Greatest Hits: Remastered

Luckily there are more comprehensive compilations available, and this album would do as an introduction to the Joplin novice. It contains the impressive acid rock onslaught of Piece Of My Heart, the original version of the timeless Me And Bobby McGee (a huge posthumous hit for her in 1971), the wrenching Maybe from Kozmic Blues and her popular novelty song Mercedes Benz.

Most of the tracks are from Pearl and while I love all of them, especially Cry Baby, Move Over and Get It While You Can, one must never forget her lesser known albums that contain many gems. The obscure Farewell Song, for example, has brilliant tracks like The Magic Of Love, One Night Stand and the title track.

For Joplin completists and those who would like to get more of her best in one place, there are The Essential Janis Joplin, a 2-CD set with 30 tracks, and The Janis Joplin anthology, a brilliant compilation of 19 of her very best performances.


A voice that makes you shiver   February 8, 2004
Dr. M. Ford
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Janis Joplin was a force of nature and this collection is a useful, if limited, introduction to her awesome power. Janis had a voice that will literally send shivers through your spine as she rips out of the very depths of her being: I am not exaggerating, the pain, the power and the passion of her music comes from the enormous part of herself she threw into every recording.

Janis was famous for power blues-rock and this collection will give you a flavour of this. Standouts? Her reworking of the Gershwin's Summertime from Porgy and Bess is an atmosphere drenched (you can smell the cigarette smoke!) crawl through the song, heavy with distorted guitars and a persistent bass. Try (just a little bit harder) from the career high of 'Got Dem Old Kozmic Blues Again Mama' is a more upbeat song featuring a prominent brass section that gives it an almost old soul feel. And her reworking of the Kris Kristofferson track 'Me and Bobby McGee' is a beautiful ballad that shows Janis' vocal talents to the full.

It is sad then that for many people the only track that they will know of Janis is the comical Mercedes Benz as it was used in an advert for the company. If you are one of the people buy this or better still '18 Essential Songs' and find out what Janis was really about.


janis' singing is gritty and full of blues.   July 4, 2000
bridgetwollaston@connectfree.co.uk (england)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

this albumn is deep and blusey, even more so with janis' history. she sings from the heart and the lungs, with backing to add to the general 'get on down' tone.

I think summertime is the most haunting piece,guitars flow under the rough deep purple voice,an equal duet of voice and guitar. with the guitar yeilding to janis' voice.

the whimsical me and bobby mcgee is an antidote and almost quaint (for janis)in the general goings on in this CD.

not unlike other tourtured female singers not an easy listen, but great for a drink and a think.

one down side i miss the crackles of the vinyl or if live the talk and the smells, hence the 4 out of five!


Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits   April 5, 2009
Kent Brooksbank (Gloucester, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

For some, Janis Joplin's often raucous voice is an acquired taste but from the first time I heard, 'Try (just a little bit harder)' in early 1970 I was smitten. The opening track on this particular compilation,'Piece of My heart' is just so amazingly soulful it literally makes me ache to hear her pour so much emotion into the song. I've heard so many good versions of 'Summertime' over the years that at first, Janis' very individual rendering sounds perhaps quirky but after a few listens you know exactly where she's coming from... great!
An album of so many good songs that represent Janis' unfortunately short career well. Her voice on Foster and Kristofferson's country classic,'Me and Bobby McGee' is softer and more melodic than on many of her tracks and keeps the mix interesting. 'Get it While You Can' is very bluesy, whilst the staccato brass on 'Maybe' reminds me very much of the Stax labels output in the sixties, almost to the point where you might not be surprised if you suddenly heard Otis Redding or Sam and Dave launch into the vocal. Janis handles the song impeccably. So much blues and so much soul would be fair comments for the album in total and it's all rounded off with a song that even people that have never heard of Janis Joplin mysteriously seem to know... the tongue in cheek, 'Mercedes Benz.' All in all a great album. My only gripe being that Columbia (CBS to us), or should that be Sony nowadays, didn't make it a double because there are many more great Janis Joplin tracks that could've been included for such an album.