October 4, 2008

Big Brother & the Holding company - Cheap Thrills


Band/artist - Big Brother & the Holding Company
Genre(s) - Psychedelic blues rock
Origin - United States of America (San Fran)
Album - Cheap Thrills
Year of release - 1968

BB&tHC were one of many, many Frisco psych rock bands of the 60s, with the minor difference of having Janis Joplin, white queen of the black voice, sing for them. You probably know what Janis' voice sounds like, and if not, well, she has a formidable throat, raw and expressive, and when she sings the blues, the blues is dripping right off of it. Several of her most well-known songs were written and performed first with this band, most importantly Piece of my Heart and Ball and Chain. The song I can most recommend, however, is Oh Sweet Mary, whose main riff is a 2 foot fishing hook lodged into your palate dragging you to the surface by 30 feet per second (using these US measurements not just once but twice makes me feel yucky). Interestingly the album, in the time's spirit, is a semi-live one dressed up as a fully live one, but then, it's not like I can tell the difference.
  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
  8. Road black
  9. Flower in the sun
  10. Catch me daddy
  11. Magic of love
Load it down

2 comments:

  1. I've only heard this one on vinyl. That makes me feel tr00. But I'll happily take this!

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  2. Very tr00, or probably rather groovy.

    I believe the last four tracks will be new to you, they are bonus tracks from my remastered cd version which is not quite so true of course. :) (But at least I actually have this album whereas many others I post, I do not).

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