Sinead O'Connor, Part 1
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I picked up Sinead O'Connor's Theology (2007) last Christmas, but with my lack of time, I finally got a chance to really listen to this album today (Sunday). In fact, the whole day was all O'Connor, all the time, as I played Guild Wars, Pikotama, and Zuma.
What's interesting about Theology is that it's a double-disc release, the first CD is "The Dublin Session" while the second is "The London Session". The primary difference between these two sessions is that the London version had a full orchestra backing O'Connor.
The track listing is also different, with Dublin having "Hosanna Filio David" and London having "I Don't Know How to Love Him" exclusively.
As much as I love a stripped down acoustic Sinead, I would have to say that the London disc is the better of the two. If you listened to both version of "Whomsoever Dwells", you'll agree with me that the London version is so much better with the cello-bass.
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So let's take a look at O'Connor's career up to this point. I must confess, I am missing a few (later) albums, so I won't be talking about She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty (2003) and Throw Down Your Arms (2005). She Who Dwells... is a B-Side and live album and Throw Down... seems like a raggae-influenced album (which sounds really interesting).
I first discovered O'Connor through late-night music videos on a local television in Fresno. The video was for "Mandinka" and I remember the strangest bald woman with a guitar.... By the time I heard "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" on the soundtrack to Nightmare on Elm Street IV, I knew I would like her.
I bought The Lion and the Cobra (1987) shortly after, and the album had an amazing intro and outro songs: "Jackie" and "Just Call Me Joe". Although these two songs were never released as singles, they're great songs. "Jackie" is about weep wife who's husband is lost at sea.
"Joe" is an electric-guitar song about a woman called Joe. I don't know who Joe is, but I used to think she's singing "don't call me mystical" - when in fact the actual lyrics are "don't call me mister, oh".
Her debut album ends up being very successful, but it wasn't until I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990) that she exploded with "Nothing Compares 2 U". It's no suprise, looking at the title, that Prince wrote this song for a band called The Family (they were basically The Times, minus Morris Day). I may use these two songs for a cover lover post.
It's one of those rare album that I can listen to every song from beginning to end and never get bored of it. The songs are also varies, from the empowering and sad song of "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance" to sort of a dance song of "Jump in the River" to the a cappella "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" to the political statement of "Black Boys on Mopeds".
Clearly her best album.
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She followed up two very well-received original album with an all covers album called Am I Not Your Girl? in 1992. I think most critics at the time liked it, but they were longing for original material. Still, it did help me discover these very classic songs.
Some of my favorite off this album is "Why Don't You Do Right?" (a blues/jazz standard, which surprisingly you might have seen Jessica Rabbit singing this song), "Secret Love" (Doris Day cover), "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" (from the 1978 musical, Evita), "How Insensitive" (originally a bossa nova song by Tom Jobim called "Insensatez") and "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home" (I couldn't find any information on this long forgotten Johnny Mullins song).
I think Madonna did her own version of "Argentina", but it was set to a dance beat... [Edit] I take it back, she did do a traditional version that appeared in the movie remake of Evita which she starred in 1996. I haven't heard Madonna's version, but I think I would take O'Connor's version over Madonna's.
As for "Success", I have not heard the original song either, but I suspect with the horns section that her version is very much her own. Plus, I think she added a few lines of lyrics:
I've never changed, I'm still the same
I've never changed.
Stop what you're saying!
You're killing me
Am I not your girl?
Am I not your girl?
[ End of Part One ]
03/10/2008 02:26:24
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