Checking Out

These three deaths happened in close proximity right around the time when I first started paying attention to pop music. As I imagine is true of most people with a similar timeline, Jimi/Janis/Jim have been kind of melded together in my mind ever since.

All three of these LPs were, generally speaking, critically well received. The Hendrix and Joplin are posthumous; L.A. Woman slightly predates Morrison’s death. Pearl and L.A. Woman yielded Top-40 hits and classic-rock staples. It seems like an obvious poll--if it’s been done before, I wasn’t quite sure how to search it.

I can’t cast an informed vote myself. L.A. Woman is the only one I own; I know half of Pearl from the radio and compilations, The Cry of Love I don’t know at all. I’ll vote for Pearl. I have this long-standing affection for Janis Joplin, even though there are only four or five of her songs I really like (two of which are on Pearl). I expect she’ll finish third, with Hendrix at the top and the Doors second.

go figure i'm voting doors. their best album maybe fwiw.

janis you can imagine in the 70s turning into an absolutely huge star, i can imagine she eventually cuts one or two lps that i would've been way more interested in than her actual recordings and a lot of stuff during the carter administration i would've really detested. in the 80s she cleans up - big rolling stone hed either 'JANIS. CLEAN.' or 'JANIS IS BACK', records a grammy winning comeback lp produced by either mark knopfler or don was depending on the timing. has an occasional hit on ac radio thereafter until mid90s when whaddya know she scores the biggest hit of her career, a song wondering what it would be like if god was one of us.

morrison dies at almost the latest moment he could to get his myth. hendrix is one of the great what if - fusion, funk, metal, glam - there was a lot for him to react to/work with.

Janis in the '90s...Some kind of cross between Grammy-institution Bonnie Raitt and the bald-and-out Joan Jett, maybe. Every time this year's Britney/M.I.A./Lady Gaga appeared, someone would have to get a quote from her (like Madonna, like Cher). A movie career would have been in there somewhere, for sure. Dancing with the Stars/Gershwin covers/rehab reality-TV, hopefully not.

if she picked the right songs and the production was ok (ie. not an attempt at tony bennett) i would not have minded janis sings the american songbook phase at all! and to be honest the production might not even matter, if i'd never heard etta james w/ strings i'm not sure i'd guess etta james w/ strings sounds great.

janis in the 00s: hello jack white.

Hmm, L.A. Woman is my favorite of these. Might be their best LP, at the very least 2nd to the debut.

"riders on the storm" could be the best last song on a last album. what a haunting way to go out

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

"riders on the storm" could be the best last song on a last album. what a haunting way to go out

On the short list for sure; I'd go with "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'," if you give the VU a pass on Squeeze.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Not to be a pedantic dick or anything, but the Doors DID release some shite after Jimbo shuffled off this mortal coil, notably...

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/2772/cover_82142272009.jpg and http://991.com/newgallery/The-Doors-Other-Voices-333490.jpg

... I mean, nobody cared, but still...

True...but it's kind of a Squeeze situation, right? I think most people close the book with L.A. Woman.

True

Has anyone actually ever heard Squeeze? Always been curious. I mean, I'm sure it's dire, but still.