I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

The highlight of this album is O’Connor’s songwriting, especially on tracks like I Am Stretched On Your Grave and Three Babies The run of tracks from songs 2-6 are amazing Love the variety of instrumentation between tracks Definitely gonna listen to some of her other stuff after this R.I.P. Sinéad O’Connor Favourite tracks: I Am Stretched On Your Grave, Three Babies, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Black Boys On Mopeds, Nothing Compares 2 U, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

Incredible.

Really rather fine

Compelling and powerful. What a talent, that burned brightly, and brightest here.

Brilliant and lost at the same time.

This album is better than I remember it being - not that I thought I didn't like it but I'd forgotten how good it actually is and still sounds. Great variety here - catchy/bouncy numbers (e.g. "Emperor's New Clothes") that can appeal to a general audience and others that are gentle ("Last Day of Our Acquaintance") then some much more challenging and/or intricate songs ("Black Boys on Mopeds" or "Feel So Different"). I don't usually gravitate towards albums that might be focused solely on the singer but this one feels different; like it's not merely a showcase for Sinead but the music as a whole. Also to me it sounds surprisingly not dated, especially considering the time of release (i.e. right out of the 80s). Keeper. 8/10 4 stars.

I have always appreciated and respected Sinead O'Connor, but only knew Nothing Compares 2 U. The podcast You're Wrong About did a good episode a little bit ago that made me like her even more, and even more angry at how she was treated after her SNL performance, but I didn't look up any of her music. I was pleasantly surprised by how varied this album is! Some pop, some more folky stuff - and her voice is incredible. "Fight the real enemy"

Not my thing but it's good, you can tell some of the influences for the album.

Niet helemaal mijn ding, toch best wel goed. Zal wel aan Ierland liggen.

Nothing Compares 2 U is iconic for a reason. He’s a tremendous singer and even better songwriter.

Beautiful album, I particularly enjoyed the melodic poetry reading closer. She has a haunting and satisfying voice and the unconventional application of it to odd melodies really sticks with you.

Not a one track wonder. The album makes me think of those moody 90s new age-witches: all purple and black fabric and dark eye-shadow. The actual album is melodious, serious, and even a little bit cool. Nothing compares 2 U is extraordinary if a little familiar and black boys on scooters is good controversial daily mail bait which is always good for a bit of seasoning. A better album than I anticipated

Great singer, as gets showcased throughout this album. Nothing Compares 2 U is classic

Jättebra! Varierat, simpelt och vackert.

Surprisingly good. Varied production, great voice, very wistful. A feminine proto-Drake figure from Ireland, funny really. 3.5

Prachtig! Laatst een schitterende docu over Sinead gezien. Haar verhaal was intrigerend en maakt de muziek nog mooier.

Yes. Good.

The varied instrumental styles allow Sinead to keep the record fresh, and her lyrics and vocal ability are unique and very good. Kind of hard not to respect, on some level, someone like her. Favorite tracks: "Black Boys On Mopeds", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance"

Perhaps no artist of the rock era was more ahead of their time than Sinead was. If you weren't alive when it happened, there's no proper way to explain how EVERYONE lost their collective shit when Sinead tore up a photograph of the Pope during her appearance on Saturday Night Live. Revisionist history can suggest otherwise (I'm looking and pointing right at you, Lorne Michaels), but that little stunt perplexed everyone. I'm telling you, the only person who went on the record at the time to defend and support Sinead was Kris Kristofferson, and even that was backstage during a Bob Dylan anniversary concert. For some context, during Sinead's appearance at the aforementioned Dylan tribute concert - which took place shortly after her SNL performance - the audience literally booed her off the stage. At a freaking Dylan tribute concert! Everyone from Lou Reed to Johnny Cash to Eddie Vedder performed, and the only person who seemingly supported an emotional Sinead was the great Kristofferson. I'd also make the argument that Sinead O'Connor was so freaking good that no one knew what to make of her. And no matter where you stand regarding Sinead, no one can deny her version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U", the key track here and one of the greatest singles of the past 40 years. Similar to what Aretha Franklin did with Otis Redding's "Respect", Sinead took Prince's version and literally made it her own. Sinead is an amazing vocalist, and she'll likely never be considered close to Aretha's status. Although if revisionist history has taught us anything, we can't rule it out.

Enjoyed that. Some undiscovered Sinead right there!

Pleasantly surprised. This is great. Heart and feeling and great melodies and lyrics. Did she originate the Irish warble? Seems likely.

This one was definitely a welcome surprise as I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Her vocals are beautiful on this as are the melodies. The only thing I can knock against it is that the songs can go on for a bit too long and can sometimes sound dated in places. The lyricism and heart however makes up for that and creates a great album.

Beautiful album: beautiful vocals, wonderful lyrics, diverse song content. It’s a shame the singer struggled so much with drugs/mental health and had been abused in her childhood. From reading on wikipedia it definitely seems like she was very edgy and the people of her time (90s) were not ready to hear it.

Deep Irish sorrow.

I discovered Sinead O'Connor early on, when her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, came out. At 22, my friends and I listened to it obsessively and dissected the lyrics. I felt like it was one of the best debut albums of all time, and I still think that. Back then, Sinead wasn't super well known, and I felt like I had discovered this brilliant artist that no one else knew about. Then her second album came out and her popularity exploded, followed by all the controversy and then everyone hated her. I had no problem (and I still have no problem) with Sinead tearing up a picture of the Pope on live TV. She was making a statement and, agree with it or not, it was and still is a valid criticism of the Catholic church. But back to the music. This album is excellent. Sinead's voice is just sublime. To me, it's not quite as good as her first album but still very, very good. It makes me sad that she went on to have so many challenges with her mental health. I hope she's in a good place today. 4 stars.

A lovely album, not gonna lie. Not the best, but definitely not a bad one!

'90s music was something else man. The way it weaves together angst and emotion with beautiful melodies never gets old. And listening to this just makes me regret what happened to Sinead for speaking out. She's still well-regarded as an artist but her SNL appearance had to have had an effect on her impact and influence as an artist, no? Well, we'll always have her music. This album, at its peak, is haunting but still lively and vivid. It's a tad long for 10 songs and some tracks feel like filler compared to the highlights, but I reckon they'll grow on me after repeated listens. For now, standout tracks are I Am Stretched On Your Grave, The Emperor's New Clothes, Nothing Compares 2 U (of course), and You Cause as Much Sorrow.

Remarkable in its self-confidence. Production stays spare, as it knows what a powerful weapon O'Connor's voice is. Timeless.

Beautiful and haunting. Its both simplistic and full of depth. He vocals are just amazing. RIP

Really like this one. It is one I have known quite well since it was released 32 years ago! That's just crazy. Favorite Tracks: Nothing Compares 2 U, Three Babies, Feel So Different, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. 4/5

Qué hermosa es la voz de Sinéad y qué registros maneja.

Pretty amazing voice. I'd love to hear how some modern singers sound trying their hand at "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got". This isn't really an album you listen to over and over but I'm having a hard time poking holes in it. 4 stars even though I only added a couple songs to Spotify

I have owned this album since it came out, absolutely love it and most of Sinead’s work.

When this album came out in the States it was remarkably different from anything else that was on the radio, and it did well partially based on that. I hadn’t listened to it in probably 30 years, but it holds up quite well. She’s a very talented vocalist and the production really gives her voice the space it needs. A decidedly modern album with plenty of nods to Irish roots.

Nice!

She is so talented.

Belle voic et classique. J aime beaucoup et je laissrrai proba lement tente par une reecoute. Ca defend

Mesmerizing voice that transport you through the whole album. Some very good instrument use to accompany the vocals as well. There is a consistency across the album that is very appreciable. To listen if you want a cloudy trip. 4.5/5

4/5 Really loved this when it came out. It is still great.

Very good album with loads of memories from when I was young.

I like the diversity of the songs; they don't sound alike! Favorite songs: The Emperor's New Clothes, I Am Stretched on Your Grave, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.

Really rocking with this one. I know Sinead for three things: (1) cool name, (2) being bald, and (3) that papal protest thing she did on SNL. Leaving allll of that aside, this is a great album. She's got such a warm, distinct voice. Musically, nothing is too out of the ordinary for a singer-songwriter project, but it all fits together quite nicely. "Nothing Compares 2 U" is her big hit, and it's here, and it's fantastic. I'm not sure what more I can say here, she just ticked all the right boxes for me. Shout out Sinead. Favorite tracks: Nothing Compares 2 U, The Emperor's New Clothes, Black Boys on Mopeds, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Album art: Really like this one. Font is cool, homemade, and the shadowy portrait is effective. Definitely in the top end as far as artist portraits go for me. 4/5

Precursor to the cranberries and other angular female voices. I had forgotten how much I liked this one. Black boys on mopeds and three babies

So many different styles of song in one album. Beautifully sung & underrated. A reminder to listen to more Sinead.

sooo beautiful. I loved the mix of styles throughout this and the production all the way through. Pleasantly surprised and will probably revisit many of the tracks!

