21 February, 2012

120. Big Brother and the Holding Company | Cheap Thrills (1968)



Tracks
  1. Combination of the Two
  2. I Need a Man to Love
  3. Summertime
  4. Piece of My Heart
  5. Turtle Blues
  6. Oh, Sweet Mary
  7. Ball and Chain

Cheap Thrills is an exceptionally unexceptional album. The songs are blues rock. The music is good, but it's nothing new, but other bands play blues rock much better. What makes this album great is Janis Joplin. This album reminds me of Jerry Lee Lewis's Live at the Star Club, Hamburg. On that album, the band is trying to keep up with Jerry's piano playing. On this album, the band is trying to keep with Janis's singing.

Janis Joplin has a damn great voice. I'd have to go back to the 1950s vocal jazz singers to find someone comparable. What differentiates her from other female singers is that she can and does sing with the same force and power as a guy. With this album, Janis has opened up a lot of opportunities for future female singers. Janis is the reason this album is on the 1001 Albums list.

My parents had this album and I never listened to it. My mother even talked about how much she liked Janis whenever Piece of My Heart or Me and Bobby McGee was playing on the radio. How I regret not listening to this album now! This album is definitely worth listening to. All the songs are good, but Combination of the Two, I Need a Man to Love, Piece of My Heart and Oh, Sweet Mary are the stand outs.

★★★★★★★★☆☆

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