release date: Oct. 5, 1987
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,85]
producer: Sinéad O'Connor, Kevin Mooney (co-pro.)
label: Ensign - nationality: Ireland
Track highlights: 2. "Mandinka" - 3."Jerusalem" - 4. "Just Like U Said It Would Be" (4 / 5) - 6. "Troy" - 7. "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" - 8. "Drink Before the War" - 9. "Just Call Me Joe"
Studio album debut by 20 year-old Sinéad (Marie Bernadette) O'Connor from Dublin, Ireland.
The album was a bit of a surprising success, and "Mandinka" and "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" became minor hits on both sides of the Atlantic. O'Connor's rebellious looks and confronting attitude was a dividing factor as she both attracted an audience from th e former punk rock scene as well as a more obvious conservative posh crowd - and by that, she already embraced a huge audience. Chrysalis Records distributed the album for the North American market with an alternative cover as they feared the original cover would be too aggressive. A cover btw., which made sure to hide O'Connor's pregnancy. She gave birth to Jake in Jun. '87, which meant she was still on maternal leave as the album broke. John Reynolds, the father to her son, is credited as drummer and programmer on the album.
I didn't purchase the album until years later but I do recall watching her on MTV with "Mandinka" and finding the album interesting, although, not entirely pursuasive enough to actually buy it. Initially, I found the music style a bit too polished at the time. In retrospect, I have come to see it as a very strong debut where she already showed a confronting side to her personality that would always be a heavily discussed matter as well as a distracting aspect to her obvious musical strengths.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Pitchfork 9,1 / 10, Rolling Stone, Slant, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]
