Back in my retail days, one of the more annoying regular occurrences was the customer who suddenly had an interest in the artist who just passed when he hadn't cared at all before. It was surefire. When Joe Strummer died, we sold Clash records. We sold Clash records to Celine Dion fans not to Clash fans. Clash fans already had everything. I guess theoretically there's nothing wrong with this. Taking the positive side, it might just be that reading Joe Strummer's obituary piqued the interest of someone who had never paid attention prior. Still, my partner and our employees always found it irritating, to the point that when anyone died, we'd make jokes, "Do we have any Eudora Welty records in stock?" "Better stock up on James Coburn vinyl."
I have no real emotional connection to Sinead O'Connor's music. I was all over it at the start, as were many. Between 1987-1991, I saw her perform at least three times, once as a headliner at The World, that hole in the wall, fire trap on Avenue C, and I think twice as an opener, once for World Party and again for someone I can't recall. I loved "The Lion & The Cobra," and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" pretty much sold the world. "Nothing Compares 2 U" still stops me in my tracks.
But then, like many troubled artists, she lost the plot. I wanted to love Sinead longer, but I didn't have the patience. I was all for her. I was one of 20,000 in Madison Square Garden for the Dylan tribute, but I wasn't booing. Still, I stopped listening.
I got a text from my friend Zip, expressing real hurt over Sinead's death. I felt his hurt, but not because I loved her music. I felt the hurt because of her story and her struggles. Her loss and that unimaginable pain. But Zip, while feeling all of that as well, also pointed out all of the music I missed. He is in the process of creating a playlist of his favorites for me, all from "Universal Mother" and beyond.
Something I was expecting, but still found shocking, were the social media posts. One two minute scroll through Instagram every 15 minutes, found nothing but Sinead tributes. I understand, to some degree. Tony Bennett affected me and so I needed to say so in a tribute. "R.I.P., Tony Bennett" wasn't going to be enough. But Instagram is a different animal. You know some people well and some you don't know at all. But it feels like you know all of the thousands you follow in some capacity. I couldn't help but think as I scrolled, "You don't like Sinead." Or, "Didn't the last 288 posters say 'Nothing Compares?" Or, "I hope you find peace?" It all felt like bullshit, though not as offensive as the posts disguised as Sinead tributes.
"Rest In Peace, Sinead. I once produced a show that featured Sinead and...and....and...the place was packed. I took video. So and so showed up and jammed with so and so...."
Instagram is a hotbed of self-aggrandizing, obituary hounds desperate for content. It's one step above spitting on a grave.
My friend Zip does the impossible. He finds the good in everyone. I try to, but fail miserably. Knowing now how much Sinead meant to him, I should ask how he feels about all of those Instagram posts. I mean, there is no way in hell they are all sincere. There is no way in hell all of those people stayed with Sinead's music until the end, like Zip.
When I saw the news, I was saddened. This was a terrible ending to an already terrible story. It didn't make me want to buy her records, or revisit "Theology" or "Sean-Nos Nua." But when someone I respected mentioned how much he loved her music, it was then and only then, I felt compelled to listen to Sinead once again. It may not take. But I am going in, hoping to hear what he hears, though I bet I'll be listening with different ears, now that she's gone.
17 comments:
It's a sad end to a unique life. I enjoy her first two albums along with Gospel Oak, plus many of the collaborations she did (Jah Wobble, especially).
You might find Morrisey's blog post a better tribute (a fitting rant) than the nonsense spouted by many social mediots.
https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/you-know-i-couldn-t-last
- Paul in DK
Wow. Never thought I'd love something written by Morrissey.
Thanks, Paul.
Really well said Sal -- thank you!
I didn’t have the heart…thank you for this.
I was never the biggest fan of Sinead. If there is one album I have to pick it would be Gospel Oak. But her heart was pure and there was so much turmoil in her life. I was saddened to learn of her passing.
I am with you on the Sinead reactions.
But, can we talk about how great your writing is and that your book will be awesome.
