Janis Joplin

[TyBo]

Somebody mentioned "Ball and Chain" earlier ... great rendition of this tune by Janis, with Big Brother and the Holding Company. (And I posted that album cover in the "great album covers" thread - R. Crumb baby!). The world hadn't never heard no blues like this! Psychedelic era, anyone?

 

[mellowinman]

"Stop trolling. This thread is a heartfelt tribute to Janis Joplin!" and then..."She had a nice body" and "I'd have been a very enthusiastic lover".

Creep level turned up to a solid 7 only a few pages in. Nice.

That was pretty judgmental, and honestly, it IS trolling.

 

[GBBSbassist]

That was pretty judgmental, and honestly, it IS trolling.

I'd be a very enthusiastic lover to her, indeed.

Yeah, even when I just type it out like that, it's STILL creepy. Definitely not out of line. I'm upping the creepiness of that comment now from 7 to 8.

Let me clarify something for you as well. Trolling isn't when someone disagrees with you and it certainly isn't when someone calls you out on weird comments. If the thread is truly intended to be a tribute to a musician, let's praise her musicianship right? You're the one pointing out how nice her body was. Do you pop up on Jaco threads talking about how he looked sort of like a lizard but probably had some nice pecs?

 

[IamGroot]

Has there been anyone since Janis that could sing like her.

Btw, article mentioned Janis was already fighting vocal problems.

 

[2010P]

I'd be a very enthusiastic lover to her, indeed.

Yeah, even when I just type it out like that, it's STILL creepy. Definitely not out of line. I'm upping the creepiness of that comment now from 7 to 8.

Let me clarify something for you as well. Trolling isn't when someone disagrees with you and it certainly isn't when someone calls you out on weird comments. If the thread is truly intended to be a tribute to a musician, let's praise her musicianship right? You're the one pointing out how nice her body was. Do you pop up on Jaco threads talking about how he looked sort of like a lizard but probably had some nice pecs?

Oh god. Not another Pink Hat wearer!!! It's like the Dawn of the Dead with these people. Stop being so offended!!! Men talk about women in certain ways. And truth be told, women talk the same way about men. Probably not about Jaco though. Dude was fugly! But then again so was Joplin. Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program!

 

[mellowinman]

I'd be a very enthusiastic lover to her, indeed.

Yeah, even when I just type it out like that, it's STILL creepy. Definitely not out of line. I'm upping the creepiness of that comment now from 7 to 8.

Let me clarify something for you as well. Trolling isn't when someone disagrees with you and it certainly isn't when someone calls you out on weird comments. If the thread is truly intended to be a tribute to a musician, let's praise her musicianship right? You're the one pointing out how nice her body was. Do you pop up on Jaco threads talking about how he looked sort of like a lizard but probably had some nice pecs?

I was responding to posters who claimed she was ugly. One of Janis' great sadnesses was that people had called her ugly. I think she is beautiful. Nothing creepy about it. You don't know creepy. Please keep your issues to yourself. Nothing creepy about being attracted to someone beautiful, especially when they are a gifted musician.

 

[IamGroot]

Acne scars and track marks......

Has anyone mentioned Mama Cass yet? Another great voice, overcame a huge hurdle but nowhere near JJ on intensity.

 

[Sixgunn]

I'd be a very enthusiastic lover to her, indeed.

Yeah, even when I just type it out like that, it's STILL creepy. Definitely not out of line. I'm upping the creepiness of that comment now from 7 to 8.

Let me clarify something for you as well. Trolling isn't when someone disagrees with you and it certainly isn't when someone calls you out on weird comments. If the thread is truly intended to be a tribute to a musician, let's praise her musicianship right? You're the one pointing out how nice her body was. Do you pop up on Jaco threads talking about how he looked sort of like a lizard but probably had some nice pecs?

What's wrong with saying she had a nice body? I think she had a nice body and I think she'd be flattered. MOST rock (and other genera) musicians cultivate an image and WANT to be considered good looking. Why the outrage?

 

[Son of Wobble]

What's wrong with saying she had a nice body? I think she had a nice body and I think she'd be flattered. MOST rock (and other genera) musicians cultivate an image and WANT to be considered good looking. Why the outrage?