I admit I liked more than I thought. Nothing more than a 90s singer from Ireland singing on a cheap synth.

Brilliant. Forgot how much I loved her voice. And of course the brilliant Prince cover tops it off.

I have owned this album on cassette and on CD...but honestly haven't listened to it in years. I always loved Lion and the Cobra and this follow up got overplayed (understandably) to her Prince cover Nothing Compares 2 U (before text speak, Prince was streets ahead) but listening to it again after all this time, that voice is a powerhouse, and looking back she was right to tear up that picture of the pope.

Lyric for 19 o7

The last song was particularly moving, deep and passionate. As a whole the album is a laid back listen, a beautiful crooning voice (honestly reminds me of Alanis a bit maybe?)

An album rife with complexities and contradictions. A perfect portrait of Sinead as an artist, it encapsulates her uniquely polarizing persona and multifaceted talents so precisely. She’s soft, vulnerable, ethereal. Intense, scathing, and irascible. She broke the damn mold beyond any possible repair when she released this album out into the wild. Sinead is the kickass, boldly authentic powerhouse we needed at this time.

Great album

I've always loved her voice, and she's an incredible performer. I remember when this album was around, but I don't think I ever owned it. Very good tracks on this one. And, Yes, I watched the infamous photo incident on SNL the night it happened, and I remember being so moved by it. Even then, having been raised Catholic, I knew she was right, and of course not so many years after that, the truth was exposed around the world. I remember, too, knowing that night she would be on the receiving end of some awful responses, and unsurprisingly the backlash was fierce. Even though it was inevitable, it broke my heart. It still does. I could write for days on all this, but back to the album: I love it. She's so talented and her vocal abilities are versatile, strong, and very much her own.

Is Sinead the original woke af white girl?

Occasionally patchy but decent overall. I was surprised at its more electronica elements.

Nothing compares to this album

Great stuff, a really diverse and emotional record with top notch songwriting

Sinéad's voice comes across as delicate, but stands up to quite a range of (unfortunately often dated) styles. That range is weird enough and the gossamer compelling enough to hear this as a unique record in a now-satured genre. The recording is hardly naturalistic: I often felt alone with her voice in a cavernous room. It was the perfect place to hear it.

Ovo jebeno počne ali suludo sekvenciranje i par lošijih stvari baš naruše dojam

Nice one, Sinead.

I must have grown up 🤣 I truly did not appreciate this when it was released and now I enjoyed it very much!

ThGil Chway L Album.

female vocals, good quality production, stunning music videos a prayer at the beggining, I haven't listened into the lyrics much, it's all about romantic love anyway =)

The rest of the album does in fact compare (and quite favourably) to the hit single. Liked this.

Favorites: Nothing Compares 2 U Feels So Different Last Day of Our Acquaintance

I don't think I was expecting to enjoy this as much as I did

Fantastic. Took me right back to listening over and over in my student accommodation.

8'5

Einn hittari rest alveg svona ok

Um this album rips Empowers New Clothes is very good

i liked the biblical references

What a cool record! O’Connor has a great voice used to great effect. This was when she had the world prepped for her to be a big star and told everyone to fuck-off. Nothing Compares 2 U, Feels So Different, Black Boys on Moped. Chill yet full of passion.

I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me during album listening. Not my cup of coffee completely, but good album overall. Nothing compares 2 U is good, obviously, but I've also liked Last Day of Our Acquaintance.

Some interesting stuff....... Like her alot tho. Give it 4 cos its her

Way better than I was expecting, holds up really well

I don't want to like this as much as I do. She has the occasional weird howler song, but most of the others have a nice late-80s/early-90s feel.

Surprisingly eclectic and dynamic. String quartet to hip-hop drums to guitar laden folksy ballad, just in the first three tracks. And the distinctive Irish quality is always present in her voice and some fiddle work. The album starts really strong, but does get boring in the second half. Maybe it’s too arty or contemplative for me.

Really enjoyed this - it was great to hear what an amazing voice she had and hear it on tracks I hadn't heard before - album would have been a revelation back then, so much so my least favourite track was Nothing Compares 2 You (as heard so often)

When I think of Sinead O'Connor, I think of "Nothing Compares 2 U." So the tracks on this album that are faster-paced rockers were surprising. There was a nice mix of the slower, more haunting songs with faster songs that wouldn't be out of place coming from the Cranberries. I was actually surprised (pleasantly) how much similarity I heard between the two. "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" fit that more haunting mold, and I loved when the Irish violin/fiddle kicked in. "Black Boys on Mopeds" was a highlight, getting political in calling out the hypocrisy of the British government and society and previewing the stand O'Connor took two years later when she called out the Pope on SNL.

Solid album. Lots of weight, but lyrically very strong.

Quite an impressive album. Though it has some pretty sparse, whispering type tracks... the meat of it: from emperor's new clothes all the way to last day of our acquaitance is quite enjoyable. The songs have meaning and passion.

Some really good songs but each one was too long? So it kind of dragged. But I liked it.

The first half is really great. It drags a bit after that, but picks back up in the last two tracks. Sinead O'Connor's vocal delivery never fails to impress. She is recognizably Irish and infuses her music with little inflections, both musically and vocally, to that point. However, she is not mired in traditionalism and makes music that must have certainly sounded new and fresh when it debuted.

I really liked it. It started off with a few slow songs, which werent really for me, but as the album went on further, I liked it more and more. Highlights: Nothing compares 2 you, last day of our acquaintance. Beautiful voice, mostly good/great songs. I said i didnt like the slow songs at the beginning, however, nothing compares to you is my favorite song off the record. Its heartbreaking and so pretty at the same time.

A great album with a unique sound.

At times this is very close to Trip Hop. I love it..

Heartfelt, sad, poignant, and beautifully composed. Perhaps not as earwormy as some pop-artists but a wonderful collection of emotional songs

Sehr schön, finde prince Version von 'nothing compares 2 u' allerdings schöner

Sin duda una voz única y letras que dicen mucho

It was less boring than I expected. I liked many of the songs. She has a great voice and the lyrics are good.

Beter dan wat ik had gedacht. Een album dat een mooi geheel vormt.

An album to keep coming to dig in and enjoy every now and then. Nothing Compares 2 U of course, but also Emperor's New Clothes, Jump in the River, Feels So Different... Pop at its best

As a raccoon dines on crayfish, I ate this up. Great voice and like the slow tempo of the whole album

Me regalaron este vinilo mis amigos en el instituto. Era el único disco que conocían pero al mismo tiempo les parecía bastante raro como para gustarme. Dudaron entre este y el Solitude Standing de Suzanne Vega (lo volveré a oír en breve). La cuestión es que este disco fue un bombazo y siempre me recordaban: —Esta es la calva esa de la que te regalamos el disco. Aparte de las batallitas es un disco interesante que va desde el hip-hop/folk de "I am stretched on your grave", chamber pop en "Feels so different" o "Three Babies", pasando por el rock de "The emperor's new clothes" y por supuesto el clásico "Nothing compares 2 U".

I really like this. Sinead has a great voice, and I like the somewhat sparse arrangements of the tracks. Most of these have a very 80s sound, but with a transitionary feel. Nothing Compares is obviously the star of this album, and it still holds up, but I really liked I am Stretched On Your Grave, Black Boys on Mopeds, and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Really surprised by my enjoyment of this.

not as good as I remembered it but its a classic allright

I've never listened to one of her records, front to back. Really liked it!

This album hasn’t aged well, but her voice is absolutely something to behold when it’s used correctly. Her version of Nothing Compares 2 U is one of the best vocal performances of all time in any genre.

Treads the line between profound and trite, mostly on the right side. Some very passionate and beautiful moments, not least of which being Nothing Compares.

Great tracks pleasantly surprised

Sinnead is one of the greats. Personally liked her better on the slower, more heartfelt songs. Feel So Different is an awesome opener

Je découvre et j'apprécie

Several beautiful and striking songs. A little uneven in the second half in particular and the production quality varies wildly from track to track.

mágico disco

I liked this

Only just 3 stars, songs could be stronger but I love her voice.

