Sinead O'Connor: C/D?

The first album and that album had their share of great tracks, I've always loved the song Black Boys on Mopeds. She really fell off after that. I have no idea what she's about now; isn't she a priest or something?

"Nothing Compares To You" (2 U?) was great though. I seem to remember giving it some love in the #1s poll.

Odd, that she went off to be a priest after tearing up the picture of the pope, and everything she said about Catholicism. I suppose its a love/hate relationship, on both sides. I've seen people be more consistent with their political stance, but that's her prerogative.

I would say that Chaka Khan's take on "I Feel For You" is also a definitive version.

Several tracks on I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got are classics. Undeniably. (Although I can do without her Prince cover.)

Her output since then hasn't moved me much.

However, I haven't heard Sean-Nós Nua or She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty. Has anyone else? Opinions?

So many great songs: "The Emperor's New Clothes" (one of the best fade-outs ever), "Mandinka," "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance," "Troy," "Jerusalem."

also search the track she did with Bomb The Bass and Benjamin Zephaniah, "Empire", which is terrifically dark. And "The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance" soundtracking the last chapter of Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama.

she should have done more covers: she was a truly stunning interpretative artist, "Nothing Compares 2 U" is an obvious example but she also did gorgeous versions of "Sacrifice", "All Apologies" and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" as well. (xpost!)

I could have lived the rest of my life happily not knowing that.

(I didn't actually know "Jackie" was an album opener, I only have the best of CD and Universal Mother; should I investigate the earlier albums?)

Hahaha. (Keep in mind I lurv Placebo.) It's on the covers bonus disc that came with Sleeping With Ghosts.

should I investigate the earlier albums?

Um, yes? Very much so?

and Jed is OTM on the don't cry for me argentina..some how lighthearted and cutting at the same time...I think she got a bit of a raw deal for being so forceful with her politics, to the point of amost being cheap. I recall a huge scandal when she played Saratoga one summer when I was in jr. high (i think) and refusing to have the national anthem played before the show...that seemed, even then, a bit childish, but the young fresh foolish me got chills when she ripped up the pope.

(Otherwise, I'm with everyone else who rates her first two as unassailable Classics).

That "Gospel Oak" EP, short though it may be, shows that she remains an amazing songwriter. Her last two albums proper, though - "Universal Mother" and "Faith and Courage" - seem too set on the by then impossible notion that she might get played on the radio, and therefore she makes the attendant compromises. To be honest, I'm worried Kate Bush may fall prey to the same delusion.

Frankly, I wish Sinead realized (assuming she doesn't) that she could maintain her ideals on the folk/cult circuit, a la Marianne Faithful or someone like that, rather than aim for pop appeal.

(xpost)

I loved that EP she put out in '97 or so.

https://consequence.net/2024/07/sinead-oconnors-cause-of-death-disclosed-by-her-family/

O’Connor’s death was initially ruled as the result of “natural causes,” but the death certificate provided specific details on the reasons behind her passing. It specifically cites an “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with a low-grade lower respiratory tract infection.”

so she didn't kill herself?

did you assume she had?

i am reading Rememberings right now and it is so delightful.

(xp) No she didn't but I can't imagine smoking like a chimney all her adult life helped.

i totally did assume she had yes

i hated that most coverage seemed to take that for granted. rip

! figured it was a body malfunction, potentially aggravated by her choices while alive but I did not think she ended her own life.

I think when someone famous has experienced a lot of public trauma and their death is reported without a clear cause, a lot of people will assume it was suicide whether it's reported that way or not

Yes

I remember Jon Jost (interesting filmmaker, but a problematic asshole to put it mildly) blasting the media for not reporting it as a suicide even though most reports did mention her personal struggles, basically suggesting it as a strong possibility. The responses against his rant listed all the reasons why that would've been irresponsible and why there were good reasons not to if the family wanted to keep it private, but he just spewed a bunch of arrogant and even paranoid nonsense. (He tried to draw parallels to how the news media in the 1960s covered the Vietnam War of all things.)

they announced a while ago that it was a health condition and not suicide and I was myself very surprised.

Her son killed himself in January 2023 and she was hospitalised a little later after threatening to "follow him" - which will have affected a lot of people's reading of her death.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/14/entertainment/sinead-oconnor-hospital-intl-scli/index.html

Sorry, January 2022 was the date!

