The Cranberries "Roses" (2012)

Roses
release date: Feb. 14, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Stephen Street
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Conduct" - 2. "Tomorrow" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Raining in My Heart" - 6. "Schizophrenic Playboy" - 9. "Astral Projections" - 11. "Roses"

6th studio album by The Cranberries feature Stephen Street, who produced the band's two first albums, back in the producer seat, and that is a welcomed return. Street did help the band creating a fine balanced and broad sound, which in a way dissolved somewhat on the following albums.
The album doesn't contain that many great tracks but I find that the sound is back on track - O'Riordan's vocal and backing harmonies in collaboration with jangle pop elements and string arrangements secure a rather fine comeback album that may better the last 3 albums by The Cranberries, but which frankly, only just contain good enough material for an ep, as it also contains a number of clear fillers.
[ allmusic.com, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Dolores O'Riordan "No Baggage" (2009)

No Baggage
release date: Aug. 24, 2009
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]
producer: Dolores O'Riordan and Dan Brodbeck
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Switch Off the Moment" (live) - 2. "Skeleton" - 3. "It's You" (4 / 5) (live acoustic) - 5. "Stupid" (4 / 5) - 6. "Be Careful" - 7. "Apple of My Eye"

2nd and last solo album by Dolores O'Riordan and also the second with producer Dan Brodbeck is a more uptempo collection of songs compared to the slower and more introvert solo debut from 2007. The style is not far from The Cranberries - it seems more balanced towards a mainstream audience with an obvious grounding in the celtic rock heritage, and contemporary pop / rock and singer / songwriter styles - much like the debut, although, that one is somewhat more narrow and simple when it comes to the production sound. In that sense No Baggage shares the more spacious dream pop style of her regular band without being anything close to ambient. The track "Apple of My Eye" was also included on her debut, but here it's been rearranged to a more electrified version.
I really like this album and find it clearly bettering her solo debut. It's also bettering her last three albums with The Cranberries. Despite being a more uptempo album, the two best songs are also two slow and sentimental compositions: "It's You" and "Stupid" - both very strong singles, which deserve so much more recognition.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

2009 Favourite releases: 1. Kent Röd - 2. Gossip Music for Men - 3. Dolores O'Riordan No Baggage

Dolores O'Riordan "Are You Listening?" (2007)

Are You Listening? [debut]
release date: May 8, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Dolores O'Riordan and Dan Brodbeck
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Ordinary Day" - 2. "When We Were Young" (4 / 5) - 3. "In the Garden" - 7. "Apple of My Eye" - 12. "Ecstasy"

Solo debut album by Dolores O'Riordan after some years without releasing studio albums with her primary band The Cranberries who's most recent album Wake Up and Smell the Coffee from 2001, which didn't receive the best reviews, and after a time working on new material the band then announced (2003) that they would take a hiatus as The Cranberries leaving room for individual projects. During this time O'Riordan found herself involved in various projects, e.g. together with Zucchero on his album Zucchero & Co. (2004), with Angelo Badalamenti on two songs for a soundtrack and various other projects until she started working on her first solo album.
The album features a collection of songs, all written by O'Riordan, which have only little in common with the best selling songs by The Cranberries but which ultimately are not far from what the band released on its 2 most recent studio albums before 2007. The focus is on mainstream pop / rock combined with celtic rock and some alt. rock elements scattered around the album. The clearly best track "When We Were Young" is perhaps closest in style with the more traditional material by her band, and could easily have been included on either of the first two albums by The Cranberries.
Generally, I find it a bit difficult to digest as a whole - the songs simply point in all kinds of directions, but it's not just a mediocre release. There are simply too many fine traits and songs here.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Skids "The Saints Are Coming - The Best of the Skids" (2007)

The Saints Are Coming - The Best of the Skids (compilation)
release date: Feb. 26, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: EMI / Virgin - nationality: Scotland, UK

Compilation album by Skids. Like the live album Masquerade Masquerade (2007) this was released after the U2 and Green Day tribute single "The Saints Are Coming" (2006) when these two bands released their collaboration cover single. I used to have Skids' first compilation album Fanfare (1982) on cassette, however, this is an even better best of album. The '82 album consists of 12 great tracks, and this one not only include all tracks from that album but it contains 21 tracks of which only two are not really great, and in a fine way shows the band's potential.

