Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin

This book is the most honest and insightful of all the many books that have been written about Janis Joplin. Some reviewers here are incensed and angered by this book, seemingly because the book dares to reveal Joplin as the unbelieveably tortured, damaged person that she was. I suppose it offends them to hear the truth; Ms. Friedman KNEW Joplin and frequently bore witness to her insane, uncontrolled behavior and persona. Her grasp of what drove Joplin to self-destruct is startling, and she does not mince words when describing Joplin's immaturity, insecurity, despair, loneliness, addictions and outrageousness. She also speaks eloquently of Joplin's intelligence, her sensitivity, her energy and talent, her ambition, her traditional desires for a home and a family. As it turns out the "real" Janis Joplin was NOT what the world tended to see, the boozy, blowsy, whorish good-time mama. She was a real woman(with a surprisingly conservative side) who wanted love and acceptance very, very badly, so much so that she was willing to put on the "Pearl" act to get the attention she craved. This biography gives the reader as well-rounded a portrait of the singer as you are ever going to get. Make no mistake about it, this is the best of the Joplin biographies.

Myra Friedman's Buried Alive, a biography of the great blues and rock singer, Janis Joplin, is without question the best work yet published on Joplin's life. I've read all of the other books on Joplin. Alice Echol's dry, souless book clearly used Friedman's book as a source, and yet, in the most unprofessional manner, tries to tear down the groundbreaking work that Friedman did in Buried Alive. Friedman was Joplin's friend,as well as a professional associate, and the love she had for her subject is evident in every page, even though she criticized some of Joplin's behaviour. Most importantly, the 1992 introduction is the best essay I've yet to read about Janis Joplin, the artist. Definetely one of the best biographies written about any singer, in any field.

I found this book to be the most intelligent ever written about the legendary Janis. I bought this book upon its publication, and , to me, it remains the definitive biography on the greatest woman rock star ever. While this book angered many (and apparently still does), I feel Friedmans perspective is very valid. This book is amazingly honest and insightful, considering it was written so shortly after Joplins death, without the benefit of time, which changes the patina of a life. While it would have been easy for any author taking on such an intimidating subject so soon after their demise to be tempted to either canonize them or vilify them, Friedman does neither. She very eloquently tells of the Janis she knew for the maybe 2 year period that she was her public relations person, and her opinions are not always popular. We like our icons deified, and it's not always easy hearing about their faults, superficialties, and demons. What can make the difference between an honest telling of a life, and an unfair portrayal, is the balance in which it is written. Though Friedman is sometimes brutal in the honesty of her observations of Janis, and sometimes perceived as judgmental, I never doubted for a second that she loved Janis, and her grief at the wretched tragedy of her ending is apparent, to me, through-out, though never maudlin. She even admits that she was not a particular fan of Joplins at the beginning of her involvement with her, having more of a classical backround. Her chapters on Janis' early years, when she was an outcast, and all but banished from school for being different, un-pretty, and un-popular, are especially filled with empathy. And her re-counting of the young Janis, the seemingly hopeless no-body , accidentally discovering she had a voice, as she sits with a friend on a train trestle.."Guess what...I think I can sing", sends a little shiver down the spine. Her love for Janis, and the immense respect that Friedman developed for the intangible magic that she created, transcended her personal likes and dislikes, as far as musical style was concerned, though she never became a "yes" person to Joplin (there were enough of those buzzing around the hive of her fame... unfortunatley.) There is not a hint of the patronizing, self-serving viewpoints seen in many other biographies of the famous. Several which came out after her death were so despicable as to not being worthy of a mention. But, compared to "Pearl", which was mildly interesting, and "Scars Of Sweet Paradise", which I found to be just re-heated opinions, this book , along with "Love, Janis", by Joplins sister Laura, is the most telling, compassionate, honest book you're going to find about the incredibly intelligent, self-destructive, very brave, once un-popular ugly duckling, whose fame became a burden at once her savior and her executioner, but had a humanity and genius that can still be heard in the un-fathomable and irreplacable power of her voice. That is what we are l

Nearly 28 years after it's initial publication, Myra Friedman's biography of Janis Joplin remains the definitive work on the late singer. There have been numerous books written about Joplin since Buried Alive. It should be noted that none of these books could be written without using Buried Alive as a main source of reference - and in the case of Alice Echol's book, in my opinion, it borders on outright plagerism. It may be difficult for young readers to understand, but Friedman's book caused a great deal of anger from the rock community, for shedding light on drug abuse, and it's disasterous results. Janis' image during her lifetime, was that of a fun loving, hard drinking partier. This image was encouraged by her audience, and the press. Her death of a drug overdose in 1970 was a wake up call to her generation, and this book struck a raw nerve for musicians and fans - with it's brutal honesty, forcing them to face a harsh reality , which many were not ready to do. Friedman is a passionate writer, who clearly cared deeply for her subject. Of all of the Joplin biographers, Friedman is the only one that has an understanding of Joplin's art, and discusses it with intelligence. A must read.

Myra Friedman's classic biography of Janis Joplin is a must read for anyone interested in the life and art of this great singer. The Harmony edition of Buried Alive contains the most on the mark, intelligent description of Joplin's art that has been published to date. "Want to be hippies" will no doubt dislike this book, as the author smashes any romantic fantasies that people may have about the turbulent decade of the sixties. The author's love and affection for her subject is evident throughout this magnificent work, which won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award when first published. Of the many books available on Janis Joplin, Buried Alive has no serious competition. Joplin was a complex, and troubled young woman and no one has come closer to revealing the truth about this extraordinary, sensitive artist than Myra Friedman.