Pearl

The song Cry Baby single-handedly gives this whole album 4 stars for me.

Such a raw and honest voice and one that was taken from us too early

8.7

I’m in the tiny percentage of people who can’t stand Janis Joplin’s voice. It’s never impressed me, and more often than not it irritates me. The band on this album was exactly fine, nothing to write home about. My favorite on this one was Buried Alive In the Blues for obvious reasons. I’m giving it 3/5 because I’m positive there are albums on this list I’ll dislike more.

So good. Taken too soon.

Basically the same as Big Brother and the Holding Company for me. Some good blues/soul, I just can't do Joplin's voice. I will say I think she has a little more range on this one, so when she's not going high/screeching, it's pretty good.

And I do like this more than Big Brother, but not enough to get it to four stars.

I don't think I'd say that Janis Joplin had a good voice. It's decidedly not good. But it's so unique that it's absolutely amazing for the music she made. Her voice is so strong that it doesn't matter if the pitch is off a bit or if it's uneven. She forces you to listen to her and that's why it's great. I can certainly see the influence this album has had on basically every woman-fronted rock band since.
This is a good album. It's not a perfect or even a great album. There are some songs on here that I wouldn't really listen to again on their own, but playing the album as a whole is the way to do it. 3.25/5

Started a little slower but I liked it more as it went on. That woman can SING.

Great album, the music is great and funky and Janis’s voice is one of a kind.

There were two songs I wasn’t that fussed on but I loved the rest. Really good album overall, she has a brilliant voice.

Top Track - Half Moon

gets a bit samey. Not that into her voice or that organ sound either.

Solid blues rock album with strong vocals. Lots of emotion in Joplin's voice. This is probably the best blues rock album I have ever heard.

I’m at a 5.

I never quite hit the same “fever pitch” status like I did whenever we got “Cheap Thrills” last year, but I feel like I got pretty damn close a few times. This is a more polished version of Janis Joplin, tapping a little more into her Aretha-adjacent bag while still keeping her blues-rock sensibilities intact, with just a bit of a country twang. Lyrically, this is pretty damn strong; straight-forward to understand (or at least feel emotionally), and Janis performs them brilliantly. Vocally, she’s still as stunning as she was, and I can’t imagine there’s any real complaints a person could have about her vocals here. If you think her grittier moments sound too much like Marge Simpson or something, I guess that’s fair, but I personally love how the grit in her vibrato comes across. I especially want to point at “Cry Baby” – the knockout track of the album for me, for sure, though they’ve all got great moments. The variety on this is strong enough that any track might be someone’s favorite.

Instrumentally, I feel like the more “polished” style works really well (literally no complaints other than “I really, REALLY wish there was a brass section in this album”), but it does lose part of the chaotic appeal that made Janis Joplin feel like the eye of the storm like she did with Big Brother & The Holding Company. This album never gets THAT crazy, so it does feel like she’s sort of overshadowing everything else with her vocals just a bit, but that’s more so on her backing band not matching her energy in quite the same way Big Brother did (or maybe, her matching their slightly lower energy?). They’re still really good throughout the 34 minutes here though (literally just listen to “Buried Alive in the Blues” or “My Baby”, they could go that hard if they wanted), so it’s basically like complaining about a pizza with a little less pepperoni than the other; not a huge difference, but noticeable enough if you really care.

Overall, this is a pretty easy 5. There’s not a single miss here, and while it didn’t quite get to the same heights as “Cheap Thrills” for me, it’s still a highly recommended album regardless. You can’t possibly listen to this and hate it unless you’re actively trying to, and if you are actively trying to, you’re kinda just lame, I think. I can only say “damn” that Janis Joplin left the world far, far too soon. She would’ve killed the rest of the 70s, I’m sure of it.

I think everyone knows what they're in for when they get a Janis Joplin album; just solid, gritty, blues rock with an iconic voice! While I can understand that her voice might not be for everyone, I personally love it. That said, this still isn't really an album that I can see myself throwing on all the time, but I did thoroughly enjoy listening to it.

Fabulous, Fantastic, powerful

I genuinely don't get the appeal. Lots of people here praising her voice, but although it's undeniably powerful, it's also pretty hard for me to listen to. The grating tone in Mercedes Benz is awful. This is musically a bit better than Cheap Thrills though; the band is pretty tight. A higher two.

The Good: We get a Pearl!
The Bad: Unlike a diamond, a pearl is very fragile…
The Ugly: nothing really… except for the damn hair!

What an absolute joy!
My wife hated it, as she doesn’t like JJ’s voice… I guess we will have to agree to disagree, because a divorce is really expensive…

Though I am uncertain about the exact first time I heard Janis her voice come exploding through some speakers, I believe I had not reached the gentile age of 10 yet. My monther bought the “Greatest Hits” album, and I recall being fascinated by the chopper… go figure.

Highlights? Try the entire album… even the Mercedes Benz song, which, depending on my mood, can actually get a little on my nerves… Bobby McGee… best song ever!

Off to spin the record again!

5*

It was alright.

Generational voice, the slow bluesy soul beat and progressions were a little samey after a while. But enjoyable.

Rough, raw, genuine music. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

It's got that blues, that rock-n-roll, and that so distinctive voice of Janis.

This album is so powerful and emotional. It's one of the best of it's time period.