Psychedelic and blues rock superstar Janis Joplin is best known for her raspy female vocals, extravagant clothing and accessories, and her connections to the drug culture of the 1960s and ’70s that ultimately resulted in her death.
Joplin is famously one of the first members of the “27 Club,” dying of a supposed overdose in October 1970 at age 27.
She performed first as a member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, releasing two albums, and then kickstarted her solo career in 1969 by releasing an album featuring the Kozmic Blues Band.
Then she recruited members and formed a new backing band, the Full Tilt Boogie Band. This band recorded only one album with Joplin at the helm: 1971’s Pearl. The album was released posthumously on Jan. 11, 1971, and became Joplin’s best-selling album.
While some of the songs on the album are covers, some listeners feel that her covers are more iconic than the original. Take, for example, “Me and Bobby McGee,” originally by Roger Miller.
The ending of Joplin’s version of the song features her raspy wails and an extended crazed performance similar to that of some early “Rhiannon” tour performances by Stevie Nicks.
“Half Moon” is another decent track, with a boogie feeling. The song feels like a classic ’70s funky song, but also has Joplin’s feature gravelly notes.
The fifth track on the album, the instrumental “Buried Alive in the Blues,” was originally meant to have Joplin singing, but she passed away before she was able to record vocals on the track.
The song has everything a classic Joplin song would have, like a twangy guitar part, upbeat drums, and a funky organ. The only thing missing is her raspy vocals, and “the Blues” proves to be an effective tribute to the late Joplin by her band.
The last track that Joplin ever recorded vocals for is “Mercedes Benz,” and it is an acapella track with only clapping as percussion. The song touches on social concepts such as jealousy and peer pressure with lyrics like “Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends/So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”
The lyrics were originally written with a spare pen on a restaurant napkin, and then taken right to the studio. The version included on the album is the first and only take Joplin recorded of the song.
Janis Joplin has been credited as an influential figure in music for people such as Stevie Nicks – Nicks opened for Joplin while a member of the band Fritz – as well as P!nk, Alanis Morissette, and Florence Welch. She continues to inspire musicians today.
Overall, though her music career was cut short, this album proves she was legendary.
