Such was the visceral power of Janis Joplin's voice that her enduring legend as '60s rock icon was based on just a pair of solo albums and the two releases with her fronting Big Brother and the Holding Company that she recorded before her death in 1970 of a drug overdose. This 30-track double-disc anthology offers a concise introduction to the incendiary talents of a singer whose tortured blues seemed no mere affectation; being cruelly voted "Ugliest Man on Campus" during her tenure at the University of Texas barely hinted at the depth of Joplin's personal demons. Organized chronologically with its discs split between her band and solo careers, the anthology documents the story of a raw, riveting talent that carried the often slovenly psychedelic blues of Big Brother to stardom via "Down on Me" and "Piece of Heart," stumbled only slightly on her solo debut (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama), and then reached full, ragged glory on the quintessential Pearl with tracks like her posthumous hit "Me and Bobby McGee" and the playful "Mercedes Benz." The collection also features a pair of previously unreleased live Big Brother tracks ("To Love Somebody," "Kozmic Blues") recorded at Woodstock '69.
Product Description
To Love Somebody and Kozmic Blues (both live at Woodstock) join 28 of Janis' most powerful performances: Piece of My Heart; Mercedes Benz; Try (Just a Little Bit Harder); Me and Bobby McGee; Cry Baby; Down on Me; Coo Coo; Summertime; Trust Me; Move Over; Maybe; Roadblock , and more!
Track Listings:
Disc: 1
1 Down On Me - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
2 Coo Coo - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
3 Women Is Losers - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
4 Bye, Bye Baby - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
5 Ball and Chain - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
6 Roadblock - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
7 Piece of My Heart - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
8 Misery'n - Janis Joplin
9 I Need a Man to Love - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
10 Summertime - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
11 Flower In the Sun - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
12 Farewell Song - Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
13 Raise Your Hand - Janis Joplin
14 To Love Somebody - Janis Joplin
15 Kozmic Blues - Janis Joplin
Disc: 2
1 Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) - Janis Joplin
2 Maybe - Janis Joplin
3 One Good Man - Janis Joplin
4 Little Girl Blue - Janis Joplin
5 Work Me, Lord - Janis Joplin
6 Tell Mama - Janis Joplin
7 Move Over - Janis Joplin
8 Cry Baby - Janis Joplin
9 A Woman Left Lonely - Janis Joplin
10 Half Moon - Janis Joplin
11 My Baby - Janis Joplin
12 Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
13 Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
14 Trust Me - Janis Joplin
15 Get It While You Can - Janis Joplin
Product information
Original Release Date 2003
Label Sony Legacy
Number of discs 2