Customer Reviews

Relish

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When Alanis Morissette was cleaning up at the Grammy's with her album Jagged Little Pill, the other top female artist at the time was Joan Osborne with her single "One of Us". While "One of Us" started getting pegged as fluff, I always thought that Osborne's album should have been getting some of those awards Alanis was taking home. While I thought Relish was the better album, I really wasn't playing it very often and it quickly got lost in the shuffle. Every so often I pulled the cd out and was surprised by how good it is.

It is now back in rotation on my cd player. If memory serves me, the only singles off this album were "One of Us" and "Right Hand Man" (I remember seeing those two performed on Saturday Night Live). However, favorites of mine also include "Lumina", "Crazy Baby", "St. Teresa", and "Ladder". Actually, to be honest, this is a very solid album and while I haven't heard much from Osborne's other albums, this one stands up over time.

I bought this album so I could own the song "One of Us." I never expected the rest of the album to be so darn good. Osborne is a deeply soulful, passionate singer, a mixture of Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Nicks all rolled into one. The songs are mostly blues based rock and roll, and the pop hit "One of Us" actually has a more mainstream pop sound than the other tunes. But the other songs are just trememdous. "Right Hand Man" and "Let's just Get Naked" are sexy songs, and "Spider Web" is an intense dream that Osborne relates about Ray Charles. Practically all the songs are outstanding. Buy this album.

Joan Osborne is one of those artists who asks the question 'Who is God?' and points at you and me with the answer in "One Of Us" which is track no. 6 on her second album, titled "Relish". While this track is probably the most widely known, every single track on this album is a masterpiece. (The same goes for her third album, "Righteous Love" which I personally like - what 'like'... _adore_ - even more! Both are absolutely worth having in your CD-collection. Joan's music is emotional, her voice is strong, sexy and beautiful, the lyrics depicts intelligence and after having listened to her songs, you sure have received something valuable. A quote from Joan Osborne: "I haven't really thought about trying to do something that's current or hip right now. There's an Oscar Wilde quote: 'Beware of being too fashionable, or you'll soon be unfashionable'. I try to dig at the roots of the things that I'm drawn to, because those things, to me, are timeless. And if I take my inspiration from that, there's a greater chance the music I make will also be timeless."

Hi gang, I was just checking back here to see if Joan Osborne has a new album in the wings. It's been 4 years now!

I like this album a lot, still. It sounds like she was trying a lot of different styles and genres, and some work better than others. Her spooky, atmospheric tale-telling in "Long Black Coat" (a Dylan cover) is great. In the very next track, Right Hand Man, she delivers a pounding rock groove in 7/4 time(!) with the spirit of early Rod Stewart or the Black Crowes. The last song, Lumina, is brief and minimal strum-n-sing but it's so beautiful and tender. Joan has one of the most versatile voices I've ever heard.

An overlooked masterpiece of the album is Dracula Moon. WOW. Take six minutes of your time to turn up the volume and get fully lost in that song. The way she stars slow and builds that intense, edgy mood of sexual and societal defiance is awesome.

I heard somewhere that she had been studying voice with a legendary Middle Eastern singer (Nurset Fa?? Ali Khan? -- I am blanking on name) before he died a couple years ago. It will be interesting to see if that influences her new work at all.

p.s. minus one star -- I tend to skip over "Help Me" and "Let's Just Get Naked." Love the rest though.

When I first listened to this album it didn't strike me as something I'd like. I loved the single "One Of Us" and bought it anyway. Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong! It was unlike anything in my collection. Joans voice is so raw and soulful. The mixture of blues and rock is reminiscent of Janis Joplin. The way she wails and moans throughout the album is what really makes this one of my favorites. She brings the best out of all the songs on the album. "St. Teresa" is awesome, giving the album a great jump start. Following is "Man in the Long Black Coat," one of the best tracks on the album, it can really take you there if you just close your eyes, relax, and listen. It was penned by legendary Bob Dylan. "Right Hand Man" is the fastest track, dripping with sensuality, it's a great song to get the blood pumping! "Pensacola" is a good song to sing along to (great lyrics)! "Dracula Moon," also one of my favorites, is probably the best example of the bluesy rock on this album. "One Of Us" speaks for itself. It's controversial and it makes you think. This song actually brings me closer to God. And then there's "Ladder" and "Spider Web." These are probably my two favorite cuts from the album. I just cant help from turning them up real loud and rockin out! The last four tracks are also great, especially "Crazy Baby," it's a real mood setter and shows a little of Joans softer side. The last track "lumina" is my least favorite. Overall, this is one of the best albums out there.

