Janis Joplin

Mr wiggl3s · #1 06-01-2010, 02:23 PM

I'm looking to get into this girl, i never knew she released so much material though (which is good). Anyone have any suggestions of her best?

becker4567 · #2 06-01-2010, 02:32 PM

The stuff with Big Brother is Janis at her rawest, before all the drugs and booze took its toll. The later stuff is good, but a bit overproduced. Watch 'Monterey Pop' for a good live performance of Ball and Chain. And Youtube for a clip of her on the Dick Cavet show.

scottbass · #3 06-01-2010, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by becker4567

The stuff with Big Brother is Janis at her rawest, before all the drugs and booze took its toll. The later stuff is good, but a bit overproduced. Watch 'Monterey Pop' for a good live performance of Ball and Chain. And Youtube for a clip of her on the Dick Cavet show.

IMHO her performance of "Ball and Chain" at the Monterey Pop Festival is THE BEST performance by a female vocalist EVER, regardless of era or genre.

macaroni tony · #4 06-01-2010, 02:39 PM

^ 2nd

becker4567 · #5 06-01-2010, 02:39 PM

Also get the movie "Festival Express". You may be a bit disappointed in Janis as a person, but if you want to know the real Janis near the end of her life, watch the movie.

Mr wiggl3s · #6 06-01-2010, 03:03 PM

Ya man. She seems awesome. I think i'm going to read more about her.

dbass66 · #7 06-01-2010, 03:18 PM

Janis Joplin: The Kozmic Blues

Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin: Nine Hundred Nights

Big Brother and the Holding Company Featuring Janis Joplin: Ball & Chain

as well as what becker4567 suggested: Festival Express, there's a great scene with Rick Danko, Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia jamming on the train.

tjmdetroit · #8 06-01-2010, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

I'm looking to get into this girl, i never knew she released so much material though (which is good). Anyone have any suggestions of her best?

I was playing drums at the time so I basically only heard drum tracks...lol...so "TRY, JUST A LITTLE BIT HARDER" was a keeper and "SUMMERTIME" was a popular bar song at the time... not like Janis did it, but a stock bar song that most bands played. Although... we had a female singer that sounded like her and she did a pretty good job on it....so there it is...TRY and SUMMERTIME.
peace

tjm

Jeff K · #9 06-01-2010, 03:45 PM

I used to have a double album called "Joplin Live" or "Janis Joplin Live" or something like that. It had a reddish background and a big pic of her wearing oversized round glasses on the cover. Some of it was only so-so, but some was awesome.

Among my favorites off that album were the aforementioned "Summertime" (awesome!), and a duet she did with special guest Nick Gravenites called "Ego Rock". I've looked on YouTube to see if anybody ever posted that one (Ego Rock), but haven't been able to find it. But that was a little-known gem.

Jim Campbell · #10 06-01-2010, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by becker4567

The stuff with Big Brother is Janis at her rawest, before all the drugs and booze took its toll. The later stuff is good, but a bit overproduced. Watch 'Monterey Pop' for a good live performance of Ball and Chain. And Youtube for a clip of her on the Dick Cavet show.

cheap thrills is my personal favorite.....some say that she had lost a good chunk of her power before that,but it's a powerhouse record,and she owns every song on it,even the ones she doesn't sing lead on............can't say i cared for full tilt boogie or cozmic blues tho'.....

electracoyote · #11 06-01-2010, 03:52 PM

One of the key components of a great blues (or blues rock) artist, in my book, is the almost endless repertoire of material they know.

Janis certainly met that criteria. She had an enormous catalog.

My band covers "Piece Of My Heart" and "Move Over." Yes, we are blessed with a girl who can belt them out. Genuine crowd pleasers.

rosanne · #12 06-02-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

I'm looking to get into this girl, i never knew she released so much material though (which is good). Anyone have any suggestions of her best?

Unfortunately you will never be able to hear her best. Janis live was so much better than anything she ever recorded. Even the live recordings and film of live performances (like Monterey Pop) don't convey it. She projected a feeling, an emotion. a total commitment to the music that was all encompassing and never really captured.

I feel very lucky that I was able to see her live many times. I never bought any of her records because they paled in comparison.

**baba** · #13 06-02-2010, 08:11 AM

Just start here:

Mr wiggl3s · #14 06-02-2010, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosanne

Unfortunately you will never be able to hear her best. Janis live was so much better than anything she ever recorded. Even the live recordings and film of live performances (like Monterey Pop) don't convey it. She projected a feeling, an emotion. a total commitment to the music that was all encompassing and never really captured.

I feel very lucky that I was able to see her live many times. I never bought any of her records because they paled in comparison.

I know what you're saying man. Probably because she was wasted beyond what any person should be, and as extremely open. Even though that's probably the case, i still dont think that would detract from all her studio albums, because in the end, she had to do most of them (with holding company and full tilt boogie) the way she wanted to.

Who else did you see in concert man?

JTE · #15 06-02-2010, 09:29 AM

I'd heard Janis on the radio ("Bobby McGee", "Piece of My Heart", and "Summertime"), but when I saw the performance of "Ball and Chain" on the Monterey Pop film, I was mesmerized...

My last band did a medley of "Piece of My Heart" and "Cry Baby". One of the highlights of that gig!

rosanne · #16 06-02-2010, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

I know what you're saying man. Probably because she was wasted beyond what any person should be, and as extremely open. Even though that's probably the case, i still dont think that would detract from all her studio albums, because in the end, she had to do most of them (with holding company and full tilt boogie) the way she wanted to.

Who else did you see in concert man?

I'm not trying to detract anything at all from her recorded work. It's that seeing her live was an experience on a whole different level.

That experience just doesn't come through regardless of how awesome the performance that was recorded or filmed.

I saw her mostly at benefits and street performances, but also at Winterland along with Santana. All together I saw her at least six or seven times.

Who else did I see back in the day? Well, a lot of bands. One that sticks in my mind was Steppenwolf who I saw every night for over three weeks. My husband had booked them into the venue for a month. They were playing "Born to be Wild" when I left for the hospital to have a baby.

that1guy222 · #17 06-02-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

I'm looking to get into this girl

That's what she said?

Jeff K · #18 06-02-2010, 10:47 PM

Check this out. Live version of "Ego Rock" along with Big Brother & the Holding Company. She's singing this one with Nick Gravenites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Y5ISgBrRk

Jim Campbell · #19 06-03-2010, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosanne

I'm not trying to detract anything at all from her recorded work. It's that seeing her live was an experience on a whole different level.

That experience just doesn't come through regardless of how awesome the performance that was recorded or filmed.

I saw her mostly at benefits and street performances, but also at Winterland along with Santana. All together I saw her at least six or seven times.

Who else did I see back in the day? Well, a lot of bands. One that sticks in my mind was Steppenwolf who I saw every night for over three weeks. My husband had booked them into the venue for a month. They were playing "Born to be Wild" when I left for the hospital to have a baby.

i can guess tho'.....the frisco ballroom era spawned a lot of great stuff.....

rosanne · #20 06-03-2010, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

i can guess tho'.....the frisco ballroom era spawned a lot of great stuff.....

There's no way I can remember them all. They included Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Lee Hooker, Blue Cheer, Jefferson Airplane, Steve Miller, The Tubes, etc etc etc. Plus a ton of local bands that didn't make it like Sons of Champlin. Some at ballrooms and some at small local venues where I would be ten feet or so from the band.