Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (Audio Fidelity, 2012)

After an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Janis Joplin and Big Brother found themselves in the national limelight with a big-time manager and a recording contract with Columbia Records. Released in 1968, Cheap Thrills is the classic that became a #1 album and sold over a million copies. This is the album that cemented Janis Joplin's status as the first, true female rock superstar.

Crowned by its hit single, a churning remake of Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart," the album also contained Joplin's Monterey showstopper, her signature tune, "Big Mama" Thornton's "Ball and Chain," as well as a raw and soulful recasting of the Gershwin jazz classic "Summertime," on which Joplin's always underappreciated band (especially guitarists Sam Andrews and James Gurley) match her vocal intensity with their own ferocious playing.

Cheap Thrills endures as the best showcase of Janis Joplin's extraordinary singing talent. Her amazing, spectacularly expressive vocals, channeling the agony and the ecstasy of love and life. It is really extraordinary how many artists have been inspired by her. Upon listening, one is convinced that Janis was and is a one-of-a-kind vocalist who can not only not be equaled but apparently cannot be imitated, either.

From the album art to the track selection, this album takes you right back to 1968.