Janis Joplin "Kosmic Blues" (Got dem Kosmic Blues Again)
Reminded me again how amazing Joplin really was. If you haven't listened to this recording in a while, you should.
If you have never heard this record, you need to. It's one of the greatest Blues records ever made. Joplin apparently did this one somewhat sober and it shows. She had ditched Big Brother and the Holding Co, and for good reason. The players in this band are much better musicians, the compositions and arrangements are much more sophisticated than anything BBHC ever did, and the production is top notch. Her new band played into her strengths and supported her in the way she deserved. I suspect this record received a lot of bad press because many thought it was "uncool" of her to ditch her band just as Hendrix did.
Kosmic Blues is not poppy predictable stuff and (thankfully) didn't produce a big hit like "Piece of my Heart" or "Bobby McGee"
Joplin's vocals here move in and out of strong to soft and delicate at times in the same breath.
Joplin to this day has stood the test of time, untouched and in a league all to herself. To think she was only 25 when she did this recording leads one to ponder many questions, not just of her, but of the music industry in general.
Whats on my turntable tonight?
A 42 year old recording that sounds as relevant today as it did two years before she vanished into the ether.
