Biting On The Heels of Love...? (The Lion And The Cobra - Sinead O'Connor)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	The Lion And The Cobra - Sinead O'Connor
Date:	10/08/07 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quite unique, yet assumed from the character of Sinead O Connor, very haunting and has great impact;

Disadvantages: Some love and loathe this music/artist. Surface noise evident on CD.

"The Lion & the Cobra," marks O'Connor's first steps into the pop world, even though by today's standards we can pigeon hole the singer into soft rock rather than the manufactured garble by which pop music exists in its many forms today. Back then however albums were less manufactured and taking longer to write and process. Sinead O'Connor however wasn't an unknown singer in Ireland but it wasn't really until her subliminal cover version of a little known song written by Prince, called "Nothing Compares 2U" got her noticed - well this is how it appeared to me anyway and is much better to listen to than Prince's original song.

In terms of pop stardom, Sinead O'Connor didn't do things half heartedly, known more for her political angst against many qualities which stemmed from her life in Ireland whilst influences from her previous incarnations of a pupil at school run by nuns meant that most of her musical reflections would be drawn around Biblical and holy references, this album's title for example, using inspiration from Psalm 91.

But don't discount O'Connor for her personal beliefs or for the fact that she paved the way slightly for female singers and pop artists to be taken on in a non-sexual way, this album has waves of Irish folk influence, classical inflections through its accompaniment and some good foot tapping moments in songs (later released as a single) such as "Mandinka," and the climatic slowly unfolding heart wrenching "Troy."



** Track listings **


"Jackie," is the shortest song on the album. Slightly bare in the sense that it uses a thumping bass line and electric guitars in unison, the song's appeal works in the way Sinead wraps her vocals alongside the music. It does however appeal more for just listening to the lyrics, noting on the death of a woman who still haunts the shore line for her long lost lover to "take his hand in mine." O'Connor's voice hovering in the higher octaves gives the precursor idea to female Irish vocalists injecting Irish folk inflection into their voices; an idea which Dolores O'Riodan (The Cranberries) may have wished she could have retained for her own individuality. Although it is a short song, it makes a good impact especially towards the end of the song when O'Connor mimics the thought of crashing waves as she fights against the tide looking for her lover.


"Mandinka" has always been one of my favourite songs; Almost immediately you'll fade into hearing the start of this song after the first. Such a feature of cross waving was not unheard of in the mid 1980's but this brings a fresh change to the usual rock beat with continual jingle jangling of a tambourine, even though the instrument itself has connotations and roots derived in Biblical music.

The choice to use the word "Mandinka" however is not easily explained in this song, even though instrumentally it is perfectly tight; strumming acoustic guitars sit alongside in tandem with electric guitars and a good thumping bass line. Quite why she uses the imagery of African people in a song which uses lyrics such as "I'm dancing the seven veils..." is unknown at first but it could well be a song of wanting, not just giving her lover her heart but also the time of a woman's life as a virgin to her family before being given away to a man.


"Jerusalem," is extremely haunting, with repeated sections of backing vocals similar to the work of Kate Bush. Lots of synth keyboards, a fantastic guitar lick with plenty of wah-wah effects gives this rock song a great interest over the original as O'Connor whoops and wails at times even if the content sometimes sits close with rapping over some musical lines. The shortness of the lyric lines is spot on, driving the thought of the song which is unclear to what it may well be other than a Biblical reference:

"...Ran down and the lady said it
It got torn down
and the priest just said it
It got burned
they give me five years five years
It's my turn..."

It is a relatively slow song but you'll reap the benefits from all that howling. It just gets the back of my neck every time I hear this song.


"Just Like You Said It Would Be," could well have been inspired by Kate Bush from "Army Dreamers," but this is no sentimental war song about a loved one lost in battle. The song only has one downside, where the true emotion is painted towards the end of the song; Sinead keeps asking "will you be my lover, or will you be my Mama?" Indeed it is not the first time in this album that as a listener you start to realise that O'Connor has a great need to be cared, comforted, or simply nurtured along. There is no need for her to plea to be understood - the great fabric of this album already highlights what she understands in life. The song ends in a frenzied style only made all the more by the accompaniment and gradual loudness of all the instruments concerned here.


