With Dolores O’Riordan as their distinctive vocalist, the Irish four-piece The Cranberries took alternative rock by storm in the 1990s, crafting a sound drawn from ’80s UK indie pop and adding elements of dream pop, post punk, and the nascent alt-rock scene. It was their second album, 1994’s No Need to Argue, that made the biggest splash and remains the band’s biggest seller; it’s just been given an expanded 30th anniversary edition that includes remixes of “Ode to My Family” and “Zombie,” a demo of “Zombie” and live tracks from Woodstock ’94 and MTV Unplugged. A fresh consideration of the LP is below.
If No Need to Argue was The Cranberries biggest success, their debut album from the previous year, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? laid the groundwork. That first record, like its follow-up, was produced by Stephen Street, and landed the band an alternative hit in “Dreams” and a legit mainstream breakthrough with “Linger.”
Released in October 1994, No Need to Argue managed four singles, with the first, “Zombie,” issued a month prior to the album, becoming huge internationally. The heaviest song they’d recorded up to that point, and featuring O’Riordan’s sharp, heavily accented wail, “Zombie” wasn’t a complete change of pace, as they’d gotten loud on their debut, and O’Riordan’s vocal prowess was a defining trait on their first album.
Second single and album opener “Ode to My Family” is closer to what fans would’ve expected; it’s pretty and achy and showcases O’Riordan’s singing exceptionally well. It’s followed on the LP by the more straightforward, punked-up rocker “I Can’t Be With You,” which was the third single from the album everywhere in the world except the USA, where it was single number four.
Sequenced later in the set, the tough mid-tempo strummer “Ridiculous Thoughts” completes No Need to Argue’s singles. Those looking for an extension of the sound established on Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? need look no further than “Twenty One” and the baroque string kissed “Empty,” these two songs bookending “Zombie” in the running order, two slices of white bread with a hunk of heavily spiced red meat in between.
“Everything I Said” also fits comfortably into the box of expectations established by their debut, though the track is a standout in regard to the band’s instrumental strengths. Consisting of Noel Hogan on guitar, his brother Mike Hogan on bass, and Fergal Lawler on drums, the three consistently bring more than just backing for their powerful frontwoman. With this said, “The Icicle Melts” admirably leans into O’Riordan’s voice as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.
Likewise, “Disappointment,” which registers as a minor album cut without delivering a lull to the set. “Ridiculous Thoughts” follows, and then “Dreaming My Dreams” is tender and lush with the singing nearer to a whisper but with a few sharp turns. The robust rock heft of “Yeats’ Grave” is appreciated as it magnifies The Cranberries’ Irishness.
O’Riordan turns up the vocal heat in “Daffodil Lament” as the band provides her with a broad platform from which to launch. The closing title track scales back instrumentally, mainly consisting of some churchy organ as O’Riordan carries the emotional weight. Altogether, No Need to Argue manages to embody its time without succumbing to its excesses, offering its essence in a manageable runtime without a bunch of dead weight inflating the sequence.
Of course, the expanded configurations of the anniversary edition are gestures of celebratory excess, but there is a single LP reissue for those who care not for extras. For those contemplating taking a plunge, the remixes of “Ode to My Family” and “Zombie” are contemporary, but Iain Cook of CHVRCHES does a decent job making them sound like they were lifted from a CD single released in 1995.
With the possible exception of a likeable version of “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” the demos are solid but offer no great revelations into The Cranberries’ process. The same is true with the live material, although the MTV Unplugged stuff does emphasize the core strength of the songs. In summation, nothing shocking: the expanded sets are for the heavy-duty fans, but the LP is necessary for anyone building a strong ’90s alt-rock shelf.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
