Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968
Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin
Columbia/Legacy 88697963131
2012
Here is my tribute to Sam Andrew, guitarist for Big Brother, who died back in February. I previously mentioned my great love for this band in my post on their debut album "Big Brother and the Holding Company" so I won't rehash it here. Their music has been very important to me for a long time, so I was very unhappy to see Andrew's obituary. In the wake of his passing I've been listening to this album a lot. It was recorded by Owsley Stanley on June 23, 1968 with one additional track from June 22nd, all of them recorded at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco which Bill Graham later turned into the Fillmore West. Stanley had a curious approach to recording the band, the vocals and drums are in one channel and the guitars in the other. It is kind of awkward to listen to with headphones or widely separated speakers, but sounds great if your speakers are close together and gives the overall sound remarkable clarity for a vintage live recording. It opens with a typically raucous work out on the band's theme song "Combination of the Two" written by Andrew and sung by him and Janis Joplin. It is one of my favorite songs by the band and gets the record going with a burst of energy. Joplin and Andrew's bluesy "I Need a Man to Love" is up next. The song allows Joplin to show off her vocal prowess and I enjoy the vocal interplay between her and the band. Andrew wrote "Flower in the Sun" which has plenty of energy and I dig the guitar riff. It has a loud, driving guitar solo that gets me going. The interplay between Joplin and the guitar at the end of the song is wildly exciting. I first heard this performance of the song on the "Joplin in Concert" album where it was my favorite track. The side ends with a rocked up version of Peter Albin's "Light is Faster Than Sound" off their debut album. This version is more than twice as long as the studio version and boasts a crazed acid rock guitar solo. Side B opens with the band's cover of "Summertime." The studio version of this on "Cheap Thrills" is my favorite of the countless covers of this classic song through the decades and this one is almost as good. Joplin sings her heart out and the noisy psychedelic guitar solo is fabulous. This performance was also first released on "Joplin in Concert." "Catch Me Daddy" is a group composition that shows just how hard Big Brother could rock when they wanted to. I think it is one of the most exciting tracks that they ever did. "It's a Deal" is also a group composition and was an outtake from the "Cheap Thrills" sessions. I can see why it didn't make the final cut but it has a lot of energy and I like it a lot. It is sung by one of the guys in the band who is poorly recorded diminishing the power of the song. The side concludes with Andrew's "Call On Me" which is sung as a duet by him and Joplin. The song was one of the most romantic tracks in Big Brother's repertoire and it is sung with a lot of feeling. At the conclusion of the song there is a stage announcement for some Hell's Angels in the audience to move their bikes before they get towed by the police. Side C opens with "Jam-I'm Mad (Mad Man Blues)" which is a boogie sung by one of the guys in the band. It is credited to the group but it bears some resemblance to John Lee Hooker's "Mad Man Blues" although the lyrics are different. I've never heard the song before. Most of the song is devoted to a guitar jam that I enjoy quite a bit. It pales in comparison though to the performance of "Piece of My Heart" that follows. It is rougher than the studio version but almost as powerful. The side concludes with "Coo Coo" which is credited to Albin although it is really a traditional song. The vocal is at first sung by one of the guys in the band who is so poorly recorded that he is practically inaudible unless you crank up the volume. There is a lengthy guitar work out and then Joplin sings the song, full throttle. Finally the guitar brings the song home. It is another very exciting, high energy performance. Side D begins with Big Mama Thornton's "Ball & Chain" which of course was Joplin's big showcase number with Big Brother. It was the best part of the "Monterey Pop" film and to my mind easily the best thing Joplin ever did. This performance is outstanding rivaling the classic version on "Cheap Thrills." This closed the original show but the group came back with an encore of "Down On Me" that is far from the best performance of the song that I've heard the band do, but it gets the job done. The side concludes with a recording from the June 22nd concert, another performance of "Call On Me." It is more subdued and prettier than the other version on the album. I'm really happy with this record, it is a quality pressing and it is handsomely packaged with informative liner notes. It sounds like it was a great show, I wish I could have been there. "Cheap Thrills" is still the definitive statement by the
band, but this is a nice supplement. It is also a nice testament to Sam Andrew's talent, as a songwriter, musician and vocalist. He deserved a better career and a whole lot more recognition, but I'm grateful for the great music he did make while he was here. Recommended to people who have worn out their copies of "Cheap Thrills."
