Faith and Courage

In 1998, Sinéad O'Connor left label Ensign Records and signed with Atlantic Records, but her album was delayed due to her personal struggles, including the birth of her daughter, an alleged suicide attempt, a bitter custody battle and becoming a priestess in a religious order.{{cite journal|last=Williamson|first=Nigel|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/00s/2000/MM-2000-06-17.pdf|title=Sinead's journey of survival|date=17 June 2000|access-date=20 December 2018|journal=Music & Media|volume=17|issue=25|pages=1–21}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1432773/sinead-oconnor-brings-faith-and-courage/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220230928/http://www.mtv.com/news/1432773/sinead-oconnor-brings-faith-and-courage/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 December 2018|title=Sinead O'Connor Brings "Faith and Courage"|website=MTV}} O'Connor described Faith and Courage, her first album with Atlantic, as a record about "survival" which depicted her own troubled "journey" as she bared her soul on a series of autobiographical and often cathartic songs. "It's exciting and a little scary to be back. I wanted to make a record which was strong and positive. It's about getting my spirit back on its feet and standing up", she said.

Andy Murray, marketing director of Warner Music Europe, commented: "It's the right time for her to break her silence. [...] and everybody seems to think it's her best album since her first record. The marketing campaign is about reminding people who she is. But actually, despite the long gap, nobody seems to need reminding. There's a real excitement around the record, which has surprised a lot of people".

{{Music ratings

| MC = 64/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/faith-and-courage/sinead-oconnor/critic-reviews |title=Critic reviews at Metacritic |publisher=Metacritic.com |access-date=2014-03-11}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r480243|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = B+{{cite web|author=Will Hermes |url=https://ew.com/article/2000/06/16/faith-and-courage/|title=Faith and Courage|publisher=Meredith Corporation|date=2000-06-16 |access-date=2022-07-27}}

| rev3 = LA Weekly

| rev3score = (mixed){{cite web |url=http://www.laweekly.com/ink/00/32/music-epstein.shtml |title=LA Weekly review |access-date=2013-01-03 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824161425/http://www.laweekly.com/ink/00/32/music-epstein.shtml |archive-date=August 24, 2000 }}

| rev4 = NME

| rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|title=Faith and Courage|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-2547-331530|publisher=NME Networks|date=2000-07-13|access-date=2022-07-26}}

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5score = 3.8/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5944-faith-and-courage/ |title=Sinéad O'Connor: Faith and Courage Album Review |work=Pitchfork |date=31 July 2000 |last=Sage Rockermann |first=Kristin}}

| rev6 = Robert Christgau

| rev6score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=sinead+o%27connor |title=CG: Sinéad O'Connor |publisher=Robert Christgau }}

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite web|author=Barry Walters |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/faith-and-courage-20000622 |title=Rolling Stone review |publisher=Rollingstone.com |date=2000-06-22 |access-date=2014-03-11}}

| rev8 = Slant Magazine

| rev8score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/sinead-oconnor-faith-and-courage/147 |title=Slant Magazine review |date=November 2002 |publisher=Slantmagazine.com |access-date=2014-03-11}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9score = 3/10

| rev10 = Wall of Sound

| rev10score = 84/100{{cite web |url=http://wallofsound.go.com/reviews/stories/sineadoconnor_faithandcourageIndex.html |title=Wall of Sound review |access-date=2013-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000711032853/http://wallofsound.go.com/reviews/stories/sineadoconnor_faithandcourageIndex.html |archive-date=July 11, 2000 }}

}}

Faith and Courage received positive reviews from music critics, including the best ones she had received in years. Irish Hot Press magazine suggested that the album was O'Connor's equivalent of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks (1975).

It was placed on ''Slant Magazine'{{'}}s list of best albums of the 2000s at number 99.{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-of-the-aughts-albums/215|work=Slant Magazine|access-date=10 February 2010|author=Cinquemani, Sal|title=Best of the Aughts: Albums|date=February 2010}}

The album was certified gold (35,000 Copies) in Australia in 2000.{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}} As of 2014, sales in the United States have exceeded 219,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6214061/billboard-cover-sinead-oconnor-on-having-no-regrets-being-irregular-and|title = Billboard Cover: Sinead O'Connor on Having No Regrets, Being 'Irregular' and Resurrecting Her Career|magazine = Billboard|date = 8 August 2014}}

{{track listing

| headline = Faith and Courage track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = The Healing Room

| writer1 = O'Connor

| extra1 = Adrian Sherwood, Skip McDonald

| length1 = 5:35

| title2 = No Man's Woman

| writer2 = O'Connor, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven

| extra2 = Cutler, Preven

| length2 = 3:00

| title3 = Jealous

| writer3 = O'Connor, David A. Stewart

| extra3 = Stewart

| length3 = 4:18

| title4 = Dancing Lessons

| writer4 = O'Connor, Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, Blandinna Melky Jean, Jimmy Cozier

| extra4 = Jean, Duplessis

| length4 = 4:17

| title5 = Daddy I'm Fine

| writer5 = O'Connor, Stewart

| extra5 = Stewart

| length5 = 2:58

| title6 = {{-'}}Til I Whisper U Something

| writer6 = O'Connor, Stewart

| extra6 = Stewart

| length6 = 6:08

| title7 = Hold Back the Night

| writer7 = Robert Hodgens

| extra7 = Stewart

| length7 = 4:11

| title8 = What Doesn't Belong to Me

| writer8 = O'Connor

| extra8 = Sherwood, McDonald

| length8 = 5:37

| title9 = The State I'm In

| writer9 = Cutler, Preven

| extra9 = Cutler, Preven

| length9 = 4:10

| title10 = The Lamb's Book of Life

| writer10 = O'Connor, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs

| extra10 = Briggs

| length10 = 4:56

| title11 = If U Ever

| writer11 = O'Connor

| extra11 = Sherwood, McDonald

| length11 = 4:24

| title12 = Emma's Song

| writer12 = O'Connor

| extra12 = Brian Eno, Reynolds

| length12 = 3:20

| title13 = Kyrié Eléison

| writer13 = Traditional, arranged by O'Connor, Sherwood, McDonald, Alan Branch

| extra13 = Sherwood, McDonald

| length13 = 2:45

}}

• Sinéad O'Connor – vocals
• Skip McDonald – guitar, backing vocals
• Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie – bass, piano
• Professor Stretch – programming, keyboards
• Rusty Anderson, Derek Scott, David A. Stewart, Scott Cutler – guitar
• Paul Bushnell, Jah Wobble – bass
• Scot Coogan, Lil John, Chris Sharrock, John Reynolds – drums
• Jeff Turzo, Simon Mundey, Mark Price, Andy Wright – programming
• David Campbell – strings arrangement, viola
• Joel Derouin – violin
• Larry Corbett – cello
• Ed Rockett – low and high whistle
• Caroline Dale – strings
• Blandinna Melky Jean – additional vocals on track 4
• Chucho Merchan – additional bass guitar on track 6
• Little Roy – backing vocals on track 6
• Zac Rae, Kieran Kiely, David Levita – keyboards
• Anne Preven – backing vocals on track 9
• Karren Berz – orchestral arrangement
• Bonjo I Abinghi Noah – percussion

{{reflist}}

• {{Metacritic album}}

{{Sinéad O'Connor}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2000 albums

Category:Sinéad O'Connor albums

Category:Albums arranged by David Campbell (composer)

Category:Albums produced by Brian Eno

Category:Albums produced by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)

Category:Albums produced by Wyclef Jean

Category:Atlantic Records albums

Category:2000s in Irish music