It has some good moments but a lot of sleepy ones. Overall quite listenable

Very good

Sinéad O’Connor possessed a remarkable voice, at times hauntingly beautiful, but the accompanying music on her sophomore album does not always resonate. Sonically, the production - handled largely by O’Connor alongside Nellee Hooper and Chris Birkett - relies heavily on digital reverbs, gated snare drums, and early digital synthesizers that give certain tracks a brittle quality. Numbers like "The Emperor’s New Clothes" and "Jump in the River" carry that specific, polished sheen of late-1980s alternative pop, which has not aged nearly as well as the more minimalist material. The album is elevated by four standout tracks: the moving cover of Prince’s "Nothing Compares 2 U" and the stark protest of "Black Boys on Mopeds". By the time the record reaches "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", the experience begins to drag, yet that track remains a fine piece of work, as does the beautifully sung, a cappella title track. While much of the album leans toward the pleasantly tedious, these four distinct highlights elevate what would otherwise be a two-star record into a three-star album. 1 "Feel So Different" (2/5) 2 "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" (2/5) 3 "Three Babies" (2/5) 4 "The Emperor's New Clothes" (2/5) 5 "Black Boys on Mopeds" (4/5) 6 "Nothing Compares 2 U" (5/5) 7 "Jump in the River" (2/5) 8 "You Cause as Much Sorrow" (2/5) 9 "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance" (4/5) 10 "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" (4/5) Total - 29 Average - 2.9 360/1001 191/360 albums reviewed were new to me.

Amazing voice, and, by all accounts, an amazing, but troubled person. She was the center of some major cultural moments in my youth. Appreciate her contributions to the era and how principled she appeared to be in her art. This album is a great example of all of her talent. RIP.

This is nice.

Lots of powerful subjects beautifully sung about, always used her music as a voice for change

Her storytelling is what stuck out to me particularly. Found a lot of her songs to be fairly dull, though. Rating: 6.8/10 Songs: Emperors New Clothes, Black Boys on Mopeds

Decent.

6/10 Sinéad O’Connor was a remarkable woman in many ways. Her career was derailed and overshadowed by her (entirely justified) protest against systemic child abuse issues within the catholic church, nearly a decade ahead of the scandal becoming a prominent issue around the world. She had struggles with her mental health too, at least in part due to the abuse she suffered as a child and the backlash against her after her protest. But suffice it to say that she was a strong willed woman, who did things on her own terms. This album showcases that well. She wrote and produced the vast majority of the album herself, with only her cover of Nothing Compares 2 U being written without her input and produced by a separate producer. Even then, she refused to have her vocal compressed on that track, so she hardly ducked out of production decisions. When it’s at its best, this album is wonderful. The intimacy of her vocal performances sucks you in and grips you, and the stark, sparse instrumentation really helps to build on that emotionally raw atmosphere that she builds. But unfortunately, the record isn’t without its issues. It’s quite an uneven song selection, with tracks like The Emperor’s New Clothes kind of jarring against the more personal cuts, and even moments within certain tracks, like the violin in I Am Stretched On Your Grave, which didn’t entirely work for me. But when she gets it right, she really nails it. Nothing Compares is a masterpiece, Black Boys On Mopeds is gorgeous, and there are other highlights here. But there’s also just a little too much that didn’t quite connect with me on a musical level, either being a little too repetitive or a touch unfocused in terms of progression and intent. It’s a shame, because there’s so much potential here, but unfortunately there isn’t really enough consistency for me to love it. Feel So Different - The building and atmosphere orchestration is a really nice way to open the record. There is development within the strings that give this forward momentum. I do sort of feel like it builds and builds on tension that never quite gets resolved, but I do think that’s deliberate. The dynamic growth of both the instrumentation and her vocal performance is excellent. I’m not completely in love with this, but I do think it’s very well executed, performed and produced, it just doesn’t completely connect with me. I Am Stretched On Your Grave - This is almost a trip-hop song. The slow, rolling backing set against her interpretation of a 17th century poem sounds both ecclesiastical and like early 90s British dance music. It’s an interesting blend, particularly when you throw in the celtic fiddle part later on. I wasn’t convinced at the start, but I kind of ended up getting sucked into the world of this song and, despite the musical core of it being pretty repetitive, I found it quite hypnotising and effective. Three Babies - A delicate and subtle start with a melody that roams a little, but takes moments to soar and focus in on key motifs. It’s a pretty dramatic vocal performance, with some moments of stark emotion in her voice. This kind of drifts along in a warm way that embraces the ear and guides you without grabbing tight. It’s very pretty and enjoyable, but there’s equally nothing that vastly stands out, but is possibly more effective because of that. The Emperor's New Clothes - We get a bit of a sharp change of pace and style now with a new-wave pop number. The guitar work is decent in places and it’s got a generally fuller sound, but it’s a little bit rhythmically one-paced and not vastly interesting. It’s not a terrible pop song, but it’s not really a great one either and it doesn’t really find a particularly effective hook to allow it to stick in the memory. And the ending just goes on for way too long. Black Boys On Mopeds - This is a pretty and heartfelt song. It’s stripped back and sparse, but incredibly effective. It’s got a lovely melody and her vocal performance is excellent. I really liked the vibe and emotion of this one. Nothing Compares 2 U - Man, Prince can really write a song. This is so harmonically and melodically rich and has beautiful lyrics. And then Sinéad gets hold of it and turns it into this absolutely heartbreaking, epic pop ballad. It’s stunningly beautiful. Her vocal is so brilliantly emotive, the sound palette is masterfully crafted and it all just comes together to create something that rightfully became an enormous hit. Jump In The River - This feels quite rigid, especially after the much more organic and fluid Nothing Compares. It’s a bit of a muddy sound, but it’s quite a cool dirty rock pop effort. There’s some very good stuff in here, but it perhaps lacks clarity and refinement. You Cause As Much Sorrow - Back to something more ballady now. This is the kind of stuff that Sinéad feels more at home on, with wide dynamic range and an ebb and flow to the songwriting. There’s a cool groove to this too and there’s an element of Kate Bush to the sound palette. It’s mostly sparse, but it does throw in moments of more full instrumental that drag it towards pop territory before it backs away again, which is an effect I quite like. It’s a shame she doesn’t back away again towards the end as that poppy stuff is more run-of-the-mill than the verses. The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance - I love the close-mic recording of the vocal here, it feels incredibly intimate and powerful because of it. The slow build of the dynamic is excellent and it takes its time nicely. It’s a really nice song made all the better by the structural and production choices she makes. A very nice track. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - This is another that has an ecclesiastical quality to it, at least in part due to the church-like reverb. It’s melodically quite repetitive, but has a hypnotic beauty to it and the vocal performance is incredibly strong. A really pretty ambient vocal closer. Very nice.

Everything I know about Sinead O'Connor: amazing Prince cover, was right about the Catholic church even though she was persecuted for it at the time. I'm getting Jagged Little Pill vibes from this album. Almost like Alanis cribbed the format of desire and heartbreak and then added a little grunge in place of the folk/singer-songwriter vibes. Beautiful voice. Nothing Compares 2 U

Das zweite Studioalbum der irischen Sängerin Sinéad O'Connor entstand 1988 und 1989 überwiegend in den Jam Studios sowie in den Master Rock Studios in Kilburn, mit zusätzlichen Aufnahmen in den S.T.S.-Studios in Dublin, und erschien im März 1990 auf Ensign/Chrysalis. Produziert von O'Connor selbst sowie von Nellee Hooper, bewegt sich das Werk zwischen Alternative Rock, Folk-Elementen und sparsam eingesetzter Elektronik – ein Sound, der so klar und unnachgiebig ist wie O'Connors unverwechselbare Stimme. Die Platte wurde vierfach für den Grammy nominiert und gewann die Auszeichnung für Best Alternative Music Performance; O'Connor lehnte Nominierungen und Preis ab. Den kommerziellen Durchbruch brachte „Nothing Compares 2 U", eine Interpretation eines Prince-Titels, die 1990 in zahlreichen Ländern die Charts anführte und durch ihr reduziertes Musikvideo ikonischen Status erlangte. Daneben setzt das Album jedoch auf Stücke, die konzeptionell ebenso stark sind: „The Emperor's New Clothes" mit seiner kantigen Direktheit, das meditativ-melancholische „Three Babies", das auf einem Loop von James Browns „Funky Drummer" basierende „I Am Stretched on Your Grave" oder das bittere Beziehungsfinale „The Last Day of Our Acquaintance". Zusammen ergeben sie ein Album ohne Lückenfüller. Was dieses Album von vergleichbaren Arbeiten seiner Zeit abhebt, ist die kompromisslose Konsequenz, mit der O'Connor Verletzlichkeit und Zorn, Spiritualität und politische Wachheit in einen einzigen Klangkörper zwingt. Kein anderes Album des Jahres 1990 besitzt diese emotionale Dichte – Entertainment Weekly nannte es das beste Album des Jahres, Rolling Stone platzierte es auf seiner Liste der 500 größten Alben aller Zeiten. Über sieben Millionen verkaufte Einheiten bestätigen die Reichweite eines Werks, das nie auf Breitenwirkung ausgerichtet schien. Ein Album, das die Neunziger mitgeprägt hat, bevor sie überhaupt richtig begonnen hatten.

