Nine Hundred Nights

Nine Hundred Nights


Starring:Janis Joplin, Ellen Willis, Sam Andrew, Nick Gravenites, Peter Albin, James Gurley, David Getz, Rip Torn, Lenny Kaye (II)
Director: Michael Burlingame
Studio: Eagle Vision USA
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
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
Description
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."
Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • A Piece Of Music History
  • Wah, wah, wah
  • The most underrated band in the World
  • not so much...
  • DOCUMENTARIES STINK!
 Nine Hundred Nights - Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin
Starring: James Gurley , David Getz , Ellen Willis , Sam Andrew , and Rip Torn
Director: Michael Burlingame
Manufacturer: Pioneer Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Rock & Roll | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
BiographyBiography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
DTSDTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
( N )( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Joplin, JanisJoplin, Janis | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Torn, RipTorn, Rip | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Festival Express
  2. Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin
  3. Love, Janis
  4. Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music (The Director's Cut)
  5. Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin

ASIN: B0000E6FOM
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Amazon.com

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

Description

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."

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A Piece Of Music History.......2007-04-02

This DVD is a gem! Any new information or lost footage of one of the most important women in music history is a must for any hardcore or casual fan of the late, great Miss Janis Joplin (and of course, the band that first made her name known to the world).

3 out of 5 stars Wah, wah, wah.......2007-01-03

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers; Janis, of course, is awesome. The documentary part is interesting, but I wanted to vomit when I heard some of the interviews with the rest of the members of Big Brother. All it seemed like they were doing was complaining that Janis left and became more famous than them. Some of them I considered to be actually disrespectful seeing as Janis is no longer alive and cannot even defend herself. One member even said that he thought they would have been better off with Janis never having joined the group... WHAT????!!!!

5 out of 5 stars The most underrated band in the World.......2006-09-09

I and my wife saw this band live yesterday. The band members are highly accomplished musicians and were downright huge listening too. Sam Andrew was incredible on his Summertime (he made the guitar arrangements in the famous song). I have seldom seen such an underrated band in my life. Big Brother and the Holding company was Janis Joplin's original band from - 66 to - 68. Before they became "Janis Joplin and Big Brother" the original members Sam Andrew and Peter Albin met in a Victorian mansion in San Francisco in 1962. They were a very active part of the creation of the hippie movement. In this DVD they recreate these out of the ordinary days. The DVD mix old material such as vivid recordings of concerts in 1967 with new and interesting interviews with the original band members. This DVD should be seen by everyone who are interested in the San Francisco sound and the hippie movement of the - 60's. The DVD is both carefully created and quite long running. The original band member's tour alot today. They don't seem to have let the years wear them down. Sam Andrew even took the time for a little chat after the concert yesterday. He was a very charming and friendly human being (far from the rock star image). I don't think they were "just a band of Janis Joplin". Sam Andrew and James Gurley did a lot in the sound and songs in many of the most famous Janis Joplin songs. They are in their own right worth listen too. Fascinating and brilliant individuals. In the 60's as well as today the band has at times been claimed of being unprofessional and lame. To me this is bull. This is not only unfair but also shows a lack of understanding for this specific type of music. Listen to Sam's guitar in Summertime or Gurleys guitar and singing in Coo Coo. Perhaps you will find as I that they were braver more experimental freewheeling than most bands of the time.

2 out of 5 stars not so much..........2006-07-20

1. i love documentaries
2. i enjoy bbathc
3. this documentary is just not well put together. it's only an hour and i didn't get through half of it. very boring.

1 out of 5 stars DOCUMENTARIES STINK!.......2005-08-06

If amazon had indicated that this was a docu-DVD I would not have purchased it! One does not really get to see the artist performing except for clips from here and there. The remaining band members tell their history from how they got their name and when and how Janis joined the Holding Company, interesting but to much talking and to little music!

Unless you are into documentaries - DO NOT PURCHASE THIS DVD!

DVD:

  1. Vanessa Williams - 20th Century Masters
  2. Let It Rain
  3. Maze: Live In London Featuring Frankie Beverly
  4. A Tribute to Burt Bacharach & Hal David
  5. This Is Live, This Is Murderous, The Show Must Go On!
  6. Into Africa
  7. Beethoven - Symphony No. 7, Piano Concerto No. 1, Overture to Coriolan / Solti, Perahia, London Symphony Orchestra
  8. Music of Mass Destruction- Live in Chicago (DVD with bonus CD)
  9. The Essence of Brushes
  10. Luis Fonsi Live

DVD

DVD

DVD

DVD 37

Duty Free - The Complete First Series : Video

Poirot, Set 5 [1989] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Pauline At The Beach

Absolutely Fabulous - Series 4 - Complete