Cheap Thrills - Janis & Big Brother 50th

Since this record turns “50” on August 12. I’d like to start the celebration party now!
Trivia: John Simon, who produced the album, didn’t listed himself as a producer because he was on “an artistic phase which meant he shouldn’t take credit for his work”, but Big Brother members think that the truth is quite the opposite: he just hated Janis & the album. He even said that the band’s debut record (Mainstream, 1967) was better. (I don’t agree with ANY of that)
What are your thoughts on this? Any favorite song? Some trivia to add? I’d love to read your replies!

 

I think it was a nightmare for him trying to get an acceptable take from the band during that period. They were having a tough time then.

 

One of the very few albums I have in both mono, and 5.1. Love it.

 

Yes, but it doesn’t mean he had to be such a fool..

 

Cheap Thrills is pretty much EXACTLY what you wanted a summer night's experience in a local music hall to sound and feel like.

 

One of my favourite albums of all time. I like every single track but my favourites are probably ‘Turtle Blues’, ‘Oh Sweet Mary’, ‘I Need A Man To Love’ and ‘Ball and Chain’.

 

One of the All Time great rock albums in my book.

But for "Ball and Chain", one needs to watch the "Monterey Pop" film... it's jaw dropping (note Mama Cass's jaw drop a couple of times as she views the performance in the audience).

 

much has been written about this classic which had 8 weeks at No. 1 as I recall...
some fun trivia.
one of the rarest Columbia mono lps along with Bookends and in demand, has been reissued unlike Bookends.
there's an unreleased quad mix that will BLOW YOUR MIND!
the 5.1 doesn't really impress me much, too much bleed between channels.
Steve's gold cd sounds really good.
one of the greatest album covers of all time! R. Crumb was the shiznit!
regards the quad mix: totally different Oh Sweet Mary, straight studio version of Combination without the fake live intro, very discrete mix.

 

wish a 50th deluxe would come out

 

On of my all-time favorites as well. I was only one or two years old when the album came out. The day I bought a CD player I bought 5 CDs of albums I already owned on vinyl, and this was one of them.

"Oh Sweet Mary" and "Ball and Chain," are the standouts on an album full of standouts, and John Lennonist is right about the live version of "Ball and Chain" at Monterey Pop. I get teary-eyed every time I watch it.

 

The girl could sing, no doubt about it. One of the best to have ever touched our hearts and soul.

 

I hope they do!!!
I was thinking about how sad is that 3/5 of the band aren’t here anymore I’d love to hear what Sam Andrew & James Gurley had to say about it 50 years later...And of course, I’d love to hear what Janis would have thought...

 

Some critic of Rolling Stone said in 1972 Cheap Thrills “wasn’t a good rock n roll record, was not better than the Mainstream LP and Janis was not at her peak”
Could he be any more wrong? lol

 

Not the first time RS has been fundamentally wrong...

 

One of my favorite albums. Saw Big Brother about 15 years ago in a tiny club. All original members plus a singer who I don’t recall much of. Sam introduced the band by saying “can you believe we’re still playing these same songs after all these years? Oh, well, at least I get royalties “. Not a great intro. I got the band to sign my original Cheap Thrills record.

 

But they always complain about the royalties issue... lol
Lucky you btw!

 

The one way he's sort of right is that Janis's voice had not coarsened as much on the Mainstream album as it did subsequently, and rang out clear as a bell (though just as powerfully), without the rough edges she's better known for.

There's something to be said for both vocal approaches, so I'm at least glad we have evidence of both.

The only thing I'll add is that I wish there were more officially released examples of the kind of "spook" BB got into on "All Is Loneliness."

 

One of my desert island discs! I picked up a CHEAP THRILLS red Columbia 2 eye label ( 68?) used vinyl yesterday assuming a near original press would sound good. Vinyl is quiet but a BIG disappointment. Virtually no low end and drums are buried ( I have a very nice system). I have a copy I bought in the mid 70s which I’ve been playing for decades and sounds better. What is your experience with this record and what is the best pressing of this one can find? Thanks. (By the way my original pressing of KOSMIC BLUES is almost audiophile in quality.)

 

Ugh! I wish I could help you but I don’t know much about these things. I’ll look up on previous threads if there’s something that may help.
(I’m replying so it can be on the main page of the music forum)

 

Maybe @Matthew Tate knows something. I found this, don’t know if it’s useful Big Brother & The Holding Co. "Cheap Thrills" original Columbia LP cutting. Got one?
It seems like @lennonfan1 could know something too.

 

been years since I heard a vinyl version of this but I have heard CHEAP THRILLS red Columbia 2 eye label and remember the drums being hard to hear as well

 

Summertime is my favorite but enjoy the whole album. It was an instant classic, everyone I know bought it immediately and played it heavily. The Crumb cover gave lots of details to look at while listening.

 

This needs a super deluxe 50th kick *ss edtion !

 

I would like to have one, but it seems it won’t happen...

 

I love this album to pieces. Especially Turtle blues, where the bottle/glass falls down after the guitar solo, and the waiter comes along and sweeps it up just the verse afterwards.