Joan Osborne-- "Early Recordings" (Mercury 314534235)

Passion, roots, rough edges-- most of what I love about rock 'n' roll is here on this disc. "One of Us" was an introduction-- not just an indication-- to Osborne, who is about soul, savvy and lung power.

"Early Recordings" proves that the fabulous "Right Hand Man" (from her right-there-on-the-shelf-with-Hootie hit, Relish) wasn't a fluke. In a tepid radio world of pallid angelic divas, Osborne's combination of power and grit on that track burst out of the pack like a revelation.

Too bad her eventual hit singles ("One of Us" and the awful "Let's Go Get Naked") seemed more like producer's gambits that whitewashed those powerful vocals in the service of impossible-to-ignore radio hooks. But at least this dubious success has enabled "Early Recordings" to come out. Eight of the 11 tunes here were pulled from Joan's rightly-titled indie release called "Soul Show," and the rest from a less impressive studio work, "Blue Million Miles." On the live tracks, Osborne shows that she was born to belt 'em out in a club setting. Scathing love songs like "Fingerprints" and "Match Burns Twice" sound like old Stax classics, and even the subdued "Flyaway" can't contain someone who punches every note with sass and even a little gravel for good measure.

Never say never-- the next time I hear "One of Us," I may actually be grateful.

--- Tim Lee