Customer Reviews

Farewell Song

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

 

 

Janis purists might not like that certain tracks have been allegedly altered, but for some reason, I totally DIG this album. Even the oddball "Harry" song gives the listener some insight into the creative abandon and innocence of the Big Brother days. "Raise Your Hand" is awesome, as is "Tell Mama," (even though guitarist John Till is late with a few chords at the bridge)

I actually prefer the Farewell Song version of "Misery'N" to the one on the 3-CD boxed set. And "Catch Me Daddy" captures all the energy and vitality of a Big Brother performance. This is a happy album. It will make you smile and remember Janis as the exuberant, passionate and consummate artist that she was. I listen to this one over and over. It gets more play than "Pearl" on my car stereo.

I'm not a Janis Joplin completist or specialist but this album is brilliant and highly enjoyable and I don't mind if 80s instruments are added to some tracks. My favourite tracks are the rousing Magic Of Love, the heart-rending One Night Stand (archetypical Janis at her best), the melancholy Farewell Song, the cheeky Amazing Grace/Hi Heel Sneakers and the riveting Catch Me Daddy. I have no hesitation in placing this album on a par with Pearl, Kozmic Blues or Cheap Thrills. Great songs performed with passion!

Farewell Song features Janis with no less than 4 bands: Full Tilt Boogie, Big Brother & The Holding Company, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the Kozmic Blues Band. These nine great tracks - both live and studio recordings - were recorded from 1967 to 1970. The album's brilliant and highly enjoyable and I don't mind if 80s studio instruments are added.

My favorite tracks are the exuberant Magic of Love with its enchanting backing vocals beautifully framing her powerful voice, the heart-rending One Night Stand, the melancholy Farewell Song with the moaning guitar, the cheeky medley of Amazing Grace/Hi Heel Sneakers and the riveting Catch Me Daddy. Other tracks are strong too, like the yearning Misery'n and the raucous Tell Mama, whilst all 56 seconds of Harry is most bizarre, with cuckoo clocks & stuff.

Two live tracks open the album: Tell Mama (Full Tilt Boogie) was recorded in Toronto in 1970 and Magic of Love (Big Brother) at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit in 1968. These are followed by the studio recordings Misery'n with Big Brother from 1968, One Night Stand with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band from 1970 & Harry (Big Brother) from 1968.

The next three are live recordings again: Raise Your Hand (Frankfurt, Germany with the Kozmic Blues Band in 1969), Farewell Song (Winterland, San Francisco with Big Brother, 1968), the medley Amazing Grace/Hi Heel Sneakers (The Matrix, San Francisco with Big Brother in 1967). The studio-recorded Catch Me Daddy with Big Brother from 1968 concludes the album.

I have no hesitation in placing this album on a par with Pearl, Cheap Thrills or I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!. These are great songs performed with passion; furthermore, the collection sounds cohesive despite the wide variety of backing musicians. For devoted fans of Janis, I highly recommend the book Scars Of Sweet Paradise by Alice Echols.

Taking a look at the tracklisting, here is a rundown of each track:

1. Tell Mama--You can get it on 18 Essential Songs or Janis 3-CD digitally remastered 2. Magic of Love--This song has never been a favorite and is not a very good version here. 3. Misery'n--Would be great, but 80s instruments are added. 4. One Night Stand--Brilliant track, only available here. 5. Harry--Meaningless, but interesting. Only available here. 6. Raise Your Hand--Another great track and the only one from Kozmic Blues Band 7. Farewell Song--This can be found on Live At Winterland '68 digitally remastered. 8. Amazing Grace/Hi-Heel Sneakers--Would have been great if the whole songs were used, instead they are edited down to less than 3 minutes! But worth having. 9. Catch Me Daddy--80s instrumentals ruin this song that is only available here!

So, decide for yourself. Personally, I think this should be the last Janis CD you should own!

A great CD with great songs and with the wonderful song "One night stand"! The best Janis song IMHO.

This album features Janis with no less than 4 bands: Full Tilt Boogie, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Kozmic Blues Band. It's brilliant and highly enjoyable and I don't mind if 80s studio instruments are added! My favourite tracks are the powerful Magic Of Love, the heart-rending One Night Stand, the melancholy Farewell Song, the cheeky medley of Amazing Grace/Hi Heel Sneakers and the riveting Catch Me Daddy. I have no hesitation in placing this album on a par with Pearl, Kozmic Blues or Cheap Thrills. Great songs performed with passion!

Yes, Janis, like many other musical geniuses, both before and after her passing, she too did leave us at the age of 27. Just a month shy of her 28th birthday, she left us. (Wipe tear)
Yet, Janis, unlike any other musical wizard, she has not been able to be replaced by an impressionist. Elvis; go to Vegas, and he'll not only serenade you at `most every street corner and casino; but, he could marry you at the same time. Marley? Not certain if he's as duplicated as Elvis, but there's more `en one. Buddy Holliday, too. But, Janis? There will be only one.

"Misery'n" is also available on JANIS 3-CD digitally remastered and without 80s instruments!