Skids "Masquerade Masquerade - The Skids Live" (2007) (live)

Masquerade Masquerade - The Skids Live (live)
release date: Feb. 2007
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
label: EMI / Virgin - nationality: Scotland, UK

Live compilation album by Skids released shortly after the U2 and Green Day tribute single in 2006 when these two bands released their collaboration cover single "The Saints Are Coming" after their live concert in the aftermath of the damages by the hurricane Katrina (Aug. 2006) supporting the victims of New Orleans. This album was released simultaneously with the compilation album The Saints Are Coming - The Best of the Skids. This consists of 22 tracks recorded Live at Hammersmith Odeon Oct. 21, 1980 (tracks 1-16) and at Glasgow Apollo Jun. 16, 1979 (tracks 17-22). For a fan of Skids this is great but if one isn't that familiar with the band I would recommend the best of compilation album with studio production sound.

Big Country "No Place Like Home" (1991)

No Place Like Home

release date: Sep. 16, 1991

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Pat Moran

label: Vertigo - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "We're Not in Kansas" - 3. "Dynamite Lady" - 4. "Keep on Dreaming" - 5. "Beautiful People" - 9. "You, Me and the Truth" - 10. "Comes a Time"

5th studio album by Big Country following three years after Peace in Our Time (Sep. 1988). Before this, drummer Mark Brzezicki had left the band in early '90 and prior to the recordings of the album but he nevertheless works as sessions drummer on the album.

Stylewise, the album comes out as something aiming at the American market - a bit like the predecessor, where the Celtic rock tone has been put in the background of a bolder r&b appeal. In terms of sales numbers, the album didn't deliver - neither nationally, nor as something for the American market - and it simply took the band further into anonymity. Following poor album sales the band was released from its contract with Mercury and the band subsequently disbanded for a short period of time, until Stuart Adamson returned to Watson and Butler, free from label control and with an opportunity to do what they themselves believed was their path in music, they saw a chance to give it another try.

I have only come across this album in retrospect and I see the dead-end they had round up in at this point of their career. The album is, as in all cases with music by Stuart Adamson, far from without potential. It just wasn't arranged, produced, and mixed in the most original way. The best tune here, "We're Not in Kansas" also made it to the follow-up in a an even better arranged version alongside "Ships". The album is not the place to start when looking this band up, and it remains a lowest point in the band's total discography of eight studio albums featuring founding member Stuart Adamson.

[ 👎allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Big Country "Peace in Our Time" (1988)

Peace in Our Time

release date: Sep. 9, 1988

format: vinyl (gatefold - MERH 130)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Peter Wolf

label: Mercury - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "King of Emotion" - 2. "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" - 3. "Thousand Yard Stare" - 4. "From Here to Eternity" - 6. "Peace in Our Time" - 8. "River of Hope" - 10. "I Could Be Happy Here"

4th studio album by Big Country following more than two years after The Seer (Jul. 1986). The softer style from the predecessor is more accentuated on this. Stuart Adamson is writer of all ten songs with Bruce Watson contributing as co-composer on three, including track #7, which is credited the band in unison, and the whole album is produced in Los Angeles with Austrian-American producer Peter Wolf, who had made a name producing and arranging for various pop-artists, e.g. Starship, Kenny Loggins, (synth-pop band) Wang Chung, (synth-pop artist) El DeBarge, (Brazilian pop and disco artist) Sérgio Mendes. Wolf is furthermore credited on keyboards.