Beautiful music that leaves me cold.

nice voice

Nothing on this album compares to that banger

Sinead O’dugit

Nothing Compares 2 this

not bad

somehow remember only one song. we all know which one

Wasn't super familiar with Sinéad O'Connor, so it was nice to finally check out one of her albums here. I did enjoy it a fair bit, certainly some songs more than others. 'Feel So Different' was a marvelous opener for one. It had this gorgeous baroque instrumentation that linearly builds alongside Sinead's swelling vocals and impassioned lyrics. And her lyrics on this album are impassioned; If there's one thing Sinhead won't do here, it's sugarcoat how she really feels. 'Three Babies' for example, was pretty tragic and pretty raw in its depictions of loss, but overall, the sort of fluttery and uplifting instrumentation gives the song an almost optimistic edge. 'Black Boys Mopeds' was another pretty bold song in the mix here, but it never felt like it was trying to be over-the-top or provocative, and the topic is treated tenderly, I find, and Sinhead effectively paints a very human image of the racial injustice the song alludes to. 'You Cause As Much Sorrow' is another more difficult song here, given the conflicting feelings expressed by the protagonist. I find this album very raw emotionally; it makes it sort of daunting to deconstruct, but it's nothing that would turn me away. 'Nothing Compares 2 U' is obviously an incredible slow-ballad that I was already familiar with through the Prince version. Sinhead's take on it was pretty great, and I actually find it to be the highlight of the album. I'd say my biggest issue with the album is the at times uninteresting production - it sort of falls between alternative rock and trip-hop/hip-hop, but has an overly generic take on those sounds, I find. It's nothing too awful; the attraction here is ultimately Sinhead's voice and lyrics, and how she chooses to communicate her various struggles on this album. How much that resonates with you will ultimately determine how much you end up enjoying this album.

Experimental, me gustó.

Considering Sinéad O'Connor reputation, I expected this album to be way more political and critic, and instead it ended up being more personal and sentimental. I think the album is nice. Sinéad O'Connor voice is the main protagonist of the album, as it is very beautiful and delicate most of the time, with some moments where she gets more emotional and elevates her projection. I do like how serene the album overall feels, and I also appreciate that each song has its own elements. Some songs feature string arrangements, others have an electric guitar, another one has a piano, and so on, which means that something I can say about the record is that at least is not monotonous. Having said that, I'll confess that there isn't really anything that truly surprised me or grabbed my attention. As said, the relaxing tone is really good, but it isn't like I'm loving each song or any particular idea. So in the end, I think it is a decent singer-songwriter album with a pleasant sound.

Ok

Great voice, supremely talented, but just an OK album. Beyond the obvious highlights, I thought her debut and some of her later work were stronger.

It's quite good, actually. A very solid record from a very under-appreciated person. For years, I was told that Sinead O'Connor was this mentally low person who had one hit in 1990 and got her ass kicked off of SNL for ripping the church. I write this now knowing that she was a woman with much faith in herself and her heart and it's unfortunate to know that she has left us. This record puts forth plenty of personal nuances from Funky Drummer looping around an Irish poem to conscious acoustic ballads and acapellas. I don't find myself as a complete fan of this one though as some moments fall flat within the 50 minute run-time. But I will say that's an album that has won me over on who Sinead O'Connor was (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)

very chill

This album was okay, but only Nothing Compares To You really stood out.

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I know two songs How do I feel about this artist? Not my genre, but immensely talented Pre-Listen Thoughts: Oh Sinead, you were so right about everything. I hope you’re at peace. Favorite track(s): Jump In the River, The Last Day of Our Acquaintance Post-Listen Thoughts: Seriously just so beautiful. Kind of slow for my usual taste, probably won’t revisit it much but it was a great listen.

nice and clean, 7/10

Surprisingly a few more upbeat songs I did not expect.

She's got an amazing voice. That said, this album doesn't seem as revolutionary now as it did at the time... she certainly was an outspoken voice encouraging people to express their individuality.

Dramatic songs for dramatic times. Didn't overly connect with me, but certainly an interesting listen.

Bad title, but decent album

Always loved Nothing Compares 2 U. Sadly the rest of Sineads repertoire from this album isn't nearly as enjoyable to me, which is a shame. RIP Sinead

I love Sinèad but this in’t her best work. But it does have that song. I love her Debut the Lion and The Cobra compared to it this is pretty tame. Best song apart from you know what. Is Black Boys On Mopeds. I don’t like it when people say “I was lucky enough to see …” when they’ve chosen to see that gig, given up their time to travel to it and spend their money that they presumably worked hard for (well someone did!). But I was lucky enough to see what turned out to be Sinéad’s last gig in the British Isles - the Villa Marina Douglas Isle of Man. It was fantastic as were the other times I saw her. Anyway I was unlucky enough to have the local Minister of Business next to me and the Treasury minister in front of me. Probably a freebie. They kept leaning over to talk to each other and “network”. They made sure they were applauding wildly whenever she called for “peace” or “compassion”. But during Black Boys on Mopeds, a song in part about the hypocrisy of politicians, they shut the fuck up. She was a fansdtc singer, a brave compelling live performer and I urge you to check out her work beyond this lp.

Good but not my style I guess

I went in expecting to like this more than I did- Sinead O'Connor had a lot of buzz and mystique surrounding her growing up. That album was good but nothing really stood out. Her voice came be a little grating after a while.

I dont think I have the patience for this

great voice, ok songs

I expected to enjoy this more than I did. Sinead had a beautiful voice and she sounds great here. But for the most part, the songs aren't that interesting. The first several are particularly dull, so part of the issue is sequencing. The middle songs are the strongest, of course including Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U. Overall, it's fine

Pretty good actually but kind of too long for its own good. I'm giving it a 4 because there's some strong songwriting and production here, but it's closer to a 3 in the album-as-an-experience department

Not bad, just slow and repetitive

Suave

Terrible early 90’s production. Her voice and conviction is sincere but it sounds dated. This gets a 3 because of Nothing Compares 2 U

Prince really helped her out with one of the greatest songs ever written. I could have done without the title track. I hear influences throughout her music.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other about this one. Solid 3 Stars.

Definitely not my favorite album. In the right setting, it works, but it's not an album that I would ever listen to on its own. I actually had to make a point to come back and finish it this morning before reviewing. I got bored enough that I wandered off--a first since I started 1001AG. To be clear, it was **not** the messaging in her music. I thought the lyrics and her messaging were great. It was the musical style that didn't click with me. If all the tracks had rhythms of "The Emperor's New Clothes", I might have been more tuned into the album, but I think it was just too lowkey for me. Messaging good. Jam-ability, not as good. 3 for the fact that I'd be willing to revisit it down the road and didn't hate it.

Yksinkertaista musiikkia mutta ihan kivaa laulantaa.

Sinead 's voice is incredible throughout, but the songs are a bit of a mix. Whilst nothing Compares 2 U is (of course) incredible, some of the other tunes are are so-so, with lyrics are a bit too on the nose. I Am Stretched on Your Grave was a definite highlight.

Mildly surprised to discover this wasn't ten clones of Nothing Compares 2 U. There was a decent variety on show, gorgeous vocals as I expected, although the production sounds dated. Not bad.

Wow, Some of those lyrics hit hard. The biggest song on this album was written by Prince, but I much preferred guitar and vocals vs overproduced Prince. Good listen.

This might be one of those guilty pleasure albums because man, this is not my style at all but I weirdly really liked it. I loved the production, I loved the inclusion of the string instruments. I thought these songs were well written.

This album has THE version of Nothing Compares To You. That alone gives it 3 stars.

hm

A bit of a slow burn until you get to "The Emperor's New Clothes". Dive a tad deeper, though, and you'll really hear how much weight these words from the late Sinead O'Conner hold. Haunting, heartfelt, and unsurprisingly political given O'Connor's beliefs and experiences. Maybe not for most listener's palates, but that's the beauty of this whole list I guess!

