Her very best
Pieter | Johannesburg | 05/11/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This collection includes the best racks from Kozmic Blues, Cheap Thrills and Pearl, plus live versions of Down On Me, Bye Bye Baby, Get It While You Can and Ball And Chain, a song first made famous by Big Mama Thornton. My personal favorites include Piece Of My Heart, a juggernaut of a song with Big Brother & The Holding Company, To Love Somebody, her beautiful rendition of the Bee Gees song, Move Over, Me And Bobby McGee - these three from her masterpiece Pearl. It is interesting to trace the change in her vocal style from Kozmic Blues, through the Big Brother period and finally to Pearl where she found her true voice and to contrast the studio recordings with the raucous live versions of familiar songs. This album would suffice for anybody who just wants Joplin's most familiar work. For those who want more, I recommend the box-set for the full picture of this remarkable and tragic singer."