Customer Reviews

Janis Joplin - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

''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.

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.

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.

This is a good "Greatest Hits" album, but it is definitely lacking a few of Janis Joplin's best songs. The more recent "18 Essential Songs" has almost all the songs on "Greatest Hits", as well as Summertime, Raise Your Hand, Half Moon, Kozmic Blues, I Need A Man To Love, Trouble in Mind, Tell Mama and Trust Me, most of which are lesser known but still essential. I'd recomend the "18 Essential Songs" as a more complete album (despite the "Greatest Hits" re-release with the bonus tracks) if you're looking to get into Janis, or if you like Janis already but don't want to go for the box set.

Janis Joplin was undeniably one of the most influential female rock vocalists of the 60's. Not only did she give her heart and soul to blues music, she opened a doorway for other women, letting them know that it is ok to release such true raw emotion as an art form. The Greatest hits collection is a fairly comprehensive overview of Janis' musical career. To hear the emotional jungle of a Janis performance listen to "Cry Baby." To listen to the depth of Janis' alchoholic depression listen to "Down on Me." Her final studio effort "Pearl" was perhaps her most diversly mature album ever. For a taste of this treat, give "Bobby McGee" a spin. The Greatest Hits Collection belongs on every blues fans cd rack!

Janis Joplin is a timeless legend in the sixties rock culture . Her unmistakeable voice , her deep conviction and powerful presence became in a a real icon of that decade so special and so innovative .
Cry baby , Me and Bobby Mc Gee , Move over and Summertime are my favorite themes from this unique and still amazing female singer .
Your collection will be incomplete without acquiring this CD.
Joplin : a woman who burned live in the blues .

When I first listened to this cd, it was the first time i'd ever heard janis . . . and I hated it. But I kept on getting the songs stuck in my head so i kept listening to the cd. It really grew on me, I've listened to this cd millions of times since then and Janis Joplin is one of my all time favorite musicians. She sings with so much passion and love, shes was truly amazing. Before this cd I listened to Backstreet Boys, Nsync and all that other crap. It was this cd alone that made me appreciate REAL music! It made me go and buy more Janis cds, which lead to buying other 60s music; Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Jefferson Airplane, just to name a few. I now love the whole 60s hippy music movement! This cd is a wonderful start to all that type of music. Everyone has to own it. Its really a really worth the money. It truly changed me into a more musically open person.

This collection of Janis Joplin's greatest hits has the best songs. Janis Joplin's blues and unique voice make you fly high out of this world. The guitars are excellent specially in "Summertime", "Maybe" and "Ball and Chain" which has outstanding keyboard works as well. The bass guitar is played with great skill throughout the album. This album is a must for all Joplin's fans; absolutely great album with a unique style of blues music.

Janis Joplin stunned the world with her raunchy, explosive, raw emotion evoked through her music. For someone who wants to introduce themselves to Janis' music, Greatest Hits is a great way to do that. The progression of abilities is evident through the quality of songs recorded throughout her career. "Ball And "Chain" is a perfect example of the pain she sang about. Her voice rang out and the pain tugged at my heart as the chills ran around my body. I could imagine the tears as her vocals vibrated in my ears and I could feel her confronting those demons inside. The power of this song is almost beyond words. Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits is a wonderful sampling of her style. The struggles and heartaches of Janis reach ou to you from the grave. Her career ended so suddenly and her full potential will never be known. Janis' signature screech and raw delivery will live on forever!

HERE SHE IS...JANIS JOPLIN...A milestone in music....Janis Joplin has had an effect on many people in the music world that do not even know about her...!...Janis Joplin was a turning point in the respect given to an all out woman of rock...berfore Janis there were many a women who were regarded as a person who stood below the man in rock and roll...pop...rock....country...blues...even jazz....but with Janis it all changed...it was...is....and will always be a sort of women's lib movement in rock music....a movemont that is still being felt today and will tomorrow as well...keep on listening to her as you get older and you will see what I mean...Hollywood Joe http://www.hollywoodjoe.com http://www.hollywoodjoe.8m.com hollywoodjoe@usa.com