Сара 3 Марко 3

i really wanted to like this more! her voice is beautiful and my heart breaks for her story and her struggles. it's just not really my kind of music tbh

An understated angst. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would especially with the slow start. Obvi like Nothing Compares. Liked the instruments at the end of stretched on your grave.

Wasn't quite what I expected. Good enough but not something I'll directly add to my rotation.

I like this.. Nothing Compares 2 U is wild

More interesting than I would have known if not asked to listen because of this list. The end became a little repetitive for me, and the last song felt like an eternity. Shocked looking back it was only 5:47.

Influence 3. Quality 4. Hits 3. Intangibles 4. It has her hit, showcases her crazy vocal talent, and otherwise puts me right to sleep 2.

It was a good album. Nothing Compares 2 U, You Cause as much Sorrow, and Three Babies were probably the best songs on it. Nothing was bad, but nothing else really stood out to me. Overall, I’d give it a 3.7/5!

the prince cover cooks, but unfortunately the rest is pretty self-indulgent but there's some good parts. sinead's cool.

Nothin Compares 2 U is a banger. I was ok with most of the album. Final track was haunting and beautiful. Overall, though, I’d pick up a handful of other singer-songwriter contemporaries before picking this one up.

About half of the album is extremely emotional and powerful. The other half does nothing for me. Hence 3 stars.

Good voice, variety of pop instrumentals

She has so much range! 90's Irish rock typified.

Her voice is unmatched but I can only wish the songs were less boring. The fact that the most recognisable song from this album (and in entire Sinead’s career) is a cover and not the original work kinda says something, innit?

***A good easy listening album

Fitting I listened to this on St. Patrick's Day. 6/10

I mean she has a nice voice, but nothing memorable. Also, I'm not really into British/Irish politics or whatever

Magnificent voice. One all time great track. Puerile politics and most of the lyrics are self pitying cringe.

3/4

Smooth voice. Album seems to be curated to show it off. It was very good even if not my kind of music.

Man the Irish sure do know how to make music woeful.

tl;dr Nothing Compares 2 Nothing Compares 2 U It's a good album - it feels moody, it's interesting, and no one has probably been more vindicated in the years since it came out than Sinead O'Connor. That said, it feels pretty forgettable outside of Nothing Compares 2 U.

torn malku megju 3 ili 4... 3.8?

Really nice to hear irishness coming through on this record I like it Prefer her first album, but this is good

Black Boys on Moped is peak

A few stand-out songs, but mostly just kind of whiney and boring tbh.

Ist mir teilweise zu ruhig.

Three stars. Not my jam but gotta respect it.

Sinead gjorde kanske några "fel" under sin karriär, men hon gjorde också väldigt många "rätt". Och hellre än sån artist än Taylor Swift som inte gör varken eller. Låtarna här är kanske inte jättebra, inte heller dåliga, och många bygger på angelägna budskap. Men Sinead kompenserar det med sitt uttryck som är så starkt att det är närmast omöjligt att värja sig, att titta undan. Får mig att tänka på PJ Harvey emellanåt faktiskt, just i uttrycket. Antagligen är det också det (uttrycket) som gör att hennes version av Nothing compares 2 U blir minst lika bra som Prince's. Detta trots mina halvtraumatiska minnen av fumliga tryckare på skoldiskon. Det är och förblir magnifik låt och version.

Har nog aldrig hört mer än Nothing compares 2 U från den här skivan. Här finns en del råare produktion i vissa låtar än väntat, uppskattar t ex I am stretched on your grave, The Emperors new clothes och Jump in the river när det blir lite edge, ungefär så som alternativ musik lät vid skiftet 80/90-tal. Men också en del utdragna långsamma låtar, som blir tråkiga. Betyg hamnar i skarven mellan tvåa och trea. Men väljer uppåt denna gång. För övrigt är personen Sinead O’Connor intressantare än hennes musik. Rekommenderar dokumentären som kom för något år sedan, om ni inte sett den.

Du utan tvekan så att personen Sinead är så mycket mer intressant än hennes musik. För i ärlighetens namn är detta ett musikaliskt ganska ett tråkigt album. Nothing compares är förstås bra, men det beror mer på Prince än Sinead (liveversionen som Artisten släppt knockar ju den på detta album). Men sen är det ju allt det andra man gillar. Uppkäftigheten, feminismen, Thatcherkritiken osv. Sinead var en förebild som fick lida oerhört för att hon stod upp för det som grund och botten borde vara allmänmänskliga värderingar. För detta förtjänar hon åtminstone en extra stjärna.

Aivan hyvä levy, rauhallinen tunnelma ja nothing compares 2 u on hieno

Obviously it was a choice to go with spare compositions here, and while they were fine the end product didn't do a whole lot for me. Not bad by any means, but given that I'm not devoting my full attention to these albums there just wasn't much to grab onto. 3.2

Her emotionally-fueled, haunting rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" is still one of the best recordings ever made.

Respect her activism but did not enjoy this

(61/100)

I get it. This is pretty cool and definitely had a place in the late 80s early 90s. The themes, composition and songwriting are all really good. I do think the 90s drum take away and kind of date it.

A lovely album full of rebellion and a singular sound

I was curious to hear this, as the brilliant ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ was the only Sinéad O’Connor song I already knew. Unfortunately, I found it slightly frustrating; I felt this album had lots of potential it didn’t quite meet. I really liked the sound (the more symphonic tracks, as well as the folky and rocky numbers), and her voice was great, but a lot of songs seemed to stay on one idea for their duration. I kept expecting some variation to come in (e.g. a key change, B section, etc.), but it usually didn’t. A reluctant 3 stars.

Talvez merecesse o 4, ali a "black boys on mopeds" e a "nothing compares to you" são bastante boas, mas como álbum não me puxa tanto

Álbum de se ouvir mas no qual eu não senti que houvesse grandes highlights

Another artist I am not super familiar with. I'm aware of her and know her hit single, but haven't done a deep dive. I really enjoyed the mix of tones on this album, there's some slower, more spiritual songs, followed by some more upbeat, fun songs. Definitely will be listening again!

Sinead O'Connor moves through a number of genres throughout this album -- chamber pop, rock, folk, and more -- which you don't always hear, especially for what is essentially a singer-songwriter album. It's very impressive. I connected the most with the rock-leaning numbers and the songs that were more focused on relationships and romance. I feel like I only scratched the surface on a first listen though.

Listening to this I really want to say "why is Sinead O'Connor kind of a one hit wonder, when these songs are so good?", but the more I listen the more I realize that her songs are really good, while "Nothing Compares 2 U" is really great. I've learned that this is actually pretty common with albums of this magnitude / albums on this list. Many great one-off songs in popular music really stand far above the rest on whatever release they were on... something about capturing magic I guess. To add to it, the song is just different enough stylistically that I can see why audiences might have heard this one and then went to check out the rest and the rest didn't really stick. It's a 3/5 for me. It's a great single piece, truly a really well written and performed song. The rest are good too. Great album cover. I love the texture, and her eyes are absolutely beautiful.

not really something I would listen to in my own time but nevertheless Sinead is a legend

What a voice.

Does some interesting things but ultimately isnt my cup of tea. I was floored hearing the drums from what is it the first tony hawk game but maybe that sampled thos or this is sampling something else. And the hit nothing compares 2 u is ok. Never was my favorite song or anything. The song after was probably my favorite, jump in the river. But even then its not really something I want to hear again and again. Its an OK record at the end of the day and I could see it hitting much harder for another type of person but it sits just at ok for me.

Nothing Compares 2 U really shows off her vocal chops, but the rest falls short. She’s got a lot of range, but could use a Prozac or two.

There were moments of greatness, but the album as a whole did not hit.

A contemplative album. Favourite track: I Am Stretched on Your Grave

Nice! Love how varied it is! Sinéad has presence for days! Wish I liked the songwriting more!

Little boring

Ok.

Quite enjoyable, I particularly like the one that said England was shit. Not sure I'll listen to more though

Buen álbum. Muy buena producción y varias canciones geniales. Me gustó cómo la música y voz dulce de O´Connor contrasta con las letas en general fuertes, reclamonas, enojadas. Pero al final, mostrando al mismo tiempo vulnerabilidad pero también ganas de dejar de permitir que lo que debe pasar, siga pasando. De pensar que el amor no debería ser difícil para nadie.

A few good tracks but mostly quite dull

Yes, i’m still not a fan of these days songs but this album is actually good, the melody, the sound are listenable in my opinion, but it’s not my style. This doesn’t mean it is a bad album, i just don’t like it. (Rating for how good the singer and the melody are)

Very Irish

I was a fan until I learned about her involvement in project beast note. I was on edge all day looking for Stromboli. Thankfully I wasn’t involved with any of that but it still always stresses me out.

