Osborne Re-Teams With 'Relish' Crew For New CD
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Singer/songwriter Joan Osborne has reunited with the production and writing team behind her 1995 breakthrough, "Relish," for her latest project, "Little Wild One." The set will arrive Sept. 9 via her own Womanly Hips label, in tandem with Plum Records.

The 11-track "Wild One" finds Osborne working again with Rick Chertoff, Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian, whose work on "Relish" steered it toward six Grammy nominations and U.S. sales of more than 2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Among the songs earmarked for the album are "Halleluyah in the City", "Sweeter Than The Rest," "Cathedrals" and "Bury Me on the Battery."

In recent years, Osborne has bounced from an array of projects, including singing with the Funk Brothers in the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," touring with the Dead and dabbling in soul and country.

Her latest album was 2007's "Breakfast in Bed," featuring covers from the likes of Hall & Oates, Bill Withers and Blue Lovett.

---

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne reunites with the same team that worked on her 1995 top 5 hit, 'One Of Us', for [title]Little Wild One[/title]. Long considered one of the greatest voices of her generation, Osborne has a passionate and wide fan base eagerly awaiting the true follow up to her three-time-platinum album, Relish.

1. Hallelujah In The City
2. Sweeter Than The Rest
3. Cathedrals
4. Little Wild One
5. Rodeo
6. To The One I Love
7. Daddy-O
8. Meet You In The Middle
9. Can't Say No
10. Light Of This World
11. Bury Me On The Battery

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001C0NMXO/?tag=imwan-20

I'm hoping that Joan rediscovers the grittiness she showed on Relish, but then abandoned on subsequent albums. There was a time I really liked her music, but she's grown far too mellow and middle-of-the-road for my liking.

I second that. She's been all over the place musically, and I hope this will get her to focus and produce material worthy of her terrific voice.
It's hard for me to believe it's been 13 years since "Relish".

Keep an eye out for retailer exclusives... I just recently discovered there was a Borders-exclusive version of Breakfast in Bed with "Everybody Needs a Friend" as a bonus track.

She played Hallelujah City and Cathedrals on Sunday. I thought they were really good new songs. And she was plenty gritty.

Federico,

Was the bulk of the material she performed from her upcoming album, or was it spread around?

Jeff, here's the setlist from Sunday:

Right Hand Man / Help Me / Brokedown Palace / Hallelujah City / Cathedrals / St. Theresa / Baby Love / Heart of Stone / Ladder / One of Us / Only You Know and I Know / What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

And while her albums have admittedly gotten less urgent, she always brings it live.

She sure did Sunday night. She was on from the first note.

Funny moment in Brokedown. Just as she got to the line "Listen to the river sing sweet songs" the ferryboat behind the stage blew its whistle to leave for Philly. She smiled during the song and thanked the captain for the whistle solo afterward.

Thanks for the setlist, and yes, I agree - she delivers the goods live. I have seen her twice: both times she was an opening act, and while her times onstage were brief, she left a great impression.

Heard "Cathedrals" and one other song on XM today - they sounded really good. Definitely felt a "Relish" vibe to the tunes, most likely due to being back with that songwriting team.

I'm looking forward to this one.

Alan

This is very good. The strongest original material she has put on any album since Relish and probably the most consistent album of originals she has ever made. All of the songs but one have strong, memorable but not "easy" melodies and the arrangements are very strong. Baselon and co. ought to be her permanent producers.

In the past I have felt a little let down by the original material she has selected or written (never her voice though) but on this album everything comes together. On occasion you can hear the influence of the Eastern music she has studied but it works well in context.

There's a mini-theme of urban life running through most of the songs but I don't think it's really a concept album. I particularly like Hallelujah in the City and Cathedrals (they were also the most memorable songs from the show this summer).

Easily on my best of the year list.

There is another Borders-exclusive for the new album, with the bonus track "If The End Has Come".