The endless sideshows engendered by the fact that Sinead O'Connor was apparently born without the internal censor that keeps the rest of us from social embarrassment have done far too much to obscure the essential truth about this singer/songwriter: she's genuinely talented, and her best work cannot be ignored. This 15 track compilation collects all of the singles from her first four albums, adding several non-LP tracks like "Heroine," a collaboration with The Edge and Eno-associate Michael Brook from the soundtrack of the otherwise forgotten 1986 film CAPTIVE. From her outstanding debut, O'Connor went from strength to strength for a number of years, and this set includes essential tracks like the hard-rocking "Mandinka" and "The Emperor's New Clothes" to the still-startling confessional sound of "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "I Am Stretched On Your Grave." This set also gathers the high points from the spotty but often worthwhile albums O'Connor recorded after her self-imposed retreat from the spotlight, making it a solid one-stop for the casual fan.
What the critics say...
Entertainment Weekly (12/12/97, p.90) - "...If some her early work now feels shrill and strident, her later experiments with hip-hop beats and Bomb the Bass (included here) make her seem visionary. It's common for pop stars to boast of growing up in public, but O'Connor's actually done it." - Rating: A-
