Before Sinead O'Connor became conservative America's most reviled musician when she ripped up a picture of the Pope on TV and refused to perform live at a New Jersey venue following "The Star Spangled Banner," she vocally supported the IRA at home in Ireland and generally roused the rabble. Indeed, she's one female pop star who's truly earned her army boots. Though her once meteoric musical career has suffered due to her outspokenness, the powerful voice and presence found on her second album is beyond reproach. Best known as the source of O'Connor's breakthrough cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," this is a moving, intensely passionate work full of dark beauty and longing, constructed with a fierce independence and a taste for the unique. This undeniably pop album (albeit with modern-rock and folk elements) has more than held up through the years. --Lorry Fleming

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Lion and the Cobra
Comment: If you love this album, make sure you also own her first album, The Lion and the Cobra. It is nothing short of brilliant. These are the 2 to own by the incredible Sinead.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent snapshot of late 80s Irish music
Comment: I like all of the songs on this CD. Even Nothing Compares 2 U, which was ruined with repated radio play. (To this day, stations play Nothing Compares 2 U instead of other classic Sinead songs.) I love this album!

Every song means something. When I was younger and single, The Emperor's New Clothes and Jump in a River made the most sense to me. And while they are still great, they aren't the same as Black Boys on Mopeds, Stretched on Your Grave, and Three Babies.

Black Boys on Mopeds speaks of the injustices in British society: England's not the mythical land of Madam George and roses, it's the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds.

Stretched on Your Grave is Sinead's interpretation of an anonymous 17th century poem. I believe that the narrator was a young boy with his female friend. Sinead's version gives the same feeling of heartbreak with a twist. Two young girls are close friends, they had an opportunity to be sexually intimate, but they didn't. The friend died with her virginity. Lines like "The girl I loved as a child" as well as the verse about them getting lost at night.... "Thanks be to Jesus we did what was right.... Your maidenhead..."

Three Babies is more of an enigma. When I first listened to it, over 10 years ago, I thought it was about miscarried or stillborn babies. Now, I interpret the song to be about abortions. It's a very haunting song about a mother who regrets her decision to abort three children. The babies will live on in her blood and bones. She knows she will be reunited with them.

The beauty of Sinead's music is in the various interpretations. I've read other interpretations of Three Babies, like it being about a woman who has babies with 3 different men.

This album is a gorgeous time piece of late 80s Irish/English culture. It is one of my favorites.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Beautiful of her BALD!!!
Comment: It's a shocking moment, when I saw her singing "Nothing Compares 2U". I kept asking my father is the singer a male or a female? He told me that she is a female, and I said yeah!!! it's great because I hadn't seen any beautiful bald women in my live, except her. But the most important thing is her song "Nothing Compares 2U" which I always assume "Nothing Compares to Sinead O'Connor" my huge influential singer in the world.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great CD...Slow delivery
Comment: Amazon had to send out a second shipment for this item. The first item never got to my address even though the tracking said it was delivered. Very discouraging as far as the delivery. The CD is in excellent condition and is what I expected.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Sinead O'Connor at her best
Comment: I use to have "I Do Not Want What I haven't Got" on tape cassette. Over time I have tried to repurchase my favorite tapes on CD. This one slipped by me and recently I recalled how much I loved every song on this CD. So finally I get to listen to it again. Great songs for working out too!

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