Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin: Nine Hundred Nights

35 years have not quite dulled the bitterness of James Gurley, former guitarist for Big Brother and the Holding Company, a quintessential '60s psychedelic band remembered more for the fact that for one brief, shining moment, their lead singer was Janis Joplin, than for any musical merit inherit in the band itself. Narrated by Rip Torn, Michael Burlingame's Nine Hundred Nights combines interviews with band members Gurley, Peter Albin, Sam Andrew and David Getz; commentary from Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) and Ellen Willis (Rolling Stone reporter); and archival stills and clips of the band from their inception in 1965 through their short-lived glory days period of 1967-1968. The little slip of a Texas gal with the belt-it-from-the-gut gravelly voice joined the band in 1966, but the real springboard came at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, where Big Brother was a hit and Janis Joplin became a star (in the film Monterey Pop, what everyone saw was Janis singing "Ball and Chain," but very little of the band behind her). In 1968, Big Brother would make their one big label (Columbia) recording with Joplin, the landmark LP Cheap Thrills, but by the time the album hit the top of the charts, Joplin was already leaving (and would die two years later of a heroin overdose). While not exactly a knock-your-tie-dyed-socks off doc, Nine Hundred Nights will certainly find a welcome audience with nostalgic baby boomers recalling the summer of love, and music collections will certainly want to consider because of the primary source material, which includes versions of "Down on Me," "The Coo Coo," "Piece of My Heart," and "Ball and Chain." DVD extras include additional interview footage and a timeline on the band. A strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)