Joplin's always underappreciated band (especially guitarists Sam Andrews and James Gurley) match her vocal intensity with their own ferocious playing. This expanded reissue includes two previously unissued outtakes ("Roadblock" and "Flower in the Sun") and a couple of heretofore unheard live cuts ("Catch Me Daddy" and "Magic of Love"), all from 1968. --Billy Altman Amazon.com essential recording

 Janis' Best Work
As Janis' first mainstream outing, I believe that this album is the finest of her career. You can feel the enthusiasm between the band personnel in the all out "balls to the wall" drive of the music.
Done before the influence of the monied producers, you will hear a miracle. Artists doing what they love. March 16, 2008

 I'll Make You Feel Like You Want to Own Me ....
How do you 'rate' your long-gone youth? I still have the original 33 rpm purchased way back then and play it every so often. I have always feared that something would happen to the album and the music would be lost for good. I love the CD, the sound etc... is excellent - but of course I am used to listening the the original. I cranked my CD player up and I was in Seventh Heaven, moving and singing along with Janis. This has been one of my absolute top favs since it was released. Be proud sad little girl from Port Arthur, we haven't forgotten you and you will always be special to us. You made your mark and it is here to stay. March 9, 2008

 Janis Joplin defined -- her BEST album!
I'll spare you all the technical details to just say that THIS is the Janis Joplin album that you want if you are only going to own one of her recordings.

Here, you'll get the true, raw Janis Joplin with the band that matched her best of all. The know-it-alls at the studios were always trying to separate her from Big Brother and the Holding Company, supposedly because they were not "professional" enough. Bullcrap!

This is the single beauty of retrospect. This compendium of her songs simply blows "Pearl" away. Her later bands and releases were WAY too superficial and polished to achieve the great rock guttral ambiance that Big Brother yielded.

Just take a listen to "I Need A Man to Love" -- the opening will give you a sense of the entire work. It just bowls me over every time I hear it. I've been a rock guitar player for 40 years and Big Brother did some fine work... and Janis was the perfect complement to their Woodstock-era excellence.

Buy this one -- you'll not be disappointed.

See my "listmania lists" for more great Classic Rock recommendations. January 3, 2008

 Janis at her best
This is a replacement for my original cd that skipped on one of
the tracks. The extra tracks were a pleasant bonus. October 30, 2007

 Janis at her best
To bad that most people have never heard Janis singing the classic song 'Summertime.' The soul and emotion in that song is classic blues at its BEST! And the rest of the album only confirms that Janis and Big Brother were a once in a time magical musical experience that will never be equaled in intensity and pure performance quality!!!! September 23, 2007

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