How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?
How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? is the ninth full-length album by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor released in Ireland on 2 March 2012 on Shamrock Solutions and 5 March 2012 in the United Kingdom on One Little Indian.[2][3] The first single "The Wolf Is Getting Married" was released on 24 February in Ireland and got to number 40 for one week,[4] accompanied by a video directed by Roman Rappak, lead singer of Breton.[5]
How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 February 2012[1] | |||
Recorded | 2007-2011 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 44:59 | |||
Label | Shamrock Solutions Republic of Ireland One Little Indian | |||
Producer | John Reynolds | |||
Sinéad O'Connor chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
European edition | ||||
Singles from How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? | ||||
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The second single "4th and Vine" was released on 18 February 2013, accompanied by a video directed by Kathryn Ferguson. In 2013 O'Connor announced a European tour in support for the album, called The Crazy Baldhead Tour.[6]
As of 2014, sales in the United States have exceeded 18,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[7]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 75/100[8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Consequence of Sound | [10] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
musicOMH | [13] |
NOW | [14] |
Pitchfork | (7.6/10)[15] |
PopMatters | [16] |
Rolling Stone | [17] |
Slant Magazine | [18] |
Will Hermes of the magazine Rolling Stone graded the album with three out of five stars and found, "empathy, wit and beauty on... [the] focused LP".[17]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "4th and Vine" | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Adams | 3:58 |
2. | "Reason with Me" | O'Connor, Smith | 4:02 |
3. | "Old Lady" | O'Connor, Pirroni, Constantinou | 3:44 |
4. | "Take Off Your Shoes" | O'Connor, Reynolds | 5:28 |
5. | "Back Where You Belong" | O'Connor | 4:16 |
6. | "The Wolf Is Getting Married" | O'Connor, Pirroni, Constantinou, O'Neill | 4:23 |
7. | "Queen of Denmark" | John Grant | 4:37 |
8. | "Very Far From Home" | O'Connor | 3:55 |
9. | "I Had a Baby" | O'Connor, Pirroni, Constantinou, O'Neill | 4:11 |
10. | "V.I.P." | O'Connor | 6:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Song to the Siren" | |
12. | "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" (live in Reykjavik) |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Factories" | Damien Dempsey | 3:42 |
Live album - Limited special edition
This live album was recorded in three different concerts. Songs 1 to 4 at Dublin Olympia Theatre (Dublin), December 18, 2011; songs 5 to 8 at Frikirkjan Church (Reykjavík), October 14, 2011 (during Iceland Airwaves '11); songs 9 to 12 at St. John at Hackney (London), November 2, 2011.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "4th and Vine" | 3:50 |
2. | "V.I.P." | 7:33 |
3. | "The Lamb's Book of Life" | 5:34 |
4. | "Jackie" | 2:56 |
5. | "Black Boys on Mopeds" | 3:57 |
6. | "This Is a Rebel Song" | 3:46 |
7. | "Three Babies" | 4:46 |
8. | "Nothing Compares 2 U" | 5:43 |
9. | "Old Lady" | 3:41 |
10. | "Reason with Me" | 3:22 |
11. | "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" | 5:20 |
12. | "Last Day of Our Acquaintance" | 4:40 |
Personnel
- Sinéad O'Connor – vocals
- Justin Adams, Marco Pirroni, Kevin Armstrong, Tim Vanderkuil – guitar
- Kenny Bogan – acoustic guitar on track 5
- Chris Constantinou – bass guitar[21]
- Damien Dempsey – acoustic guitar on track 4
- Caroline Dale – cello
- Samuel Dixon, Clare Kenny – bass guitar
- John Reynolds – drums, piano on track 10
- Julian Wilson – keyboards
Live album
- Sinéad O'Connor - Vocals, Guitar (Tracks 5-8)
- Kieran Kiely - Musical Director, Keyboards, Guitar, Accordion, Low Whistle
- Ash Soan - Drums (Tracks 1-4)
- Yolanda Charles - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-4 & 9-12)
- Dave Randall - Guitar (Tracks 1-4 & 9-12)
- Rachael Wood - Guitar, Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-4 & 9-12)
- Steve Barney - Drums (Tracks 9-12)
- Bill Shanley - Guitar (Tracks 5-8)
- Rachael Dawson - Cello on track 10, Backing Vocals on track 9
- Roisin Waters - Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-4)
Charts
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums Chart | 42 |
Canadian Albums Chart[22] | 71 |
Danish Albums Chart | 31 |
Dutch Albums Chart | 29 |
French Albums Chart | 105 |
German Albums Chart | 78 |
Irish Albums Chart | 5 |
Italian Albums Chart | 57 |
Norwegian Albums Chart | 36 |
Polish Album Chart | 15 |
Swedish Albums Chart | 56 |
Swiss Albums Chart | 69 |
UK Albums Chart | 33 |
UK Indie Albums Chart | 7 |
US Billboard 200[23] | 115 |
US Rock Albums | 28 |
US Alternative Albums | 20 |
References
- "How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? - Sinead O'Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- Sinead O'Connor. One Little Indian, 9 December 2011.
- Sinead O’Connor announces ‘How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?’ Slicing Up Eyeballs, 12 December 2011.
- "Sinéad O'Connor - The Wolf Is Getting Married - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- "SINEAD OCONNOR The Wolf Is Getting Married - VIDEO". 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- "The Crazy Baldhead Toyr". Archived from the original on 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
- http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6214061/billboard-cover-sinead-oconnor-on-having-no-regrets-being-irregular-and
- "How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More - Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- Thomas, Fred. "How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? - Sinéad O'Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Hardy, Tony (March 9, 2012). "Album Review: Sinéad O'Connor - How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Woon, Mikael (February 24, 2012). "How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? review - Sinéad O'Connor Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Simpson, Dave (March 1, 2012). "Sinéad O'Connor: How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? - review". The Guardian. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Hogwood, Ben (March 5, 2012). "Sinéad O'Connor - How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". musicOMH. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Ritchie, Kevin (February 23, 2012). "Sinead O'Connor - How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". NOW. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- Dousler, Stephen M. (February 29, 2012). "Sinéad O'Connor: How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- Langhoff, Josh (February 22, 2012). "Sinéad O'Connor: How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". PopMatters. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Hermes, Will (February 21, 2012). "Sinead O'Connor - How About I Be Me (and You Be You)? (One Little Indian)". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- Keefe, Jonathan (February 20, 2012). "Sinéad O'Connor: How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- Sinead O'Connor. iTunes, 24 January 2012.
- Sinead O'Connor. Google Play.
- Chris questioned about his input on ‘How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?’ Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine Pop! The Question, 30 December 2011.
- "SoundScan Charts". CANOE - JAM! Music. Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- "Sinéad O'Connor - Chart history". Billboard. 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.