Just saw a panel of writers that contributed essays to a Sinead book, each essay about one specific song. It was a good talk, followed by a performances, but the performances were tough. There's no real "covering" Sinead, or even interpreting her. She was such a singular force and interpreter herself.

Anyway, now I'm going to listen to a bunch of her music.

I like the one cover by Chris Cornell of her covering Prince but yeah

I think she can be covered well! I’ve heard it done well. But it is an Everestian task. Same with Nina Simone

Her reggae album was a big revelation for me in the past year. Her version of "Curly Locks" is exquisite.

Wait what?

Need to listen to that pronto

Reggae album's not on Spotify for whatever reason. But it's here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgAZTSekgFw

The reggae album is sooooo good. She even toured wit Sly & Robbie for it.

imbibing huge amounts of SO'C this past week; first time hearing a lot of it (like beyond the half dozen best known classics) and I'm pretty speechless at its power. you guys are right the reggae album is great. But the one that is making me want to explode out of my body rn is Fire On Babylon

RIP and TY

I adore the reggae record too. First time hearing Fire On Babylon, thanks to your post -- and otm, it's incredible.

i had listened to the album cut several times, but now I have heard the 13 minute remix on the "Thank You For Hearing Me" EP and heavens me that is something

"Fire On Babylon" is basically a remake of Massive Attack's "Safe From Home," isn't it?

no
it's a kindred bassline but that's as far as it goes imo

^^

I love how her 1997 comp includes her best collaborations.

I used to have that, but I don't think it's on Qobuz. Maybe someone recreated it?

Re: "Fire," I meant that it sounds (imo) like "Safe from Harm" was a pretty clear model/inspiration. Though I'm sure it was for lots of people, too, and "Fire"did arrive peak trip-hop.

Sinead was a good addition to the Massive Attack stable. "100th Window" is kind of underrated.

I talked about it a bit 20 years ago upthread it seems, but “A Perfect Indian” from the same album is monumental

As is "In This Heart," which will be played at my funeral should there be any around to attend it.

Note to anyone discovering/binging on Sinead: don't sleep on The Gospel Oak EP.

"This Is to Mother You" is one of the prettiest songs of all time, and something my wife sang to my girls all the time when they were infants.

I’ve had good luck with Sinead in the used CD bins. I found Universal Mother last weekend and liked her cover of All Apologies a lot.

Sean-Nós Nua is another hidden gem. Traditional Irish songs with odd production choices; sometimes her vocals are heavily echoed and there are faintly psychedelic touches. Excellent, beautiful headphone listening.

does she have a bad album? (I'm Not Bossy perhaps? NB i have not heard it)

Everything I've listened to has been good to amazing

have not listened to Am I Not Your Girl (except for the tracks on that comp) or Bossy or Theology

or faith and thingy

i listened to all her records recently and i remember LOVING bossy

and all her records are good yes

indeed most of her catalog is legion in the used CD bins around here

On the "getting Gen Z record store clerks to pronounce Gen X bands" series of vines that were going around, the fact that even the clued-in one had clearly never heard of her kind of broke my heart. Which I know, is just me old-manning.

I feel like those videos are pure trolling. Anyone can fake mispronounce something. More likely those young ppl have a friend named Sinead.

Fake cluelessness to rile up the olds

I spent a lot of time chatting at work with undergrads (ages 18-21) and I don't think those kids are faking. I'm considered hilariously random because the majority of music and movies I reference are utterly unknown to them. A running joke in the office is that I just make up movies and say I watched them the night before, our work studies are always looking them up online and saying THAT'S REAL?!? bands too.

spent = spend

picked up a couple Sinead CDs this week -- Faith and Courage, and Sean-Nós Nua. She was generally happy w/F&C except for one track the record company pressured her into including, and she hated it ("The State I'm In"). Sean-Nós Nua is incredible, it's almost an unchallenged layup for her, taking on Irish traditional music with a modern sheen, but even in that context she absolutely kills it.

F&C suffers from Dave Stewart's production but it's got jams like "Jealous."

I haven't listened to that album in many years, but "Jealous," "No Man's Woman" and "Daddy I'm Fine" were definitely highlights.

"Lord Baker" from Sean-Nós Nua is a nearly 12 minute vocal duet w/Christy Moore (they trade off verses) which has only a simple synth keyboard as an accompanying instrument. It's an epic love narrative which is already vv intense and moving, and with these two performing it, it's just on an entirely elevated level which is almost cinematic.

Sean-Nós Nua is a helluva headphones album