Search - Big Brother & Holding Company :: Live in San Francisco 1966

Pre-fame live album from 1960s legends

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 05/28/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded somewhere in San Francisco (the liner notes don't say where) in the Summer of 1966, these thirteen live tracks document the bond that Joplin had formed with Big Brother after only a couple of months practice. Big Brother drummer David Getz's liner notes (written in the mid-80s, perhaps for the original vinyl issue of this material) provide an evocative description of how the band's early communal living helped forge their unity as performers.By the time they released their second album ("Cheap Thrills") two years later, the band would have more original material, but at this point in their career they were still relying heavily on R&B and blues standards. Covers include "I Know You Rider" (a favorite of the Grateful Dead), Shirley & Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll," Howlin' Wolf's "Moanin' At Midnight," and Jimmy McCraklin's "Blow My Mind." Joplin's take on Willie Mae ("Big Mama") Thornton's "Ball and Chain" was still developing into the full-blown showstopper she'd deliver a year later at the Monterey Pop Festival, and the single "Coo Coo" is presented in early form.The band would later be recorded in their more famous form on "Live at Winterland '68." This earlier tape shows off the band's formation, including their transition to, essentially, a backing band for Joplin. Though she's front-and-center for the lion's share of the vocals, her presence is occasionally diluted by other band members' vocals.The tape, from a source uncredited in the liner notes, is hissy, though very listenable. A bonus track, recorded at San Francisco's KQED in April 1967, provides a higher-fidelity 7-minute instrumental freakout on "Hall of the Mountain King." Most of this material was released in 1984 on a Rhino Records LP titled, "Big Brother & the Holding Company Live," and by other labels as "Cheaper Thrills." An import CD of the latter is available from the UK on Acadia, but it costs more and offers no extra material.Those looking for an introduction to Joplin and Big Brother are probably better served by "Cheap Thrills." Those wishing to look more deeply into the band's history will find this a compelling document."

Early Big Brother

Craig T. Case | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma United States | 02/02/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chronlogically this was recorded before their first album on Mainstream Records in 1967. Some of the tracks here also appeared on that first studio album. So how is it? The Monterey performance was a little more polished but this disc is a nice addition although the playing is a little more ragged. The track "Coo Coo" appeared on the "Cheap Thrills" album with new lyrics as "Oh Sweet Mary". If you have all of Janis's other discs I would pick this one up; you won't be disappointed and it is interesting to hear the band in their formative stage."

For Serious Fans Only

A. Karamazov | 10/30/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The sound quality is poor, its the kind of record that sounds like a blur after you have listened to it for more than fifteen minutes, and the kind that disrupts any mix CD or playlist because of differing levels. The recording has a lot of highs and no separation. The bass is practically inaudible. The highlights are the first three songs, particularly Moanin' at Midnight which is more of a Howlin' Wolf potpourri than a straight cover. But as Janis screams, mimicking Howlin' Wolf's famous cry, you can see how much talent she really had. Overall it's an album for serious fans interested in a complete collection or the development of the band."