I love Janis. As an artist and a person. She could belt the blues raw enough to strip paint but was also intelligent, perceptive and wholly unpretentious. (Her appearances on the Dick Cavett show are among the most compelling artifacts of the time, two people who come from different worlds yet sharing an obvious mutual affection and respect.) That sensitivity comes through in her work loud and clear, at least to these ears. “Me and Bobby McGee” is Exhibit A. I guess you either hear it or you don’t.
I would concur that as a recording artist, she never lived to make her masterpiece. Pearl comes close and Cheap Thrills is really good. I remember hearing an anecdote from Paul Rothchild (her final record producer) that always made me sad: he said Joplin told him her ambition was to bank enough money as a singer to open a saloon by the time she blew her voice out for good. Rothchild replied that he wanted to help her care for her voice so that “in twenty years, you’ll make your best album, and I want to be there to produce it.” What might have been …
Perfect example, for the first part of the song he sings pretty much straightforward soul, but the long lead out he goes way over the top, and for me it just does not work.
He just keeps going just over the edge, the scream takes precedence over the note, either make the scream or make the note, not struggle and produce a poor result which is neither one nor the other.
In this one he does not give it everything and the song is so much better for it
There is nothing wrong with a raw sound - he just takes it beyond the needs of the song and I say this as someone who listens quite a bit to Chester Burnett
Thanks for the links. I guess we hear things a little differently (and I was only thinking of studio recordings). In any event, The Wicked One had a depth to his voice that Janis didn’t, and was thus able to pull it off without his voice cracking (which you can often hear hers do).
I like it, but I can certainly also see the opinion that the interpretation is too over-the-top, and doesn’t feel sincere for those reasons. It really is just the ear of the beholder. I happen to like it, but I can’t make a judgment about people who hate it, because I can totally understand where they’re coming from. I happen to like that kind of theatre in my music.
Yeah–the vocal and theatrical and emotional qualities that aren’t working for other people just work for me. I’m fine with it being idiosyncratic.
(Speaking of idiosyncratic, as cold as Prince leaves me, Janelle Monae’s Make Me Feel comes across as a total Prince homage to me, and I freakin LOVE it. I have no explanation.)
Never cottoned to Janis. I completely get what she was doing with her voice and her music. It’s the Blues. It’s not The Magic Flute. You want crystal clear with firm even vibrato? Hike on down to The Met. So, I get it. But I sure never liked it.
Always enjoyed Mercedes Benz- but then, it’s the lyrics not her performance that tickles me.
I’m not really a fan but I saw the 2015 film Janis: Little Girl Blue in the cinema when it came out and thought it was quite fascinating and very watchable. A real insight into her life and music.
Janis Joplin got dragged down by a bad band and lifted up by a good one. Listen to Big Brother and the Holding Company, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, and* Pearl*. Three different bands, three different styles. not to mention Janis’ various bouts with addiction and hard living interfering with all three albums.
I’m not necessarily a fan, but I can’t deny that she had an original voice. I respect her for the impact and influence she brought to the era/culture even if I don’t willingly seek her music out.
I like Janis in small doses, the best two being “Ball and Chain” and “Summertime” off of Cheap Thrills. I have to add I like those more for the instrumental bits than the singing.
These threads are kind of fun because others’ unexpected viewpoints can be interesting (or not). Take Joni Mitchell for example- some idolize her, but I find when she gets into that affected voice of hers, she sounds like Julia Child after she dropped a 20 pound frozen turkey on her toe.
Agreed. I kind of liked her at the time, but for me her recordings haven’t aged well. “Summertime” being the shining exception, still a lovely understated performance.
