Sinéad

After the Russian mp3 site had been yanked, I stumbled onto what is probably its successor, mp3fiesta.com.  Albums are 99 cents, which costs less than the old site, but the selection is weaker.

Still, they got the new Sinéad O'Connor double set, Theology, so I snapped it down and returned the unopened CD to Best Buy.

I would never have cared much for the Irish bald one had I not seen her at Lollapalooza one year.  I think I was carrying Ernie on my shoulders; he was obviously too young to be there.  But we were enjoying the rock madness and when it came time for Sinéad's set, I got taken aback. I was unprepared for the volume and passion of this seemingly-diminuitive woman.  After her self-introduction and a few words about leisure and work, she stomped into her songs with pure voice and lyric (with no flailing of limbs or excessive animation), held tight, and never let go.

I've heard her music in a different way ever since.

On this new work -- which uses religious texts, including the Bible --  I especially like the cover of Jesus Christ Superstar's "I Don't Know How To Love Him," but that's the track most critics probably will disparage.  I don't care.