Until recently, Janis Joplin was among the relatively few Woodstock-era artists I hadn't given much consideration to. The only times I'd heard her sing previously were on videos of the 60's mega-festivals, and my impression from these clips was that Joplin was extremely overrated. Her growling voice just didn't do it for me.

However, I was recently listening to demos at Borders, of some mannequin-looking girls who are apparently quite popular today (Hillary Church Duff Spears--I don't know, I can't tell them apart), when I suddenly had a craving to hear *good* music. So I started going through the Woodstock-era selections again. Mainly because I had seen a parody of the cover art elsewhere, I scanned Cheap Thrills, and was immediately blown away by the fact that Big Brother and the Holding Company really rocked! They reminded me in some small way of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, complete with guitar noises that shouldn't be possible.

Still, I was somewhat dreading to hear Janis' voice. But when she finally started singing I realized that Big Brother was a perfect vehicle for her. That wasn't growling I'd heard before at all--it was emotion in its most raw form. I just hadn't been putting her style into the proper context. It was beautiful. SHE was beautiful. What a startling contrast to the fashionable mannequins who only appeared uglier to me the more I heard their "music"!

Of course I bought Cheap Thrills on the spot, and I can only say that listening to it makes me feel good inside, in a nostalgic way. It reminds me of when musicians were human beings, and didn't attempt to hide their flaws. Yes, it's a terrible shame that Janis was a junkie, but what exactly do you call all the beer and pot that middle-class Americans consume today? I have yet to see a drunk or stoned sorority sister even come close to the raw power and emotion that Janis exhibits on Cheap Thrills. Unlike the modern music chicks, Janis sounds real and warm, and her voice releases the human experience in the same way that a master author's pen does. The mannequins convey about as much emotion as an economics textbook, which is appropriate considering that their music industry handlers are only in it for the money. Janis was in it for the love of music, and it really shows on Cheap Thrills.

My only problem with the CD is the extra tracks. They are great songs, but I would rather have just the original album as the artist created it, and leave the extra tracks for other CDs. There is a reason why Joplin and Big Brother ended their debut album with "Ball and Chain". Now that song is right in the middle of the album. There is no good reason for this.

Bottom line: I can't comment on Joplin's work after she left Big Brother, but the combination of Janis Joplin's voice and Big Brother's musicmanship makes Cheap Thrills an essential part of any MUSIC collection (as opposed to a CD collection). It's just a shame that new listeners like myself are not hearing exactly what Joplin intended us to hear, because of the irrelevant bonus tracks.
Until recently, Janis Joplin was among the relatively few Woodstock-era artists I hadn't given much consideration to. The only times I'd heard her sing previously were on videos of the 60's mega-festivals, and my impression from these clips was that Joplin was extremely overrated. Her growling voice just didn't do it for me. However, I was recently listening to demos at Borders, of some mannequin-looking girls who are apparently quite popular today (Hillary Church Duff Spears--I don't know, I can't tell them apart), when I suddenly had a craving to hear *good* music. So I started going through the Woodstock-era selections again. Mainly because I had seen a parody of the cover art elsewhere, I scanned Cheap Thrills, and was immediately blown away by the fact that Big Brother and the Holding Company really rocked! They reminded me in some small way of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, complete with guitar noises that shouldn't be possible. Still, I was somewhat dreading to hear Janis' voice. But when she finally started singing I realized that Big Brother was a perfect vehicle for her. That wasn't growling I'd heard before at all--it was emotion in its most raw form. I just hadn't been putting her style into the proper context. It was beautiful. SHE was beautiful. What a startling contrast to the fashionable mannequins who only appeared uglier to me the more I heard their "music"! Of course I bought Cheap Thrills on the spot, and I can only say that listening to it makes me feel good inside, in a nostalgic way. It reminds me of when musicians were human beings, and didn't attempt to hide their flaws. Yes, it's a terrible shame that Janis was a junkie, but what exactly do you call all the beer and pot that middle-class Americans consume today? I have yet to see a drunk or stoned sorority sister even come close to the raw power and emotion that Janis exhibits on Cheap Thrills. Unlike the modern music chicks, Janis sounds real and warm, and her voice releases the human experience in the same way that a master author's pen does. The mannequins convey about as much emotion as an economics textbook, which is appropriate considering that their music industry handlers are only in it for the money. Janis was in it for the love of music, and it really shows on Cheap Thrills. My only problem with the CD is the extra tracks. They are great songs, but I would rather have just the original album as the artist created it, and leave the extra tracks for other CDs. There is a reason why Joplin and Big Brother ended their debut album with "Ball and Chain". Now that song is right in the middle of the album. There is no good reason for this. Bottom line: I can't comment on Joplin's work after she left Big Brother, but the combination of Janis Joplin's voice and Big Brother's musicmanship makes Cheap Thrills an essential part of any MUSIC collection (as opposed to a CD collection). It's just a shame that new listeners like myself are not hearing exactly what Joplin intended us to hear, because of the irrelevant bonus tracks.