Big Brother and The Holding Company
Big Brother and The Holding Company
Mainstream S/6099
1967
I have no memory of Janis Joplin while she was alive. The first time I can recall hearing her was on an 8-track tape that my father had of her "Greatest Hits" album. I'm not sure why he had it, it certainly wasn't his type of music, I suppose he liked "Me and Bobby McGee." He never played it, but then he pulled it out for a party once and I was blown away. I remember one of his guests saying that Joplin would be a good singer if she didn't scream so much whereas I was enraptured by her passion. I didn't like her solo stuff so much, but the cuts with Big Brother and the Holding Company really impressed me particularly "Summertime," "Piece of My Heart" and the ferocious live version of "Down on Me." As a young teenager I'd never heard anything like them, I was stunned by the raw psychedelic power of these recordings. I listened to this tape a lot until I was able to buy my own copy of "Cheap Thrills" which instantly became one of my favorite albums. My feelings haven't changed much since then. I still love Big Brother and think Joplin made a mistake when she left them. Her solo recordings pale in comparison to the acid rock roar of Big Brother at their best. I was lucky enough to see Big Brother live when they reunited to play the Tribal Stomp in Berkeley in 1978 just a few years after they had broken up. Kathi McDonald took Joplin's spot and did a fine job. It was a fabulous show, the band was loud and freaky and I loved them. It is the closest I've ever come to witnessing the San Francisco acid rock experience that I missed out on because of my youth to my eternal regret. This album was Big Brother's debut which I bought used in Berkeley around 1980. It is disappointing compared to "Cheap Thrills" because the band and Joplin seem so subdued. I don't think it is their fault, I've heard live versions of most of the songs on here from 1966/67 on various bootlegs and archival recordings and they sound much more powerful. I suspect their record producer made them tone down their approach and recorded them poorly as well. The sound of the band is thin, almost tinny. There isn't much acid rock on this album, it is mostly blues and folk-rock. I think the best song on the album is "Down On Me" which is a traditional blues arranged by Joplin in a blues-rock style. The theme of the song obviously struck a chord with Joplin and the band delivers a punchy musical backing despite the almost total lack of bottom in the mix. There are several thunderous live recordings of this song that are quintessential Big Brother. Joplin's self-penned "Intruder" is another excellent song and of all the songs on the album it sounds the most like the San Francisco Sound as well as coming closest to the sound of Big Brother live. Joplin also delivers strong performances on "Bye, Bye Baby" and the bluesy "Call On Me." Both songs play to her strengths as a singer being full of feeling with a little bite on top of them. Even with the tame arrangements on this record Joplin's vocal power is always evident on these songs. "Women Is Losers" is a weaker song also in a blues vein, but it gives Joplin a lot of space to express herself and she delivers a very dynamic performance. The band got "All Is Loneliness" from a street musician named Moondog and it is one of the oddest songs in their catalog. The songs opens with a raga-like guitar drone and a hypnotic guitar riff as the boys and Joplin sing staggered harmonies consisting of the title phrase. Then Joplin goes to work with a couple of verses delivered with typical fire. Then the song ends as it begins. It's weird but I really dig it. Casual Joplin fans would probably be surprised that she doesn't sing lead all through the album, but Big Brother was a real band, not just her backing band. Four of the songs feature leads by other band members. I believe James Gurley is singing lead on his composition, the country-flavored "Easy Rider." He's not much of a singer, but it is a charming song and I've always loved the bit at the end when he starts imitating Joplin's vocal style and she cracks up. "Light Is Faster Than Sound" is the most overtly psychedelic song on the record and has an exciting guitar solo. Peter Albin is singing lead, but he doesn't have the range to deal with the rave up section, it makes me wish that Joplin was singing. Albin does a better job on the group composition "Blindman" which is a catchy folk-rock song with a strong hook. He sings lead on his composition "Caterpillar" which is a really silly song, but with a lot of pop appeal and it rocks too. This album isn't up to the standard of "Cheap Thrills" but it is still a very worthwhile debut album, that is full of charm and interesting music. Too bad it doesn't have a little more distortion and volume, but it is not lacking in inspiration or feeling. Big Brother and the Holding Company have been overshadowed by Joplin and they've never received the respect they deserve. The late James Gurley was a freaking wizard of the guitar, I adore his solos. Screw any rock critics who say that these guys couldn't play, let them go listen to their Emerson, Lake and Palmer records. This band had heart, passion and style which ultimately means a lot more in rock. I greatly admire this band, they had an original sound and their music went to places that few other bands ever went. Recommended to people who prefer "Ball and Chain" to "Me and Bobby McGee."
