Janis Joplin - Pearl

Janis Joplin's highest charting and arguably most artistically successful album gets the deluxe, expanded treatment on this 2005 reissue. Already re-released once with four extra live tunes, this edition moves those to the second disc, adds nine more (six previously unavailable) from the same summer 1970 tour that predated the original album's January 1971 posthumous release and pads the studio disc with six additional tracks. Those sides--three are inferior, if moderately interesting alternate takes, one is a band jam without Joplin contributing--don't bring much to the table other than to prove that producer Paul A. Rothchild used the correct versions for the final album. But Pearl holds up tremendously well, with Janis focused on some terrific rocking material, yet widening her scope to include a soulful folksy reading of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee," the album's only major hit.

The real meat of this version consists of the thirteen concert recordings, plucked from the Canadian leg of Joplin's only tour with Full Tilt Boogie. It finds her and the band chugging through ragged but emotionally charged versions of her classics, along with a few tunes from the forthcoming Pearl. Sequenced to mirror her set list, it's a roaring example of Joplin in her prime, comfortable with her band and confident in her astounding abilities to tear into the soul of blues and R&B with vocals that come straight from the heart. Hal Horowitz Amazon.com

The previously released tracks on disc 2 are...

The folks at Columbia have been releasing the same Janis material across several different releases. So, for those who are wondering if they already own some of the Calgary show that makes up disc 2:

Tracks 1, 6, 8, 11 appear on the single-CD remaster of Pearl.

Tracks 1 and 8 also appear on disc 3 of the Janis box set.

Tracks 3, 8, 12, 13 appear on Janis In Concert.

I think Summertime is previously unreleased, and this second disc is worth it for that alone. May 18, 2008

Don't forget the Production Skill -of "Morrison weary" Rothchild

I was reading the stellar Doors in depth biography "Break on through : the life and death of Jim Morrison". Something to think about-
Morrison would fight and pour drinks on Janis but he said they made up before she died, whether that is true we will never know. When Jimi and Janis passed on-Jim would say "you're looking at number 3".

Doors producer Paul Rothchild was fed up with Jimbo and really dug Janis and her band, where the band gave a 100% and Janis a 150% compared to the Doors who were self destructing, unprofessional and uninspired during this time. February 14, 2008

The Best Janis

Well, it's just wonderful. This album is a lovely big feast for any Janis Joplin fan. She left us much too soon! What a tragedy, mostly for her but also for what she might have offered to the world. Again, GREAT ALBUM. October 27, 2007

Awesome!!

You know what sucks? I'll tell ya. How talents like Janis die so young and hacks like Fred Durst outlive her. And right after this beautiful, amazing album! I mean, this is a fantastic classic album. Every rock fan should own a copy. What's so good about this? Well, for one, her group can actually play (their jam "Buried Alive in the Blues", left instrumental because Janis was dead before she could record a vocal track for it, really proves that). Not to mention the country-rock posthumous #1 "Me and Bobby McGee", still one of her most resonant songs. There are also several enjoyably heavy rockers ("Move Over"; "Cry Baby"; "Half Moon"). Her sarcastic, anti-commercial solo vocal (an early rap!) "Mercedes Benz" is really, really funny; and there's a lot of pure, unbridled belting ("A Woman Left Lonely"; "My Baby"; the Aretha-like "Get It While You Can") that really packs a punch. I couldn't name you a weak track on this album if I tried: the closest is "Trust Me", and even that firmly resonates. Cheap Thrills was great, but this is my favorite Joplin album. September 5, 2007

amazing

Amazing- great sound - I own the LP of Pearl and this CD's sound is as good - this is Janis the way she should be heard! May 17, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...