# I don't love Janis Joplin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104 "2019-07-15T03:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/21 "2019-07-15T13:15:05Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Thing is, she _could_ sing. I love her version of _Me and Bobby McGee_. Too bad she died before she could do more stuff like that. I’ve heard her singing praised. One critic said that she sounded as though she were singing in harmony with herself. And let us not forget the Mercedes Benz song. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/22 "2019-07-15T13:24:31Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Oh, she’s terrible. I’m not sure that is a super rare opinion. > > [I could not stand this kind of similar girl last year on America’s Got Talent either.](https://youtu.be/gPHVLxm8U-0?t=41) That reminds me of nothing so much as the time Danielle Brisebois sang “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” at Kelsey’s bar (in All In The Family). Wish I could find a clip of it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/23 "2019-07-15T13:58:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Whiskey and her fondness for shrieking damaged her pipes. > > It’s a shame there’s no recordings of her singing in Texas before moving to San Francisco. > > I liked several Joplin songs. Ball & Chain is my favorite, Bobby McGee is a close 2nd, Get It While You Can 3rd. _Ball And Chain_ was Janis at her howling blues best. The [live performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5If816MhoU) at Monterey left even Cass Elliot stunned. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/24 "2019-07-15T14:31:06Z")
Joplin was a great singer and few were better at belting out emotions. Unfortunately, her style of singing is out of fashion nowadays. People expect a smooth voice, and her roughness is hard to understand if you’re used to the modern women singers. But she’s strongly in the tradition of growly blues singers. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/25 "2019-07-15T14:52:35Z")
Janis was one of the greatest rock singers in the blues-derived tradition. She had both the passion and the voice to tear into a song. In her day, she was rightfully compared to the great blues singers such as Bessie Smith: _“Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out”_ - [Bessie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zea-1Fzi9JQ), [Janis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcPZSGAyCng) **Two Many Cats** , If you like Me & Bobbi McGee, you should look for her quieter, blues songs, or something like her rendition of [Summertime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guKoNCQFAFk) ---
**Author:** ![Helmut\_Doork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e8c25b/32.png) [@Helmut\_Doork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helmut_Doork)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/26 "2019-07-15T14:55:33Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > That reminds me of nothing so much as the time Danielle Brisebois sang “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” at Kelsey’s bar (in All In The Family). Wish I could find a clip of it. Fun fact- she grew up to be a middling recording artist but highly succesful songwriter, cowriting two top 5 hits for Natasha Bedingfield, songs for dozens of other top artists and getting a Academy award nom for the song “Lost Stars”. > **[Danielle Brisebois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Brisebois)** > > Danielle Anne Brisebois (born June 28, 1969) is an American producer, singer-songwriter and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Mills on the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award), as well as playing Molly in the original Broadway production of the musical Annie. > After she retired from acting in the late 1980s, Brisebois pursued a music career. She was one of the ... ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/27 "2019-07-15T14:59:05Z")
I enjoyed Janis and liked several of her songs. I didn’t care much for Prince either, but of course I can still recognize his talent and skill. However, the best singer ever in the world is Alecia Beth Moore. I will accept no arguments against this opinion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/28 "2019-07-15T15:19:24Z")
I enjoyed Janis in my youth, and owned all her major releases on LP. When I started switching over to CDs in the mid-80s (I was in my mid-20s), I never bothered to replace the Janis albums. She’s not on my Spotify list, either. Jimi Hendrix also too. I can spin all those discs in my head; never need to hear them again. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/29 "2019-07-15T15:36:55Z")
I wonder what she would be like now if she hadn’t died. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/30 "2019-07-15T15:38:59Z")
