Unlike years previous, I have no grand plan for our lowly music club for the coming year. I'm not sure there's even much to do here. I do know that Puke on Your Birthday in general is going to be busy, hopefully for the entire year (though we all know how enthusiasm occasionally wains after the highs of the New Year's Resolutions wear off).
I have no fucking idea how this is going to affect Record Club. Could be that the regular writing in other blogging arenas encourages those writers to hone their chops in RC as well. Could be that the hustle and bustle inspires friends of the blog to jump in on the fun and start their RC journey. Could be that we're whittled down to just the regulars and any guest star who chose the album that week.
I'll be happy with any of those outcomes, because here's the only certainty: Record Club will always be here, every Sunday morning, regardless of what else is happening on the blog or in the world.
Thanks for being here with us.
Record Club:
WEEK 257 — December 31, 2023-January 6, 2024
Cheap Thrills
by Big Brother and the Holding Company
LISTEN:
~~~~~~~~~~
PICKED BY JOE
I also think it's helpful to start with an album that already has a song that everyone knows. "Piece of My Heart" is a ubiquitous song, right? Or did classic rock radio just warp my brain in my teenage years? In any case, if you know the song, then my theory is that writing a review with "I know this song!" as a hook might make the task of having to write an album review less intimidating.
~~~~~~~~~~
ALBUM DETAILS
GENRE: Blues rock, psychedelic rock, acid rock, psychedelic soul
RELEASED: August 12, 1968
LENGTH: 37:09
TRACKLIST:
- Combination of the Two
- I Need a Man to Love
- Summertime
- Piece of My Heart
- Turtle Blues
- Oh, Sweet Mary
- Ball and Chain
LYRICS: Genius.com
~~~~~~~~~~
ARTIST DETAILS
PRONOUNS: Janis Joplin is she/her/hers, other members of the band he/him/his
ABOUT: Big Brother and the Holding Company formed in 1965 in San Francisco, CA. The band was led by Peter Albin (who was just coming out of a country band with Jerry Garcia), who joined up with guitarist Sam Andrew, and later additional guitarist James Gurley. They played their first gig in January 1966, eventually becoming the house band at the Avalon Ballroom in San Fran. Needing a strong vocalist, Janis Joplin was contacted, and they joined forces that summer. Their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 attracted international attention. After the release of their debut album, Cheap Thrills, Janis Joplin announced that she was leaving the band. She found success on her own, but passed away October 1970 (infamously, at the age of 27). Big Brother and the Holding Company continued, releasing a couple albums in the '70s, and then breaking up and reforming under various combinations over the next fifty years or so. They have a gig in two weeks!!
DISCOGRAPHY: As mentioned above, Cheap Thrills is the debut with Joplin, and the only one featuring Joplin. They had had a self-titled debut as a band in 1967. Four more albums post-Joplin. Two in the '70s (Be a Brother in 1970, How Hard It Is in 1971), and then two "reunion" albums in the '90s (Can't Go Home Again in 1997, Do What You Love in 1999). That's it for the studio album releases, but obviously there are a bunch of live albums and compilations to pore over as well.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADDITIONAL INFO
READING SOME SHIT: Rolling Stone's "Ten Things You Might Not Know About Cheap Thrills"
WATCHING SOME SHIT: a song from the Monterey Pop Festival (there are other available if you search for 'em)
PREVIOUSLY ON RECORD CLUB: As previously mentioned, group leader and bassist Peter Albin played with Jerry Garcia before Garcia went on to form Grateful Dead. The Dead played the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Infamously, the Beach Boys no-showed that festival, despite Brian Wilson being one of the festival's board members.
~~~~~~~~~~
Happy listening, RC family!
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
No comments:
Post a Comment