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| | Janis Joplin |
 | | Janis' horde of Big Brother backing guitarists were derivative, clumsy, and over-loud, and while Janis was a better singer than any other woman in the 60s rock scene - except perhaps Joni Mitchell - that's not saying much, because said scene was relentlessly sexist. |
 | | The Big Brother half admittedly does include little-heard cuts that you might find refreshing, like the powerful "Down On Me" and trippy "All Is Loneliness" (both from the group's rare debut record), and the early 1970 blues "Ego Rock," a semi-improvised duet with Nick Gravenites (otherwise unavailable). |
 | | It's almost entirely dominated by 1968 Big Brother cuts, with one track each featuring Full Tilt; the Kozmic Blues Band ("Raise Your Hand," standard but professional Stax-Volt fare); and, most strangely, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (the slick, brassy studio cut "One Night Stand," produced by Todd Rundgren). |
| www.warr.org /janis.html (1554 words) |
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