Stylewise, the album doesn't fall far from '86 album but still appears as a softer and more polished album. I do recall when it came out, and I had turned my back on the band, which I experienced as too mainstream and without substantial edge. In retrospect, I like it a great deal more, although, I still find it the band's so far least favourable album with an aim to please an American audience, something which failed somewhat, but you have to hand it to the late Stuart Adamson: he was a musical wizard, both as a songwriter as well as an iconic guitarist. It's still celtic rock but with bolder inspiration from a broad world of pop / rock where Elton John, Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, and Bruce Springsteen reign.

Not the band's best but still worth a spin or two on behalf of Stuart Adamson.

[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Record Mirror 2 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary Concert at the Olympia" (2012) (live)

The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary Concert at the Olympia (live)
release date: 2012
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]

[ playlist ]

2-disc live album by The Pogues for this occasion consisting of Andrew Ranken, Darryl Hunt, James Fearnley, Jem Finer, Philip Chevron, Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy, and Terry Woods. It's nice to hear the old guys play together again, playing some of their finest songs but it's also rather evident that Shane MacGowan hasn't put the alcohol behind him. The album has been released as a triple lp, a double cd, and various releases with a dvd-disc of the concert. I really don't know how to rate this. It's nice to hear and see them play but Shane's performance... - he's a legendary singer and composer, his name will live on, but seeing and listening to his singing is almost pathetic.

The Pogues "Pogue Mahone" (1995)

Pogue Mahone
release date: Feb. 27, 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Steve Brown, Stephen Hague
label: WEA Corp. / - nationality: England, UK

7th full studio album by The Pogues. After the last album with founding member Shane MacGowan, Hell's Ditch (1990), the band continued playing with Joe Strummer as a mere temporary substitute, but for the next album Waiting for Herb (1993), Strummer was no longer part of the band. Instead, tin whistle and harmonica player Spider Stacy [aka Peter Stacy] and multi-instrumentalist Terry Woods took over the singing parts, and the album was made up of songs composed by almost all members of the band. I don't have that album on any media, as I find it of little interest and below average. For this, the band has found back to some of the music that gave them their most positive reputation by playing celtic rock, and the title ('Pogue Mahone' is Gaelic for 'Kiss my arse') was actually the name of the band before settling on the shorter version. It's not music to traditionals but still, in that spirit, and that's the most interesting part. I don't find the single songs on level with any of the best by The Pogues with MacGowan but I do think that they regained some of their former status with this album. Founding member guitarist James Fearnley, as well as guitarists Terry Woods and Philip Ranken had all left the band and 3 new band members: David Coulter on guitar, James McNally on guitar and accordion and whistle, and Jamie Clarke on guitar was new replacements in the band. So the only remaining founding members left are Spider Stacy, now on vocals only, and Jem Finer on banjo and guitars. After this, also Jem Finer left the band, and the album remains the last studio album by The Pogues but the band was kept alive as a concerts playing band with a new members list from time to time. 2001 saw many of the former band members re-unite for a Christmas tour, which meant that Shane MacGowan, James Fearley, Andrew Ranken, Terry Woods, and Phillip Chevron were all back together, and they have stayed together, although, MacGowan is often heavily under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "The Best of The Pogues" (1991)

The Best of The Pogues (compilation)
release date: Sep. 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Pogue Mahone / Warner Music - nationality: UK

First best of album by The Pogues containing fourteen tracks.

