Janis

This three-CD box set is the most thorough and valuable retrospective of 's career. Besides including all of her most essential recordings with and without , this 49-song package features quite a few enticing rarities; 18 of the tracks were previously unissued. These include a 1962 home recording of the original which marked the first time her singing was captured on tape; a pair of acoustic blues tunes from 1965 with backup guitar by future star , an acoustic demo of a 1970 birthday song for , and live performances from her appearance on in 1969. The real showstopper is the previously unissued, eight-minute version of from 's first set at the 1967 (the cut on the box set is from their second set). The more forgettable tracks from her solo albums are wisely excised, as are the songs which did not feature her vocals. This is the rare multi-disc set of a major artist that manages to cover all the official milestones and present a bounty of worthwhile rarities at the same time. ~ Richie Unterberger