Zack: We haven’t listened to anything with Janet
Jopler in so long that I wasn’t even aware to make that reference the last
time. But I still remember Pearl very clearly, especially how haunting Jackie Jormp-Jomp’s
voice was. Cheap Thrills is another flawless example of this remarkable skill.
It’s concise, but each song really carries a long way. Combine that with some
really excellent musicianship, and you have an album that really does sound
completely modern. Soon, I will be embarking on my new annual tradition of
going through a bunch of the top-reviewed albums of the past year in a marathon
binge-listening session. I know there were several neo-psychedelic albums that
came out, and Cheap Thrills – while not as psychedelic as some other
contemporaries – will definitely be a good measuring stick to use.
Favorite Tracks: Summertime; I Need a Man to Love; Piece of
My Heart
Emily: Janis Joplin simply has one of the most iconic voices of all time. Pearl is an album I've listened to many times over since we first reviewed it here over 4 years ago, and every time I'm still blown away. That's why I chose Big Brother and the Holding Company for this batch, almost 300 albums after our initial introduction to Joplin. This time we're moving back a couple years to her second and final album with this band, recorded and released shortly after their iconic performance at the Monterey Pop festival. Cheap Thrills takes the, well, thrills of their live performance by using some live tracks intermixed with studio recordings. The resulting 37 minutes showcases Joplin's amazing talent, producing some of her best songs that boom out of speakers with heart-wrenching delivery. Listening to Pearl in 2010 introduced me to Janis Joplin, and today Cheap Thrills definitely cemented my fandom.
Favorite Tracks: Piece of My Heart; Ball and Chain; Turtle Blues
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