時代を感じさせる平凡なポップロック。 プリンスの曲だけは素晴らしいと思った。

I came into this a little skeptical, but I was surprised I kinda liked it. Very strong delivery, nice arrangements, but some of it is boring. Nothing compares 2 U is a real gem in her rendition.

It's fine.

Not many highs or lows, just pleasant music. A good rainy day album

I think the Lion and the Cobra is a better album. This might have a few better songs but overall it's kind of whatever

I didn't really buy into her back in the late 80's, when a lot of people were wanking themselves silly about her and her cover of Nothing Compares To You (and a lot of that was centred around the video to the track where she cries, like she was some superhuman who was actually crying and normal people can't cry on cue). Anyway, this album was mediocre at best. I wouldn't care to listen to it again. I did make it all the way through though, and there was never a cause to turn it off.

It’s not my cup of tea, but is beautifully sang. It’s a shame what came of her career because who knows what awesome things she could’ve done.

This is not a patch on "The Lion and the Cobra". Lion and the cobra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I quite liked I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. With this album, i mainly got two different styles of music on offer here. Those styles being either a somewhat 80s pop rock sounding style and a more gospel style with the vocals and some violins as well. I will say that i thought both styles did their job pretty well. Most of the pop rock stuff was pretty catchy especially with the bass and the good rhythms as well and while i didn't like the other style as much, it still brought a decent bit of variety to keep this album from getting too stale. I honestly can't really say much outside of that so all i'll say is that it's a pretty solid album. Best Song: Jump in the River Worst Song: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

I liked the variety of style and production, didn't feel like I knew what was coming next. Some uncomfortable moments in there (I guess purposefully) and also what was going on with the volumes of the tracks?

She has a lovely voice, well worth listening to for a hour

My first listen to Sinead O’Connor and was pleasantly listenable.

3.5

A hit song. The rest leaves me uninspired. Sad too. I so wanted to like the music from the chick who tore the pope’s pic in half during SNL. Fucking epic! Who does that?? Oh well. Rest in peace you crazy Broad!

Я люблю голос Шинейд О'Коннор і дуже поважаю її. А також неодноразово намагався слухати альбомно і ніколи мені не заходило чомусь. Ще раз ось спробував послухати цю класику, враження ті самі. Просто типу окей, є головний її хіт (краще ніж оригінал), є гарні пісні, є нудні.

The mega-hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" plus an o.k. rest. Mainly carried by her fantastic voice.

Without having ever really paid attention to the "big hit" of the album, the whole thing still comes across decently pretty and emotional Pleasant enough to be worth a listen

Nogle meget smukke sange imellem. Generelt et fint, overvejende akustisk album med nogle afstikkere til 90'er-trommeboksen.

Sympa mais un peu toujours pareil, mais ça change. Des tubes connus comme Nothing compares 2 U

Je connaissais Nothing Compared 2 U que j'aime bien, le reste de l'album est plutôt sympa aussi mais c'est looooong et réceptif. Affolant comme elle chante faux dans Troy aussi. 3/5

Sad high notes

On I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Sinéad O'Connor strips herself bare, delivering an album that's as emotionally raw as it is sonically rich. Built around her singular voice—at once fragile and ferocious—the album floats between lush, carefully layered production and stark, devastating simplicity. "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" fuses a centuries-old Irish poem with a pulsing hip-hop beat, creating a haunting, ahead-of-its-time collision of past and future. "The Emperor's New Clothes" rides a New Wave groove with punkish confidence, while the unadorned folk of "Black Boys on Mopeds" lands like a punch to the gut, its politics as personal as its poetry. At the center, of course, is "Nothing Compares 2 U," the Prince-penned ballad that O'Connor transforms into a global cry of heartbreak—her voice cracking open a raw nerve that never quite heals. And just when the album seems content to recede into quiet resignation, "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance" erupts into a thunderous, cathartic farewell. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got isn't just a showcase for one of the era’s most distinctive voices—it's a bold, bruising statement of purpose from an artist unafraid to lay herself completely on the line.

Quiet, and understated. The whole album feels like a breakup. Highlights: "Black Boys on Mopeds" and "Nothing Compars 2 U"

Really liked this, some very high highs and fairly pleasant/consistent throughout. The structure/pacing of it was a bit odd on first listen and I don't feel the need to revisit right now, so going with a strong 3 for now.

This album really puts the focus on Sinead's voice with how minimal the instrumentation is on most of the songs. I like her voice and technique, but there's times where I wish she would just do more with it. That said, even with the understated arrangements there is something I like a lot about this album. It's kind of an odd juxtaposition of 80's and 90's pop/rock sounds, almost like you can hear the 80's evolving into the 90's, and it works for me. Nothing Compares is a decent track, but it's actually kind of outshined by much of the rest of the album. This is one I wouldn't likely go searching for, but definitely not mad at it if it comes on. 3.4/5

I like this album. It reminds me of Bjork, but not as experimental. That being said, it's still good. 3.49/5

Definitely on the stronger side of three stars, but three stars nevertheless. One big hit and the rest was pleasant enough, but it just kind of flowed past me in a, I wish this album wasn't so "floaty" way.

60/100.

Some powerful tunes here! But the rest leaves a bit to be desired

Just okay for me. Good lyrics, well produced, but not my type of music. I do dig "I am Stretched on Your Grave." It sounds like it would fit well in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (so late night LA Vampirecore).

I wasn't really familiar with Sinead going into this one, and based on what I read I felt it would be to my benefit to learn something about them before really getting in to this one. So I paused around song 4 and watched some small 10 min overviews of Sinead's life. Which... was a lot to take in 9am. That being said, I do feel that it contributed a lot to my overall experience with this album; having more context of who the artist was and where their passion for music comes from. But, I'm not sure it makes the album any high than a 3 for me. There's a lot of emotion in her voice and her songs have heavy themes, but damn, I wasn't really wowed by any tracks here. I can remember her voice but not any of the melodies associated with the songs. I was going to end this review with a joke about coming back to this one if I wanted to be depressed, but I don't think Sinead would've appreciated that. I liked it alright, not enough to rate it any higher than I did

The middle of the album is full of insightful lyrics and enough dynamics to keep it interesting. The bookends fall a little flat for me.

A collection of great songs but not necessarily a great collection of songs, ya dig? Basically not sure I get anything from listening to all of these songs in this exact order. "Nothing Compares 2 U" is often called one of the greatest songs of all time but I'd also shout out “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” "Black Boys on Mopeds" and "Jump in the River" for mixing up the sound a bit.

Her debut and previous album called The Lion and the Cobra seems to me to be a much better album than this one. It is likely that the only reason this album made the list is because of the Prince cover. Ho hum. I’d give the debut album a 5 (listen to the song Troy with the volume high if you have never heard it before - and enjoy) but this album is a 3 for me.

Good vocals, music is ok 2.75

WHAT A VOICE. wasn't totally engaged by the whole album but I can only image the ripples this sent through the music world when she was first heard. Highlights were "I am stretched in your grave", "the emporers new clothes", and "I do not want what I haven't got"

Strings in track one!!!!!! 🙌🏿

Listened to it, didn't leave an impression. Maybe deserved a more focused listen but when I tried to listen again, I was bored.

Peaceful album Songs tend to get good in the last half of the song Love the instrumental

Solid, nothing essential though

Not bad

I liked it. Not really my style, and I prefer 10,000 Maniacs if I’m in a mood for these kind of tunes. Bonus points for Nothing Compares To You and her giving the pope a 🖕🏻on SNL

No. 320/1001 Feel so Different 4/5 I Am Stretched on Your Grave 2/5 Three Babies 3/5 The Emperor's New Clothes 3/5 Black Boys on Mopeds 4/5 Nothing Compares 2 U 5/5 Jump in the River 3/5 You Cause as Much Sorrow 3/5 Last Day of Our Acquaintance 3/5 I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got 2/5 Average: 3,2 Solid album. Nothing Compares 2 U is incredible. Otherwise not a lot of memorable stuff.

More of a pop bent than I expected but pretty good.

слишком драма / суровый сырой вокал для меня (и акапельно я сама могу, где продакшн))

I first listened to this album about 5 years ago, and couldn't stand it. For whatever reason I just couldn't engage with it, struggled through and came out of it feeling like I had wasted my time and never wanted to hear it again. I would have given it 1 star at the time. 5 years on, it's way better than I remember. It's powerful, hard-hitting, and has plenty going on. Sinead O'Connor was clearly talented. I still don't love it - it's not going into my regular rotation any time soon - but I think I definitely appreciate it more this time around. It might not be to my tastes, but it's good. As such, I'm choosing to give it a 3, with one caveat: 5 years from now I may decide to listen again, change my mind and give it a 5... could just be that this album is taking 10 years to grow on me!