Big Country "The Seer" (1986)

The Seer
release date: Jul. 14, 1986
format: vinyl (826 844-1) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Robin Millar
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Look Away" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Seer" (feat. Kate Bush) (4 / 5) - 3. "Teacher" - 4. "I Walk the Hill" - 5. "Eiledon" (4 / 5) - 6. "One Great Thing" - 7. "Hold the Heart" - 8. "Remembrance Day" - 9. "Red Fox" - 10. "Sailor"

3rd studio album by Big Country following two years after Steeltown (Oct. 1984) introduces a somewhat softer sound, yet still builds on especially the style from the debut album. The album is produced by Robin Millar, who has been associated with more mainstream artists, and it's probably due to the shift from Lillywhite to Millar that I disliked the album in the '80s. Fact is, I sold my copy of the vinyl album because I never played it. Talk about being stupid! To me, and my ears back then, this was nothing but polished pop / rock, and I simply stopped following the band from here on. Nowadays, I don't understand my rejection, as I find that this more than pars Steeltown. It contains fine songs, and it's actually better produced - it's more varied with a broader sound - and it simply contains no fillers. I know, I didn't really appreciate the title track, and just found it boring. Now I see this as one of the absolute strongest tracks. Its complexity, verses and great chorus lines with a splendid contribution by Kate Bush whose singing voice really suits Adamson's guitar so perfectly. Actually, one may see the whole album as a fine bridge between contemporary pop / rock and celtic rock. Luckily, I have managed to get a second-hand copy of the original first issues.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Kerrang! 3 / 5 stars ]

The Armoury Show "Waiting for the Floods" (1985)

Waiting for the Floods [debut]
release date: Sep. 1985
format: vinyl / cd (2001)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Nick Launay
label: EMI America / Track Record - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Castles in Spain" - 2. "Kyrie" (4 / 5) - 4. "We Can Be Brave Again" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Higher Than the World" - 7. "Glory of Love" - 9. "Sleep City Sleep"

Studio album debut and only album by Scottish band The Armoury Show founded in '83 as an all-stars Scottish band by members from various successful UK acts, comprising lead vocalist Richard Jobson and bassist Russell Webb, both from legendary Scottish punk rock band Skids, together with two ex-members of Magazine: acclaimed guitarist John McGeoch - also from Magazine, Visage, and Siouxsie and the Banshees - and drummer John Doyle.
Musically, it's closer to the style of Skids with the addition of more complex arrangements, and the style is not easy to categorise. It's mostly new wave with bonds to a post-punk heritage that also connects this with Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but it's also a style with bonds to their contemporaries of Big Country and Simple Minds (listen to "Higher Than the World") as well as older acts like Thin Lizzy and Horslips.
The album was preceded by the two single releases of tracks #1 and #4 (both released in '84) and followed by the release of track #7. For reasons unknown, the first DC issue of the album (2001) was released with one track missing (track #A4. "Jungle of Cities") from the original vinyl and cassette issues.
Following the album release, both McGeoch and Doyle left the project with McGeoch joining Public Image Ltd. and the latter beginning a collaboration project with Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks, while Webb and Jobson continued The Armoury Show with new replacements until '88 when the group finally disbanded before finishing a follow-up album. Instead, Jobson released these songs on his solo debut album Badman (1988).

The Cranberries "Bury the Hatchet" (1999)

Bury the Hatchet
release date: Apr. 19, 1999
format: 2 cd (2000 special edition)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: The Cranberries and Benedict Fenner
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Animal Instinct" - 2. "Loud and Clear" - 3. "Promises" - 4. "You and Me" - 5. "Just My Imagination" - 6. "Shattered" - 11. "Delilah"

4th studio album by The Cranberries released after a short hiatus - the band had faced poor reviews despite fine record sales with the previous album, To the Faithful Departed from 1996, and O'Riordan went through a period of stress-related illness, and she also gave needed time off the limelight as she have birth to her first child.
Bury the Hatchet is co-produced with a new producer and the sound and style has changed quite noticeable. Gone are the obvious links to alt. rock and almost also to the bold dream pop that characterised their previous releases, and instead this new album comes out as a more thoughtful and sincere album focusing on celtic rock with a stronger folk rock style and also more mainstream pop / rock references with jangle pop elements.
The album suffers, a bit like the predecessor, of a lack of consistent quality throughout, but the lows have clearly been levelled up, and it turns out much of a whole, and in that way easily betters the '96 album. The first four songs here are actually quite fine compositions pointing to something truly fine. The quality drops a bit in the second part and towards the end, and a track like "Copycat" sounds much like an outtake from the '96 album. Having said that, this is still a much better album than their last effort, and it's also a release with one of Ireland's most poignant voices and songwriters and as such an album clearly above the majority of mainstream pop / rock releases.
The 2000 Special Edition has been issued with the subtitle "The Complete Sessions" and feature a second disc containing five bonus tracks and seven previously unreleased live songs recorded in Paris Dec. 9, 1999.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, USA Today 2,5 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "Hell's Ditch" (1990)

