The Seattle Times
January 16, 1991, Wednesday, Final Edition

'YEAR OF THE HORSE' SHOWS WHY SINEAD O'CONNOR IS A PHENOM

BY PATRICK MACDONALD


The first long look at Sinead O'Connor on commercial television takes place at
10 tonight on the Lifetime cable channel, in an hour-long excerpt from a concert
last year in Rotterdam.

   "Sinead O'Connor: The Year of the Horse" is a dramatic, lively program that
shows why O'Connor is such a pop phenomenon. It's not just because she has a
shaved head and a feisty personality. The Irish singer possesses an amazing
voice that swoops and soars, whispers and screams, and gives all her songs a
compelling edge.

   That remarkable voice is stunning, even though it isn't showcased here quite
as well as on her recordings, mostly because she can't keep still while singing.
She moves her mouth away from the microphone, causing her voice to fade,
especially when playing guitar. Sometimes her vocals are so wispy you can hardly
hear what she's singing. But other times she roars, most notably in a chilling
sustained scream during her breakthrough smash, "Nothing Compares 2 U," one of
the most popular songs of 1990.

   When she isn't singing, she bends, twirls, hops and glides across the huge
stage, feeling the rhythms and reacting to the solos of her fine band.

   The songs come from her two albums, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," one
of the best releases of last year and a shoo-in for a Grammy, and "The Lion and
the Cobra," her debut 1989 release. Included are a spirited, stunning "The
Emperor's New Clothes," a brooding "Jerusalem" and a version of "Jump In the
River" that's better than the recorded one. But the highlight is "Nothing
Compares 2 U," Prince's aching ballad of loneliness, which is delivered with
much care and drama.

   The show is more colorful than O'Connor's performance here at the Paramount
last June, mainly because of the impressive lighting. The big stage in the huge
Ahoy Sportspalais allowed for the use of sweeping spotlights, fast-changing
visual backdrops and pulsating color washes. The lighting design is closely
keyed to the songs, giving them extra punch.

   The big audience is with O'Connor all the way, responding wildly to her vocal
pyrotechnics and singing along with her in the quieter songs. But we never get
to see anyone in the crowd. The camera lingers on O'Connor, showing her
porcelain skin, beautiful eyes behind round glasses, and lithe body, covered in
a black body stocking. On this program, even her shaved head looks good.