Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

Big Brother and the Holding Company: Cheap Thrills

Album #88 - August 1968

Episode date - October 11, 2019

The Top 500 of The Top 40
    0:00
    0:00

    If albums were rated exclusively by their cover art, then “Cheap Thrills” would certainly be one of the best albums of all time. The R. Crumb artwork is classic and perfectly depicts the vibe of late ‘60s San Francisco.

    The album itself isn’t so bad either, although it is not without flaws. Only one track is genuinely a live recording (“Ball and Chain”) but the production adds an introduction by Bill Graham and crowd noise to suggest that the entire album was recorded live at the Fillmore. If this were the case, it might excuse some of the lackluster playing, but the album is decidedly not really about the band at all.

    The only real point of focus here is Janis Joplin, performing at the peak of her abilities at a time when the world at large was shocked to hear a tone and style like hers coming from a young white girl. Back in those not so innocent days, most music was still being segregated by labels and chart-keepers. Due to this, Joplin inadvertently made inroads by performing R&B material as “acid rock” to an audience of hippies that was subsequently marketed as pop music.

    “Piece of My Heart” and “Ball and Chain” are the most well known songs (and the best on the album), and also happen to be covers originally performed by R&B artists (Irma Franklin and Big Mama Thornton, respectively). If you were to make a time capsule regarding the culture of the Bay Area in the late ‘60s, this album would be the first item to be placed in the box.

    Featured tracks include:

    Combination of the Two

    I Need a Man to Love

    Summertime

    Piece of My Heart

    Turtle Blues

    Oh, Sweet Mary

    Ball and Chain

    August 1968 - Billboard Charted #1

    Related Shows

    Stephen Stills: Stills

    Stephen Stills: Stills

    Album #249 - June 1975

      0:00
      0:00
      Bob Dylan and The Band: The Basement Tapes

      Bob Dylan and The Band: The Basement Tapes - Part 2

      Album #248 - June 1975

        0:00
        0:00
        Bob Dylan and The Band: The Basement Tapes

        Bob Dylan and The Band: The Basement Tapes - Part 1

        Album #248 - June 1975

          0:00
          0:00
          Willie Nelson: Red Headed Stranger

          Willie Nelson: Red Headed Stranger

          Album #247 - May 1975

            0:00
            0:00
            Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic

            Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic

            Album #246 - April 1975

              0:00
              0:00
              Steely Dan Katy Lied

              Steely Dan: Katy Lied

              Album #245 - March 1975

                0:00
                0:00
                Young Americans - David Bowie

                David Bowie: Young Americans

                Album #244 - March 1975

                  0:00
                  0:00
                  Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World

                  Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World

                  Album #243 - March 1975

                    0:00
                    0:00
                    Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti,  In The Light, Bron-Yr-Aur, Down by the Seaside, Ten Years Gone, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Boogie With Stu, Black Country Woman, Sick Again

                    Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti - Part 2

                    Album #242 - February 1975

                      0:00
                      0:00
                      Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

                      Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti - Part 1

                      Album #242 - February 1975

                        0:00
                        0:00
                        Tower Of Power: Urban Renewal

                        Tower Of Power: Urban Renewal

                        Album #241 - January1975

                          0:00
                          0:00
                          Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks

                          Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks - Part 2

                          Album #240 - January 1975

                            0:00
                            0:00