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Janis Joplin - The Woodstock Experience Cd2 (2009)

Track listing:
  1. Raise Your Hand 5:31
  2. As Good As You've Been To This World 6:25
  3. To Love Somebody 5:16
  4. Summertime 5:05
  5. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) 5:13
  6. Kosmic Blues 4:56
  7. Can't Turn You Losse 4:25
  8. Work Me Lord 8:42
  9. Piece Of My Heart 4:57
  10. Ball And Chain 7:42

Notes

Sony/BMG's Legacy imprint decided to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock by issuing a slew of double-disc deluxe packages by catalog artists who played the festival. Each slipcase contains the featured artist's entire performance at Woodstock, and as a bonus, an LP sleeve reproduction of a classic album issued near the time the festival, as well as fine, individually designed double-sided posters. The Janis Joplin package contains the remastered version of I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, and the complete ten-song performance from Sunday, August 17, 1969. Much of this has been issued before either as bonus material on catalog reissues, or as part of her box set retrospective. That said, there are three totally unreleased performances, including the first two tunes of her show: the funky "Raise Your Hand" and "As Good as You Been to This World," and the Snookey Flowers' fronted "Can't Turn You Loose." The concert was one of the first featuring her new Kozmic Blues Band, with a complete horn section. Whether it was the weather or the band's newness as a stage entity, the performance is certainly rough and ragged in places, and the sound leaves something be desired despite valiant efforts by Eddie Kramer to restore and remaster it. It's more than acceptable, but far from the pristine sound of 21st century live recordings. It is more than worthwhile, however. First of all, it's great to have a document presented in its original context. Secondly, Joplin is in terrific voice -- there were times in that last year-and-a-half when she wasn't, and this isn't one of them. Her energy, spontaneity, and sense of musical adventure here are astonishing. She is truly inspired -- despite waiting ten hours after her originally scheduled showtime to go on. The band, for all its looseness -- particularly the guitars -- picks up on her fire and doesn't let the adversarial conditions get them down, which makes for an excitingly roughshod unit. Standouts are the burning "Try," "To Love Somebody," the aforementioned Nick Gravenites-penned "As Good as You've Been to This World," and the overdriven encore "Ball and Chain."