Joan Osborne has never come close to reaching the level of her first major-label record. But few people have. She can rock, she can blooz, she can even go folkie. This album sizzles from start to finish. "St. Theresa" starts it off strongly--every time I hear the opening of this song I think of the Doors' "L.A. Woman", but this is actually a superior song. After that most of the tunes are more of the gutbucket, early-Bonnie-Raitt variety. "Let's Get Naked" is as hot as the title implies; "Right Hand Man" is an irresistable scorcher; "Crazy Baby" closes it out (other than the throwaway "Lumina") in grand fashion.

And yes, I agree with those people who say that "One of Us" is one of the weaker cuts on the album. Although I will say this: to all you folks who said the song was irreverent and irreligious, go read the New Testament. The subject of this song is basically the central message of the gospel.

...I hadn't listend to this album in years. Goin' through my collection the other night, there it was. And on it went. And damn. It's really a great album, every track, except maybe "One of Us". And I can't stop listening to it, again, like 1995. It's her voice. The melodies. The rock. The blues. The piano. The voice!

Fans of good music, taste and style, must own this album. It's not pop, except for the "One of Us" song. You can almost hear the Polygram execs pleading with Joan to record one Top 40 tune for Relish.

A note to the dudes: Dudes, buy it. It'll look good in your collection. The ladies will really think you got class. Well, the classy ladies that is.

Not enough solo artists, or bands, make music like this anymore.

I do not know what happened to Joan Osborne. I really don't. From seeing her on TV and stuff she strikes me as being a bit odd, so who knows where she is or when a new album will come out.

What I do know is that this album was one of the best records I bought in the 1990's. Joan has some voice and the songs on this record really really are good. Right Hand Man, Lumina, St. Theresa etc. what an album.

Anyone who is thinking of buying this album should. It is great. I hope when Joan is ready that her new work will live up to the excellence of this CD. Again, I can not tell you how good this CD is. Buy IT!

If there is one artist of the ninties that had one incredible ability to sing it was Joan. This album displays her talent greatly. Almost every track on this album is brilliant. When her voice flows, songs like "One of Us", "Crazy Baby", and "Lumina" soar. And when her voice rocks songs like "Right Hand Man", "St. Teresa", and "Spider Webs" become the very best of Bonnie Rait. If there is any justice in the world, this album in time will become known as one of the best recordings of the nineties! Final comment: Any album that touches the heart as well as rocks is a fine with me! My Grade: A The should be music critic

When I said her name to my friends none of them knew who she was. It's not fair, it's not fair for the reason she is one of the most talented singers I've heard so far; she's got the blues the rock and the voice to be one of the most shinig stars of rock music though she will never be that great considering she doesn't fit into that pink Britney world, 'cause she has got voice! And the way she uses it is more than impressive.
The most important thing you must do is to forget about 'One of us' before you listen to this album.

1. St Theresa - Good starting her voice sounds like if she was singing from the distance
2. Man in the long black coat - Bob Dylan cover so it must be good, though a little bit too monotonous.
3. Right hand man - The first song wherein she really shows what she's got / My mother came into the room while I was listening that one and enquire if I had gone mad that I started listening some REAL music - big words from her:-)/
4. Pensacola - Wow! The way it starts is fantastic
5. Dracula Moon - It's an ok song
6. One of us - All times favourite song about the Lord. She was declared heretic for this one but I think the Church just couldn't get it.
7. Ladder - My favourite song with a really good rock rythm
8. Spider web - Also quite hard and old-fashioned
9. Let's just get naked - I have a feeling that she sings in a low-key that one, she should have put more passion in it
10. Help me - The musical background and her voice are perfect in this one
11. Crazy baby - I don't really like this one, the reason might be that she wrote it by herself
12. Lumina - Perfect ending; slow and light with soft guitar accompaniment

Altogether I can say that if you like classic rock and singers with unusual voices you must buy it, but please think twice about it if you expect all the songs to be like 'One of us'