I have 4 Sinead songs in my library and they were added over 30 years ago. I lost interest early on but was always aware of her 'difficulties'. As the years passed I was more aware of the latter rather than the music. I was very saddened to hear of her passing because of how difficult her demons had made her life.
I do understand what you are saying but as someone who reads your blog weekly (even if I don't always comment), and who follows you and who you follow on Instagram, I feel a bit stung by this-since this is exactly what I did-even if your point is full of heart and fair in general. Am I less than genuine? How would you know that? I think with Sinead most of the posts are genuine, she touched a lot of people, especially those around her age, like me, and a lot of musicians respected her and cared about her (especially her country-mates). My heart broke when I heard about her death, much like it did with Chris Cornell, it's somewhat of an age thing, I suspect.
My posts on Instagram were heartfelt and very, very real. And perhaps you didn't mean me, but who do you mean then? I'm one of those people! Those albums "The Lion and the Cobra" and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" especially-it's as if she was my slightly younger sister, who ripped pages from my diary. I'm a singer, and it takes a lot to impress me, and she was a stunning talent. She moved me then, in some of the same ways Ricki Lee's "Pirates" did, and always continued to move me, but those two albums overwhelmed her other work at times as did her struggles. Tony Bennett meant a a lot to me too, I have an absolute right to honor him. I'm a Sinatra girl through and through (it took me a long time to get there though), but Tony's version of "Smile" is the absolute best, it's my way of saying thank you, no matter how silly that may seem.
When I post about an artist it's absolutely because as a music person I believe they were important, I adored them, hold them close to my heart and want to share a little glimpse of a particular song I love, one that means a lot to me-since it's my post, my feed, and that I also think represents them well. Do I not have this right? With Sinead it is "Black Boys on Mopeds" and I adored what Annie Lennox said about her, so I shared it. And I do wish Sinead some peace, given her struggles, and given the faith I have, I believe that's fair. And I did not always agree with her, but I loved her anyway. My social media is not a place where I really discuss music, it's where I post my photos, and use music as background. So my posts about artists would be sporadic, and usually when I want to honor them, and I imagine that's true for others.
Of course you have a right to feel the way you do and I get how annoying it might have been at your shop, but what's the big deal if someone postures a bit? What if they actually discover new/more music? It happens, maybe not as much as it should but it does. And if anyone wants to hear more Sinead along with the list your friend is sending you (which I hope you share), she was a wonderful partner with others- "The Foggy Dew" with the Chieftains, "Kingdom of Rain" by The The are two I adore.
Robin,
To me, it’s a simple answer. If you felt it deeply then by definition you were precisely who I was not referring to. I was specifically referring to the multitudes who laughed her off, who joked about her mental illness and her personal struggles, and who now, when it’s too late for her, merely pretended to have cared all along, when it might have helped. I was referring to the many people who,for need of content online, piled on to be a part of the conversation alone. Of course I didn’t mean anyone who cared deeply about her music, or her as an artist. That was the exact point.
I'm sorry you took it personally. Sinead always said what she felt, and sometimes it ruffled feathers.
When she shaved her heard and then ripped up the photo on SNL, I was like, well that was just stupid. I wasn't really up in arms - the truth is, I didn't care either way. She had a beautiful voice and a beautiful face, and the Catholic Church coverup was inexcusable.
After watching the documentary "Nothing Compares" and learning more about the abuse she suffered as a child, I decided that doing both of those things was incredibly brave. Fearless. Admirable. Necessary, even, for her.
You said it best, Sal: "This was a terrible ending to an already terrible story."
Never hurts to take that musical dive, it may be rewarding.
Randy
I can say I also gave up on Sinead a long time ago but then I didn't know the full story till a few years ago and that is a problem we all have with friends, family, idols, colleagues etc., we don't always know what goes on in that persons head or what they have experienced.
You hit the nail on the head when you said “you gave up on her" and I know I've done the same so reading that comment made me want to address that issue with myself and hopefully someone I know might t benefit.
