Over the past year, while folks have been trying to work out how God could be One of Us and still be in Heaven, Joan Osborne was working her womanly hips and heavenly lungs on stages across the nation.

The tour was far from this Lady of Blues' first set of stage appearances, as evidenced by "Joan Osborne: Early Recordings," due in stores November 5. The album combines tracks from two of Osborne's independently-released EPs, "Soul Show: Live at Delta 88" and "Blue Million Miles," in a volatile mix which reveals that Osborne's musical strength has been a long time in the making.

The tracks from "Blue Million Miles" have a more ethereal sound than those on 1995's "Relish," but Osborne's vocals were as soulful then as they are now. "Billie Listens" is sleepy and hypnotic while "His Eyes are a Blue Million Miles" is an eerie, searching ode to a lover with its thundering drums and Osborne's haunting vocal.

But Osborne shines best in the live tracks, where her rapport with both audience and band resonate warmth in bluesy numbers like "Fingerprints" and "Wild World." The singer is positively sultry in "Match Burns Twice," predating the sizzle of "Right Hand Man" in lines like, "Early in the morning and I'm still in bed/I start thinking about last night/My imagination gets the best of me." Osborne's spunky version of "Son of a Preacher Man" is another delicious treat.

"Early Recordings" is a testament to Osborne's staying power; those who think she's a one-hit wonder may do well to listen to these recordings from eight years ago. They stand among the best of her work and place her firmly among the ranks of the Goddesses of Blues.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.