"Never Get Old," starts with a pre-recorded spoken passage in Irish Gaelic, and with a slight Asian feeling of styles idenfified by the sound of tribal drums playing alongside. Highlights? Sinead's voice is made to sound like the screeching sounds of strings and she does it remarkably well.


"Troy" is another favourite song, using a proper string orchestra with the similar keyboard ostinato melody running in and out of the parts. Using the similar feeling from "Never Get Old," it starts quietly, gradually becoming louder even if the song is all about a love lost and a love which the singer regrets losing. You can't help but feel touched by the way Sinead "cries" through the howls of the vocals even though a lover's spurned revenge is the key here in the story of eventual return, stronger and more defiant. Lower strings emphasize the seriousness of the song's content even if the rock beat (tambourine assisted yet again) is non eventful. This song is very powerful and sits as one of the best on the album universally alongside "Jerusalem," and "Jackie," for its hushed quality.


"I Want Your Hands (On Me)," is non-eventful largely even though it is clear to understand what the lyrics are saying here. The song has a dry studio feel to it, even though it uses a drum machine here and electro keyboards. The song twists and turns in the vocal line just as most of the other songs have already done, but there is strength in O'Connor's voice even though the song eventually and incessantly repeats itself from the lyric.


"Drink Before the War," is a good song but appears to have been written quickly over all the other songs which appear here. The sound of a Hammond organ in this song has never sounded so creepy supported by a slow bass line as it fades in along with a simple drum beat. The gender approach here has been changed; Sinead sings from a man's point of view as we begin to learn the personal feeling through the lyrics in this song. Whilst it may be slightly tacky with string orchestra licks in and out of the music at the beginning, the song doesn't really change from its basic premise which is a great shame and the over use of all that howling in the backing vocals may turn you off.


"Just Call Me Joe," is quite a depressive number, with a
fuzz guitar supporting a slow rock ballad with Sinead hovering over the accompaniment. However now whenever I hear it, I rather like it even though the recording process during the period reveals that most of the time the lyrics and main melody is sometimes lost. Perhaps there is a reason for loud accompaniment but it is a disappointing song to end on an album which is awash with some great songs, haunting effects and the feeling that you are made to listen to a singer's point of view rather than the project of just listening along.



** Additional Info **


One of the downsides to this album is surface noise. It occurs in some songs during loud sections of climatic endings whilst at times such as the song above, the bareness of the instrumentals can reveal a slight reedy tone to Sinead's (then) young voice which has shades of Dido when she is not howling. Whilst it could well be said that O'Connor sounds like a revengeful banshee sometimes, the process of recording reveals the weaknesses in her voice but wrapped up in some great instrumentals to compensate.

The inlay cover features some great pictures of the singer (obviously promotional garb) as well as lyrics in my copy although you can view lyrics virtually everywhere on the internet. Yahoo for example provides an excellent biography of the singer including the political and public incidents as well as stating that Sinead O'Connor officially retired from the music business in 2003. Amazon also provides actual samples of all the songs on this album but you must have RealPlayer installed on your PC/Mac.

Prices really do vary for this album; from around £5 and upwards, new and used formats are available.

Of the most prominent influences, Alanis Morrisette pins Sinead O'Connor as being a particular influence to her music.


** Conclusion **


The year of 1987 provided a lot of pop music from the likes of Alison Moyet, Fleetwood Mac ("Tango in the Night,") Mel & Kim, Erasure and Freddie Mercury who sat amongst the charts, so in a way this is one album which must have sat above the upbeat electro synthesized sounds and stereo sound. Don't knock this album for the lack of engineered echoes, or bouncy dance like rhythms because this album uses Irish folk influence in the vocal lines amongst standard studio instruments which on here haven't really been allowed to shine.

The album does however invoke the listener to hear this album within the privacy of their home, like a novel rather than being made to feel the stresses of the day slip away. Although some say that the album didn't receive much public attention the year it was released, there is a strong timeless quality to this album very much apparent by the imagery and uses of third characters. That may well be the key to its success today and the reason to why so many music fans love this album. Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2007.

The Lion & the Cobra
Released 1987
Chrysalis records

Examples of the songs can be heard on Amazon.co.uk; Real Player/Music Sampler software needed.

Summary: Now cheaply priced, it is an album largely made of timeless music.