Taped by the legendary soundman Owsley "Bear" Stanley, Live at the Carousel Ballroom, 1968 features—in beautifully intimate sound quality—a previously unavailable concert by Big Brother with Janis Joplin on June 23, 1968. It's the first in a proposed series of concerts recorded by the man best known as a LSD manufacturer. The performances are revelatory and capture the band on an excellent night, with Joplin in prime form and aware of the tunes that made her legend. Gershwin's "Summertime," "Ball and Chain," and "Piece of My Heart" are all here, with Joplin still playing the songs with a free hand. Guitarist James Gurley, an underrated player due to the band's reputation for being inconsistent, shines throughout, as does the rhythm section, who play the blues like they're running for their lives. Jamming on its home turf, the group is loose and comfortable. Owsley refused to overdub phony applause, so the sound is quiet, and the performance is exactly as it happened. Press materials suggest the stereo speakers be pushed together to best hear Owsley's intended effect.