Hell's Ditch
release date: Nov. 6, 1990
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Joe Strummer
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Sunnyside of the Street" (5 / 5) (live in 2012) - 2. "Sayonara" - 3. "The Ghost of a Smile" (4 / 5) - 6. "Summer in Siam" (4 / 5) - 7. "Rain Street" - 10. "House of the Gods" (4 / 5) - 11. "5 Green Queens and Jean"

5th full studio album by The Pogues produced by Joe Strummer who had become more and more engaged in the band's activities and from '91 served as official substitute for MacGowan. I have always liked the album more than is easy to explain. I find it better than Peace and Love (1989) but it's also obvious that it's not on the same level as the two great full albums and the ep from 1985-88. My guess is, Hell's Ditch has a considerable amount of Shane MacGowan's signature (9 out of 13 tracks), which easily lifts the album above average. However, the band struggles just to hang on, as MacGowan's alcohol problems are beyond difficult. Apparently, some tracks were more than difficult to record as he was almost never sober but I think Strummer has done a great job finding that "edgy tone" of theirs, which is not just mainstream pop / rock but also a crossover of pub rock and celtic rock with parts of folk punk. The album is the last to feature founding member, vocalist and primary composer Shane MacGowan, who was permanently sacked from the band after this release as he was unable to help promote the album on the following tour, where Strummer substituted on vocals. MacGowan went on making music and in 1994 he released new material with the full studio album The Snake in his new band Shane MacGowan and The Popes.
[ allmusic.com hands it 3 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "Peace And Love" (1989)

Peace and Love
release date: Jul. 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Gridlock" - 2. "White City" (4 / 5) - 5. "Cotton Fields" - 7. "Down All the Days" (4 / 5) - 11. "Boat Train" (4 / 5) - 13. "Night Train to Lorca" - 14. "London You're a Lady"

4th full studio album by The Pogues following a great 1988 album is like that produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album is more pop / rock-founded than its predecessors, and it comes out as more mainstream and less wild. A scheduled US-tour of 1988 as follow-up to the band's success with the '88-album was cancelled due to Shane MacGowan's drinking problems, and it's no secret that his drinking habits had become a serious obstacle for the band, which also explains the lack of great songs and why the album turns out as a lesser great studio release as the other band members was forced to carry an bigger burden.

After two great albums, the band seems to have tired somewhat on this one. MacGowan has only written six of the original album's fourteen tracks, which is unusual, and also recognisable. The band's other fine songwriter, Jem Finer has composed three of the songs, and the remaining five tracks mostly just documents how much the band depends on especially MacGowan's ability to produce new material. Still, the best songs undoubtedly carry MacGowan's signature (#2, #7, #11, and #14).

Joe Strummer (of The Clash) started playing with The Pogues in 1987/88 as a substitute on several live concerts when MacGowan was incapable of performing, and later in 1990 Strummer helped producing the band's next album (and for a about a year in '91 he became official member of the band). It's interesting how MacGowan is the only band member credited for vocal performance on this album as it's quite evident that many others should be credited for that.

In retrospect, the album figures among the band's great albums - in contains truly classic songs, although, it also points to the inevitable end, but it's no near a bad album and a must in any collection of contemporary celtic rock.

