Janis

This set of archival recordings lets us witness the formation of arguably the most powerful and expressive voice in rock history. From the earliest known performances in the small bars of Texas to the first sessions with Big Brother to her mesmerizing live shows, Janis never left behind her raw roots. She drew upon them to impel emotional performances as if by exposing her pain she gained power over her past and transformed it into a gift. In these newly sourced pearls, we can hear as never before the birth and fast burning flame of Janis Joplin. Included are outtakes and unreleased songs from the 1968 "Cheap Thrills" studio sessions, demos for the 1969 Kozmic Blues album and vast improvements on all existing vintage (1962-65) live recordings. The vintage recordings, in particular, are wonderful and although we had some of this material from the long out of print "Janis" movie soundtrack vinyl release, this collection has 39 (!) tracks recorded between 1962-65 including the ubiquitous "Typewriter Tapes" made by Jorma. The fourth CD unchains the urgent expression and lets it be heard in a complete Big Brother concert from 1967.

As well as being one of the finest rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of the era.

Janis Darlene Martin (March 27, 1940 – September 3, 2007) was an American rockabilly and country music singer.

Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. This soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary, Janis: Little Girl Blue, showcases Janis at her very best and features brand new liner notes from Oscar nominated Director & Producer Amy Berg, rare, vintage photos and reproductions of letters written by Janis as detailed throughout the documentary.

As well as being one of the finest rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of the era.

Original realeased in 1974 as "Janis - A Movie".
Rereleased in 1987 as "Janis - A Movie - The Way She Was".
Rereleased in 1990 as "Janis - The Way She was".

Released within five years of Janis Joplin's tragic death in 1970, this documentary is more celebration than investigation. But, the film provides ample opportunity to read between the lines in various interviews, rehearsals and state performances and to understand something of the sadness that persisted beneath Joplin's brash exuberance.

As a soundtrack to the documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue, this 2016 album does its job, providing an aural biography to complement the visual one. The 17 tracks are sequenced chronologically – the exception being the title track, pulled from I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! and functioning as a coda here – so it's possible to hear her raw talent evolve from an early performance of "Careless Love" to a heavy dose of Big Brother & the Holding Company and on to her solo work. Although Big Brother's "Down on Me" and her lone Top 10 hit "Me and Bobby McGee" are here in their familiar studio versions, this soundtrack is populated by live tracks, many pulled from expanded reissues, so this functions almost as an alternate history: it tells the story through versions that aren't readily familiar. Also, these versions seem somewhat more rare than they actually are – any dedicated Janis fan likely has all of the cuts here somewhere in their collection – which speaks to how thoroughly the vaults have been combed. That said, this does a good job of rounding up some of the best rarities and presenting them in a fashion that's appealing to a broader audience.

Universal Music presents the eighth volume of The Mercury Masters, featuring Byron Janis' Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition. Newly remastered, this collection comprehensively documents a golden era in American classical recording and many of these vividly characterized recordings are appearing in digital formats for the first time.

Universal Music presents the fifth volume of The Mercury Masters, featuring Byron Janis' Encore. Newly remastered, this collection comprehensively documents a golden era in American classical recording and many of these vividly characterized recordings are appearing in digital formats for the first time.