| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| NME | (8/10)[3] |
| Q | [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| Vibe | (favorable)[3] |
Universal Mother is the fourth album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Germaine" | Germaine Greer | 0:38 | |
| 2. | "Fire on Babylon" | O'Connor, John Reynolds | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Tim Simenon | 5:11 |
| 3. | "John I Love You" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Phil Coulter | 5:31 |
| 4. | "My Darling Child" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Coulter | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Am I a Human?" | Jake Reynolds | Jake Reynolds | 0:24 |
| 6. | "Red Football" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Coulter | 2:48 |
| 7. | "All Apologies" | Kurt Cobain | O'Connor | 2:37 |
| 8. | "A Perfect Indian" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Coulter | 4:22 |
| 9. | "Scorn Not His Simplicity" | Coulter | O'Connor, Coulter | 4:26 |
| 10. | "All Babies" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds | 4:29 |
| 11. | "In This Heart" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Coulter | 3:11 |
| 12. | "Tiny Grief Song" | O'Connor | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Coulter | 1:56 |
| 13. | "Famine" | O'Connor, Clayton, Simenon, John Reynolds, Lennon, McCartney [6] | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Simenon | 4:56 |
| 14. | "Thank You for Hearing Me" | O'Connor, John Reynolds | O'Connor, John Reynolds, Simenon | 6:25 |
Note: "Famine" quotes the song "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles.
Personnel
- Sinéad O'Connor – vocals, piano
- John Reynolds – drums, programming
- Dave Clayton – keyboard, programming
- Marco Pirroni, Ivan Gilliland – guitar
- Tim Simenon – programming
- Nicky Scott, Matthew Seligman, Claire Kenny – bass guitar
- Phil Coulter – piano
- John O'Cane – cello
- Voice Squad – backing vocals
- Irish Chamber Orchestra – strings
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] | 31 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] | 7 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] | 8 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 38 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] | 38 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] | 49 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] | 11 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 11 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[15] | 19 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 36 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[17] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[19] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[21] | N/A | 217,000[20] |
| * Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Universal Mother - Sinéad O'Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (16 September 1994). "Universal Mother". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ a b c "Sinead O'Connor - Universal Mother CD". CDUniverse.com. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: sinead o'connor". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (6 October 1994). "Sinead O'Connor: Universal Mother". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Sinéad O'Connor – Universal Mother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Sinead O'Connor | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Sinead OConnor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Sinead – Universal mother" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Sinead – Universal mother". Music Canada.
- ^ "British album certifications – Sinead – Universal mother". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Universal mother in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (11 July 1998). "Sinead O'Connor Starts Anew". Billboard. p. 92. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – Sinead – Universal mother". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.