[ allmusic.com hands it 4 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" (1988)

If I Should Fall From Grace With God
release date: Jan. 18, 1988
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Pogue Mahone / Warner Music Group - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" (4 / 5) - 2. "Turkish Song of the Damned" (4 / 5) - 3. "Bottle of Smoke" (3,5 / 5) - 4. "Fairytale of New York" (feat. Kirsty MacColl) (5 / 5) - 5. "Metropolis" (4 / 5) - 6. "Thousands Are Sailing" (4 / 5) - *7. "South Australia" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Fiesta" (5 / 5) - 9. "Medley" ('The Recruiting Sergeant' / 'The Rocky Road to Dublin' / 'The Galway Races') (4 / 5) - 10. "Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six" (3,5 / 5) - 11. "Lullaby of London" (4 / 5) - *12. "The Battle March Medley" (2,5 / 5) - 13. "Sit Down by the Fire" (3,5 / 5) - 14. "The Broad Majestic Shannon" (4,5 / 5) - 15. "Worms"
* Bonus track on cd issue

3rd full studio album by The Pogues marks one of the bigger changes in the members list of the band. Founding member, bassist and backing vocalist Cait O'Riordan left the band after marrying Elvis Costello in 1986. On bass she was replaced by Darryl Hunt, but also multi-instrumentalist Terry Woods was a new member. The band's label Stiff Records was no more and the band founded their own label Pogue Mahone but the distribution part was handled by Warner Music Group in Europe and by Island Records in the US, which launched the album with an entirely different cover. The original vinyl album contains 13 tracks of which two are traditionals, 9 are written by Shane MacGowan, one by Jem Finer, and one by new guitarist Phil Chevron. The original cd version contains 15 tracks and a 2004 reissue 19 tracks. The band now consists of eight members. The album is the band's highest ranked album in the UK making it to number #3 on the national album charts, and it contains its best selling single ever: "Fairytale of New York" (written by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer), which would turn out as a very popular Christmas song. The album is one of the band's best ever, and it's deservedly included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com hands it 4,5 / 5, Mojo and Sounds 5 / 5, NME 10 / 10, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Big Country "Steeltown" (1984)

Steeltown
release date: Oct. 19, 1984
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Flame of the West" - 2. "East of Eden" (4 / 5) - 3. "Steeltown" - 4. "Where the Rose Is Sown" (4 / 5) - 7. "Girl With the Grey Eyes" - 8. "Rain Dance"(live) - 9. "Great Divide" (4 / 5) - 10. "Just a Shadow" (4 / 5) (live)

2nd studio album by Big Country is once again produced by Steve Lillywhite, who in the early 1980s seemed to be engaged with all new artists with an energetic and new wave profile of some sort (including U2, XTC, Simple Minds, Toyah, The Pogues to mention a few). Compared to the great debut, Steeltown is somewhat more quiet, and reflects a move towards a broader audience, focusing on pop / rock. The sound is heavier (a typical 1980s syndrome heard from Springsteen, Tina Turner, and almost everywhere - drums and bass 'should' dominate) compared to the debut, and the tracks are generally slower. All compositions are still credited the band, although, Stuart Adamson probably has come up with many ideas, lyrics, as well as demos to build on. Anyway, for many years this was clearly my number two favorite by the band, however, from a modern perspective, I think, it lacks the same amount of truly great compositions one will find on the debut, but also miss the fine diversity one will find on its successor. However, the album is a modern classic of pop / rock, and of course a certified 'must-have' for fans of celtic rock.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Cranberries "To the Faithful Departed" (1996)

To the Faithful Departed
release date: Apr. 30, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Bruce Fairbairn and The Cranberries
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 2. "Salvation" - 3. "When You’re Gone" - 4. "Free to Decide" - 9. "I Just Shot John Lennon" - 11. "I’m Still Remembering"

