Sinead, you powerful thing. What made you take that left turn from the Venom City Interstate to Heal- The- Wound County? And why did it turn your music to crap? Who knows? All I care about is that this 'best of' thing compiles your most intense and moving pieces with only a few exceptions. And that's what makes it good.

If y'all will look back into the glorious past with me for a moment, you'll find that there was a day when this (formerly) shave-headed Irish girl pissed fire and raw emotion. And while you wouldn't know it from her big hit single, her legendary cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," her first two records have since only been matched in intensity by Tori Amos (on Little Earthquakes) and PJ Harvey (on Rid of Me), both of which were clearly influenced both vocally and lyrically by O'Connor. But since her therapy sessions, Sinead's gotten a lot nicer. Too nice, in fact. Her new records sound like she's holding it all back for the sake of being a good girl.

Luckily, So Far makes us wade through only a two or three tracks of the recent crap, dumping almost all of Universal Mother and the entirety of Gospel Oak in favor of the stuff that actually matters. Songs like "The Emperor's New Clothes," and what is debatably the most moving song of all time, "Troy," are included. So are some of the less effective but still brilliant tracks of O'Connor's career such as "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "You Made Me The Thief of Your Heart" and the stirring "I Am Stretched On Your Grave." However, if you're truly looking for the best of Sinead O'Connor, I suggest picking up her debut record, The Lion and the Cobra and her stunning sophomore release, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.

-Ryan Schreiber