Big Brother & the Holding Company Live at the Carousel Ballroom
Reviewed by Sadie O., 4/14/12
Some local chick trying to be Big Mama Thornton… Ok, enough cuteness – it’s freaking JANIS, at the height of her powers. For those of us who grew up listening to Cheap Thrills over and over on every conceivable mind-altering substance (and I know I sure did), this is a very interesting exercise in the variabilities of live performances… For everyone else, this is exuberant 60’s psychedelic fuzz at its finest (and messiest) with the best damn singer ever, providing icing on the cake. Eat it up!
1. 4:36 **uptempo Rock romp, rather sloppy and off-key intro, prominent scratcher and extremely fuzzy guitar “solo”. Nicely psychedelic!
2. 6:40 ***noodly guitars, then Janis crooning and growling. One totally off-key guitar solo. Man, she really carried this band…
3. 3:12 **uptempo rock gallop. Janis sings really well, but she should be further up in the mix. Pretty decent guitar solo, this time.
4. 6:03 ***bits of tuning up at start (unfortunately for radio), then uptempo driving psychedelia with vocal harmonies. Fuzz and franticness.
5. 4:36 ***starts off very soft and low-key, subdued drum and bass, pretty guitar – extra keyboards add something to the familiar version. Great version, ends a bit early.
6. 5:07 ***starts strong, turns into a tornado, then long quiet bit with Janis moaning and extemporizing. Back to the roar – backup vocals already getting hoarse.
7. 2:29 **fuzz, male vocals. Messy, loud, psychedelic.
8. 4:04 ***sweet downbeat blues, vocal harmonies. Great announcement about the fuzz at the end.
9. 6:52 **midtempo blues sashay, very swampy. Jam, including rather random male vocals, messy guitar. Ah, the 60’s! Actually, Slusaj Najglasnije! would be proud to release this.
10. 4:49 ****a bit downtempo, hard rock blues – probably Janis’ most seminal song. Just beautiful. Listen loudest! Ends 10 secs shy.
11. 6:23 **little bit of inaudible humming at start, then guitar romp, pretty little male vocals. Sloppy and endearing jam – but it’s not the same when Janis sits a song out. Oh, she’s back! This seems to be based on an English folk song. OK, it’s MUCH better now.
12. 9:23 *****deliberate false start with the guitar, absolutely gnarly metallic sound, slow blues. Gorgeous vocal delivery. Ack! I got goosebumps. Now it’s the most insanely fuzzed out guitar solo ever recorded. Yow! Ends several seconds shy, with MC announcement.
13. 2:50 ***full tilt blues rock rampage. Just proper 45 RPM single length.
14. 3:57 ****slow blues, vocal harmonies. Lovely.