Continuing on with our celebration of all things Woodstock on this 40th anniversary weekend, we come up to the next disc in line in this great collection of Woodstock reissues.
Janis Joplin - The Woodstock Experience
Janis Joplin had just left Big Brother when she took the stage at Woodstock. Delayed by ten hours before her band finally had a chance to perform, it's instantly clear why Janis was considered a superstar. Perhaps daunted by the long delay, weather and technical issues, the overall performance is a bit ragged, but despite that, or maybe because of that, Janis shines that much brighter.
Joined by the same full horn section that would adorn her first solo album "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" Janis's set may have been a surprise to most in attendance. Perhaps expecting a Big Brother bluesy rock and roll jam, instead, they were treated to a big STAX R&B revival. Channeling the soul flavor of Sam and Dave or Otis Redding, Janis's voice was a thing of beauty that night. Deep and soulful, wildly inflected, lost in abandon. The woman had soul. She lived soul. She was soul.
Now that doesn't mean the audience immediately took to it. Applause was sparse after her first two numbers, a frenetic version of "Raise Your Hand," and a pure funk/soul outing with "As Good as You've Been to the World." In fact, after that second track you can actually hear members of the audience screaming "Get off the fucking stage!" Perhaps they were expecting more Big Brother rock or were just anxious for the Who or the Grateful Dead. Or perhaps they were just stoned. Either way, it's hard to say that the audience was receptive to this "new" Janis. The screams of "get off the stage "continued after the amazingly soulful "To Love Somebody," during which Janis sings her freaking heart out, but by this time, the catcalls were becoming drowned out by the applause. By the start of her fourth song, a desperately ragged "Summertime," she'd finally won, the audience captured by her passion, her intensity, that amazing fucking voice.
Certainly, by "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" it would've taken a dead man not to be caught up in her trance, watching this hairy waif steam across the stage unleashing the motherlode of all voices. Without a doubt, Janis (and Tina Turner) changed the way woman were perceived in rock. Every step of the way, Janis was a wild woman, infusing her work with unbridled energy, vibrant sexuality, and a wild-eyed intensity. Just listen to her voice as the band drops down to a whisper, Janis wailing out "Try," as if her throat was on fire. And yes, what you hear in the background is 400,000 clapping spontaneously to the beat. Catcalls be damned, Janis has won. By her closing number, "Work Me, Lord," the roar from the audience is palpable, the drama moving right into the first encore, a terrorizing, soul-infused version of "Piece of My Heart."
Featuring three previously unissued songs from her 10 song performance, this lovingly detailed recording is a vibrant testament to one of rock and souls most impassioned singers.
Buy here: Janis Joplin:The Woodstock Experience (2 CD)
Now here's the giveaway part. The first lucky waverider, a registered follower of The Ripple Effect, who drops of a comment with the word Woodstock in it, will win the 2 CD set, The Jefferson Airplane - The Woodstock Experience. Act now!
Janis Joplin - The Woodstock ExperienceJanis Joplin had just left Big Brother when she took the stage at Woodstock. Delayed by ten hours before her band finally had a chance to perform, it's instantly clear why Janis was considered a superstar. Perhaps daunted by the long delay, weather and technical issues, the overall performance is a bit ragged, but despite that, or maybe because of that, Janis shines that much brighter.
Joined by the same full horn section that would adorn her first solo album "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" Janis's set may have been a surprise to most in attendance. Perhaps expecting a Big Brother bluesy rock and roll jam, instead, they were treated to a big STAX R&B revival. Channeling the soul flavor of Sam and Dave or Otis Redding, Janis's voice was a thing of beauty that night. Deep and soulful, wildly inflected, lost in abandon. The woman had soul. She lived soul. She was soul.
Now that doesn't mean the audience immediately took to it. Applause was sparse after her first two numbers, a frenetic version of "Raise Your Hand," and a pure funk/soul outing with "As Good as You've Been to the World." In fact, after that second track you can actually hear members of the audience screaming "Get off the fucking stage!" Perhaps they were expecting more Big Brother rock or were just anxious for the Who or the Grateful Dead. Or perhaps they were just stoned. Either way, it's hard to say that the audience was receptive to this "new" Janis. The screams of "get off the stage "continued after the amazingly soulful "To Love Somebody," during which Janis sings her freaking heart out, but by this time, the catcalls were becoming drowned out by the applause. By the start of her fourth song, a desperately ragged "Summertime," she'd finally won, the audience captured by her passion, her intensity, that amazing fucking voice.
Certainly, by "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" it would've taken a dead man not to be caught up in her trance, watching this hairy waif steam across the stage unleashing the motherlode of all voices. Without a doubt, Janis (and Tina Turner) changed the way woman were perceived in rock. Every step of the way, Janis was a wild woman, infusing her work with unbridled energy, vibrant sexuality, and a wild-eyed intensity. Just listen to her voice as the band drops down to a whisper, Janis wailing out "Try," as if her throat was on fire. And yes, what you hear in the background is 400,000 clapping spontaneously to the beat. Catcalls be damned, Janis has won. By her closing number, "Work Me, Lord," the roar from the audience is palpable, the drama moving right into the first encore, a terrorizing, soul-infused version of "Piece of My Heart."
Featuring three previously unissued songs from her 10 song performance, this lovingly detailed recording is a vibrant testament to one of rock and souls most impassioned singers.
Buy here: Janis Joplin:The Woodstock Experience (2 CD)
Now here's the giveaway part. The first lucky waverider, a registered follower of The Ripple Effect, who drops of a comment with the word Woodstock in it, will win the 2 CD set, The Jefferson Airplane - The Woodstock Experience. Act now!
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