- Audio CD (14 April 2008)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: SonyBMG
- ASIN: B00141CWWI
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 546,595 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Piece Of My Heart |
| 2. Summertime |
| 3. Try (Just A Little Harder) |
| 4. Cry Baby |
| 5. Me And Bobby McGee |
| 6. Down On Me |
| 7. Get It While You Can |
| 8. Bye Bye Baby |
| 9. Move Over |
| 10. Ball And Chain |
| 11. Maybe |
| 12. Mercedes Benz |
Product Description
JANIS JOPLIN Greatest Hits (2008 Australian 12-track CD album including the classics Piece Of My Heart Me And Bobby McGee & Ball And Chain presented in unique Amaray-style case)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although Janis Joplin's genius shines through all of these tracks, the selection is inadequate. An album with a title like greatest hits needs to contain Combination Of The Two (from Cheap Thrills, with Big Brother and the Holding Company) and Joplin's version of the Bee Gees' To Love Somebody (from Kozmic Blues).
Luckily there are more comprehensive compilations available, and this album would do as an introduction to the Joplin novice. It contains the impressive acid rock onslaught of Piece Of My Heart, the original version of the timeless Me And Bobby McGee (a huge posthumous hit for her in 1971), the wrenching Maybe from Kozmic Blues and her popular novelty song Mercedes Benz.
Most of the tracks are from Pearl and while I love all of them, especially Cry Baby, Move Over and Get It While You Can, one must never forget her lesser known albums that contain many gems. The obscure Farewell Song, for example, has brilliant tracks like The Magic Of Love, One Night Stand and the title track.
For Joplin completists and those who would like to get more of her best in one place, there are The Essential Janis Joplin, a 2-CD set with 30 tracks, and The Janis Joplin anthology, a brilliant compilation of 19 of her very best performances.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album may have been a big hit back when it was released in 1973 but time and a growing appreciation of Janis Joplin's talent hasn't been kind to it's choice of tracks. Nearly half the tracks chosen here are from the 'Pearl' album and indeed it was with the Full Tilt Boogie Band that Janis's voice could come to the fore, not having to compete with the spaced out acid rock of Big Brother & The Holding Company and the soul-influenced horns of the Kozmic Blues Band. Her seminal live performance of 'Ball & Chain' from the 1967 Monterey Festival was ignored for the lacklustre performance featured here. Ironically this is the best selling and least satisfying of all the Janis compilations out there.
Having said that there are some great Janis moments on this album. Her vocal performances on the Big Brother tracks are powerful and unrelenting. 'Cheap Thrills' was recorded in a way that would capture some essence of their intense live act. Although Janis's live shows with the Kozmic Blues Band never reached the same level of intensity, the album 'I Got Dem 'Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama' proved she could adapt her vocal style to soul-influenced riffs with veritable ease. 'Move Over' was an indication that she was also a pretty handy songwriter. A talent which unfortunetly never came to full fruition.
An average compilation in the end that needed an inspired compiler brave enough to make some track changes (or at least insightful enough to add 4 or 5 more bonus tracks).
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
this albumn is deep and blusey, even more so with janis' history. she sings from the heart and the lungs, with backing to add to the general 'get on down' tone.
I think summertime is the most haunting piece,guitars flow under the rough deep purple voice,an equal duet of voice and guitar. with the guitar yeilding to janis' voice.
the whimsical me and bobby mcgee is an antidote and almost quaint (for janis)in the general goings on in this CD.
not unlike other tourtured female singers not an easy listen, but great for a drink and a think.
one down side i miss the crackles of the vinyl or if live the talk and the smells, hence the 4 out of five!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A MEMORABLE VOICE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Janis Joplin's voice has been variously described over the years as, Raucous, Coarse, Cacophonus, Atonal, Vociferant, Rambunctious, Clamorous, Honest, Rough Deep Purple, Sends... Read more
Published 14 months ago by DOPPLEGANGER
Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits
For some, Janis Joplin's often raucous voice is an acquired taste but from the first time I heard, 'Try (just a little bit harder)' in early 1970 I was smitten. Read more
Published on 5 April 2009 by Kent Brooksbank
Too many omissions
Although Janis Joplin's genius shines through all of these tracks, the selection is inadequate. An album with a title like greatest hits needs to contain Combination Of The Two... Read more
Published on 9 May 2004 by Pieter
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Janis RULES!
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Published on 13 Oct 1999
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