Search - Sinead O'Connor :: Universal Mother

Half and Half

Batmanbrb | Seymour, IN United States | 05/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"By the time "Univeral Mother" came out, Sinead had become high on my list of favorite female artists - solely because of "Lion and the Cobra" and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got". Being objective, this CD has some beautiful arrangements, but only about half of the songs really grabbed me, but when they grabbed me, they REALLY grabbed me. I enjoyed "Red Football" because of its message and I love how the song ends on a very angry, retaliatory way. I also was touched by "Scorn Not His Simplicity", which is a beautifully touching song about a mother whose child is 'not like all the others' and deals powerfully with a mother's feelings of 'what did I do wrong to deserve this' and 'why was my child born this way'. It is just an incredibly powerful song and very well written. I was surprised how much I loved "All Apologies" and I honestly think I like her version better than Kurt Cobain's, but I do like Kurt's as well. But, my all-time favorite Sinead song is "Perfect Indian". This is one of those songs that if it was possible to wear out a CD from playing a song too much, it would be this one. Since I dabble a little on the piano, I was very much pulled in by the music. I have to say it is one of the most perfectly beautiful piano pieces I have ever heard in my life! And, Sinead's very moving vocals make this song a beautiful gem. I would have gladly paid $15 just for this one song, but I was glad I did like a few more. I have never known any artist to put so much intensity into her songs, whether it's angst or understated, she commands her songs and pulls the listener into her world of lyrics and you come away feeling like you just had a very deep conversation with a very close friend."

Stunning Work From The Most Extraordinary Talent of the 90's

Batmanbrb | 04/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Universal Mother" is a voyage into bitterness, betrayal and, ultimately, redemption. The inclusion of Germaine Greer's sound bite on track one was a little over the top, in my opinion, but when the horns start to blow on "Fire On Babylon," the listener is blasted into a very eloquent tapestry of rage. "Babylon" is one of Sinead's best songs simply by virtue of its experimental quality. The rage here is heartbreaking, even shocking. The fact that this is followed by "John I Love You/My Darling Child" is even more stunning. Now the fallout from Babylon's rage has come to earth and we are faced with an uplifting ode to the tenderness of loving relationships and between adults and the sheer joy brought into the adult world by the presence of a child. Sinead pulls it off with admirable ease and the genuine quality of her songwriting is so evident here. I don't think I've ever listened to an album that has been so perfectly recorded to be listened to "as a whole"--Sinead even urges that her fans listen to it in this manner (via the liner notes). This record is really like one continuous orchestral piece rather than a number of different songs. Mystifying and marvelous. The standout for me was "Thank You For Hearing Me." I absolutely lost it when I heard this song for the first time. It's beautiful, it's crushing, its triumphant, it's gorgeous. It's %^&&#ing religious! The only track I found to be out of place on this CD was "Scorn Not His Simplicity." While this is a lovely song(penned by Phil Coulter) and Sinead did a great job, it didn't seem to fit the thread of album overall. Otherwise, buy this CD. It will grow on you like no other."

Experimental...unexpected...brilliant

troytron | 04/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to believe that Sinead O'Connor's last album came out six years ago, but this was it, and many Sinead fans either loved it or hated it when it arrived. This was a remarkably experimental album in that it was recorded and designed to be listened to as a whole, rather than as a collection of individual songs. The concept was obviously motherhood in all its guises...spiritual, marital, sexual, redemptive, creative, destructive etc. A startlingly spiritual work, it is an album that grows on the listener in powerful ways. People I've talked to who bought this record have unanimously said that the more they listened to it, the more they "got" it, and once they "got" it, they were under a spell that will never, ever be broken. I won't name the best tracks on this record, because I consider this record to be one all-inclusive orchestral piece. Groundbreaking and amazing, and a shame that it didn't get the attention it deserves, but that's partly Sinead's fault(for alienating the masses with her personal political choices), partly the fault of a record company that couldn't promote her, and partly the fault of American musical un-sophistication."