Sex, Dope, & Cheap Thrills

Reviewed: 2020—02-14
Genre: General
FCCs: none
Review: One of the great bands to come out of San Francisco in the ‘60s, and not just because Janis Joplin fronted the band. While their second album, Cheap Thrills, is one of the classics of the era, here you see how much better it could have been. There are a lot of tracks here that were not included, plus longer versions of the ones that were, plus the title of the album the band wanted in the first place
If You Like:
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
(Disc 1)
**1/ Combination of the Two (Take 3) (5:32) – drums start> uptempo rocker with a killer guitar solo> ends on vocal
*2/ I Need A Man To Love (Take 4) (8:04) – guitar starts> midtempo sonic blues> quick stop
***3/ Summertime (Take 2) (4:10) – bass starts> slow sonic blues with fabulous guitar solo> fade on vocal
*4/ Piece Of My Heart (Take 6) (4:54) – talking starts> countdown> guitar starts> midtempo rocker> ends on guitar
5/ Harry (Take 10) (1:10) – vocal starts with scat singing> brief rocker> ends on vocal
*6/ Turtle Blues (take 4) (4:45) – (several false starts) – piano starts> midtempo blues> quick fade
7/ Oh Sweet Mary (4:22) – guitar starts> uptempo rocker with chorus> great guitar solo> crescendo end
***8/ Ball & Chain (Live) (7:26) – guitar starts> slow sonic blues with killer guitar solo> Janis at her best in my opinion> crescendo end (wait for it)
*9/ Roadblock (Take 1) (5:41) – spoken intro> guitar starts> midtempo rocker swings uptempo> crescendo end
*10/ Catch Me Daddy (Take 1) (2:40) – spoken word intro> vocal starts> uptempo rocker with sonic guitar solo> slows briefly, then rocks out> crescendo end
*11/ It’s A Deal (Take 1) – spoken intro> guitar starts> uptempo rocker with sonic guitar> quick stop
**12/ Easy Once You Know How (Take 1) (4:33) – spoken word intro> vocal starts> uptempo mellow rocker with sonic guitar solo> quick stop
13/ How Many Times Blues Jam (5:25) – drums start> uptempo rocker> quick stop
*13/ Farewell Song (Take 7) (5:25) – (studio talk) guitar starts> midtempo sonic blues builds to uptempo> crescendo end
(Disc 2)
14/ Flower In The Sun (Take 3) (3:13) – guitar starts> uptempo rocker with sonic guitar solo> quick fade
15/ Oh, Sweet Mary (6:52) – studio talk starts> guitar starts> stripped down version uptempo rocker> crescendo ends
16/ Summertime (Take 1) (5:13) – spoken intro> guitar starts slow blues song with sonic guitar solo> false stop
*17/ Piece Of My Heart (Take 4) (4:05) – guitar starts> uptempo song> quick stop
18/ Catch Me Daddy (Take 9) (3:15) – studio talk starts> vocal starts> uptempo rocker> false start
19/ Catch Me Daddy (Take 10) (4:21) – vocal start> uptempo rocker with sonic guitar solo> quick stop
**20/ I Need A Man To Love (Take 3) (7:07) – bass starts> midtempo blues> rocking guitar solo> quick stop
21/ Harry (Take 9) (1:10) – spoken vocal intro> vocal start> speedy guitar & vocal exercise> fade
22/ Farewell Song (Take 4) (4:26) – spoken countdown> guitar starts> midtempo blues builds to uptempo> crescendo end
23/ Misery’n (Take 2 & 3) (3:58) – (pause) > guitar starts> song starts & stop, then starts> midtempo blues> quick fade & studio talk
*24/ Misery’n (Take 4) (4:57) – guitar starts> midtempo blues> sonic guitar solo to stop
*25/ Magic Of Love (Take 1) (3:18) – spoken word intro> vocal starts> midtempo rocker> guitar solo> quick fade
*26/ Turtle Blues (Take 9) (3:59) – studio talk starts> piano starts> slow blues> crescendo end
27/ Turtle Blues (Last Verse -Take 1 & 3) (4:34) – studio talk starts> song starts & stops> piano starts> slow blues> fade> pause> song begins again> stops & starts again
**28/ Piece Of My Heart (Take 3) (4:31) – guitar starts> midtempo blues> sonic guitar solo> fade
*29/ Farewell Song (Take 5) (5:12) – guitar starts> midtempo blues> sonic guitar solo> crescendo end