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When I think of her, I see a flame of burning intensity. "Your candle burned out long before your legend ever will" , goes the Elton John song. These lyrics, in my opinion, apply to Janis extremely well. She left a permanent mark on the lives of the people who had the pleasure (or the misfortune) to cross her path, and there's no denying the fact that she was one hell of a woman. Her presence, her raw intensity, her ballsy-chick personnality, her wit, her in-your-face, unapologetic attitude, all these things made her a one-of-a-kind performer that changed the face of rock music forever and paved the way for other female singers.
My interest for Janis' music began rather recently, as I never really took the time to really listen to it before. But then one day, I played her rendition of the Gershwin classic Summertime (which she recorded when she was part of Big Brother & The Holding Co.), and something unusual happened to me. The raspy and heartbreaking sound of her voice, brilliantly complemented by James Gurley's delicate and melancholic guitar, touched me in a way no other female singer ever did; by the end of the song, I found myself teary-eyed and completely astonished. In short, it was a revelation, an epiphany. And I wondered how it was possible that I had spent all my life without paying more attention to her music.
Why do I like her so much? Because she was everything a real artist and/or performer should be : groundbreaking, passionate, inspirational and, most of all, wildly talented. Her breakthrough performance at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival was among the undisputed highlights of the show, where she outshined many of the other legendary acts who were present. Anyone who ever saw her live can tell you that she was a phenomenal entertainer who never stopped pushing the limits of her art and giving her all to take her audience on a wild journey. Moreover, she always made a point of defying conventions, something she started doing long before she became famous. And despite her rebellious and exhuberant nature, Janis was always a very lonely person who longed to be loved. In high school, she once was voted Ugliest man on campus. Now, wouldn't you say that this is exactly the kind of hurtful experience that fuels the anger a singer like Janis needs to give an explosive performance onstage? Janis suffered a great deal during her lifetime due to all the rejection and criticism she had to face, and people could (and still can) relate to that.
Nowadays, the music industry is all about the image and polished, sleek production. And I really wish we could go back to the days when music was about emotion and passion and getting a message through. When you listen to the bands from the '60s and '70s, there's no denying that for the most part, the voices weren't so great back then. But heck, at least they knew what they were singing about - well, most of the time. Now all we want is pretty faces who can hit sky high notes. Screw the meaningful lyrics, give us big boobs and cute asses! Singers (especially young pop tarts) have a tendancy to all sound alike, they all seem to have been made from the same mold. Very few have the charisma, smarts, talent and originality to leave a permanent mark on the music industry. Janis did have all it takes, plus she lived her life the way immortal rock legends do : to the fullest and like a shooting star.
Some immortal quotes from Janis
"Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got."
"On stage I make love to twenty five thousand people, and then I go home alone."
"You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow."
"I've been the same chick, because I've been her forever, and I know her, and she ain't no star."
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