Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Rhino / Wea
• VHS Release Date: March 2, 1994
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301293282
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,439 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is the only review for BALL AND CHAIN, September 19, 1999

By 

"caseyscott" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ball & Chain / Holding Company [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The other reviews on this page pertain to MONTEREY POP. Amazon made a boo-boo by putting them here. This is a review of the movie BALL & CHAIN. This is the earliest film available of Big Brother and the Holding Company, with their legendary lead singer Janis Joplin. Most of the songs are fabulous stuff, what the San Francisco music scene was made of. The band has always been one of my favorites and they don't disappoint here. Janis does a killer version of "Down On Me" and "Ball and Chain" isn't as good as the one at Monterey, but is a good comparison to the latter. The interviews are very strange, the bands talk about meaningless things as if they're drugged, but Janis gives us information about her past jobs and her background. The songs: "Down On Me", "Coo Coo", "Hall of the Mountain King", "Blow My Mind", "Ball and Chain", "Light is Faster Than Sound", "Harry". They all have their good points, but "Light" and "Harry" are forgettable. "Hall" is a wholly instrumental piece that gives you insight into the talent behind the band members of Big Brother. "Blow My Mind" is a rarely-heard Big Brother composition that is rockin'!!! Long live Big Brother!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine example of primative San Francisco sound on film!, November 3, 2001

By 

mixer "na1mixer" (Spring City, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ball & Chain / Holding Company [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film is a relic that shows "Big Brother and the Holding Company" with Janis Joplin, of course- in a primative and loose fashion. I mean, not only in black and white, but this film shows many songs that were popular during that era (and for the band).
For starters:Janis sang on "Down on Me," for example, in a much more raspy voice than usual; not to mention her rough appearance. During "Coo Coo," which would be re-worked to be "Oh Sweet Mary,"Janis continued to belt out her harsh but strong vocals- while bassist Peter Albin played well on lead guitar. In fact, Albin is as good on guitar as on bass. (Note that in between each song, comments on life, Haight Ashbury, etc, were intertwined (you can sense the presence of cannibas use).
Anyhow, the version of "Ball and Chain" was played in a a more toned down approach- unlike the presence of raw energy evident at Monterey Pop Festival.
My favorite song played in this film is the psychedelic instrumental "Hall of the Mountain King." This was, to say the least, mesmorizing. Though melodious at first (Sam Andrew on rhythm guitar)with a simple melody, this song progresses with guitarist James Gurley- fingerstyle electric. If you listen closely, Gurley's wacky, undiciplined approach resembles: a cross between the theme of the old Pink Panther comercial and Syd Barrett's masterpiece "Interstellar Overdrive." However, S.Andrew continues the instrumental (after Gurley's piece) with a sneaky, t r a n s c e n d i n g approach leading to the use of feedback and the melodius guitar rhythm which was played at the start of the song.

The song "Blow My Mind" was played by Albin on lead vocals- with more energy than the latter songs played. Again, the use of the electric guitars in a psychedelic style was utilized. "Light is Faster than Sound" was played with both Albin and Janis on vocals- belting out the words. To make the song more listenable, Sam Andrew kept the song going with a series of rhythmic leads.

Throughout this film, the clothes worn by the musicians were, typical 1960s attire. There were no scripts, no noticable overdubbing (thank goodness)and the band were-themselves.Considering the fact that this show was filmed in April 1967-before the serene San Francisco landscape got out of hand in the precceding months ahead.The playing of paychedelic rock, folk, blues, was popular in the 60s counterculture.Therefore, I believe that this film,though 30 minutes long,can give the viewer a glimpse of the musical aspect of the primative "roots" of rock history as we know it. I hope that classic rock fans will agree.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars For Five Stars., March 12, 2002

By 

F. Gentile (Lake Worth, Florida, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ball & Chain / Holding Company [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A living, breathing time capsule. Totally unpolished, unprofessional, and totally captivating. The raw power exuding from this fairly short film far surpasses the computerized, polished, sleeping pill videos of today. Big Brother is one of the most under-rated bands of all time. Yes, when you think of them, you of course immediatley think of Janis. But the fact that Janis was at her best during her time with B.Bro. says alot for the band. The sight of this ragged, tiny, unknown little girl, unleashing a hint of her soon -to- be greatness and ambition, is palpable. And the between-music banter is interesting and fun, with the intelligence in Janis' eyes very clear, in retrospect. I met all the guys from Big Bro. a few years ago in concert, they were terriffic, real gentlemen, and GREAT musicians, who've only improved with time. Though not necessarily as powerful a performance as Monterey, it's still a film worth having, a sweet postcard from a sadly by-gone era.