Customer Reviews

Cheap Thrills (Multichannel/Stereo)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This disc and I go back over thirty years. I can remember my sense of wonder upon it's first listening. Janis' awesome vocal attack. It was simply reviting. The sound of the LP was decent. The sound of the CD has always been dreadful. Dreadful to the point where I had avoided listening to it for years.

Well, I am very happy to report that that is not longer the case. This SACD version of these tunes is awesome. Gone is the shrillness of the CD vocals which could force you out of the room. In it's place is a incredible depth of stage which brings the live element of the music totally to life in a way that I would have earlier thought impossible. The vocals are crisp yet smooth. The guitar has a great sense of scale and place and the sense of live performance is utterly shocking.

If you want to enjoy Janis like never before this disc is a must!
Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

I have loved this album for over 40 years and while I have always thought the sound quality somewhat limited, I was looking forward to hearing this SACD version. Janis Joplin's raw power and passion always seemed to come out best in these tunes backed by Big Brother & The Holding Co. From the first listening, there was a depth and nuances never before heard in this recording. Each instrument shows more delineation, the soundstage shows greater depth and air, and there is more punch and firmer bass than I've ever experienced. Still not a true audiophile recording, but a grand improvement in a rock classic.

I highly recommend it to anyone who has an SACD player and loves this album. Since this is a multi-channel 5.1 reccording, I would imagine it would be an even greater revelation to someone who has a system to show it off.

I have never heard this album sound so good. The live parts of it are really live for the first time. What a great mix. SACD really rocks! Plus some of the songs are longer than they used to be ie. Piece Of My Heart.

I remember hearing most of these songs on 8 track that bring back fond memories. Bought this for the SACD and they sound like you're right on stage with her. A great addition to any music library.

Beautifully studio mixed recording, ideal for today's SACD players. Janis sounds great, what more can I say?

The SACD version of one of the greatest albums by any recording artist, Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin, is music taken to a whole new sonic level.

I own the 1999 remastered version of the regular CD, of which I already completed a review, having happily given it an unequivocal 5 stars. And if there is any way to enhance the enjoyment that inspired me to give that particular "thumb all the way up", it is to listen to Cheap Thrills in a crisp, clean, Multichannel 5.1 mix, which this item now being reviewed is able to provide.

Once again, Cheap Thrills, with this advanced treatment, is a listening thrill. Oh, how upgraded is the total satisfaction! Kudos to the teams that not only remastered this triumph but also had the fortitude to take the music featuring Janis Joplin, say nothing of her many admirers, to never-before-visited frontiers. Truly, when Sony does something right, as in the case of this issuance, it is nearly impossible to beat.

Lest I forget, for all you comic book lovers out there, take note of the cover. There is something about it I was oblivious to for so long and yet was right under my nose, figuratively and, lol, perhaps literally. It is the artwork of none other than the multitalented Robert Crumb, whose underground creations coined the term COMIX.

Though it might be Cheap Thrills in title, it is, in this person's mind's eye, at least two masterpieces, one from Janis and the other from Mr. Crumb, intertwined! If anyone is cognizant of any facts or factoids not mentioned in any review regarding this classic, please let me know.

I'm glad that I purchased this SACD surround. But, given that, it's not the best example of Multichannel. I think you'd have to get a studio album to really get the full multichannel "wow factor". They could've done a lot better on the bottom end on the remastering. The bass sounds a bit muddy. There appears to be more seperation on the guitars (which is a good thing), and the voices are clear, and of course the album is a classic. Probably very difficult to get these early albums to really shine, but it's still fun to listen to.

My vinyl version of this album is long worn beyond the playable. I thought this would be a great replacement. But this format will not function on the typical cd players of today. I think it belongs with the Sony betamax movie recordings.