Pearl [Remaster] by Janis Joplin (CD, Aug-1999, Legacy)

I was writing a short story that was set in the late sixties and early seventies. It included a few references to Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970), and I bought a copy of "Pearl" - the album she was working on when she died - to help me mentally return to that era.

She had left Big Brother and the Holding Company and was working with her Full Tilt Boogie Band on this album. She died, alone in her hotel room, of a heroin overdose before the album was completed. One of the tracks on the album is "Buried Alive In The Blues," for which the instrumentals had already been recorded. Janis was scheduled to do the vocals on October 5th, the day after she died. The album was released with just the background instrumentals for that track.

Songs on the album are:

1. "Move Over" (Janis Joplin) - 3:43
2. "Cry Baby" (Jerry Ragovoy, Sam Bell) - 3:58
3. "A Woman Left Lonely" (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 3:29
4. "Half Moon" (John Hull, Johanna Hall) - 3:53
5. "Buried Alive In The Blues" (Nick Gravenites) - 2:29
6. "My Baby" (Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman) - 3:26
7. "Me and Bobby McGee" (Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster) - 4:33
8. "Mercedes Benz" (Janis Joplin, Bob Neuwirth) - 1:48
9. "Trust Me" (Bobby Womack, Michael MClure) - 3:17
10. "Get It While You Can" (Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman) - 3:27

There was a remastered version of the album released in 1999 with additional tracks that were previously unreleased live recordings:

1. "Tell Mama" - 6:32
2. "Little Girl Blue" - 3:50
3. "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" - 6:52
4. "Cry Baby" - 6:29

Most Janis Joplin fans will appreciate her work on this album, which many consider to be her finest. Her vocal style is reminiscent of Bessie Smith and other blues singers whom she admired. Those who have never heard her work could do a lot worse than "Pearl" for their introduction.

Janis Joplin's second album Pearl was designed as a showcase for her powerhouse vocals, stripping down the arrangements that had often previously cluttered her music or threatened to drown her out. Thanks also to a more consistent set of songs, the results are magnificent — given room to breathe, Joplin's trademark rasp conveys an aching, desperate passion on funked-up, bluesy rockers, ballads both dramatic and tender, and her signature song, the posthumous number one hit "Me and Bobby McGee." The unfinished "Buried Alive in the Blues" features no Joplin vocals — she was scheduled to record them on the day after she was found dead. Its incompleteness mirrors Joplin's career; Pearl's power leaves the listener to wonder what else Joplin could have accomplished, but few artists could ask for a better final statement. [The 1999 CD reissue adds four previously unreleased live July 1970 recordings: "Tell Mama," "Little Girl Blue," "Try," and "Cry Baby."] Pearl is my favourite album of Janis so I decided buy CD Pearl on eBay.

GREAT JOPLIN whole CD is Fantastic, just as remembered from my soooo very long ago album. What a shame the GREAT ONES passed on so young. There is NO OTHER to compare to the lyrics and vocals of Janis Joplin, still the BEST after 40yrs!!!!

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED JANIS JOPLIN AND NOW THIS ALBUM IS EVEN BETTER, DIGITALLY REMASTERED AND THERE ARE FOUR NEW BONUS TRACKS AND NEW LINER NOTES. THIS IS A MUST CD FOR ANY JANIS JOPLIN FAN. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS WITHOUT HESITATION.

This is, in my opinion, some of Janis' best work. I had this CD and it came up missing, so I had to get another one! I have been a huge fan since I was a kid; wish she was still with us.