SinA©ad O'Connor - So Far...The Best of SinA©ad O'Connor

Breathing Fire When Few Others Dared

Sporting one of the most singularly distinctive voices of the 80's, Sinead O'Connor was a baffling and magnetic presence. She was a stunning young singer who couldn't seem to figure out when to separate her art from her self-destruction. From the explosively personal one-two punch of The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Sinead created tempestuously personal music that just refused to fit a norm. She took a Prince song to number one and then proceeded to throw herself under a bus by taking peculiar political stances (the infamous refusal to play the National Anthem at a New Jersey concert, the Pope Picture rending that - to this day - NBC refuses to allow to be rebroadcast on Saturday Night Live). But it's all a back seat to a body of work that still sounds breathtaking.

Granted, the first seven songs would merit 5 stars alone, and only "Fire On Babylon" (from Universal Mother) isn't from the first two albums. Her voice, so intense and intimate, cuts through pretense and makes her songs stand apart. The CD closes with one of the most withering Ef-off's ever recorded, "Just Like You Said It Would Be." That leaves the remaining seven songs to fall in-between. The non-album cuts fare the best, with movie songs "You Made Me The Thief of Your Heart" and "Captive" being most intriguing. The vocal she contributed to Bomb The Bass' "Empire" pales to the propulsive "I Want Your Hands On Me." Then there was the misguided attempt at standards on Am I Not Your Girl?. Overproduced by Phil Ramone, it came right on the heels of the Saturday Night Live debacle and gave her detractors all the ammunition they could have asked for. "Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home" (that CD's lone original) is pretty telling, as it seems Sinead is feeling her anger and drive dissipating...which had turned resignation by under-rated "Universal Mother." If Chysalis really wanted to show Sinead's interpretive skills as a cover artist, her contribution to "Red Hot and Blue" or "UM's" Nirvana tribute of "All Apologies" would have been better representations.

However, "So Far" does a really good job of reminding us exactly why Sinead was looked upon as a great Irish hope when "Mandinka" stunned early listeners in 1987. Sinead's slow trek away from pop music has certainly had some interesting results, but frankly, none as interesting as what you'll find here. March 12, 2008

Conservative selection

This useful round-up of the most commercially successful period in the career of Sinéad O'Connor of course kicks off with the memorably wonderful Nothing Compares 2 U and concentrates mainly on the hit singles, but in their album versions. Owners of the albums that these selections come from will find little that they don't already have, the only exceptions being a shorter Thank You For Hearing Me (at 4.34 presumably a vinyl single edit) and Empire, a Bomb The Bass track on which she guests with Benjamin Zephaniah.
Key album tracks such as the vengeful Last Day Of Our Acquaintance, I Am Stretched On Your Grave and Fire On Babylon are also included, though had the collection been a little more adventurous it would have been nice to see some of the hard to find experimental early singles such as I Want Your (Hands On Me) with MC Lyte, or the notorious Jump In The River duet with Karen Finley. As it is, this collection mostly serves the more casual listener who does not expect to soon buy any of her albums.

NB This review refers to the UK import version of this album, whose tracklisting differs slightly to that listed above at time of writing October 2, 2006

"There's no other Troy, for her to burn"

Without doubt one of the most talented singers to have emerged in the last 20 years and her albums huge successes, so a best-of seemed like a good idea. So Far...The Best Of does provide the casual listener with some of O'Connor's biggest hits such as the huge "Nothing Compares 2 U", "Mandinka", "Fire on Babylon" and so on, but as a real O'Connor I must say that it omits way too many of her greatest songs. Sure, "best-of" collections are for people who wants the best and biggest only, but unfortunately this compilation doesn't even manage to give that; for instance, why include "Empire" and not "Three Babies"? And why "Heroine" and not "You Do Something to Me" or "This Is a Rebel Song? As I've said, most people wouldn't even know the difference, but as a fan I feel like the casual listener is missing out on some of her greatest moments. I'm glad that they included "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart" that at least, redeems it from total failure. If you want the "best-of" Sinead O'Connor don't buy this one; save your money and wait for a real sampling or just buy "The Lion and the Cobra" and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" as these were her best. November 20, 2005

Almost Great

I love Sinead O'Connor. I love that she doesn't care what people think of her. Or, even better, she does care, but she does what she needs to do anyway. I think that's the sign of a great artist. Heck, I even like her bald head.

Oh, and then there's the music. Don't let it be overshadowed by her public persona, because the music is what it's about. If I don't give 5 stars to this CD, it's because some of the choices are odd. "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"? How about "Rebel Song" or "Three Babies"? Still, I did hear some of my favorites here: "Mandinka," "The Emporer's New Clothes,""I Am Stretched On Your Grave," etc. etc. And for those of you who came to Sinead because of the Prince cover- well, that's in here too. September 28, 2005

you made me cold, and you made me hard

Have to buy this one, because it contains "You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart," O'Connor's most powerful and most exact expression of familial devastation. The song anchored Jim Sheridan's film "In The Name Of The Father," here it expiates surrounding detritus. April 23, 2005

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