Search - Janis Joplin :: Pearl (Spec) (Dig) (Spkg)

Classic enhanced with live versions

Pieter | Johannesburg | 03/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Nothing has gone stale about Joplin and her band on the all-time classic Pearl. After all these years, it remains a magnificent listening experience because of the quality of the songs, the band's tight playing and the impressive emotional range of Joplin's vocals. The second CD includes some stirring live versions of her greatest songs.



Unlike Cheap Thrills, where there was mostly a cosmic battle between Joplin's voice and Big Brother's heavy metal onslaught, here the voice is the star. My favorites on an album of classics include the poignant Me and Bobby McGee, the tender A Woman Left Lonely, the edgy Half Moon, the emotional Cry Baby, the buoyant Get It While You Can and the plaintive/humorous Mercedes Benz.



Perfect arrangements, brilliant playing and masterly vocalization combine here to create a rock masterpiece. The live album shows the extraordinary power of Joplin on stage. This CD is essential for all rock fans, providing the very best of 1960s rock.

"

Like the Oracle at Delphi

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 07/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Janis sang the truth. This was only her third album, and it was to be her last, and the tragedy of that gets to you as you listen to the greatest woman ever in rock and blues take apart these songs. There is an overwhelming sense of tragedy as she delivers the famous "Mercedes Benz," but if you can divorce what you know from listening to this disc, especially the Legacy edition, you'll receive one of the most sublime musical experiences of your life. Every cut was perfect, even the title Coda instrumental that closes what was the official release. Richard Bell and his Canadian cohorts proved that Roberston, Danko & Co. weren't the only Ontarians who could deliver the goods. They band was perfect at every moment. Proof positive comes on the swecond disc, which is culled from the Festival Express tour across Canada. The tour occured before the recording of PEARL, but you can hear PEARL coming. The second disc is one of the best live CDs you'll ever hear.

It is just such a shame that Joplin fell victim to old habits. There is a circle in hell for the rotten scum who sold her the uncut horse. Anyway, there would not be a voice with this kind of power again in rock until Sinead, whose wild horses are more psychological. All the same, nothing prepared rock for Janis when she hit her stride, and singers, male or female since, have never been the same. This is, beyond the cliche, what a classic CD sounds like. Do yourself a favour and pick this up."

The queens last

Morton | Colorado | 11/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pearl was Janis Joplens last album. She died in 1970 and this album was released just after her death. This was her most succesful album criticaly and artisticaly, and i sold the most as well. To most people Janis was something special, to me she was the queen of the blues as well as rock. Janis did something never done before she busted out on the scene in hippie atire, long hair and a bottle of Jack in her hand and she demanded the worlds respect and she finally captured it just before she died. Now so many years after this little ladys death Janis is refered as one of Rock and Blues most influential women. To celabrate this amazing womans contrabution to music her greatest album, Pearl has been re-released and with the star treatment.



Pearl is an album full of tons of Janis Joplen classics. The album opens with her all time best song, 'Move Over.' This was one of the few songs Janis wrote all by herself and she did it right. This song is everything good bluesy rock and roll should be. 'Cry Baby' 'Mercedes Benz' and 'Trust Me' are all Janis Joplen classics. Also this album features Janis' biggest and really only hit single, the Kris Kristpherson written 'Me And Bobby Mcgee' which still to this day gets lots and lots of radio air play. The rest of this album is full of fantastic songs as well just these stand out the most. On the first disc not only do you get the full length album but you get alternate tracks, outtakes, and demos which is really cool and a nice touch for and Janis fan.



Disc two is full of tons of live matrial from Janis Joplens last tour in Canada just before she passed away. All the songs are performed really well and are remastered perfectly so tha you get hear everything. This live disc could be sold on its own because its better then all her other live cds.



So to wrap things up this is a disc that really should be owned by everyone who loves rock or the blues, so do yourself a favor and pick this remaster up!"