3rd studio album by The Cranberries with a new producer after two consecutive albums with The Smiths-producer Stephen Street. Amongst others, Bruce Fairbairn has produced for Van Halen, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi - bands that operate in a total different playground than a band associated with dream pop and jangle pop, and it never becomes apparent for whatever reasons he was brought about. Stadium rock and a heavy production sound seems out of touch here, and frankly, Street didn't do a bad job either.
The album wasn't met by the same positive reviews as the band's first two albums, but it still became the bands second best-selling album reaching number #1 in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and peaking as number #2 in the UK, only surpassed by the '94 album.
I always found it a lesser release, but in retrospect I have come to see it in a much more positive light. It doesn't showcase a bunch of fine hits, and it also contains tracks where the band seems to reproduce former successful elements and structures as heard on previous hits, e.g. "Hollywood", "Salvation", "Forever Yellow Skies", and "Electric Blue". And the lows... the lows here are truly low.
I recall my first listen to "Salvation" - at a time when MTV was up front, and watching the video and listening to the song made be decide, it was not intended for me. But it also contains some fine songs, and one truly great composition, the ballad "When You're Gone". A few fine and one great cannot safe this album from being a bit on the low side, and I do understand many of the critics 'cause it does deliver on the same level as the two previous albums, and the band sounds more like they have run somewhat out of material. O'Riordan is a great songwriter and singer - no doubt about that, but this is not one of their best.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 2 / 5, USA Today 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Big Country "Chance" (1983) (single)

Chance, 7'' single

release date: Aug. 26, 1983

format: vinyl (814 350-7)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]

producer: Steve Lillywhite

label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Tracklist: A) "Chance" - - B) "The Tracks of My Tears"

Single release by Big Country is the band's fourth and final single taken from the debut album The Crossing (Jul. '83). The A-side is from the album, whereas the B-side track is a cover written by 'Smokey' Robinson, Warren 'Pete' Moore and Marvin Tarplin originally a song by The Miracles from 1965 released as a single, Jun. '65 (later that year released on the debut Going to a Go-Go (Nov. 1965) by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

Big Country "The Crossing" (1983)

The Crossing [debut]
release date: Jul. 19, 1983
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,25]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "In a Big Country" 4,5 / 5) (live) - 2. "Inwards" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Chance" - 4. "1000 Stars" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 5. "The Storm" (4 / 5) - 6. "Harvest Home" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Close Action" (4 / 5) - 9. "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)" (4,5 / 5) - 10. "Porrohman" (4,5 / 5)

Studio album debut by Big Country consisting of Stuart Adamson on lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, and e-bow, Bruce Watson on guitar, mandolin, e-bow, and backing vocals, Tony Butler on bass and backing vocals, and with Mark Brzezicki on drums, percussion, and backing vocals. The band was initially formed as a trio and then a quintet with various other members but always featuring Watson and Adamson, the latter having only just left Skids. All tracks here are credited the band, although, it's evident that Adamson dominate and continue his style from Skids only adding new dimensions to his vocals and guitar playing. Both Adamson and Watson are among the first to bring in the e-bow in contemporary pop / rock, an instrument which basically enables the guitar to replace synths, and which became more popular in the late 80s and early '90s. Adamson was already known for his special guitar sound when playing in Skids but with Big Country he goes further making his guitar resemble that of Scottish bag-pibes (an analogy he hates).
The style is hard to narrow in but the band plays with high energy, which at the time was labelled new wave, however, that hardly suffice, as the band blends celtic rock with elements from new wave and contemporary pop / rock, and nearly all band members came from a background in punk rock - today, I would reckon that a combo of alt. rock and celtic rock would be more fitting labels. I used to only have the album on cassette, but have played it from '83 to "modern days" without ever tiring of the sound. Stuart Adamson's importance as one of the shining stars of popular music has only increased since then, and his playing style was copied in many years to come. The album is one of my absolute favourites and a modern classic.
This is Big Country's masterpiece.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

1983 Favourite releases: 1. New Order Power, Corruption & Lies - 2. Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones - 3. Big Country The Crossing