Sinead O’Connor Review, 1990

In 1990, the year before Nirvana blew up, I was somehow convinced — or rather, I convinced myself — that a progressive rock revival was going on. For evidence, none of it remotely conclusive, I cited artists like Sinead ‘Oconnor, Midnight Oil, Faith No More, Queensrÿche, King’s X, maybe Living Colour or Jane’s Addiction, maybe even Vanilla Ice sampling “Under Pressure” by Queen. Almost all major stretches, though in O’Connor’s case, I suppose my logic went something like: Genesis (at least ’70s Genesis) were prog; therefore Peter Gabriel is prog; therefore Kate Bush is prog; therefore Sinead is prog. Not a claim I’d make 34 years later, I don’t think. But “art rock” still fits, at least.

Revisiting albums from 1990, it occurred to me that I’d completely forgotten that I had reviewed this one before it became a critical and commercial success (double platinum in the U.S. with a single that went #1 in Billboard and just about every other country on earth; #2 with a #2 single in 1990’s Villlage Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.) Turns out that not only is the review not as awful as I’d have guessed, but my two favorite tracks then are still my two favorites now. (“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” especially, is way more powerful than I’d remembered — though calling it a “domestic apology” probably misses the point.) No doubt I was too harsh on a track or three, but it’s not a total pan.

As for “Nothing Compares 2 U,” I was apparently aware Prince wrote it (though I forget whether she spelled any other titles like him), but I doubt I knew his side act the Family had recorded it first. That I didn’t recognize the serenity prayer from either the Book of Psalms or AA is a bigger shocker. And I’m pretty sure I meant “suggests Marianne Faithful” rather than “recalls,” and “art-folk atmospherics” rather than “folk-art.” But who knows, an editor might deserve blame for those. Either way, maybe I should have given her more credit for her politics.

Request, April 1990