The Lion and the Cobra

by Sinead O'Connor

Overview

Sinead O'Connor's debut, The Lion and the Cobra, was a sensation upon its 1987 release, and it remains a distinctive record, finding a major talent striving to achieve her own voice. Like many debuts, it's entirely possible to hear her influences, from Peter Gabriel to Prince and contemporary rap, but what's striking about the record is how she synthesizes these into her own sound -- an eerie, expansive sound heavy on atmosphere and tortured passion. If the album occasionally sinks into its own atmospheric murk a little too often, she pulls everything back into focus with songs as bracing as the hard-rocking "Mandinka" or the sexy hip-hop of "I Want Your (Hands on Me)." Still, those ethereal soundscapes are every bit as enticing as the direct material, since "Troy," "Jackie," and "Jerusalem" are compelling because of their hushed, quiet intensity. It's not a perfect album, since it can succumb to uneven pacing, but it's a thoroughly impressive debut -- and it's all the more impressive when you realize she only topped it with its immediate successor, before losing all focus. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	Chrysalis Records
UPC:	0850055290259
Rank:	10533

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sinead O'Connor   Primary Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Enya   Guest Artist,Vocals,Voices,Spoken Word,Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Kevin Moloney   Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
John Reynolds   Drums
Rob Dean   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Marco Pirroni   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Gavyn Wright   Director,String Conductor
Spike Hollifield   Guitar (Bass)
Leslie Winer   Vocals,Voices,Spoken Word,Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Kevin Mooney   Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Mike Clowes   Keyboards,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Steve Wickham   Composer
Kevin Moloney   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
John Reynolds   Arranger,Composer,Programming,Arranger,Composer
Rob Dean   Arranger,Composer
Ali McMordie   Arranger,Composer
Richard Holifield   Composer
Sinead O'Connor   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Chris Birkett   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Jack Adams   Mastering
Enya   Narrator
Lawrence Zubia   Composer
Spike Hollifield   Arranger,Composer
Teeroy Morris   Mixing,Arranger
Fachtna O'Ceallaigh   Mixing
Sean Pencil   Cover Art
Kate Garner   Photography
Jake Reynolds   Composer
Leslie Winer   Arranger
Lloyd Phillips   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Kate Garder   Photography
John Maybury   Cover Art,Art Direction
Kevin Mooney   Arranger,Composer
Rob Deean   Composer
Steve Horse   Cover Art,Art Direction
Kim Bowen   Photography
Mike Clowes   Arranger,Composer,String Arrangements
Terence Morris   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Alistair McMordie   Composer
Black. Moon E.   Composer