Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
by Michael Burlingame
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DVD details
Actor: David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin, Sam AndrewDirector: Michael Burlingame
Editor: Michael Burlingame
Writer: Michael Burlingame
Producer: Ken Schur
Producer: Matt Friedman
Producer: Toby Byron
Writer: Toby Byron
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Published), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Live, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 58 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-02-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Pioneer Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
DVD Review: Big Sister And The Holding Company
Summary: 5 Stars
One of an interminable string of documentaries about San Francisco and the hippy scene, this one documents the formation of an eccentric psychedelic rock band Big Brother And The Holding Company and some of the work that they did putting together a sloppy, soulful rock unit that eventually hooked up with a young singer from Texas called Janis Joplin, a gifted singer who had once been called "the ugliest man on campus" at her university. They put out two albums and started getting some attention. Then they played the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, where they hung out with Los Angeles pop musicians like the Mamas and the Papas, as well as Jim Hendrix, Brian Jones, and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Showing San Francisco music to the country for the first time, the band made a bad career move by refusing to sign away film permission for free and lost their place in history; Janis, however, did sign, and the film is only of her, making it look like Big Brother And The Holding Company were really only her backup band. Well... she probably was the most talented member of the band, as evidenced by the fact that none of the other members went on to make much of a mark after the band broke up later that year. To mark the point, the surviving members of the band talk about recording "Cheap Thrills", the band's second album, for a big studio and with a proper recording budget, and how the band would sweat for hours to lay down a basic track, only to watch Janis stroll in and do her vocals in one or two takes.
The documentary is quite good, covering a lot of history and emotions, and the extras are really great too. There are four full performances from three parts of the band's career, a photo gallery, and interview outtakes with the four surviving members of the band, New York rock critic Ellen Willis, rock historian (and guitarist for the Patty Smith Group) Lenny Kaye, as well as Nick Gravenites, who wrote songs for Janis and also appeared in Big Brother and the Holding Company. Seeing interviews with the four surviving members of Big Brother and the Holding company is interesting. You get to appreciate the intelligence of drummer David Getz, who came off as a bit of a dummy in the historical footage, and the aloofness of "star" guitarist James Gurley, whose star had been outshone by Joplin when she joined the band (Gurley died last week, on December 20th, after having survived the heroin overdose death of his wife in 1970 and years of hard rock `n' roll living). All members are asked "where were you when you heard that Janis had died?" It seems like they all heard from the same roadie, and they reacted in different ways, with Gurley being quite cool about it; no one was surprised, but only Sam Andrew - the rhythm guitarist who left Big Brother And The Holding Company with Janis to be part of her new Kozmic Blues Band - showed any real emotion.
Lenny Kaye's highly engaging interviews are the best in the collection, and he talks about the band with great reverence, as they seemed like the San Francisco band that he was most interested in seeing when he travelled across the country to join the scene in 1967. He had interesting tales to tell about his cross-country trip, about the scene, and the balance of male and female elements in the band, an important point considering his role in the Patty Smith Group.
DVD Review: so-so dvd
Summary: 3 Stars
I have seen most of the contents in this DVD. There was nothing really new or exciting in it. Of course it is always great to see Joplin perform but it didn't warrant purchasing. DVD Review: A Great Story About "Big Brother & the Holding Company" with Janis Joplin, Including Live Performances (DVD)!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great story of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a San Francisco, 1960's "counter-cuture" band. It is told by members of the band themselves. It also, covers some of the 1960's San Francisco "scene" (to a certain extent). It does include "Live" footage of the late/great legendary Janis Joplin performing, with the band.
And most of all, it covers the "Texas Tornado" herself - the late/great Janis Joplin, from Port Authur, Texas!!! She joined the "Big Brother & the Holding Company" Band.
The total running time is approximately 148 minutes. There are performances during the "documentary" portion of the dvd. Plus, you get performances featuring Janis Joplin in the bonus features of the DVD.
