Sinéad O'Connor
The Lion and the Cobra
Play The Lion and the Cobra
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AMG Review of The Lion and the Cobra
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music GuideSinéad O'Connor's debut, The Lion and the Cobra, was a sensation upon its 1987 release, and it remains a distinctive record, finding a major talent striving to achieve her own voice. Like many debuts, it's entirely possible to hear her influences, from Peter Gabriel to Prince and contemporary ap, but what's striking about the record is how she synthesizes these into her own sound -- an eerie, expansive sound heavy on atmosphere and tortured passion. If the album occasionally sinks into its own atmospheric murk a little too often, she pulls everything back into focus with songs as bracing as the hard-rocking "Mandinka" or the sexy hip-hop of "I Want Your (Hands on Me)." Still, those ethereal soundscapes are every bit as enticing as the direct material, since "Troy," "Jackie," and "Jerusalem" are compelling because of their hushed, quiet intensity. It's not a perfect album, since it can succumb to uneven pacing, but it's a thoroughly impressive debut -- and it's all the more impressive when you realize she only topped it with its immediate successor, before losing all focus.
LIVE MUSIC IS BETTER! SINEAD O'CONNOR
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I remember when Sinead O'Connor had unquestioned credibilty. I bought her first album as an import way back when. I remember reading a blurb somewhere in one of the myriad music magazines that I've since sworn off, maybe Rolling Stone. Anyway, the article made mention of the fact that this little Irish spark plug had written a strong batch of songs, and even helped in the mixes & things wit
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Essential 80's Tracks, Part 12
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 "The Lion and the Cobra")