I think in the case of Janis, you are quite right, she would be delighted that men were praising her looks nearly fifty years after her death. She was keenly aware of legacy even in her twenties, and this would be vindication indeed.

There are some fetching nudes of Janis floating around the internet. She had an innocent and tender side, too. But boy, all the drinkin' and screeching, for me that's best contained to 20 minute album sides. But then I am an old guy entering my Apollonian phase.

Dionysus, turn down that damn stereo!

 

[Whil57]

Didnt understand the OP question, if there was one- so it got carrots. I have some of her music. I enjoy it. Got nothing else.

 

[Liam Wald]

I voted no. Not because I don't think that she was a one in a billion talent.
I voted no because I have only joy for the inpsiration that she was to me.
I voted no because she did it all on her terms, she left a mark on the world, and she did what she set out to do.
Bless her soul.

 

[zon6c-f]

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.

There are some videos on Acoustic Users Club site of Joplin with bass player using AC 361 but I cant find them

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

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.

My sadness is the same for all of those who fail to realize their full potential or have a realization of what they have accomplished.

It's a waste of a life, the most valuable thing we possess as humans.

I still kick back every now and then and contemplate what it would be like to have many of my deceased favorites still around playing and exploiting the newest innovations of our craft while no doubt hearing the bitching about autotune and rap.

Too bad.

By the way, I'm thinking about Jimi wearing Sansa belt pants 2" under his nipples while his PRS is ripping through a Kemper, programmed to sound like a Pignose.

 

[tr4252]

I thought Janis Joplin was vastly overrated until I heard her (didn't care to get close enough to the stage to see anybody; and get stuck in that massive crowd, and besides, the sound system there could probably have been heard on the moon) at Woodstock. Her band was especially good, and live, a lot of nuances got across that I thought were lacking on their recorded material. Listening to Sly and the Family Stone, Big Brother, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane on the same night/morning was a unique experience. (No, I missed the Experience, had to leave on Monday morning).

It's too bad she died at such a young age, but rock stars back then seemed bent on self destruction (gosh, really?). Hell, we all seemed bent on destruction of one kind or another at the time.

Tom

 

[Sparkl]

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 hear you bro. While I can’t deny that her voice was never my cup of blues/rock tea, I cannot objectively deny her greatness both on her feeling and her contribution to the music. She is by all means one of the greats.

 

[stringthrough]

As much as I've tried over the years I've never been able to enjoy the quality of her voice. It's the same issue I have with Joe Cocker's voice. That rasp, it just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I was never a fan. I thought she was extremely overrated and her band Big Brother was sloppy and out of tune a lot. Just another opinion, but she just didn’t ring my bell on any level.

 

[Mr.Ace]

I never liked Janis' stuff. Ever. I decided to give her another chance by listening to the posted videos. Same. No thank you. Way too much "gunk & grunge" around the music for me. I couldn't finish any of them. Yuck.

Yet I loved Pink's version of Bobbie McGee. Hmmm.

Oh no, now someone mentioned Bob Dylan. I'd sit through an hour of Janis before 3 minutes of Dylan. Sorry, too much for me to take. I'm off to listen to some pop or country or swing or funk to clear my brain.

Enjoy your chat folks. I'll show myself out ...

I know I’m in the minority here, but I totally agree with this post. I just don’t get it. I’ve tried, but I am not a fan. I’ll run and duck for cover now

 

[Son of Wobble]

I was never a fan. I thought she was extremely overrated and her band Big Brother was sloppy and out of tune a lot. Just another opinion, but she just didn’t ring my bell on any level.

Big Brother got thrown overboard for their sloppiness. Janis felt they weren't progressing to where she needed them to be, and started Kozmic Blues Band with Sam Andrew, who, incidentally, died two years ago in SF at age 73.

 

[dangnewt]

Interesting to see this come up... I just started paying closer attention to her work in the past few weeks. The raw emotion in this one here really jumped out at me:

The movie that clip was taken from "Festival Express" is worth watching. It is a documentary of a Woodstock-like series of concerts in Canada where the promoters chartered a train and went from city to city. On a train full of huge stars (JJ, Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, The Band) the two that really stood out to me as the stars among the stars were Janis and Jerry Garcia for their personalities and generous spirit as well as their musical talent.