Tonight I’ll be listening to Big Brother & The Holding Company & Janis Joplin’s album, Big Brother & The Holding Company (1967). That whole bit was much too long to fit into the title for this post, so I wanted to say it right away. I’ve known about Big Brother & The Holding Company and Janis Joplin for a while, but have only really checked out just a few songs here and there. I’ve really been digging albums on the Mainstream Records label lately, so I figured I’d finally do a play-through of an album by Big Brother & The Holding Company. This happens to be their debut album. Apart from mentioning that Big Brother & The Holding Company as well as Janis Joplin were all huge in the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene, there’s not a whole bunch I feel I might need to add right now, so I’m going to go ahead and jump into the music.
“Bye, Bye Baby” starts out with some clean, bright electric guitar playing that gives a really nice innocence to the sound. Oh wow, then Janis Joplin’s vocals come in with some gentle drums and bass. The effects to Joplin’s vocals are super interesting, with a really intriguing stereo effect to them. Wow, I’m really digging the electric guitar work from Sam Andrew and James Gurley – there’s a really nice bright, inviting sound to it. Oh wow, Joplin really goes in at the end for a moment.
“Easy Rider” has a super pleasant sound to it, almost having somewhat of a folk rock sort of sound to it. Gurley provides a nice deep contrast in the vocals to Joplin in this one. Oh wow, the bass in this one from Peter Albin is really lovely. There’s a super interesting sound to this one, there’s bluesy elements, folksy elements, country elements, and definitely mixed together with an easy-handed psychedelia. Oh wow, the vocals at the end are really groovy. I’m digging this one.
“Intruder” has more of a bluesy psychedelic rock from the band in this one. I really dig this sort of marching feeling going on with the drums from David Getz and whoever is playing the rhythm guitar part. The lead guitar part has a really awesome milkiness to it, and the playing continually evolves and progresses throughout the song. I’m digging it a lot.
“Light Is Faster Than Sound” has a really winding sounding guitar part. Oh wow, the chorus vocals on the right side of the soundscape is really in your face more than other songs so far. Oh wow, I’m not sure who is singing now, but the deep grit provides a great variety in tone when compared to Joplin’s voice. Oh wow, the lead guitar really goes in on this one and gets pretty gritty in a really awesome way at times. Great tune.
“Call On Me” has a really mellow feel compared to the previous one. Oh wow, I’m really digging this one – the vocals and playing from the band gets tighter and more subtly intense as the album is progressing on. Oh wow, the drums are really groovy with the quick, tight rolls in between the really lovely playing. The vocals from Joplin are absolutely awesome in this one.
“Coo Coo” has a really interesting feel in this one – the drums feel like they’re driving you up a mountain or hill of sorts, while the guitar has a really folksy weightiness that beckons you further along, especially in tandem with Joplin’s vocals. Oh wow, the bass from Albin is super groovy, and feels like it strings together massive drums to tug you further up the mountain. Really groovy tune.
“Women Is Losers” has a really tight, almost garage rock, psychedelic blues feel to it. Oh wow, that bass line with the drums bop the tune along, while the rhythm guitar swirls things around and the lead guitar really goes in and steers the tune along. The instrumentation is super groovy in this one, and Joplin’s vocals are absolutely awesome again.
“Blindman” has a really groovy feel to this one with the way the instruments feel like they walk down some harmonic line alongside each other. The tambourine really rolls the percussion together when it’s on. Oh wow, the vocal mix in this one is awesome with all the similar yet distinct layers from Andrew and Gurley, while Joplin comes in and provides accentuates the vocal lines very well.
“Down On Me” has a similar melody to the previous one, but it differs by just a note or two that take the song in more of a major direction. Oh wow, the playing continues to tighten up on this one. Holy smokes, the bass line has such a tasty sound to it in this one. There’s almost a bit of a shuffle feeling from the electric guitar in this one. Definitely a groovy tune.
“Caterpillar” has a really fun sound to it right away, and definitely evokes really interesting imagery with the lyrics. Oh wow, the guitar almost has a little garage surf rock feel to it. There’s definitely a really playful feeling to this one. Oh wow, I’m not sure who is singing right now, but there’s a really great bluesy line for a moment that gives the song a lot of texture.
“All Is Loneliness” has a really interesting sound to it, and almost reminds me a little bit of Spiritualized in the simple repetition of the fuzzy rhythm guitar. I’m really digging this one, it feels like the band is wrapping things up in the album. There’s almost a bit of raga feeling to this one, and definitely a lot of psychedelic elements in this one. Definitely a really nice tune.
“The Last Time” has a really interesting sound in the instrumentation as the band seems to be playing a little looser while Joplin doesn’t stop singing for even a moment – it’s almost Dylan-esque, but definitely has a really nice bluesiness to it. The band feels like they’re gradually pulling this album into the station while the band goes in on this one. This song was pretty awesome.
I’m glad I finally checked out an album by Big Brother & The Holding Company & Janis Joplin, and I can definitely tell a fair deal why they may have been such a hit in the years to come. If you enjoy Janis Joplin, or psychedelic rock, and/or late 60s rock and roll, this one is definitely one to consider checking out. There are a whole bunch of really groovy tunes, with a psychedelic touch that isn’t very overt, but still exists throughout the entire album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A