Review: Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition)

My review of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition) can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Sinéad O'Connor
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition)
EMI/ Chrysalis
2009

Has it really been almost 20 years since the release of Sinéad's I Don't Want What I Haven't Got? I was 19 years old, just out of high school and started my extended run at a local junior college in San Antonio, Texas. Sinéad herself was only twenty four when she gave birth to I Don't Want with her husband, drummer John Reynolds. Most of the tracks were recorded with very few takes. The record company initially rejected the record because in their words it sounded like `…reading somebody's diaries.'

The personal nature of I Don't Want is what made Sinéad an international phenomenon. To me, being a young poet, I connected to her words. It takes a true artist to connect beyond their gender and age. Sinéad was this artist. All you have to do is listen to her lyrics, especially on "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance." Her words and vocal performance perfectly reflected the initial sound and emotions when heart shatters during the first moments of a break up. It starts off with Sinéad quietly whispering her vocal over her acoustic guitar. It climaxes with Sinéad finding her voice and becoming louder in a moment of empowerment. It's no coincidence of the song's placement at the end of the record. Sinéad's vocal in her anthem was the signal of her true nature. Sinéad was always an outspoken artist who told her version of the truth, no matter what cost. She was brave and uncompromising from the beginning, and it startled a male-dominated entertainment world.

It's hard to separate all of the events following the release of the album because in my memory they're tied together. I remember I was at the same junior college and proudly wearing my oversized, black Sinéad t-shirt with a huge portrait of O'Connor's beautiful bald head on the front during the height of her controversy. This was the time when even Frank Sinatra was condemning her. But not me, I never wavered even with all the looks and stares around this very conservative Texas city. I recall one of my history professors walking with me across campus admiring me wearing Sinéad's shirt during the time the public was turning against her. Looking back, I wish I still had that shirt.

It's amazing that the public so quickly rallied against the artist who only a few months back had a number one single written by Prince himself. "Nothing Compares 2 U" is what most will remember I Don't Want, but to me the legacy of Sinéad's second album is the legion of artists who came after her. By standing up to the status quo, O'Connor opened the door for Polly Jean Harvey, Tori Amos, Cat Power and so many more. Sinéad symbolically took the arrows for those future artists. I believe she laid the dynamic foundations for these women and their art to thrive during their respective eras.

I Don't Want is not just a singer/songwriter's manifesto and it's reflected in this newly released Special Edition. Not only do you get this now classic album remastered, but also a disc of live rarities, remixes and b-sides. One of my favorites is the Daniel Lanois-produced "Mind Games," a cover of the John Lennon song. and Sinéad's voice is perfect for this version. Lennon would proud of the way she sings the original title of the song, "Make Love Not War," over and over on the fade out. O'Connor also adds a little Jamaican flavor to a faithful cover of Gregory Issacs' "Night Nurse."

If there was any doubt about the greatness of Sinéad, press play and listen to the dynamic fire in her passionate voice in this acoustic version of "Troy" recorded live in London. Also available on the bonus disc of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, this is reason enough to buy the reissue. When she sings, "I'll remember it/ every restless night,"you are there reliving it all. Fucking amazing!

Let's not forget some of the gems from the original album that made I Don't Want an electric listening experience. Sinead brought the noise on the memorable rock anthem "The Emperor's New Clothes." (Listen for the killer bass lines from former Smiths member Andy Rourke.) We can't forget the sizzling "Jump in the River" with bullets firing the single that dropped before the album's release. Who could forget the time Sinead once claimed "Rap is the folk music of this generation." You can hear O'Connor incorporating a hip-hop feel with the James Brown back beat sample on the very lovely and potent Frank O'Connor poem "I Am Stretched Out on Your Grave."

