The Essential

this two-disc set breaks from the usual pattern of legacy's essential series by presenting a large number of concert performances, focusing on janis joplin's tremendous power as a live vocalist. other than a handful of studio tracks with big brother & the holding company, the entirety of the first disc consists of live recordings. these include two previously unreleased tunes ("kozmic blues" and the bee gees' "to love somebody" la wilson pickett) from joplin's solo debut at woodstock. the second disc contains more live tracks, plus the best tunes from joplin's two solo albums and various outtakes released after her death (like the scorching performance of "tell mama" that was previously available only as a bonus track), providing a well-rounded overview of joplin's brief career.