For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.
Today's CoronaVinyl category is "J," and I'm choosing Janis Joplin's second and final solo studio album, 1971's Pearl. As you can see from the photos above, my personal copy of the album cover is hanging in my office -- the very same office in which I have not set foot in nearly nine months, allowing me to continue to regale you with CoronaVinyl every day.
I would argue that Janis Joplin has one of the top five voices in rock history. It's just so soulful and gritty and authentic and charismatic. When she sings, she has that quality that makes you wish you knew her. Of course, she left us too early, thanks to a heroin overdose in October 1970 -- the second of the triumvirate of Jimi, Janis, and Jim to join the 27 Club in a ten-month span. Pearl was released posthumously in January 1971, and it contains several Janis classics, like "Me and Bobby McGee" (which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Mercedes Benz" (recorded three days before she died), and "Cry Baby." The album spent nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard album chart, and it reached #1 on the album charts in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Norway. It is also ranked #125 on the most recent list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.
As she always did, Janis shines on this album. I mean, listen to "Cry Baby" and tell me you don't want to just fall to your knees and repent. For what, I'm not sure, but that's just what her voice makes you do -- beg her to take you back, even though you never had her to begin with. It doesn't have to make sense. She was awesome, and her last contribution to the world was a good one.
Bobby Womack wrote this one and played acoustic guitar on it, as well. It's a catchy, soulful rock song that again showcases Janis's amazing voice.
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