Wednesday, April 25, 1990
Sinead O'Connor gets
what she wants
New release shatters stereotypes of female vocalists
by Robb Frederick
Entertainment Editor
When Sinead O'Connor titled
her latest release / Do Not Want
What / Haven't Got, the Irish
songstress might not have
expected just how much she
would soon be getting.
The release, which has topped
both the single and LP charts,
has provided O'Connor with the
exposure she so richly deserves.
Fortunately, O'Connor makes
this leap to the mainstream
without sacrificing her beliefs or
abandoning her innovative
musical style.
Although portions of / Do
Not Want carry O'Connor into
the realm of top forty music, the
bulk of the release further
enhances the musical
experimentation the multi-faceted
O'Connor premiered with her
1988 debut The Lion and the
Cobra.
Several tracks extend
O'Connor's style, delving into
abstract rhythms and primitive
vocals. For the listener who
quickly tires of the almost
uniform top-forty sound, the
change is a blessing from above.
/ Do Not Want begins with
the subdued "Feel So Different,"
which appropriately sets the tone
for O'Connor's newer, more
relaxed sound.
The track emphasizes
O'Connor's incredible vocal
ability, limiting her
accompaniment to a sparse string
arrangement. O'Connor begins
the song with a hushed delivery,
almost whispering her lines. By
the track's end, however,
O'Connor finds it difficult to
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RECYCLER
restrain her emotions.
This introduction is followed
by the morbid "I am Stretched on
Your Grave,” which describes a
grief-stricken character who
spends her evenings at the grave
of a lost lover.
"When my family thinks that
I'm safe in my bed / from night
until morning I am stretched at
your head," she cryptically sings.
This diverse musicianship
continues on songs like "Three
Babies" and "Black Boys on
Mopeds."
the former is a ballad about
motherhood, the latter a biting
criticism of violence in Britain.
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Review
"These are dangerous days / to
say what you think is to dig your
own grave / remember what I told
you / if you were of the world
they would love you," she
regretfully sings on "Black
Boys."
"Nothing Compares 2 U," the
single which is currently
dominating the airwaves, further
accentuates O'Connor's incredible
vocal range. The song, written by
Prince, is commendable, but is
doomed to overexposure on the
airwaves.
Throughout I Do Not Want,
O'Connor's writing frequently
returns to the ending of personal
relationships.
The most obvious example of
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this is "The Last Day of Our
Acquaintance," which documents
the confusion that often
accompanies a relationship's end.
As the track develops,
O'Connor energizes her
previously subdued vocals in a
release which symbolizes the
song's content.
The theme resurfaces on "The
Emperor's New Clothes," an
energetic sample of O'Connor's
ability with dance-oriented music.
The song weighs issues of regret
and self-content, and the sacrifices
which each require.
The emphasis of I Do Not
Want is placed on O’Connor’s
unparalleled vocal range. She
effortlessly proves her mastery of
the traditional ballad, producing a
remarkably clear sound.
The disc's more abstract
moments, however, demonstrate
O'Connor's true talent. The
powerhouse vocalist has tamed
her style since her 1988 debut,
but several segments of I Do Not
Want shatter the stereotype of the
female vocalist. O'Connor fills
her music with raw energy, and
the resulting sound ranges from
primitive growls and piercing
screams to tribal chanting and
something that vaguely
resembles yodeling.
/ Do Not Want is certain to
expand O'Connor's following.
Many listeners will purchase the
release expecting more of what
they have heard on the airwaves.
Some will be shocked and
disappointed by O'Connor's more
radical tendencies, but many
others will find the sound a
refreshing break from the
"traditional” style of female
vocalists.
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