Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…
#2 – Relish – Joan Osborne
Almost every album on this list is by an artist I’ve stuck with, for at least several more releases if not an entire career. This one is different.
Singer-songwriter Joan Osborne has released 13 studio albums, one less than a year ago. I might have listened to one of them briefly when it came out, but otherwise my appreciation for her is based completely on the excellence of her debut album.
This blog often finds new ways to make me feel old.
I remember buying Joan Osborne’s debut album, Relish, when it came out and loving its slow-jam dirty folk music vibe. Songs such as ‘St. Teresa’ and ‘Pensacola’ are among my favorites of the 90s.
Then it pops up as a Random Weekend selection today and I realize that this album came out 20 years ago. 20 years!
Two of the songs in my cover series are Bob Dylan originals. I guess it makes sense that the work of somebody with as limited a voice as Dylan would attract more capable singers.
I’ve already featured another Dylan cover that could have fit here, and like yesterday’s post, it was by Adele. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a covers album in her future… she’s a fine interpreter of others’ tunes.
Joan Osborne is as well (and she has released a covers album — 2002’s How Sweet It Is). Today’s song, however, comes from her excellent debut album, Relish.
Top Ten Female Vocalists – #5 – Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne is a one-hit wonder whose one hit is actually the worst thing on her debut album. The hit, of course, was ‘One of Us,’ that odd song that speculated about God’s telephone habits.
The album was 1995’s Relish, a fantastic, sexy, bluesy collection that showcased Osborne’s impressive songwriting talents and her unique voice.
I was surprised to learn that Osborne has released eight albums since Relish, including a greatest hits collection and a Christmas record. How do you put out a Greatest Hits when you’ve had only one hit?!
You know how the other day I said some of my favorite songs are by artists I don’t consider among my favorites? Well, a perfect example is Joan Osborne’s ‘Pensacola,’ which I consider absolutely brilliant despite not thinking much about her one way or another. I’ve been dying to get this song on the blog since the beginning but I’ve been thwarted in my attempts to post it on YouTube. It inspired my first rant against the YouTube copyright protection, way back at Song #69.
But now I have my fancy new streaming capabilities, so I’m happy to bring you this wonderful tune. This week will probably be very cathartic, as I get out of my system many of the songs I’ve been unable to feature over the past year.
Meet Me In Montauk 