Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Case Where Time has not Healed, November 21, 2002
''Time heals all wounds'', goes an old saying. But in the case of Janis Joplin, time has only served to intensify the magnitude of the loss.A bad image (she was an...addict, a bad sudent, runaway daughter, etc...) made Janis Joplin a ahrd sell with parents to put it mildly. But after hearing her rendition of "Summertime" (the old Gershwin song from ''Porgy and Bess''), it was clear that whatever her personal shortcomings might have been, Janis Joplin was an awesomely talented singer. The rest of "Cheap Thrills" matched the quality of her rendition of "Summertime". So does the rest of theis "Greatest Hits" CD. Janis Joplin was a huge fan of 'Big Mama' Thornton, a somewhat tragic figure in her own right. Thornton co-wrote and recorded the original version of "Hound Dog", a song Elvis made famous. "Hound Dog" was never recorded by Janis, but "Ball and Chain", an emotional plea for love and understanding -- or maybe a cry for help-- is here on the greatest hits CD. I doubt that a 9 minute song was really a 'top-40 hit', but this CD serves more as a heartfelt 'thanks' to Janis for the musical memories she left behind, ands not just a document of what radio stations played. The blues singing here is as good as it gets, and the songs have never really gone away. The play "Love, Janis" (featuring nearly all the songs from this CD) still draws huge crowds, and because the music has aged well, it's the songs --not Janis' excessive lifestyle-- that people now remember. "Move Over" and "Cry Baby" are two sides of the same coin: a love that's over and the pain of aftermath, when all that's left is the pain. It is almost impossible to sing the blues with so much conviction if you have not 'lived them'. So it seems that Janis Joplin, lived a very sad and lonely life. Janis Joplin was a classically tragic figure from recent times. Not a "hero" by any stretch, but certainly a great talent lost. "Me and Bobby McGee" makes one wonder if Janis ever found a great love in her life. If not, then the tragedy of her death is even greater. The songs collected here are not just radio hits. They are more like a requiem.
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91 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not very comprehensive, December 1, 1999
When I first got into Janis Joplin, I bought this CD. I must say it does do a good job of making you want MORE, but when I listened to the rest of the amazing music she had released, I felt connived by this CD. KOZMIC BLUES, her all-time best album, gets ONE TRACK HERE! Come on! It does have two live tracks from the IN CONCERT album, but there is more to like on that album. Personally, I think 18 ESSENTIAL SONGS is way better because it gives a more complete glance at her career, the entire spectrum from her earliest recordings in 1965 to her last recording sessions in 1970. So I would rather that new fans get that instead. Looking at the bonus tracks, I have to laugh and say, "That's it?" "Maybe" is a good song, but what about "Kozmic Blues" or "Little Girl Blue" from the same album, KOZMIC BLUES? I still think the "Ball and Chain" from the Full Tilt Boogie Band should be replaced by any other version by Big Brother. It is too little Janis for a budding fan and does not even come close to giving this great woman's music justice. 18 ESSENTIAL SONGS should do for any seriously curious music fan what this CD doesn't.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for any Newcomer , December 4, 2004
I bought this album months ago and was blown away. I mean literally blown away. I spent hours and hours listening to it. I found Janis' voice so raw and unique that I couldn't put it down. After this album I bought every other Janis Joplin/Big Brother album out there and I just can't get enough of it. There are some great songs missing from this album, but I think that they included the most unique.
Piece of My Heart - A Erma Franklin cover. It's a great song, and a legendary pop hit.
Summertime - This is the most memorable song from Janis for me. It's a cover from Porgy & Bess. I'm pretty sure the original artists were Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, but I'm not certain. Either way it's amazing. Janis' voice can't compare to anything else. That's how distinctive it is.
Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) - A great pop/blues song. It's got an Otis Redding feel to it. The screeching at the end sends shivers up my spin.
Cry Baby - Another hit. I would have replaced it with Little Girl Blue, but it's just an unforgettable as any other song.
Me & Bobby McGee - To be completely honest, I didn't care for it at the beginning. I describe it as a song that grows on you. Once it grows you, it wont let go. Now it's one of my favorite songs of all time. It's another cover, but it's just matches her so well.
Down on Me - A Big Brother classic. It's a cool song that's got a hippy feel to it.
Get It While You Can - To me, this is one of the most underrated songs of all time. It's just so brilliant but it never gets the credit it deserves. It's bound to change your perspective on life.
Bye, Bye Baby - Like a lot of other classic hits, it's hard to categorize it.
Move Over - I believe Janis wrote it. It's a cool, simple song about moving on. Its guitar is infectious.
Ball N Chain - One of the best songs I've ever heard. Big Mama Thornton wrote it, but Janis and Sam Andrews gave it a special touch and made it an epic. This version doesn't include Sam, which kind of disappoints me. But it's a great live performance.
Maybe - This is by far my favorite song by Janis. It's got #1 out of every song I've ever heard. This song out souls any R&B singer hands down. The Chantels originally did it and was their only #1 hit. A couple years later Janis releases it on her Kozmic Blues album, and left me speechless. She changed the tune, the words, everything. She transformed it from a cool Do Woop hit, to an amazing blues cry. It's not raspy at all, totally clear. But if you enjoy the rasp (like me) get a copy of her on the Ed Sullivan show.
Mercedes Benz - A cool goofy song from Pearl. I personally think it's about how some people ask God for things they don't need. Even if I'm wrong, I still love it.
To sum it up - This is an album from a legendary singer with a legendary set of bands and musicians. It's great spread of songs for just three years.
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