I Don't Want was and still is a very diverse album that changed music within the confines of these timeless songs. We owe a lot to Sinéad. She proved to her label, the music world and every artist that writing from the heart, no matter how personal, will connect with every man, woman and child on the planet and she did with I Don't Want What I Haven't Got. She inspired me and continues to today. Sometimes it's difficult to reflect your own voice within your own personal canvas but Sinéad proved it's the only way to be true to yourself as an artist. This is still a bold and delicate album that grows stronger and more beautiful with age. More than a work of a vilified anti-hero on a t-shirt or on a video screen, I Don't Want What I Haven't Got is the album where Sinéad found her voice. It was not only hers but the voice of a generation who searched for love, honesty and devotion in an uncompromising nature that only Sinéad O'Connor could bring to life.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.27.2009

Review: PJ Harvey and John Parish: A Woman a Man Walked By

My review of A Woman a Man Walked By can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

PJ Harvey and John Parish
A Woman a Man Walked By
Island
2009

Unfortunately for John Parish, fans of multi-talented Polly Jean Harvey often overlook his contributions when collaborating with the songstress. It's just a simple fact: the singer that gets most of the recognition. Look at Bright Eyes—songwriter Conor Oberst gets all of the laurels while instrumentalist Mike Mogis creates all the visually inspiring soundscapes for his singing counterpart to craft his lyrical magic. Oberst frequently acknowledges Mogis' role in the band, but for the most part Conor gets all the glory. The same goes for Harvey, whose A Woman a Man Walked By is not a proper solo album. We are so used to Polly doing it all on her own that when we hear singing, we assume it's 100 percent Harvey, all the time.

Multi-instrumentalist Parish has produced some of the most electrifying atmospheric sonic textures for Polly Jean to create her intimate lyrical rhymes. A Woman is a breathtaking effort with equally sinister and sweet, seductive sounds coming from my favorite siren. Parish brings the good stuff with his searing guitar riffs especially in the explosive opener "Black Hearted Love." When Polly Jean sings, "I'd like to take you to a place I know…" we, as her devoted audience, are sure to follow her. This is what makes "Black Hearted Love" the perfect introduction as Polly Jean's vocals invite us to follow them down the rabbit hole beneath this new rhythmic canvas.

Ever since the opening salvo of greatness was struck in her debut single "Sheela-Na-Gig," we devotees of Polly Jean have been with her every step of the way throughout the progression of her career, as heard in the dynamic Rid of Me, the dramatic Stories from the City, the cinematic Is This Desire, the bare melancholy of Uh Huh Her and the haunting melodies of White Chalk. Parish makes Harvey fans roar with gratefulness by reuniting Polly Jean's voice with his electric guitar. But A Woman is not just a ten song axe fest; think of this as Harvey and Parish following the Radiohead post-Kid A/Amnesiac method. Starting with Hail to the Thief the band reincorporated the guitar back into their repertoire, but didn't completely abandon the creative elements of their most recent musical experimentation. Parish gave Harvey minimalist musical textures in songs like "A Soldier," with Harvey's ghostly vocal that would have fit perfectly on White Chalk.

One of my favorite songs on A Woman has to be Parish's Krzysztof Komeda inspired rhythms of "Leaving California." This song has an eerie Rosemary's Baby-esque vibe which Komeda famously composed for director Roman Polanski's classic thriller in 1968. Harvey's poignant vocal reminds me of Mia Farrow's character from that same movie. "California" is very cinematic and one of Parish's musical triumphs. He should be writing music for films. Harvey even claims that his music for a college production of Hamlet is what inspired their first collaboration Dance Hall at Louise Point.

Fans of Harvey's classic Rid of Me will recognize the "50ft Queenie" shock from Parish's electric riffs on the climactic title track. Oh how we have missed that lusty seductress spitting vulgar rhymes of yesteryear. Parish then mixes the title cut with a locomotive-inspired instrumental, "The Crow Knows Where All the Little Children Go."

A Woman displays the ultimate blend of their strengths: Parish's melodic muscle and Harvey's lyrical intensity. "Pig Will Not" is another vintage Harvey track, with howling vocals and Parish supplying a cacophony of backing riffs and rhythms that match her lyrical fire.