The bonus performances include: (I think the first one is "Down on Me" - its not listed as a bonus performance on the back of the dvd package, but it is included. Next, you get complete bonus performances of "The Coo Coo", "Ball & Chain", and the outstanding "Piece of My Heart". Janis had an excellent "blues" voice. These performances are a real treat!!! Plus, you get some more bonus material.
Overall, this is a great dvd. Even though it covers the story of Big Brother and the Holding Company, it does contain a substantual amount of Janis Joplin. The bonus complete performances are worth the price of the DVD, just to watch Janis sing. This is a "must-have" for any Janis Joplin fan, and I'm a fan. I think she was one of the greatest "blues" singers of all time.
For me this is a 5 star DVD, mainly, because I like Janis, but I also like the story of "Big Brother & the Holding Company" because this band was a part of Janis Joplin's history. If you're looking for a full concert DVD, this is not the DVD for you. However, if you like Janis, then you'll like this one. This is probably the best dvd out there about Janis and her performances are outstanding!!! So, if you like what I have described you'll probably like this one. Thanks!!!!
P.S. I would like to add that after Janis left The Big Brother & The Holding Company band, she went on to record & perform with the Kozmic Blues Band (this band included trumpets & a saxaphone player). Then she went on to record & perform with her last band, The Full Tilt Boogie Band.
Her big hit "Me & Bobby McGee" was recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band. There is a DVD of Janis performing with these 2 other bands, but its hard to find. It's entitled "The Best of Janis Joplin". Please see my review of that one and also, my review of "Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits" CD. Thanks Again!!!!
DVD Review: Nine Hundred Nights
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1965, four young men formed a pedestrian blues band called "Big Brother and the Holding Company." The following year they were joined (almost accidentally) by a little-known, but phenomenal, singer from Texas, and were suddenly catapulted into the top-tier of the San Francisco Rock & Roll scene. A couple of years later, the now-famous Janis Joplin moved on, leaving them to plummet back into mediocrity.
This well-crafted documentary chronicles their ride, and the result is a fascinating story of ego, ambition, failed cooperation and self-delusion. It's been criticized by others for not being a concert film or a documentary about heroic figures, and it is certainly neither of these. As a compelling narrative, though, it ranks with the best "Rockumentaries."
DVD Review: Pure Rock!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This DVD is a sample of how great Janis Joplin was and what she means in music as well. If you are a rock lover yhis a must!!!Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
Description of Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
Experience the mind-bending sound and soulfoul voice that turned on a generation of rebellious youth. Witness the formation-and disintegration- of one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated bands of the era, the band that launched Janis Joplin: Big Brother and the Holding Company. Hear the untold story in Big Brother's own words. Includes D.A. Pennebaker's rarely-seen live Generation Club footage of "Piece Of My Heart," and "Comin' Home," their breakout performance of "Ball And Chain" and the unreleased "Combination Of The Two" from Monterey Pop; Cheap Thrills recording session of "Summertime," rehearsal and studio performances of "Down On Me,""Blow My Mind,""hall of The Mountain King" and "Light Is Faster Than Sound."This document, devoted to the two-plus years ('66-'68) that Janis Joplin spent as a member of San Francisco's Big Brother and the Holding Company, offers ample material to support the view that Joplin, who died in 1970 at age 27, was a great singer and an enduring inspiration. On the other hand, it probably won't dissuade those who agree with Pete Townshend of the Who (one of the stars of the '67 Monterey Pop Festival, along with Joplin and Jimi Hendrix), who has called her "just an ugly, hard-drinking, screaming woman." with a band that was "just about the worst f***ing band I'd heard." In addition to a 60-minute documentary that features performance clips, contemporary interviews with the Holding Company and various others, in-studio footage and so on, the DVD offers four complete, decent-sounding filmed performances (including "Ball and Chain" from Monterey, as well as "Piece of My Heart") and one audio-only tune. It's not an especially pretty story--the band was, in fact, rather lame, and Joplin's departure, while perhaps inevitable, wasn't real popular--but it deserves to be told, and Nine Hundred Nights does a fine job of it. --Sam Graham
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