The Cranberries Album: “To the Faithful Departed”

A lot of people don't like this album because it's such a departure from the sound of their previous albums. To The Faithfull Departed has a very rock/punk sound, but still has the Cranberries feeling, unlike Bury The Hatchet. This album isn't perfect as No Need To Argue. There are some [bad] songs, like I Just Shot John Lennon, War Child and Bosnia. These songs bring a great vocal and musical performance, but the lyrics are a little to much war/suffering. I Just Shot John Lennon is lyricly almost horrible... that's why I give it four stars.

There are still some very memorable songs on this album, and some of the best work that the Cranberries have recorded so far. Hollywood seems like a Zombie ripoff, but it opens the album very loud. Track number two, Salvation is one of the highlights of the album. Although it's very short, it has a great punk-feeling and makes you want to jump around. Free To decide is also a good song. Dolores sings about all the press that surrounded her during their absolute topdays on the charts. The song ends with a strange haunting sound. The Rebels is also essential Cranberries, with great lyrics about the childhood of the Berries. Other highlights are I'm Still Remembering, Will You Remember?, Joe and Cordell (I have the international version, for in case you don't know the songs) This album is very diverse and I love to listen to it in the winter with the snow coming down, but also when I'm lying in the sun in the summer...Cranberries, thanx for the great music you make and hope you go on for a long time!

To The Faithful Departed, the 3rd studio alblum from The Cranberries has often been panned as "one of the worst alblums of all times". I don't get it. The songs are produced wonderfully, paying special attention to the era of 90's alternative rock, and even a little ska. There is a lot of musical experimentation on this alblum that is very refreshing, and not the same as "No Need To Argue", where you tend to not know when the song is ending, and a new one is starting. You WILL know when tracks change on this alblum!

The start of the disc really grabs your attention with the hard rocking opener "Hollywood". It stays true to who The Cranberries are as a band, with the classic yodel of Dolores O'Riordan's beautiful voice.

"Salvation", the first radio single from this alblum, is a great anti-drug anthem, and with the help of a wonderful, yet creepy promotional video, moved this song to the top of the Modern Rock Charts in 1996. With ska music becoming ever popular in the early to mid 90's, this song contributed a wonderful brass section to the song, and makes it one of the best tracks on this alblum.

Other great songs on the alblum are "Forever Yellow Skies" with Dolores once again yodeling away to a hard rock beat. "I Just Shot John Lennon" is a wonderful rock song with hard guitar riffs, and Dolores pounding vocally away.

To make this alblum more diverse from there other 2 alblums before, The Cranberries decide to go a little more experimental, and in my opinion they do a wonderful job. It does sound experimental, and even a bit weird at some points, but what's wrong with that? I don't like it when reviewers say that "the alblum sounds just like their old stuff, why don't they do more experimenting", and then when the do experiment they pan saying, "a little too experimental, and not an accessible alblum".

This alblum is very accessible, and has wonderful sound. Give it a listen.

Christopher Sorick

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Two years after the explosively successful 'No Need To Argue', Irish sweethearts The Cranberries released 'To The Faithful Departed' True to its title, the album pays tribute to casualities of war, dead singers, and just about anybody dear to somebody who had departed. This takes up the theme of most of the album: sad, emotional, and bittersweet. 'I Just Shot John Lennon' takes its title straight out of the mouth of the person who said it right after killing former Beatle Lennon, Mark Chapman. This track, like many others, is a dark and haunting song but moves by at a quick pace ending with the sound of gun shots. Yet on the other side, we get 'Hollywood', a Zombie-ish tune, turning Hollywood into a character in a gothic tale. 'Salvation' presents the dangers and ugliness of drug abuse. The highlight on 'To The Faithful Departed' has got to be 'When You're Gone' which is the soundtrack of the album's theme. The song can be related to just about anybody. And when Dolores croons the line '...but i miss you when you're gone...that is what I do...yeah yeah yea', it somehow makes up for most of the missing gaps and dullness of some of the other tracks on the album. Yet out of all the misery the album has to offer, we get one feel-good treat 'Free To Decide', a very good but typical Cranberries tune.

Somehow most of the tracks here are mostly forgotten. Unlike 'No Need To Argue' which is a compilation of memorable tracks, 'To The Faithful Departed' is at best a mediocre offering with outstanding tracks; When You're Gone, Free To Decide, Salvation, songs that shouldn't be missed out on a greatest hits compilation.

Good

C+

This album wasn't a huge commercial success, but it was a critical one. This cd is really dark, and depressing, and she had some issues to deal with. If you are feeling blue, and want to be alone, put this on, and it will enhance your mood. There are a few up beat songs, but not many.

what an incredible voice she has. it is taunting. its an awesome cd and i especially love "salvation"