"Relish" can be a sharp, bittersweet condiment; it can also suggest a determined gusto to live to the fullest. Combined, these two images provide a good taste of Joan Osborne's major-label debut (the live Soul Show was self-released in 1992). Grounded in blues, soul and gospel, the Kentucky native wields her gritty voice with personality and forceful presence, kind of Melissa Etheridge meets Sophie B. Hawkins with a splash of Jann Arden. Osborne's passion for life oozes from the grooves. There's an uplifting fervor to her material and delivery, as if every second, every note was being individually savored. Key track "One of Us" sets the disc's optimistic tone. It's a simple, direct statement of faith, honest and unadorned, one framed in a near-perfect chorus and delectable Neil Young-ish guitar riff. This isn't one of those sugary, superficial, goody-two-shoes Amy Grant kind of deals. "Right Hand Man" and "Let's Just Get Naked" confirm that Osborne's earthy, enlightened spirituality shares the same bed with sensuality and sexuality. Well-rounded both lyrically and musically, there's also no contradiction in this universe between "Lumina"'s thoughtful balladry and the wailing harp and acoustic slide bursting the seams of "Help Me."
from WGBH and PRILove Divine"What is the line between Carnal and Divine love? Over the centuries, music, poetry and mysticism have blurred it, and each one has fed the other - as we'll hear in this week's show! Ellen explores the way that American Gospel music provided the heat for Motown Soul, how the Sufis of Turkey and Pakistan sing of divine passion being found through earthly friendship, a...
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The Blue America PAC hasn't officially endorsed any candidates this year. We have a whole bunch we want to endorse but we're concentrating on Maine's No on 1 campaign for now. As of last night, the equality forces were ahead-- but only marginally. The Portland Press Herald is reporting that a new poll shows that 51.8% of people who plan to vote in November say they will vote no or are leaning...
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Joan Osborne doing incredible justice to the Bob Dylan song _Man In The Long Black Coat_.
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Joan Osborne "Spider Web" 4/21/07I may be going out on a limb here but for me Joan's funk is j-u-s-t f-i-n-e
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 St. Teresa |
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| 2 Man in the Long Black Coat |
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| 3 Right Hand Man |
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| 4 Pensacola |
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| 5 Dracula Moon |
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| 6 One of Us |
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| 7 Ladder |
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| 8 Spider Web |
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| 9 Let's Just Get Naked |
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| 10 Help Me |
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| 11 Crazy Baby |
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| 12 Lumina |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Relish")