In the words of Phil Lynott "Kings Call "
It was a rainy night
The night the Sinead went down
Everybody was crying
It seemed like sadness had surrounded the town
Me, I went to the liquor store
And I bought a bottle of wine and a bottle of gin
I played his records all night
Drinking with a close, close friend
Now some people say that that ain't right (that ain't right)
And some people say nothing at all (said nothing)
But even in the darkest of night
You can always hear the Sinead's call
You can always hear the Sinead's call
King changed to Sinead, I know phil would have sung it if he was still here.
Why would anyone scroll through Instagram posts or Twitter feeds or Facebook or any other social media and expect anything other than nonsense and annoying stuff? It's like reading graffiti in a public restroom and expecting literature. Or like scrolling through the comments on most news sites (you carefully curate your comments section) and expecting thoughtful discourse. Don't do it!
I used to feel a little ghoulish when I read an obituary and that sent me to the music or books or movies of someone who had just died. On the other hand, I was shocked MORE people didn't do it. Didn't everyone realize the fascinating obituary about a cult writer most of us had never heard about was going to create wild demand for their most acclaimed book? I would feverishly look for copies, realize it was out of print, check online at the Strand and RUSH down there and grab it, imagining I was only one of hundreds of thousands who would surely do the same.
Eventually, I found out no, everyone did not suddenly flock to read the books or see the movies or listen to the music of someone who just died. Even better, I realized there was no better way to celebrate a life of someone who created art and certainly nothing they would have appreciated than someone eagerly turning to their work. I don't feel ghoulish or weird about it any more.
Tony Bennett died? I really hope people don't just ask their streamer to randomly throw up a playlist or grab the Duets album but actually listen to I Left My Heart In San Francisco or Beat of My Heart or Live At Carnegie Hall or the kd lang and Diana Krall duets albums or best of all the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans album.
Screenwriter Bo Goldman died? By all mean, sit down and watch Melvin and Howard. It's a treat!
What struck me most about the media coverage of Sinead -- especially the BBC and the Irish Times and the like -- is how they properly spent so much time discussing her social impact on Ireland and discussions of child abuse and mental illness and the horrific scandal of abuse and coverup in the Catholic Church and so much more. She had a genuine impact on Ireland BEYOND her music and that's been given its due. Besides, where has Morrisey been the last five years? Sinead had a very well reviewed and best-selling memoir, a new documentary and other acknowledgements of her importance. She's been taken very seriously, even as she continued to struggle with her mental health. And then there's the music. I "gave up" too, though I listened to most everything at least once. Certainly the first two albums are key and I too highly recommend the lovely ep Gospel Oak. As with George Michael, I always held out hope there would be more of the high quality she could achieve, but it wasn't meant to be. But she gave her all.
Many who gave up on Sinead may have missed her excellent reggae album "Throw Down Your Arms".
From Wiki: "The album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica at Tuff Gong Studios and Anchor Studios in 2004 and released by Chocolate and Vanilla on 4 October 2005. 10 per cent of the profits went to support Rastafari elders in Jamaica."
With those credentials it's worth a listen.
When a famous musician or singer dies these days, it's not the record stores that people flock to -- it's the streaming sites and the download forums (at a time when the surviving family may need the royalties for funeral expenses).
There have been a number of thoughtful and touching articles about Sinead and the impact of her music and her activism. Social media is often shallow, but the tributes to Pee Wee Herman have been enlightening: Paul Reubens was by all reports generous, loyal and well-loved by many.
Sal, I agree with you about Morrissey's observation on Sinead -- even a stopped clock is right etc.
The public reaction to the deaths of musicians and singers sometimes remind me of the very funny lyrics to the song "Now That I Am Dead" by French Frith Kaiser Thompson. John "Drumbo" French wrote it.
Now that I've been boxed
They say my music rocks
It's taken on a new appeal
The lyrics are worth reading:
https://genius.com/French-frith-kaiser-thompson-now-that-i-am-dead-lyrics
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