More of the Music of Janis Joplin
ENERGY is the key element missing from the average copy of I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, but not on this bad boy (or girl if you prefer).
Drop the needle on the song Try and just listen to how crisp, punchy, and BIG the drums sound.
On many copies — too many copies — the vocals are pinched and edgy. Here they’re breathy and full — a much better way for Janis to sound. There’s some grit to the vocals at times and the brass as well, but the life force on these sides is so strong that we much preferred it to the smoother, duller, deader copies we heard that didn’t have that issue.
On copy after copy we heard pinched squawky horns and harsh vocals, not a good sound for this album.
Janis’ voice needs lots of space up top to get good and loud, and the best sides give her all the space she needs.
This record, along with the others linked below, is good for testing the following qualities: