Someone explain to me the appeal of Janis Joplin

[KevShmev]

Go.

[TAC]

I happen to love Southern Comfort.

[SystematicThought]

Can you imagine the voice she'd have nowadays? It'd be Tom Waits x100.

So no. I can't explain the appeal apart from her being an iconic image of the Summer of Love.

[KevShmev]

Right place, right time, is what it seems like.

And not only did I not realize until today that her most well known songs are all covers, but Piece of My Heart is always incorrectly referred to as a Janis Joplin song.

[SystematicThought]

Poor Erma Franklin.

And nobody remembers nor cares about Big Brother and the Holding Company... and I didn't even realize that they still tour today. Who is going to these shows?

[TAC]

And not only did I not realize until today that her most well known songs are all covers, but Piece of My Heart is always incorrectly referred to as a Janis Joplin song.

Huh, it's not these guys?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUD3B5PAdB4

[King Postwhore]

I have no answers.

[TAC]

I have no answers.

[King Postwhore]

Yes really.  I can't stand her voice and her music so yeah, no answers.

[v_clortho]

And not only did I not realize until today that her most well known songs are all covers, but Piece of My Heart is always incorrectly referred to as a Janis Joplin song.

Huh, it's not these guys?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUD3B5PAdB4

I was thinking about sending that for Stadler's roulette. I don't think I've seen the video though before now. Great band. Bad video.

[TAC]

Paul Shortino had a great voice. I only bought their first album because I was going to see them open for Dio.

[rumborak]

I don't like her too much myself, but she seems to have the same allure as Joe Cocker did. Eccentric performances, used-up voice, that sorta allure.

[Cool Chris]

I am going to go with the "You had to be there" answer. I couldn't imagine getting in to her music and style in the present day, other than to be taken back to a very specific time and place in music history.

[erwinrafael]

What's not to love? Her voice has a lot of character and exudes passion and heart. It's a far cry from the artificiality of a lot of pop vocals.

[bl5150]

Paul Shortino had a great voice. I only bought their first album because I was going to see them open for Dio.

Metal credits for getting Dio into a Janis Joplin thread 

[Bertielee]

What's not to love? Her voice has a lot of character and exudes passion and heart. It's a far cry from the artificiality of a lot of pop vocals.

Seconded Erwin. I like her voice and singing a lot.

B.Lee

[LudwigVan]

White woman singing raw blues was certainly a novelty back then.  In that sense, I can see how she stirred things up at the time.  Robert Plant took some inspiration from her for his performance on Since I've Been Loving You. 

[lonestar]

Personally I'm rather indifferent, enjoy some of her songs when they come up but I won't look them out. A lot of the allure has been killed for my by seeing too many drunk ladies try to emulate her on karaoke.


Be curious to see a female opinion on this, that in large is where Janis' appeal lies, although the ladies are few and far between these days on DTF.

[Herrick]

I'm guessing its the unique character of her voice and stage presence.

[JayOctavarium]

White woman singing raw blues was certainly a novelty back then.  In that sense, I can see how she stirred things up at the time.  Robert Plant took some inspiration from her for his performance on Since I've Been Loving You. 

Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel #2  was inspired by a hookup with Janis.

[Architeuthis]

Personally I'm rather indifferent, enjoy some of her songs when they come up but I won't look them out. A lot of the allure has been killed for my by seeing too many drunk ladies try to emulate her on karaoke.

      oh gosh yeah! I can see why that would ruin the appeal. Nothing turns me off more than middle aged drunk women trying to dance or sing..   

[Stadler]

And not only did I not realize until today that her most well known songs are all covers, but Piece of My Heart is always incorrectly referred to as a Janis Joplin song.

Huh, it's not these guys?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUD3B5PAdB4

I was thinking about sending that for Stadler's roulette. I don't think I've seen the video though before now. Great band. Bad video.

Sammy Hagar does an excellent version of that on Standing Hampton.

As for Janis...


Me And Bobby McGee is one of my top three favorite songs of all time, as done by Kris Kristofferson (the writer).  I love everything about that version of the song.  The Dead did several versions - more bluegrass country - and they're all good.   Janis' is unlistenable to me.   In my humble opinion, she should have seen felony jail time for how she murdered that song. 

Maybe she was one of those that you had to see live, but from what I've heard...  pffffft.   

[erwinrafael]

So we do not just disagree on Portnoy and Mangini's drumming, but also on Janis Joplin's singing. 

[El Barto]

What's not to love? Her voice has a lot of character and exudes passion and heart. It's a far cry from the artificiality of a lot of pop vocals.

I don't like her music one bit, but this is spot on.

[Stadler]

What's not to love? Her voice has a lot of character and exudes passion and heart. It's a far cry from the artificiality of a lot of pop vocals.

I don't like her music one bit, but this is spot on.

Yeah, but that's not enough.  That's the allure (I gather) from a guy like Chris Stapleton.  Just having a raspy voice doesn't make you more "emotional" or more "real".   Freddie Mercury had one of the most evocative voices in history (as did Elvis) and neither one of them resorted to that sort of "ragged vocal chords style".  I can't stand that sort of singing. 

My wife is a huge country fan, so when Stapleton comes on, I always make some joke along the lines that Gregg Allman wants his persona back.

[Architeuthis]

Agreed! A raspy voice doesn't make someone unique or more organic, it just makes them raspy. Maybe from smoking and partying too much..

[Cool Chris]

Nothing turns me off on more than middle aged drunk women trying to dance.

[ganpondorodf]

Don't really know her, but this thread has inspired me to go check her out. And maybe listen to some Dusty Springfield

[Dave_Manchester]

I think her voice (along with several others - Hendrix, Dylan, Cohen, etc) was the sound of an era, and the set of ideals that went with that era. It's not what you'd call a beautiful singing voice, but it sounded like it belonged to someone who had taken a good look around at life and had some things to say about it. Raw emotion and pure spirit.

Now I want a Mercedes Benz.

[The King in Crimson]

What's not to love? Her voice has a lot of character and exudes passion and heart. It's a far cry from the artificiality of a lot of pop vocals.

Agreed. I quite like her voice. Very rough and smokey.

I do think that when and how young she died kind of amplifies her allure and... ummm "mystique," I guess, sort of a "what could've been..." similar to Kurt Cobain in some respects.

[ChuckSteak]

If you don't like an artist/band, I don't think any explanation will satisfy you, no matter how much sense it makes. It's almost as if you were unsatisfied with the fact that you don't like an artist that many people like and you were trying to force yourself to like it or to find out why and how come people like it. You can't force it. Either you like it or not. And if you don't like an artist, there's not much point in finding out why people like him/her. Easier to accept that you don't like it and move on.

[Cool Chris]

I do think that when and how young she died kind of amplifies her allure and... ummm "mystique," I guess, sort of a "what could've been..." similar to Kurt Cobain in some respects.

While true, Janis, like Kurt, were never going to be performers at a high level for any length of time. Not everyone can be Paul McCartney or David Gilmour. Some artists and performers are just destined to shine bright for a short period. And yes that is part of their mystique.

[ganpondorodf]

Paul McCartney only shone brightly for a brief period too

[Stadler]

Paul McCartney only shone brightly for a brief period too

Oh SNAP! 

[Podaar]

I don't know. I always liked Janis but I guess some of us are more drawn to that type of vocal.  Ball and Chain is an all time favorite of mine.

I also love this cover of I Want You - She's So Heavy by Lzzy Hale. It brings Janis to mind and to my ears is light years better than the original recording.