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More Big Brother & the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968) *Extended re-issue with additional tracks Genre: Rock / Psychedelic, Blues Rock

Amazon reviewer:

"Four gentlemen and one great, great broad..."

That's what the announcer says at the beginning of this live/studio masterpiece... and for good reason because what follows is an outstanding example of blues-rock singing at its very best. But there's a lot more on offer here than just the touchstone that catapulted Janis Joplin to international stardom. First off, the band, in particular James Gurley's guitarwork, lay down some seriously impressive playing that's not only fully up to the task of keeping pace with her but which provides the perfect backdrop for her raw, stunningly powerful vocals. Then there's the quality and range of the songs themselves (other than the unnecessary, second rate "bonus tracks") including the "hippy" enthusiasm of "Combination of the Two", the driving acid-rock of "Sweet Mary" & "I Need a Man to Love", and the quite outstanding electric blues of "Summertime", "Piece of my Heart" & "Ball & Chain". And finally, the whole "style" of the album itself with it's quintessential Robert Crumb artwork, its atmospheric, often heavily reverbed sound, the enthusiastic audience reaction and the announcer's wonderfully laid-back contributions, all of which combine to capture what San Francisco's hugely influential ballroom scene was all about. A perfect time capsule that stands the test of time because it's more than good enough to and which, on the way, showcases a truly great singer on absolutely top form.

Biography by Richie Unterberger, AllMusic.com:

Big Brother are primarily remembered as the group that gave Janis Joplin her start. There's no denying both that Joplin was by far the band's most striking asset, and that Big Brother would never have made a significant impression if they hadn't been fortunate enough to add her to their lineup shortly after forming. But Big Brother also occupies a significant place in the history of San Francisco psychedelic rock, as one of the bands that best captured the era's loosest, reckless, and indulgent qualities in its high-energy mutations of blues and folk-rock.

Big Brother was formed in 1965 in the Haight-Ashbury; by the time Joplin joined in mid-1966, the lineup was Sam Andrew and James Gurley on guitar, Peter Albin on bass, and David Getz on drums. Joplin, a recent arrival from Texas, entered the band at the instigation of Chet Helms, who (other than Bill Graham) was the most important San Francisco rock promoter. Big Brother, like the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, were not great songwriters or singers. They didn't entirely welcome Joplin's presence at first, though, and Joplin did not dominate the group left away, sharing the lead vocals with other members.

It soon became evident to both band and audience that Joplin's fiery wail — mature and emotionally wrenching, even at that early stage — had to be spotlighted to make Big Brother a contender. But Big Brother wasn't superfluous to the effort, interpreting folk and blues with an inventive (if sometimes sloppy) eclecticism that often gave way to distorted guitar jamming, and matching Joplin's passion with a high-spirited, anything-goes ethos of their own.

Big Brother catapulted themselves into national attention with their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, particularly with Joplin's galvanizing interpretation of "Ball and Chain" (which was a highlight of the film of the event). High-powered management and record label bids rolled in immediately, but unfortunately the group had tied themselves up in a bad contract with the small Mainstream label, at a time where they were stranded on the road and needed cash. Their one Mainstream album (released in 1967) actually isn't bad at all, containing some of their stronger cuts, such as "Down on Me" and "Coo Coo." It didn't fully capture the band's strengths, and with the help of new high-powered manager Albert Grossman (also handler of Bob Dylan, the Band, and Peter, Paul & Mary), they extricated themselves from the Mainstream deal and signed with Columbia.

The one Big Brother album for Columbia that featured Joplin, Cheap Thrills (1968), wasn't completed without problems of its own. John Simon found the band so difficult to work with that he withdrew his production credit from the final LP, which was assembled from both studio sessions and live material (recorded for an aborted concert album). Cheap Thrills nonetheless went to number one when it was finally released, and though it too was an erratic affair, it contained some of the best moments of acid rock's glory days, including "Ball and Chain," "Summertime," "Combination of the Two," and "Piece of My Heart."

Cheap Thrills made Big Brother superstars, a designation that was short-lived. By the end of 1968, Joplin had decided to go solo, a move from which neither she nor Big Brother ever fully recovered. That's putting matters too simply: Joplin never found a backing band as sympathetic, but did record some excellent material in the remaining two years of her life. Big Brother, on the other hand, had the wind totally knocked out of their sails. Although they did re-form for a while in the early '70s with different singers (indeed, they continued to perform in watered-down variations into the '90s), nothing would ever be the same.

Tracks:

1. Combination Of The Two

2. I Need A Man To Love

3. Summertime

4. Piece Of My Heart

5. Turtle Blues

6. Oh Sweet Mary

7. Ball And Chain (@192)

Additional tracks:

8. Roadblock

9. Flower In The Sun

10. Catch Me Daddy

11. Magic Of Love

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Rating:
2.5 out of 5 by Book123