She could really sing ... the emotion, the range, the tone. Some songs are weaker than others, though.

Zoveel respect voor Sinéad als persoon. Een foto van de paus op live TV verscheuren? Fucking badass en meer punk dan heel veel punkbandjes op deze lijst. Maar vandaag gaan we even volledig focussen op de muziek. Meteen gekeken en natúúrlijk staat Nothing Compares 2 U hier op, die kun je meteen alvast invullen op de FAVO ook, prachtig nummer. Maar dan is ook meteen weer de vraag; is dit een Layla & other songs album? Of zijn dit allemaal verborgen parels en ben ik hierna toch iets meer fan van Sinéad? Feels so different is een epische opener zeg, pfoe. YOOOOOOO is dat een viool solo!?!??! Of een Sitar? Op I am stretched on your grave, de solo op het einde. Dat is fucking episch hahahah Jezus christus, wat een fantastische stem heeft Sinead toch. En dan te bedenken dat dit een cover van Prince is... Je moet lef hebben om Prince te coveren(Zeg ik terwijl ik toch niet altijd even groot fan van Prince ben, maar soit.) Maar laten we eerlijk zijn. Dit is haar nummer, sinds deze cover. Er zullen er maar weinig zijn die eerst aan Prince denken bij dit nummer. Pfoe, het titelnummer is een mooie afsluiter ook. Niet mooi genoeg voor een FAVO, maar wel echt heel indrukwekkend. Ben ik meer fan geworden van Sinéad? Zeker van de eerste helft, die is echt zeer sterk, jammer dat het na Nothing Compares toch een beetje inkakt en niet het hoge niveau vasthoudt. Er zijn hele hoge highs, maar ook best wel wat mwah stukken op het album. Ik heb me er echt prima mee vermaakt, maar ik vind het nét niet goed genoeg voor de 4 sterren. FAVO:Feels so different, THe emperors new clothes, Nothing Compares 2 U

Okay.

This Irish alt-folk-rock (if that’s what you wanna call it) album by Sinéad O’Connor is about what I expected—nothing groundbreaking, but definitely not disappointing either. If you weren’t around when she released “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990, or when she tore up a photo of the Pope on SNL to protest the Catholic Church’s child abuse scandals, it’s hard to grasp just how massive she was at that moment—and how quickly she was shunned afterward. She essentially vanished from the mainstream overnight. It’s impossible to say how much bigger she might’ve become if that hadn’t happened, but this album absolutely earns its place on the 1001 Albums list, if for no other reason than the cultural weight behind it.

To be honest, this was better than I would have ever expected hearing so little of her catalog beforehand. It wasn't off putting or annoying in any fashion to me. This will likely be the first and last time I go to this well, but it's good to know there's another album on this list I don't want to avoid at all costs.

This is #day431 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is my first time listening to a Sinead O’Connor record. Yes, I've heard "Nothing Compares 2 U," but aside from that, it's a completely new experience. I'm fine with the harmonies and some of the production choices (it's the '90s, after all), but otherwise, I'm not sure... "Nothing Compares 2 U" is a great tune on its own. I guess I'd rather have gotten acquainted with her debut, but since it's not on the list, I doubt I'd do it purposefully. Let it be a 3 out of 5. I was close to a 2, though. Looking forward to #day432.

Her best work, haunting and smart if somewhat patchy

Great voice, can't say I love this type of music. 2.8

The Troubles seem to shine through this music, in all its moments of discordant melodies and lyrics openly wondering why injustices are piled on precisely those people who haven't got the resources to fight back. "Black Boys on Mopeds" was heartbreaking. "Nothing Compares 2 U" turns the album's gloom around with a world-famous love song. It was lotsa vibes. I kind of liked the atmospheric style, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

Yesterday we listened to The Songs of Leonard Cohen, and I wrote about how Cohen’s voice spoke of maturity: the calm poise of a man looking forward, prepared, as he once said, “to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all.” Sinéad O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, released in 1990, sings from the opposite direction. Where Cohen peers toward death with stoic composure, O’Connor turns her gaze backward, toward the scene of injury. Her voice - raw, exposed, terrifyingly unguarded - is the sound of someone refusing to grow up, not out of immaturity but as an act of resistance. For O’Connor, childhood is not a place of innocence but of vulnerability. The very word suggests safety, a world that protects; yet her music insists that childhood is the first site of betrayal, where institutions announce their cruelty and love becomes conditional. In Three Babies - the album’s most naked song - O’Connor gathers loss, birth, and abortion into a single lament. It is not a political tract about reproductive rights but a mourning song for the fragile life-force itself, the impossible closeness between what lives and what does not. And in The Emperor’s New Clothes, she begins with the devastating line: “It’s been years since you held the baby.” The phrase refers, perhaps, to her partner and producer John Reynolds, but its resonance is wider: the baby is both literal child and symbolic self, the part of the psyche that remains uncared for. The music’s insistence on the child is not metaphorical. O’Connor grew up in an Ireland that punished women and children with equal ferocity. Her mother was abusive; she spent her adolescence in a Magdalene Home, one of those carceral laundries where “fallen” girls were taught repentance through forced labour. To have survived that world is already political. Her later rebellion - against the Church, against the music industry, against any structure that confused moral authority with domination - was a lifelong attempt to protect the child she had been. The shaved head she adopted in 1987 became a kind of living philosophy of the body. It was read as Joan of Arc cosplay, as ecclesiastical tonsure, as defiant androgyny, or as self-punishment. But there is another, stranger possibility: that she was trying to re-enter the condition of the infant, the bald-headed creature before gender, before the market, before sin. Pop’s logic depends on the circulation of desire; O’Connor’s gesture was to remove herself from that economy altogether. In a culture that required women to be desirable to be visible, she chose to look like a baby just as she was becoming a mother herself. That contradiction - at once maternal and childlike - runs through the album. In the concert film of I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, she performs I Am Stretched on Your Grave over its looped Funky Drummer beat. When the traditional Irish fiddle enters, she suddenly breaks into an Irish dance: stiff, arms held tightly by her sides, the jerky discipline every Irish child is made to learn. It’s a gesture both comic and cathartic. She parodies the national culture that trained its children into awkwardness and, in the same moment, reclaims it. For an instant, she looks like a child performing for no one, and therefore free. Her critics were quick to call her childish. In Black Boys on Mopeds, the lover dismisses her politics as “childish” outright, and the press often agreed. O’Connor’s protest was too unfiltered, too direct, too emotional to qualify as “serious” politics. But that charge tells us more about the adult world than about her. To be “adult”, in the culture she rejected, meant to compromise, to accept the world as it is. “Childishness” becomes, in that sense, a subversive stance - a refusal to naturalise cruelty, to outgrow outrage. O’Connor’s bluntness, her supposed naïvety, exposes a society that mistakes cynicism for wisdom. Her voice insists that feeling is a form of knowledge. This insistence reached its most infamous form on Saturday Night Live in 1992, when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II and told the audience to “fight the real enemy”. The act has been flattened by history into a meme, retrofitted with the slogan Sinead Was Right. But to say she was “right” is to miss the point. Her gesture was not a fact-checking exercise on the clerical abuse scandals - though they were part of the story - but an indictment of an entire moral architecture: the Magdalene Laundries, the industrial schools, the borstals, the unmarked graves of children and women shamed into silence. It was, above all, a defence of the vulnerable against the institutions that claimed to protect them. In rehearsal for that episode, she had used a photograph of a refugee child instead of the Pope’s image. She didn’t tear it up. The gesture’s meaning, then, was never solely Irish. It was about a world that is hard on small things. When she tore up the Pope’s portrait, she was not desecrating an icon; she was naming a system of sanctified cruelty. The logic of The Emperor’s New Clothes - the child pointing at the emperor and crying, “He’s naked!” - was not allegory but method. The backlash was immediate. A few days later, at a Bob Dylan tribute concert, she was booed mercilessly, and it took Kris Kristofferson to steady her on stage, whispering: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” It is one of those small moments that crystallise an entire career: the child being protected by the fatherly voice she never had, even as she refuses to become what the world expects of her. Her art could never be revolutionary in the programmatic sense - she didn’t want to seize power or rebuild institutions. Her logic was haunting, not transformation. The child, once injured, cannot be resurrected; it can only persist as a ghost, a reminder, a refusal. This is why O’Connor’s music so often sounds unfinished, unresolved, full of raw edges and unresolved grief. The incompletion is the point. The album’s biggest hit, Nothing Compares 2 U, threatens to overshadow this more radical project. And, of course, it does. Written by Prince, the song carries a polish and composure foreign to the rest of the record. Yet O’Connor’s performance transforms it utterly. She dedicates it to her mother - the figure of both love and trauma - and in doing so turns a pop ballad of romantic loss into a ritual of abjection. “All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the backyard, all died when you went away.” The line sounds simple, but it encodes an impossible paradox: the mother’s departure is the wound that creates the artist, and also the wound that can never heal. To sing to the mother is to risk becoming the mother; to mourn her is to repeat her. The music video, that stark close-up of O’Connor’s face, owes its grammar to Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc. Like Renée Falconetti’s Joan, O’Connor appears both martyr and adolescent, her tear falling unbidden, a sacrament of conviction. The comparison feels inevitable. Both women were punished for their faith - not faith in doctrine, but faith in feeling. Both suffered at the hands of patriarchal institutions convinced of their own holiness. And the punishment did come, not from the Church this time but from the culture industry. Pop can tolerate women’s suffering, but not their defiance. It rewards trauma when it can be aestheticised, not when it threatens the market’s smooth operation. O’Connor refused to play the game: she would not perform repentance, would not apologise for her outrage, would not grow up in the way the industry demanded. She existed as an irritant within every system she entered: an Irish Muslim, a female priest, a childish mother. She didn’t want to destroy the system; she wanted to reveal its contradictions from within. Her cameo as the Virgin Mary in Neil Jordan’s The Butcher Boy feels like the zenith of that trajectory. She appears as a hallucinatory mother-figure to a boy who has lost his mind, a vision of tenderness amid ruin. The casting is perfect. In Catholic mythology, Mary is chosen precisely because she is a child; later, in the Pietà, she becomes the mother who holds her dead son. The circle closes: child and mother fused in perpetual grief. “I do not want what I haven’t got.” The title phrase, repeated at the album’s close, sounds like acceptance but is really a refusal. O’Connor wanted no redemption, no posthumous vindication. What she asked for, through the grain of her voice, was something smaller and harder to secure: that the child - bruised but unbroken - might be allowed to live. She knew that the world would never grant such permission. Yet she sang as if it might. And that, finally, is the power of the record: a faith not in salvation, but in the persistence of the wound as a form of truth. I've gone and made myself cry and talked myself into a more stars than this warrants on the music alone. 3.5 Sinead O’Connor was a good singer. That every bar she sings here is slathered in reverb is not only needless, but ruinous. Was it for the allurement of American money that everything Sinead sang was treated to sound like it was issuing from caves by the roads from Tara? If she had a message she wanted people to hear on ‘Black Boys on Mopeds’ it could have done with the lyrics being discernible. I did go read them afterwards. ‘Roses’ and ‘Mopeds’ doesnae work.  This is a 10p mix-up of an album in which you find pompous string writing, wispy folk over drum loops, wispy folk over acoustic guitar, meat and potatoes guitar pop, accapella…etc. None of it is any good for you. There’s little inspiration here and no sense of artistic conviction or direction.  No hang on - Nothing Compares 2 U is amazing. How did that happen? Well that’s just one of those inexplicable things. This version with its elegant correction of the original harmony and inspired variation on the original melody absolutely blew the Prince-penned original out of the water. How many people can say they mugged Prince?  2/5

