We've had discussions about Janis before on this forum, but I wanted to make sure and be the lead post in this particular one.
I am going to say that Janis Joplin, as a singer, as an artist, as a performer is among the very elite; the very top of the field. It may surprise some readers, but her technical ability was a lot deeper than many people realize, and the depth of her feeling was perhaps as strong as anyone who ever lived.
It's easy to dismiss her chops, based on this or that overly whiskey soaked, uncontrolled, or too-high performance. That she had some bad nights cannot be denied. That her first band had very little musical ability or knowledge, or that she herself misunderstood her talent cannot be denied, but if you look at the Pearl album, where producer Paul Rothschild was able to help her to find her voice, her vocals on that are out of this world.
That is not to say she never had stellar moments before then; in fact Janis had goose-bump-inducing performance throughout her career. She was taking blues vocals to a place no one had before, and many would attempt to after her, but she really did and does own a special spotlight, that will always be hers alone. I've had people tell me someone is a dead ringer for Janis many times, and every single time I've heard it, I've said, "NO." Maybe close. Maybe really good. Maybe amazing. But no.
There are songs I hear; performances I experience by Janis that make me sob like a baby. That woman had a depth of sadness running through her that few people can imagine, and as a pure performer, she found a way to tap into it better than anyone I've ever known of. And that's what matters to me. I'm not a pure musician. I'm not talking about who achieves technical perfection, or masters the form. That's not what rock and roll is all about. I'm saying that your performance has to have some gravitas. Your performance has to matter.
And nobody ever did that better than Janis Joplin.
I am going to say that Janis Joplin, as a singer, as an artist, as a performer is among the very elite; the very top of the field. It may surprise some readers, but her technical ability was a lot deeper than many people realize, and the depth of her feeling was perhaps as strong as anyone who ever lived.
It's easy to dismiss her chops, based on this or that overly whiskey soaked, uncontrolled, or too-high performance. That she had some bad nights cannot be denied. That her first band had very little musical ability or knowledge, or that she herself misunderstood her talent cannot be denied, but if you look at the Pearl album, where producer Paul Rothschild was able to help her to find her voice, her vocals on that are out of this world.
That is not to say she never had stellar moments before then; in fact Janis had goose-bump-inducing performance throughout her career. She was taking blues vocals to a place no one had before, and many would attempt to after her, but she really did and does own a special spotlight, that will always be hers alone. I've had people tell me someone is a dead ringer for Janis many times, and every single time I've heard it, I've said, "NO." Maybe close. Maybe really good. Maybe amazing. But no.
There are songs I hear; performances I experience by Janis that make me sob like a baby. That woman had a depth of sadness running through her that few people can imagine, and as a pure performer, she found a way to tap into it better than anyone I've ever known of. And that's what matters to me. I'm not a pure musician. I'm not talking about who achieves technical perfection, or masters the form. That's not what rock and roll is all about. I'm saying that your performance has to have some gravitas. Your performance has to matter.
And nobody ever did that better than Janis Joplin.
