The nine previously unreleased songs now form a 'lost album' which Arthur has named Morning Star. "We decided to turn these tracks into their own album called 'Morning Star' rather than a collection of this that and the other thing," Arthur remarked. "It's a great feeling when the past burps up a gift. Things forgotten and submerged by the vortex of time which reveals its illusions thru a process such as this. First listens of old things are a lot like taking the wrapping paper off a gift. That excited smile comes over you (hopefully) and it's kinda wonderful. But soon you get transported back to the time these things were new and then they become fresh elements to work with. No more a gift but a responsibility. Like if you got a dog for Christmas. What they say about a work of art being never finished but abandoned is accurate. And I learned here that you can essentially un-abandon them. We took these old things and we set out to make something current."
When the album was originally released on 2002 it had been two years since his Come To Where I'm From album had reviewers alluding to Kurt Cobain and the great New York songwriters, but Joseph and his ever-generous muse had kept near-daily appointments.
Redemption's Son is a consistently inspired, occasionally frazzled, and often startlingly beautiful, it's the kind of record you can build a slow, sustainable love affair with, its rich textures, vulnerability and acute, poetic lyrics guaranteed to slacken jaws and raise goose bumps. Reassuringly, it was made by a man with a self-effacing sense of humour and a complete lack of pretension.
Recorded in various locations over a two year period, the album was mixed by Tchad Blake (Peter Gabriel, Sheryl Crow, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt). Joseph plays most of the instruments himself, but a gold star is also due to Pat Sansone who contributed bass, piano and mellotron parts. Elsewhere, cellist Nadia Lanman appears on Favourite Girl....... więcej