Customer Reviews

18 Essential Songs

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

So far, no one has been able to put together the definitive collection of Janis tracks. Which means you need to buy all the CDs, including "Farewell Song" and "Live at Winterland '68" and create your own definitive collection.

This collection misses the mark on several crucial points, but is still better than the Greatest Hits album, mainly because it features the legendary Saturday afternoon recording of Ball and Chain at the Monterey Pop Festival, the moment that launched Janis into super stardom, with Mama Cass watching in awe. (The Greatest Hits album features the inferior Full Tilt version of Ball and Chain. The one we see on film was recorded the second night at Monterey, where Janis is wearing a gold lame pantsuit.)

All of the tracks on 18 Essentials were culled from the 3CD box set, thus some are not definitive, rather alternate. Such is the case with "Summertime." I've always felt that the bootleg live in Amsterdam version is the absolute best on record, but at the very least there are better "Summertime" tracks from the Cheap Thrills recording sessions than this one. I was also dismayed by the omission of "Cry Baby," the second-best charting single from the Pearl album. Granted, the alternate take of "Cry Baby" featured on the boxed set is not the same as on Pearl, but to me it is a great cut none-the-less and should have been included in lieu of "Trust Me," which doesn't showcase Janis at her best.

Also, no where to be found is "Little Girl Blue" from the Kozmic Blues album. This was Janis's favorite of all her recorded tracks, and should have been included because it is, in a word, ESSENTIAL. I personally like the inclusion of the acoustic demo of Bobby McGee in this collection. However, it would have made more sense to have kept her introductory rap captured in the studio, which can be heard on the boxed set and is fascinating---with Janis playing the guitar herself and creating the blueprint for this great song.

"Trouble in Mind" is a good way to start the collection. Janis sounds awesome here, and the typewriter in the background is just so cool, it takes you right into the living room where this gem was recorded with Jorma K of the Jefferson Airplane. I'm also glad they featured more cuts from the Kozmic Blues album on this collection, as opposed to the Greatest Hits album that virtually ignored Kozmic Blues, even though it was Janis at her best, vocally.

Also, on my CD, the Ed Sullivan version of "Raise Your Hand" is very distorted soundwise, which is not the case on "Farewell Song" where this live song is also featured.

In any event, it is hard for me to give Janis anything less than five stars. But because of the missing ingredients in relation to the title ("essential") of the CD, I give the record company four stars.

While many people found this mediocre because of its exclusion of the original version of "Bobby McGee", they need to understand that this CD was made especially for those who were looking for something else besides that song. For those people who have heard her classic #1 song and wondered what else there is. And there certainly is PLENTY more, as evidenced by the extent of her fabulous work on every album released by her. This goes through every phase of her musical career briefly and to the point (but I do wonder why her best song ever "Little Girl Blue" isn't here?). Yes, it is essentially a sampler from the JANIS 3-CD set, but would you really want to buy an expensive set just to find that you don't like Janis as much as you thought you did? This is a great way out of that predicament and is a LOT better than the supposed GREATEST HITS, despite its re-release with bonus tracks. If you're looking to get into Janis, try this (if you want the full spectrum of her career) or KOZMIC BLUES (to get her best album).

The one-star rating is not a commentary on Janis Joplin's music. It is a commentary on the record label's curious selection of tracks for this album, and the questionable decision to call this eclectic collection of songs "essential". This album is NOT essential, neither for the casual listener who just wants a good selection of songs from Janis' primary albums, nor for the dedicated fan who wants previously unissued material to supplement other Janis CDs.

The tracks on this CD are a mixture of previously unissued material and of the formal studio recordings (or sometimes the live performances) that appear on her previous primary CDs. A classic example of the former: the version here of "Me and Bobby McGee" -- her one number one hit -- is not the traditional version that appears on her "Pearl" album, but rather, is a previously unissued solo demo prepared for the album's producer.

So if you just want a 'traditional' overview of Janis Joplin's music, the "Greatest Hits" album is probably your best bet. If you're a dedicated fan -- who WANTS the solo demo of "Bobby McGee" or the track of "Trouble in Mind" recorded in an apartment with a typewriter clacking in the background -- you might look at the 3-disc 49-track "Janis" album from which the tracks on the current CD were culled. Alternatively, if you just want to supplement an already largely complete collection with the previously unissued tracks, they're all available for download.

But it's hard for me to imagine WHO the audience would be for the curious collection of tracks on the "18 Essential Songs" album.

When I was first turned on to Janis a few years ago, I bought this CD, not knowing a single one of her songs (call it a deprived childhood). In no time I was one of her most loyal (not to mention youngest) fans. Everything on it is vintage, though surely it was tough to exclude much of the material from the boxed set. This CD truly lets you hear Janis evolve through her short, brilliant career, from her pre-Big Brother blues days, to the raw power of Cheap Thriils, to her legendary live performances and the more nuanced final recordings. The acoustic demo of "Me and Bobby McGee" gives me goose bumps to this day. Even now that I've collected almost all of her discography, this is still the album I recommend to people looking to start their Joplin collection.

You can't go wrong with this disk. A great place to start appreciating an amazing woman, or a great place to further an undying appreciation.

If you don't have any Janis, you will find a healthy dose here. All of her hits are included.."Piece of My Heart," "Try," "Bye Bye Baby," "Mercedes Benz"........

If you do have some Janis, this is a good place to get more. Lesser known tracks such as "Kozmic Blues, "I Need A Man To Love," and "One Good Man," steal the show. A great Live version of "Ball And Chain" is included, as well as several other Live cuts plus some unreleased material.

Quality sound, clearer than her original recordings. She Lives.

Memories of my teen years include Janis' powerful voice belting out several of the favorites on this CD. I did not realize the track of "Me and Bobby McGee" was not the one with which I am so familiar. This is my favorite song, and I find the accoustical version included on this CD disappointing. The other songs are great, but anyone looking for a compilation of Joplin songs might wish to wait for the "Greatest Hits" collection.

We'll get no more from Janis Joplin... the only NEW stuff now available is what was previously left out of the earlier production quality CD's. So, what you have here is some songs you've heard before, but not THESE songs. Some not so great, but all essentially Janis.

Whatever. But here's the bargin on this disk...

Track 4, Ball and Chain, 1967 Monterey Pops Festival... This is THE song, THE live performance that knocked the crowds socks off, that had audience member Mama Cass shaking her head saying "Wow", and started Janis Joplin on her short but dynamic life as a star. When they released the movie of this festival, the band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, were shocked that they were essentially missing... their entire segment was focused on their female vocalist, Janis Joplin. This CD is worth the price for Track 4 alone... the rest is a gift that can never be re-created.

Eight minutes of Ball and Chain, recorded live at Monterey, that alone makes this CD worth the price. What can you say about Janis Jolin? She was amazing. All the hits, and some obscure stuff, too. Informative liner notes. The acoustic version of Me and Bobby McGee is wonderful! I already had the other greatest hits CD, so I have the regular version as well. Janis fans won't be disappointed, and newcomers to Janis will soon be fans!

Janis Joplin still rocks! She truly is a great artist

I own every song ever released by the Queen of Rockin' Blues, but you may not want to make that investment. If your budget will allow you just one CD, I would recommend "18 Essential Songs". These selections were taken from the 3 CD box set "Janis" and features only good stuff. If you've only been a casual Janis listener, then this album contains all the songs you've heard and a few more you need to hear. The greatest virtue of this collection, aside from the driving blues that provide over 70 minutes of music, is that it is generally priced anywhere from reasonable to an incredible bargain!