Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (LP)
- LP
- 1 piece(s)
- 1968
- 11 tracks
- 54 min
- psychedelic rock
Cheap ThrillsCheapest atnewburycomics.com
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4.0
Average of 41 reviews
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Silent as a mouse. Fantastic record. Some of their best work ever on vinyl.
Was Zap Comics around before or after Big Brother and The Holding Company dropped their album “Cheap Thrills?” Honestly, it might not matter, as Crumb captured the spirit of the burgeoning hippie underground, and Big Brother and The Holding Company embodied it. If you were into the scene, “Cheap Thrills” was a must-have. I've never been able to decide what was more crucial to the album's release—the music or the cover—both were exquisite, fresh, and full of life. There was absolutely nothing appealing about the cover of Cheap Thrills... it was a raw, gritty, and dirty comic... it perfectly represented the counterculture, though those of us who lived through those times might prefer to imagine that all the women were as stunning as Grace Slick or Nico, and all the men as cool, hip, and clean as Peter Fonda... the truth is, it was a total mess from dawn to dusk. The cover depicted no money, drugs, sex, music, frustration, cool, lost cool, authority, and deals gone awry. So, I ask, who better than R. Crumb to illustrate the music of one of the grittiest bands of the era? I've seen Big Brother and The Holding Company around ten times, with and without Janis. Janis wasn't a conventionally attractive woman... but she had a quality that was contagious, a spontaneous laughter, a sly smile, and a zest for life... not to mention a voice that, at the time, was unparalleled, rich with earthy tones and a heavy blues influence. A typical show was divided into thirds... Janis would sing one third, the guys another third with Janis backing them up, and the rest were instrumentals, like “In The Hall of The Mountain King” [always a twenty to thirty minute “freak out,” a major crowd pleaser]. And it was Albert Grossman [yes, of Bob Dylan fame], who set things in motion, claiming the guys weren't good enough to support her, and it quickly became the conventional wisdom that the band couldn't meet Janis' needs... but Albert was just wooing her, looking to add another star to his roster. And if you talk to James Gurley “The Fastest Guitar In The West,” or the other band members [who still perform today]... there's a sense of betrayal towards Janis, as she didn't uphold the ideals and values of the times. Truthfully, the band was incredibly tight, well-structured, and rehearsed. They had spent countless hours performing live at the Fillmore and the Avalon Ballroom, refining their skills and shaping their shows. And if you listen, you'll hear some of the most remarkable blues, rock, and R&B from the era. The guitar playing was centered and purposeful... the rhythm, lead, and bass played off each other with a well-defined language, weaving in and out, without any pretentious psychedelic flourishes. This was a skilled band, aware of each other's strengths. They could play to each other with the same grace and spirit they used when playing to Janis' voice. As for Janis' vocals, they suited the band, the music, and the times... her vocals might have been off-key at times, but like Dylan, her songs came from the heart... she could have been any of us, just an average person with a passion for singing songs that were pure Americana. This is a blessed album, a time capsule, a window into the psyche of the 1960’s... “Summertime” is a magical number, haunting and dark, dripping with sexuality in each verse, while “Piece Of My Heart” both earns and commands your attention, and “Ball And Chain”... well, there's nothing more to say about that. This is one of those albums that defined your musical tastes, friends would just pick it up and nod... the music was so eternal that it never even needed to be played... though every now and then, I want to ensure my memories haven't faded. *** The Fun Facts: Regarding the band's name, according to Sam Andrew of the band, "There were two names... Big Brother inspired by the writer George Orwell, and the Holding Company from a silly hippie pun, where 'Holding' meant 'possessing illicit drugs.' We combined the names, though some of us worried if such a lengthy name would fit on a record label or a marquee. The cover was drawn by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb after the band's original cover idea, a picture of the group naked in bed together, was rejected by the record company. Crumb had initially intended his art for the LP back cover, with a portrait of Janis Joplin for the front. But Joplin, a fan of underground comics, especially Crumb's work, loved the Cheap Thrills illustration so much that she insisted Columbia Records place it on the front cover. It is number nine on Rolling Stone's list of one hundred greatest album covers. Crumb later allowed prints of the cover, some of which he signed before sale. In an interview for the AIGA, Columbia Records Art Director John Berg told design professor Paul Nini, "[Janis] Joplin commissioned it, and she delivered Cheap Thrills to me personally in the office. There were no changes with R. Crumb. He refused to be paid, saying, 'I don't want Columbia's filthy lucre.'" In at least one early edition, the words "HARRY KRISHNA! (D. GETZ)" are faintly visible in the word balloon of the turbaned man, apparently referring to a track that was dropped from the final sequence. The words "ART: R. CRUMB" replace them. Initially, the album was to be called Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills, but the title wasn't well-received by Columbia Records. A variation of the title on the cover is used as the logo for the Cheap Thrills record label, owned by British DJ Hervé.
Can someone tell me if this came with OBI initially? I've got a copy that doesn't have it, and the notes don't say nothin' about it.
Awesome record! It's definitely one of my top picks, the vinyl is super flat and the audio quality is fantastic, highly suggest it.
UNBELIEVABLE! Simply put, this is the ultimate take on this timeless record. I can't recall an album I've played more than Cheap Thrills. From start to finish, it's evident that this version stands apart from other remasters out there. Everything is finally spot-on. In previous remasters, particularly in 'In Combination of The Two,' the vocals and instruments seemed disjointed, as if they hadn't quite gelled. But this remaster is a game-changer. In 'I Need a Man to Love,' the bass line is sharp and upfront, adding a powerful punch to the track. 'Sweet Mary' has always been my least favorite on this album—but not with this new remaster! This version completely reinvents the song. Previous versions felt a bit scattered, but this one uncovers layers of vocal effects that make it a truly psychedelic and engaging listen. I'm picking up on details I've never noticed before, and it's truly eye-opening. The vocals are breathtaking. Janis Joplin's voice is clearer and more distinct than ever, but what truly amazes me is the clarity of the other band members' vocals as well. In past remasters, the backing vocals and even Sam Andrew’s lead parts were muffled—but here, every voice shines with remarkable clarity. And the clarity doesn't stop there. The bass sounds phenomenal, but the guitars are out of this world. James Gurley is one of my all-time favorite guitarists of the psychedelic era, and I've never heard his guitar sound so perfectly distinct. Not just in his solos—the rhythm parts are crystal clear too. Sam Andrew’s guitar is equally defined, making every layer of the album audible in stunning detail. This remaster is nothing short of phenomenal. Every instrument, every vocal, every subtle effect—it all comes together in a way that feels vibrant and completely immersive. In short, this version of the album is a masterpiece of sonic clarity and detail. Incredible, incredible, incredible! I wouldn't call myself an audiophile—whatever that really means—but this version is just flawless. You don't need to obsess over tiny details to notice the difference; it's clearly the best version of the album. And I've only listened to the CD layer, not even the SACD. So, I guess the secret is really in the remastering.
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| Apr 30, 2025 | $26.98 | €29.48 |
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