Weird album for me. Not a huge fan of a few songs, and overall find it to be stylistically messy. I enjoy/value musical diversity within records, but this one doesn’t feel particularly coherent to me. Still, some tracks are far too good for me to ignore: “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is pure 90’s goodness, “Black Boys on Mopeds” is an absolute triumph of political folk, and although I can’t say I’ve ever considered my opinion on it despite hearing it a thousand times through my life, “Nothing Compares 2 U” is clearly fucking great and sounds excellent in context of the record. I was wavering back and forth between 3 and 3.5, but I’ll stick with a feathery 3.5 for now. 3.5/5

One of my best friend is a Protestant and the other one was an Irish catholic. They make jokes about the Catholic Church every day because the first one is non-binary (and has been gladly accepted into a more progressive branch of the church) and the second one is a lesbian. nothing compares to telling lame jokes and avoiding demostrations and the smell of washed hair. 3/5

Feel So Different 3.3 I Am Stretched on Your Grave 3.4 Three Babies 2.8 The Emperor's New Clothes 3 Black Boys on Mopeds 3.2 Nothing Compares 2 U 3.6 Jump in the River 3.4 You Cause as Much Sorrow 3.3 The Last Day of Our Acquaintance 3.5 I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got 2.8 Score: 3.23

Enjoyable, it has the braveheart vibe, like it could play while a scotsman goes into an old battle or something. Definitely an artsy style

# Album Name: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got # Artist: Sinead o'Connor # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Beautiful voice but i was unable to connect with the album. Nothing compares 2 U is no doubt one of the best covers ever. Thats what saved this album from a 2. # Top Tunes: NC2U # Would I listen to it again? I might give it another chance.

The best track on this album is Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2U’, which also was the single from this album. All the other tracks were fine and well done but not memorable.

Ah, no slurs here, only affirmations. Sinéad is cool, but sometimes her songs are a little bit slow/boring for my preference. There's decent variety on this album though, more than your Jewels or Sarah McLachlans. A moderately pleasant surprise. Kind of like a St. Vincent predecessor. Highlight: 'Three Babies' (lotta baby talk on this record)

The double negative, while a style, was certainly a choice... ...Anyway, even though I disliked this album(other than a few songs), I'm giving her one extra star solely because she was "cancelled" for protesting pedophilia. Favorite Track: "Nothing Compares 2 U".

Ya'll are so fucking weird giving this album a 5. LOL <3

The Good: Makes sense to not want what you don’t have. The Bad: Seeing the economy take a tumble as there is no more trade… The Ugly: Realizing you’ve got nothing… Poor Sinead, tragic life. While listening to this album it sounded like you’re witnessing a fortune teller reading their own palm and realizing that it’s all for naught. Did I like the album? Not particularly… but then that anthem kicked in, and I was propelled back to those lovely ‘90s days, when I was in uni and hanging with friends and life just seemed to never have a tomorrow… Here’s to Sinead, hopefully, having enjoyed that which she did have! 3*

A bit melancholy but appreciate her fab talent thx

It was ok. I liked it but I didn't enjoy it as much as other stuff. Nothing Compares 2 U remains a masterpiece.

Kind of uninspired

A cool mix of intricate songs and Roxette-style tracks. The last song was great — very impressive.

The late 80’s/early 90’s sound of some of these songs can come across as kind of dated but Sinead’s voice is uniformly incredible throughout. I haven’t listened to this in years but it is undeniably an important album by a talented and brave artist who was unfairly maligned during much of her life by a bunch of clowns. “Whatever it may bring, I will live by my own policies, I will sleep with a clear conscience, I will sleep in peace.” Amen.

Sinēad should have been as big as Alanis. This album was a bit of a slow burn for me throughout the first listen, but totally hooked me with the second. Absolutely love how she incorporated traditional Irish sounds and instruments into a pop centric record. A pop centric record that delves into some deep, dark subject matter. She spoke truth to power, and pretty much lost her career because of it, but she never stopped speaking truth. She even did an album of classic reggae covers that is pretty damn beautiful. I’m embarrassed I had never listened to this album until now, but better late than never. Rest in power, Sinēad.✊

She's got a great voice, but not really my thing

Great voice! I feel to get the most out of this album you need to really pay attention to the lyrics as if it's like poetry.

In my opinion the album is a one hit wonder.

7/10. Not what I would usually listen to, but very solid. Interesting songs, great production, and a very distinct and iconic voice.

One absolute banger. Album is too long. Not enough really strong songs to move it to a 4.

Great vocalist with a great message throughout the album - however the album in of itself is quite forgettable - i can't really remember anything that blew me away or made me find it too interesting, not to say it wasn't anything bad. Nothing compares 2 U was pretty fun tho.

Pas mon délire

I really appreciate Sinead O'Connor's convictions, and her cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" is phenomenal, but an entire album of hers was kind of boring. I appreciated the political tones in a lot of her songs, such as "Black Boys on Mopeds," which I was ready to cringe about from the title but was pleasantly surprised, but most of the songs go on for far too long and lose their impact. I do think this is a worthy inclusion on this list, but personally I didn't love it.

6/10 Highlights: Nothing Compares 2U Jump in the River Black Boys on Mopeds