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Sinead fans were perplexed when, suffering a six-year hiatus between full original albums, Mizz Banshee released this vicious teaser. It turns out to be, perhaps, one of the greatest *incomplete* artistic canvases ever proffered by a recording "star." Gospel Oak, though an EP, is easily Sinead O'Connor's most realized, honest, defining, and elemental work. Owing to her intriguing behavior as an artist, she toured the world to support this teeny little acoustic, made-in-the-bedroom record, while she refused to tour behind Atlantic's multi-million dollar "Let's Re-invent Sinead!" whopper in 2000...the expensive 'Faith and Courage' album. However, this little forgotten piece of brilliance is the record where she truly rediscovered her jaw-droppin' chops as a songwriter, after the hell America put her through in 1992. Turns out that America learned a bit more about the Pope's organization in the meantime, and Sinead, who had effectively squelched her mainstream career, will never recover while the papacy will continue to drag on. But... every song on this record is a vocal masterpiece, a gem of poignant-yet-incisve songwriting, and sheer genius that, for a change, makes somebody actually proud to be a member of the human race. If you can get a copy of this widely shifted disc...do it. Don't put it off. You want real magic in your tired life? Look no further. I am not remotely using hyberbole here. 'Gospel Oak' is *that* good.
I too am a fan of Sinead's mother-goddess side, but it seems to me she's done it with more class elsewhere. This is no sequel to Universal Mother, though the first and third track themselves could have fallen off of it. The others deal some moderately uplifting lyrics, but aren't really up to standard either in composition or in justice to her vocal talent. That includes the live track--though you can pick up a nicer cut on the Chieftains album The Long Black Veil, which also features her on a nice cut of The Foggy Dew. Or for a better song and an overall better album, pick up The Chieftain's Tears of Stone, which features a throng of great female artists and one of the best performances by Sinead that I've ever heard on a track called Factory Girl.
This is an EP...therefore, it's probably low on most people's priority list. This is Sinead's best work, along with Universal Mother. They came out back to back. If you like Universal Mother, this is a necessary album to have.
stunning release from Sinéad O'Connor no doubt about it, and also her first since 1994, Universal Mother. O'Connor was essentially retired from music at this point, but clearly she's at the top of her game with this Celtic-rock album. The opening song "This Is to Mother You" is stunning and ranks as one of O'Connor's best songs, the video is stunning as well. Throughout the "Gospel Oak" (a very risqué title especially when you consider the dragon-slaying quest she's been one since the beginning, the whole "Fire on Rome" statements and all). The music on "Gospel Oak" is quite different from anything else she's released; fusing both Celtic elements and modern rock. "I Am Enough for Myself" is a stunning self-proclaiming song and "Petit Poulet" and "4 My Love" are riveting lullaby ballads. One of O'Connor's best tracks of all times finds itself at the end of the album, "This Is a Rebel Song" which is quite startling with O'Connor's fragile voice and quiet protesting. "Gospel Oak" ends with a beautiful live recoding of "He Moved Through the Fair" in which O'Connor's sounds comfortable and very assure of herself. If the album had been completed it would have been her very best, unfortunately, O'Connor was not in the best frame of mind at the time. Great album, one of her best!
I bought this recently after seeing it in a shop for the first time [in Australia]. From start to finish it is a collection of beautiful, gentle music. The lyrics are some of her best and the instrumentation often sparse but perfect. The highlight for me was the last track, 'He Moved Through The Fair', a live recording spotlighting the quality of Sinead's voice.
This is one of Sinead's most beautiful CDs. Each song on here is very healing and beautiful. My favorite is "Petit Poulet," the song in which Sinead cautions that there "isn't any answer to the question, you only learn to live with it." Nor is there any answer in religion, "Don't believe one who says there is."This CD, as with most of Sinead's music, envokes Ireland and her struggles. In the song titled "This IS a Rebel Song" (apparently referencing the title of a song by U2) Sinead puts to task the treatment of Ireland by England, casting Ireland in the role of a faithful but neglected wife. Sinead asks why England has never told Ireland that he loves her.
Her best, her brightest, her most beautiful..., March 8, 2003
Sweet and forgettable., January 25, 2003
Tender & Loving , November 8, 2005