The album closes with Harvey's very beautiful spoken word vocal on "Cracks in the Canvas." Parish's simple harmonium and single chords connect with Harvey's memorable lyric, "Cracks in the canvas look like roads that never end." And just like that the journey that was A Woman a Man Walked By ends. Within the confines of ten incredible songs, Harvey and Parish have surpassed the promise made with Dance Hall at Louise Point.

A Woman a Man Walked By is an unforgettable exploration with John Parish and Polly Jean Harvey as our guides. If A Woman a Man Walked By is any indication, I look forward to their next musical endeavor where Parish will continue feeding Harvey sonic dangers made eloquent by her lyrical genius. In the guise of these songs, these two artists find the way to constantly connect the passionate rhythms of human nature. The emotional resonance of lust and their revealing loves are brought to life by Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish. The ripples of these melodies will linger long after the cracks on their musical canvas have subsided.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.08.2009

Review: Leonard Cohen: Live in London

My review of Leonard Cohen's Live in London can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Leonard Cohen
Live in London
Columbia
2009

I remember standing in the darkness of Tower Records in Lincoln Park, Chicago. We were about to close and walk out the door about four years ago, and I had just read the news that Leonard Cohen was coming out of retirement. Cohen was suing his accountant for embezzling his funds. I was so disgusted that I stopped and turned around to face my closing crew and said, "Who in the fuck would steal from Leonard Cohen?" They looked at me like I was crazy. "Whoever did is going to hell."

Four years later, because of this criminal, we are blessed in witnessing the return of a living legend. Leonard Cohen is touring again. If you're like me and can't afford to go see Mr. Cohen in concert because you're feeling the aching effects from this current financial crisis, you'll be will be happy to know that there is an alternative—a double live CD and DVD called Live in London. This may be the closest I will come to hearing or seeing Mr. Cohen on stage, but what a delight this live document is.

It's hard to believe that Mr. Cohen is 75 years old, because his voice sounds resurrected and alive in this London setting. You would think someone who has been robbed by someone he once trusted would feel some kind of animosity, but not Leonard Cohen; he has a graceful and humorous presence on stage. You can tell he's having the best time on the road during this time.

From the opening strands of "Dance Me to the End of Love," you realize that this isn't just another live album for the sake of album sales. I myself considered purchasing this concert collection, because four years later I can't believe that someone would steal from this saintly poet. Now that I have it, Live in London is one of the best live CDs I've ever had the pleasuring of owning. I have to say it's up there with Bob Marley's 1975 Live at the Lyceum, in the same setting in London. Those Londoners sure know how to appreciate the great ones.

All the old favorites from Leonard Cohen's vast and eternal canon are represented on Live in London. One of my favorites is Mr. Cohen's poetic recitation of "A Thousand Kisses." Sounding like a universal poet laureate, the way his deep voice recites this classic will send shivers throughout your musical soul. Cohen also shows the music world who originally wrote and recorded his classic "Hallelujah." Leonard brings it back home in the voice we know and have loved for all of these years. "Sisters of Mercy" soars angelically in this live setting. Speaking of angels, the Webb Sisters shine with Cohen as they take on "If It Be Your Will."

I do have a few complaints, however. Some of the backing vocals are turned up too much and at times may seem to be mixed higher than Mr. Cohen's voice. There's one too many sax solos. I would have loved to have seen and heard an all-acoustic show, but Cohen does have an awesome backing band whose arrangements equal Leonard's legendary vocal delivery.

So if you're not going to have the opportunity to go see Leonard in concert, you must go out and invest in the next best thing, this breathtaking double CD collection, Live in London. Just hearing Cohen's voice coming out of your headphones will soothe and inspire you as it makes your year. Powerful and poetic, Leonard Cohen returns, and we all are witnesses. Don't you dare miss out.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.07.2009