Customer Reviews

Early Recordings

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No, i don't actually KNOW Joan, any more than any of the other thousands who had the pleasure of watching her smoke every other chick on the NYC music scene when the calendar started with a 19 and not a 20. i am writing this b/c another reviewer reminded how much i used to really enjoy catching joan live at wetlands, delta- even at continental divide and gonzales if memory serves- it seemed like you could catch her somewhere at least once a week and sometimes even twice. i get up at 5 am for work, and joan was the only musician who could ALWAYS get me out on a school night. this album almost captures her LIVE energy.
i remember the first time i saw her live at a w/e outdoor show at the seaport [an outdoor 'mall' that i despised, but my EXwife liked]. in the midst of all the summertime heat and shopping, folks profiling their boats and overdressed types getting their heels caught in the boardwalk, i heard the voice of an angel- albeit a dirty angel that sang with a leer and a wink. if you think her vh1 or austin city limits gigs were hot, they were nothing compared to hearing her in a low ceilinged, smoke filled juke joint, watching her hips sway as she torched the joint with her sheer joy at being alive. she could take that room up and down and all around and you wouldn't hit the head for fear of missing a moment. and now she opens for the 'dixie chicks'.... i'm waiting for her return to small venue playing- that is the very best place to feel her full impact.
enough of the memory lane- just letting you know i been digging joan since you didn't know who she was, and i am telling you that THIS IS THE JOAN THAT I REMEMBER! no, i don't absolutely love every cut, but nonetheless, this is consistently among the most played on my iPod- much more than relish or righteous love [both good in their own right- BUT not Definitive joan]. i will leave it to others to break it down cut by cut- on the whole they get it right. i just need to let you know that THIS is joan, 'straight no chaser'!

btw- ran into her in street recently and the energy and vibe art STILL there in person. if you EVER have a chance to see her live, do yourself a favour and GO!

Primarily recorded at a club called "Delta 88", this just rocks.

Joan's voice, and the power behind it are simply incredible. I can't believe this work has not received more attention. While I am quite fond of all of her work, this is by far the best.

The real standouts are "Match Burned Twice", "Fly Away" and the screamer "Fingerprints".

Simply a must-have piece of music!

I would like to see another album released of other songs she recorded at the Delta 88 at this time.

A friend turned me on to this CD, and as soon as I heard what is THE definitive version of "Son Of a Preacher Man" (sorry, Aretha), I was out shopping for this album. ALL of the songs on this CD are worth listening to, if for nothing else than to be in awe of the power of Joan Osborne's voice. Standouts like "Fingerprints" and "What You Gonna Do" leave the listener simultaneously speechless and aching for the next Joan Osborne album. "Relish" didn't even come close to exposing the talent that lies beneath.

Perhaps one of the best chances I've taken on a CD, I decided to buy this album because I bought Relish and found some great little treasures like "Crazy Baby" and "Lumina." Anyway, who knew that Joan Osborne was so crazy about blues--a great album...one of the neatest covers of "Son of A Preacher Man," and songs like "Fingerprints" and "Match Burns Twice" really hint at how great Joan Osborne can be. I'm waiting eagerly for new music by her.

this album is amazing beyond words. while "relish" was a great release and has a lot of merit, it hardly hinted at the incredible talent and amazing voice that joan osborne possesses. take a listen to "preacher man". it will knock you flat on your rear-end leaving you breathless and wondering "what the heck just happened?". ms. osborne's bluesy, raw, and captivating syle and vocals are unmatched by anyone else making music today. this album is great for when you're happy, great for when you're sad, and one of the best things to listen to when you've got a mountain of housework to do and you need some inspiration. crank it up and get on it! you won't be sorry...

Joan Osborne is simply an amazing talent and this may be her best album!!! Having grown up in Memphis around the music of Furry Lewis, Al Green, Elvis Presley, the Staple Singers, Jimi Hendrix, and B.B. King, I can tell you that this Amazing Lady graduated from the old school of Blues/Rock. If you love Blues and Rock, you simply must add this CD to your collection. You'll find yourself listening to it over and over!

I really LOVE this album. It's recorded almost entirely live, and not so much mixed as mastered to maintain that "Live in the bar" sound. You can almost hear people ordering drinks and shooting pool.

Highlights include a studio recording of Captain Beefheart's "His (Her) Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles," which Osborne does beautifully by doing something different with it. Not an easy task when you consider that Beefheart is as different as they come. "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Fingerprints" just blister your soul. This woman can really sing, and if you haven't discovered Joan Osborne, this is a good place to start, let me tell ya.

I quite frankly did not know what to expect when I popped Early recordings in to my cd player for the first time. I was hoping for an extended taste of the deeper tracks on Osborne's debut LP Relish, an album I purchased despite the appalling single "one of us" and was very pleasantly surprised by. My expectations were most definitely met and exceeded.

Early Recordings starts out with "Fly away" a nice pseudo blues pop number which despite the fact that it was recorded live in a fairly noisy club has excellent raw feeling to it (in the first few bars you can hear a stack of dishes crashing). "Fly away" is a nice opener, it gives the listener a good preview of Osborne's vocal talents but it wasn't until I reached the track "Fingerprints" that I realized just how amazing this woman's voice really is. Soaring in raspy sweetness, starkly honest and sexy. Osborne's songs are full of confidence and rightfully so. In the track "4 Camels" she proclaims "somewhere in Egypt I'm worth four camels, strong healthy girl like me." Not to mention she chose to cover the Captain Beefheart song "His eyes are a blue million miles" which is a fine tuned a vocally impressive number and also one of the only studio produced tracks on the entire cd.

There is a playfulness on this album that not only makes it pleasing to the ears but fun to listen to as well. On the track "Son of a preacher man" Osborne adds new life into the classic by adding a sweet talkin' bridge "That's right bring it way on down." she croons. "Do you want me to tell you? `Cause I'll tell you."

Joan Osborne's Early Recording is delight to listen to, encompassing a vintage soul sound you just don't hear too much of these days all while maintaining that raunchy blues that turned us on to miss Osborne in the first place and leaving us all wondering; did Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin somehow breed a child?

I wish more people appreciated Joan. She has to be one of the most hypnotic performers around today. I think people tend to skip over her due to "One of Us" which has to be the most mis-leading tune. She's full of blues and soul and rock and sheer passion; when she sings, you can tell she's loving it and you feel that. Early Recordings is a gem. My friends (previous Joan-skeptics) couldn't repress their antipathy anymore once they heard Joan's cover "Son of A Preacher Man" - you can't help but listen and sing along. "What You Gonna Do" is a fabulously haunting song; "Wild World" is sheer energy. I think this album deserves to be heard by more than just a privileged elite - those certain people who already have discovered Joan's incomprable talent, especially as it's displayed on this disc and in all her live performances. Then again, maybe I feel special for being able to own Joan's music while other people carry on, clueless to the potential joy that awaits their discovery. In any event, it's one of my favorite albums (Relish being another) and it's available for everyone! Live a little.

This is a solid set of bluesy r&b. Standout tracks include, "Dreamin' About the Day", "Match Burn Twice", "Get Up Jack" and possibly the definitive version of "Son of a Preacher Man." These four alone are worth the price. The rest of the album is strong, except for "His Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" and "Billie Listens." What was she thinking?? They don't fit in with the rest of the album, and they spoil what would otherwise be a five-star release.