Janis Joplin may have gotten all of the fame and glory, but she was far from the only white female blues shouter to emerge from the San Francisco music scene of the mid-'60s;
The Best of Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth is proof positive of that, providing an excellent introduction to one of the more sadly overlooked talents of her time and place. Despite any number of passing similarities to
Joplin,
Nelson sings with greater finesse; her style is more adaptable as well, capable of fitting comfortably into R&B, psychedelia, and pop ballads, all the while remaining grounded in classic roots music traditions. Highlighted by her perennial "Down So Low" -- subsequently recorded by everyone from
Linda Ronstadt to
Etta James -- this 17-track compilation also spotlights performances spanning from a wrenching cover of
Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad" to contemporary material like
Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" and
John Hiatt's "Thinking of You," offering a comprehensive overview of her earliest and most enduring work. ~ Jason Ankeny