Old. Actually, underground cartoonist Justin Green used to do one-pagers called “Musical Legends” for a record-shop magazine, and portrayed her as a wooly-haired hipster grandmother driving the kids to a soccer game and entertaining them by singing “Mercedes Benz.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/31 "2019-07-15T15:43:14Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Actually, underground cartoonist Justin Green used to do one-pagers called “Musical Legends” for a record-shop magazine, and portrayed her as a wooly-haired hipster grandmother driving the kids to a soccer game and entertaining them by singing “Mercedes Benz.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/32 "2019-07-15T15:46:42Z")
We tend to romanticize celebrities who lived wild and died young, going all the way back to James Dean. I think it magnifies and maintains their fame over time. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/33 "2019-07-15T16:13:25Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Old. 🙂 Yes, but old asshole like David Crosby, old zombie-on-life-support like Keith Richards, old timer turned trump Republican like Nugent or Charlie Daniels, old relic touring casinos, or old legend but still dead like Tom Petty? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/34 "2019-07-15T17:21:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 🙂 > > Yes, but old asshole like David Crosby, old zombie-on-life-support like Keith Richards, old timer turned trump Republican like Nugent or Charlie Daniels, old relic touring casinos, or old legend but still dead like Tom Petty? Grace Slick Old. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/35 "2019-07-15T17:50:08Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Janis was one of the greatest rock singers in the blues-derived tradition. She had both the passion and the voice to tear into a song. > > In her day, she was rightfully compared to the great blues singers such as Bessie Smith: _“Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out”_ - [Bessie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zea-1Fzi9JQ), [Janis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcPZSGAyCng) > > **Two Many Cats** , If you like Me & Bobbi McGee, you should look for her quieter, blues songs, or something like her rendition of [Summertime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guKoNCQFAFk) As I recall, Janis grew up hearing Bessie Smith records at home and would try to imitate her sound. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/36 "2019-07-15T18:05:39Z")
I find that there are many occasions when she over-cooks the soul side of her vocals, as if making more noise and more distortion makes more souls, and it does not. When she was more restrained then she was great, its when she is trying hard that it does not work. Soul is a style, not a decibel level. Another one that was guilty of this was Wilson Pickett and same applies when he sticks to singing instead of forcing it, then it works so much better. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/37 "2019-07-15T18:26:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > There seem to be a lot of standard classics (singers, actors, films, books) that people cite as though we are all familiar with them and all agree they are great, but they seem to conveniently forget that taste is personal for things like this; not everybody was indoctrinated with them in their youth; nor grew to love them once reaching maturity. Some things are just dull and suck and are not worth your time, and I think it’s okay to admit that. > > And so proudly I say to you all, I don’t like Shakespeare, Stairway To Heaven, To Kill A Mockingbird, Gone With The Wind, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or Pulp Fiction. So there. You forgot “Firefly”. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/38 "2019-07-15T18:29:48Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > I find that there are many occasions when she over-cooks the soul side of her vocals, as if making more noise and more distortion makes more souls, and it does not. > > When she was more restrained then she was great, its when she is trying hard that it does not work. > > Soul is a style, not a decibel level. > > Another one that was guilty of this was Wilson Pickett and same applies when he sticks to singing instead of forcing it, then it works so much better. I can’t think of any Wilson Pickett songs where he sings with “noise and distortion.” Could you elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/39 "2019-07-15T19:08:07Z")
Joplin was one of those artists who was absolutely fabulous when experienced live… but not so much in recordings. I saw her live two or three times, and was totally blown away. But her recordings are basically screeching. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104/40 "2019-07-15T19:48:38Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Sacriledge, I know. Janis is one of the greats, right? I’ve been trying to think of a way to describe why I don’t love her, it comes down to, screaming is not singing. Not a good decription . No logic here. She, like The Dead, was a concert phenomena. More or less they only play 2 or 3 Joplin songs on the media: “Me and Bobby McGee” which isnt screaming, except maybe at the end, “Piece of My Heart”, and Mercedes Benz. I never watched her live, but I did get to two Dead concerts and the experience is nothing like listening to canned music. And i dont mean the drugs, I mean the sound. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-love-janis-joplin/837104.md?page=3)