The Cranberries Biography

tarafından **Chaz** C.tesi Mayıs 10, 2008 12:59 pm

Combining the melodic jangle of post-Smiths
indie guitar pop with the lilting, trance-inducing sonic textures of
late-'80s dream pop and adding a slight Celtic tint, the Cranberries
became one of the more successful groups to emerge from the pre-Britpop
U.K. indie scene of the early '90s. Led by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan,
whose keening, powerful voice is the most distinctive element of the
group's sound, the group initially made little impact in the United
Kingdom. It wasn't until the lush ballad "Linger" became an American
hit in 1993 that the band also achieved mass success in the U.K.
Following the success of "Linger," the Cranberries quickly became
international stars, as both their 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?,
and its 1994 follow-up, No Need to Argue, sold millions of copies and
produced a string of hit singles. By the time of their third album,
1996's To the Faithful Departed, the group had added distorted guitars
to its sonic palette and attempted to make more socially significant
music, which resulted in a downturn in the band's commercial fortunes.

Originally, the Cranberries were a band called the Cranberry Saw Us. Brothers Noel and Mike Hogan (guitar and bass, respectively) formed the band in Limerick, Ireland, with drummer Fergal Lawler
in 1990. Following the departure of the group's original singer, Niall,
the trio placed an advertisement for a female singer. Dolores O'Riordan
responded to the advertisement and auditioned by writing lyrics and
melodies to some of the band's existing demos. When she returned with a
rough version of "Linger," the group hired her on the spot. Shortly
after she joined, the band recorded a demo tape that they sold in
record stores throughout Ireland. After the original run of 300 copies
sold out, the group truncated their name to the Cranberries and sent
another demo tape, which featured early versions of both "Linger" and
"Dreams," to record companies throughout the U.K. The tape was made at
Xeric Studios, which was run by Pearse Gilmore, who would later become their manager. At the time the tape was made, all of the members were still in their late teens.

The demo tape earned the attention of both the U.K. press and
record industry, and there soon was a bidding war between major British
record labels. Eventually, the group signed with Island Records. The
Cranberries headed into the studio with Gilmore
as their producer to record their first single, "Uncertain." The title
proved to be prophetic, as the band did indeed sound ill at ease on the
single, leading to poor reviews in the press, in addition to tensions
between the group and Gilmore. Before they were scheduled to record their debut in 1992, the Cranberries discovered that Gilmore
had signed a secret deal with Island to improve his studios. The
tensions within the band became so great they nearly broke up. Instead,
the band severed all relations with Gilmore, hired Geoff Travis of Rough Trade as their new manager, and hired Stephen Street, who had previously worked with the Smiths, as their new producer.

The Cranberries' debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?,
was released in the spring of 1993, followed by a single of "Dreams."
Neither the album or the single gained much attention, nor did a second
single, "Linger." In the summer and fall of 1993, the band toured the
United States, opening for The The and Suede,
respectively; frequently, the Cranberries were given a friendlier
reception than either of the headliners. The strong live shows led to
MTV putting "Linger" into heavy rotation. By the end of the year, the
single was on its way to becoming a crossover hit. Eventually, the
single reached number eight on the U.S. charts, while the album went
double platinum. Everybody Else and "Linger" began to take off in Britain in early 1994; the album eventually peaked at number one during the summer.

O'Riordan married the band's tour manager, Don Burton, in a
much-publicized ceremony in July 1994. The marriage, as well as the
group's videos, emphasized the singer as the focal point of the band.
O'Riordan's position in the group continued to rise with the fall
release of the group's second album, No Need to Argue. Boasting a
slightly harder, more streamlined sound, yet still produced by Stephen Street,
the record debuted at number six on the U.S. charts and eventually
outsold its predecessor; within a year it went triple platinum,
spawning the number one modern rock hit "Zombie" and the number 11 "Ode
to My Family."

During the tour for No Need to Argue, rumors began to
circulate that O'Riordan was going to leave the band to pursue a solo
career, all of which the band vehemently denied. Nevertheless, the
rumors persisted until the band began recording their third album with
producer Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith.
The resulting album, To the Faithful Departed, was a tougher, more
rock-oriented album. Upon its spring 1996 release, the album entered
the charts at number six, but its first single, "Salvation," failed to
become a hit on par with "Zombie," "Linger," or "Ode to My Family."
Consequently, the album slipped down the charts relatively quickly and
only went platinum, which was slightly disappointing in light of its
two predecessors' multi-platinum status.

During the fall of 1996, the group canceled their Australian
and European tour, sparking another round of rumors of whether
O'Riordan was about to launch a solo career. In 1999, the group
released Bury the Hatchet, and in 2003, shortly after the release of a
greatest-hits compilation, Stars: The Best of 1992-2002, the
Cranberries officially declared that they were taking a break. This
finally gave O'Riordan the time she needed to work on her
long-talked-about solo album, and Are You Listening hit shelves in 2007. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide