Album review: The Cranberries - 'Live at the London Astoria II, 1994'

When The Cranberries performed a sold-out show at London's 1000-capacity Astoria II in January 1994, the Irish alt-rock band were already road tested, having toured the U.S. with Duran Duran and The London Suede in the months prior. The Cranberries 1993 full-length debut Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Don't We? was a worldwide success and went to #1 in the UK/Ireland.

American audiences were obviously enamored by the vocals of Dolores O'Riordan and the quartet's sound, which sometimes came across like a unique melding of Sinead O'Connor and The Smiths. Stateside, the album reached the top 20 on the way to multi-platinum status thanks to the top 20 alternative radio hits "Dreams" and "Linger" (the latter was also top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100).

Before the band opens the 65-minute, 15-song set heard on the excellent new live album Live at the London Astoria II, 1994 (out now on various formats) with an aptly named "Pretty," O'Riordan tells the crowd, "We have returned to you sweet London. It's lovely to be back. It's different, but lovely after our success over there." 

An enrapturing "Dreaming My Dreams" served as the first of a half dozen preview tasters of the second Cranberries album No Need to Argue, which would appear that October. The singer thanked fans for their silence on it and then said, "Maybe I'll hear your voices this time" for the glorious "Linger," replete with awesome vocal trills. They responded by singing along. 

"Ridiculous Thoughts" was as vigorous and dynamic as it would appear on album. A haunting-to-charming "Daffodil Lament" is still spine-tingling, especially at the end when the late O'Riordan (who died in 2018) transitioned into a wordless incantation that would become her trademark. The rush that is "Dreams" boasted a harder edge in concert, notably from drummer Fergal Lawler, and another crowd singalong. 

Speaking of edgy, the then soon-to-be-worldwide-smash hit "Zombie" - now encroaching upon 2 billion YouTube views - is given a forceful delivery by the band and O'Riordan concluded by saying the song was their cry against war in Ireland and "we want it to stop." Another highlight is the acoustic "Empty," with Lawler on bongos - a precursor to the band's popular appearance on "MTV Unplugged" in 1995. 

All told, this live album is a must for all Cranberries fans, who should be interested in the liner notes essay by Stuart Clark containing recollections from Lawler and guitarist Noel Hogan as well as a handful of live photos.     

Album reviews: Soft Cell, The Black Watch

Soft Cell

Danceteria

(Republic of Music)

The influential English new wave duo, best known here for the iconic top 10 cover of "Tainted Love" from 1982, release their swan song Danceteria digitally on Friday (LP/CD out Oct. 9). Named after the renowned NYC nightclub where Madonna got discovered, it's among Soft Cell's strongest studio albums and was completed shortly before co-founding multi-instrumentalist/producer Dave Ball died last fall.


Singer Marc Almond, always an astute chronicler of life's seedier side, describes the collection as a love letter to early '80s New York. Clocking in at just over an hour, Almond's lyrics are fascinating snapshots of the period. Standouts include the infectious hi-NRG title track that namechecks Madge; a supremely soulful "In Heaven (When I Dance with You)," "Wave to America," and "Times Square"; the stately reminiscence "The Rainbow Room" as Almond recalls the Twin Towers view from high atop the Rockefeller Plaza restaurant; and a flute-accented "Crackland." Bringing everything full circle is a spunky take on 1981 club hit "Out Come the Freaks" by Was (Not Was), where Almond friskily trades vocals with Labelle's Nona Hendrix.

Preorder: amazon.com

The Black Watch

The Fuzzy End of the Lollipop

(Atom)

Led by singer/guitarist John Andrew Fredrick, the black watch creates music at a dizzying pace that rivals Guided by Voices. Due Oct. 2, the critically acclaimed LA indie rock band's 27th album since the late '80s adeptly delves into shoegaze, jangle pop, and beyond with alluring results. Frederick sought to make songs which would immediately prompt repeated listens and definitely succeeded. Driven by fuzztone guitar and a piccolo trumpet that nods to Magical Mystery Tour, "Never You Mind" is a blissful standout; so is The Cure-styled "The Merry Kind," with its careening guitars and melodic keyboards.

The Fuzzy End of the Lollipop's warmly inviting title track (whose name is a Marilyn Monroe reference from "Some Like it Hot") adds a little My Bloody Valentine guitar danger at the end. Shimmering wonder "Falter, Splutter, Fall" describes how words can fail us. A chorale evoking Primal Scream's "Come Together" informs "Sorrow's Crown" (co-written by Fredrick's bandmate son Chandler), plus the cool bonus dance mix on CD/digital formats. "In Generalities” - inspired by a Robyn Hitchcock lyric - dips into psychedelia with prodigious use of mellotron. The album's back half features some nice Beach Boys-styled backing harmonies too.

Preorder: bandcamp.com

Check out my reviews of these albums and more on desertlocalnews.com and the print edition of this week's Desert Star Weekly.

Cyndi Lauper surprise releases 'True Colors' deluxe edition digitally; LP coming in December

Cyndi Lauper just re-released her sophomore album, True Colors, in a deluxe digital edition through Legacy/Sony Music. It includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks, “The River Cried” and Lauper’s version of The Beatles' “Across The Universe.” The 2LP will be available on December 4 in a limited-edition rainbow sprinkle variant and is available to pre-order now here. The 2LP will feature “The River Cried,” a never before released track, and select performances from Lauper’s Live at Le Zenith Paris show in 1987.

Said Lauper, reflecting on True Colors, “I’m grateful to the fans for embracing the range on the True Colors album - from ‘True Colors’ to ‘Boy Blue’ to ‘Change of Heart’ and my ‘What’s Going On’ cover. Yea, I took some risks. I wanted to grow. I was always hoping to become a great artist. To be remembered as someone who tried to push the boundaries a little. I’m lucky to have had partners and fans who embraced what I was doing. You start out wanting to make good music and you hope, also, to make a difference in people's lives and do something forward in music. I didn’t know if I could, but I tried and people heard me. Thankfully.”

Lauper continued, “The 40th anniversary of the True Colors album gave me an opportunity to go back and finish ‘The River Cried,’ a song by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly that we had to leave off the album in 1986. I also found the mastered version of ‘Across the Universe’ that Lennie Petze and I did. And then I started thinking about how great it would be to have a live album and I remembered our Live in Paris show. Then I went back to the Annie Leibovitz shoot and pulled images that no one had seen. We made art and it was very intentional. Having lost both Lennie and Billy this year, this project is especially meaningful to me.”

True Colors was originally released on September 15, 1986, the album reached #4 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. In the United States, the True Colors album has been certified 2x platinum by the RIAA. The RIAA has certified the “True Colors” single platinum as of October 14, 2021. Two tracks from the album earned Grammy Award nominations: “True Colors” for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and “911” for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

With Lauper providing lead vocals and arrangements, True Colors features contributions from guest artists including Nile Rodgers (guitars: “Change of Heart”); Rick Derringer (guitars: “Calm Inside the Storm,” which he co-wrote with Lauper, and “The Faraway Nearby”); Adrian Belew (guitars and arrangements: “What’s Going On”); The Bangles (backing vocals: “Change of Heart”); Billy Joel (backing vocals: “Maybe He’ll Know”); Ellie Greenwich (backing vocals: “Calm Inside the Storm”); Aimee Mann (backing vocals: “The Faraway Nearby”) and others.

Also announcing recently: Bonhams will present a career-spanning auction of pieces from Cyndi Lauper's personal collection this fall, spanning costumes, fashion, instruments, awards, and memorabilia from across four decades. The sale will include a public exhibition in New York, with live and online auctions to follow. Further details will be announced by Bonhams.

Digital Tracklist:

Change of Heart
Maybe He'll Know
Boy Blue
True Colors
Calm Inside the Storm
What's Going On
Iko Iko
The Faraway Nearby
911
One Track Mind
The River Cried
Across the Universe
Change of Heart (Live)
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Live)
Boy Blue (Live)
All Through the Night (Live)
What’s Going On (Live)
Iko Iko (Live)
She Bop (Live)
Calm Inside the Storm (Live)
911 (Live)
One Track Mind (Live)
True Colors (Live)
Maybe He’ll Know (Live)
Time After Time (Live)
Money Changes Everything (Live)
Band Introduction (Live)
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Live)
True Colors (A cappella) (Live)

2LP Track List:

SIDE 1
1. Change of Heart
2. Maybe He'll Know
3. Boy Blue
4. True Colors
5. Calm Inside the Storm

SIDE 2
1. What's Going On
2. Iko Iko
3. The Faraway Nearby
4. 911
5. One Track Mind
6. The River Cried

SIDE 3
1. Change of Heart (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
2. The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
3. Maybe He’ll Know (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
4. Boy Blue (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
5. True Colors (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)

SIDE 4
1. What’s Going On (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
2. Iko Iko (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
3. Calm Inside the Storm (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
4. 911 (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
5. One Track Mind (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
6. True Colors (Acapella) (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers box set 'Origins 1971-1978' set for November

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' new box set, Origins 1971-1978, marks the band's 50th anniversary and drops November 6 via UMe. Digging into the vaults, this collection spotlights the ‘70s era. It features collaborations with Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Emory Gordy and others. 

Origins 1971-1978 will be available in a 5LP box set, a 4CD box set and an uber deluxe edition, each with Blu-ray and DVD. The centerpiece of the vinyl editions is an 88-page fanzine featuring liner notes by David Fricke and Bud Scoppa, track-by-track annotations from the original band, complete album credits for the first two albums, archival photos and memorabilia, polaroids, postcards, collectibles and more. Preorder HERE.

No Sleep Til L.A. will be available as a stand-alone LP, CD and limited-edition Zoetrope. More than a rarities compilation, it is a 12-track document of Tom Petty becoming Tom Petty—tracing the years between Mudcrutch's earliest recordings and the formation of the Heartbreakers. Seven of the tracks have never been released before. Five more tracks appear here in new, hi-res mixes. The LP will also be available in a limited edition “Galaxy" color variant. A Zoetrope version of the record will be available on November 20.

“Parade of Loons,” a previously unheard Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers track from 1978, is out now—listen HERE. A new music video goes into an animated world of Heartbreakers fandom, directed by Peter Sluszka and starring Iain Armitage of Young Sheldon fame.

Origins 1971–1978 includes metallic limited-edition versions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ debut album and their 1978 follow-up, You’re Gonna Get It!.

Each track has been newly mixed and remastered from the original multi-track tapes, including 50th-anniversary editions of the band's first two albums, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and You're Gonna Get It!, by longtime producer and engineer Ryan Ulyate. Both editions feature extended versions of eleven tracks, including “American Girl” and “Breakdown.”

Live from the Record Plant 1977 features a broadcast released in its entirety for the first time. It was recorded for San Francisco's KSAN-FM at the Record Plant in Sausalito. This high-fidelity recording includes a guest appearance by the legendary Al Kooper.

The Cut Out Bin gathers five tracks that show Petty working as a solo artist alongside session musicians—including Leon Russell—before the Heartbreakers.

The band's 1978 performance on the BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test in the UK has restored audio by Ryan Ulyate and is now available for the first time in high definition. BBC host Bob Harris, who wrote an essay for the Blu-ray booklet, shares: “[It was] one of the greatest performances we had ever seen by a band at the top of their game. They played music from another planet to a room packed with manic fans, in one of the most iconic venues in the world. It was an experience so powerful that five decades later we could still remember every chord, every song, every solo.”

The DVD captures the band's live performance on the BBC program The Old Grey Whistle Test, and a Blu-ray disc featuring the complete collection of all 51 songs in high-res stereo, Atmos and 5.1 immersive mixes rounds out the set.

TRACKLIST

ORIGINS 1971-1978

LP1: 

No Sleep Til L.A.

Parade of Loons
You're Gonna Learn
Another Lonely Night
I Can't Fight It†
Depot Street†
Sin City
Wild Eyes†
Unheard of Kind of Hero
Up in Mississippi Tonight†
Satisfy Yourself
Since You Said You Love Me†
Long Way

LP2: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (50th Anniversary Edition)

Rockin' Around With You

Breakdown*
Hometown Blues
The Wild One, Forever
Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
Strangered in the Night
Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)*
Mystery Man
Luna
American Girl*

LP3: You're Gonna Get It! (50th Anniversary Edition)

When the Time Comes*†
You're Gonna Get It*†
Hurt
Magnolia
Too Much Ain't Enough*
I Need to Know
Listen to Her Heart
No Second Thoughts
Restless*
Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller*

LP4: 

Live From the Record Plant 1977 Pre-Show
Surrender
Jaguar and Thunderbird
Band Intros
American Girl
Al Kooper, Denny Cordell Intro
Fooled Again
Luna
How We Doin' on Tape?
Listen to Her Heart†
I Need to Know
Strangered in the Night
Dog on the Run
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66

LP5: The Cut Out Bin

Save Me
Making Some Noise
The Ballad of Harry, Neil & Tillie
Cry to Me†
Lost in Your Eyes

DISC 6: 

Live on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test 1978

9 performances in HD and restored audio • Running time: 41 minutes • 48kHz 24-bit PCM stereo Picture: 4:3 Pillarbox / 29.97 fps • NTSC All Region

*Extended version

†New mix of previously released version

The Church back with a new album next month

The Church has unveiled its new single “Western” from upcoming album 'Lacuna,' slated for  Oct. 30 via Cooking Vinyl. The veteran Aussie-bred alt-rock band's song follows the previous single “Sacred Echoes Part II.” 

“Well, we were in Texas, weren't we?” says bassist/vocalist/founder Steve Kilbey about the regionally named single, which was recorded in Austin, TX. “As a kid, all there was on TV were Westerns, so I let it all soak in and this is what came out. Some nice six-string bass counter riffs going, and the song is basically a shaggy dog story that just jumps all over the place… breezy and uncomplicated.”

The Church "Western"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8dgaUcORqk

Of “Winter” on the new album, Kilbey says, “This is the most old-fashioned, old school, Church-styled song for a while...It could have easily been on Blurred Crusade. A bit of continuity right back to the olden days.” 

“The lyrics [to 'Forever'] fell out of the sky and into my head,” Kilbey says. “We did a bit of work on the middle eight and the outro which has a bit of a Neil Young feeling, I guess. It was a very different style of vocal performance which I hadn’t really done before. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album too.”

Then there's “Sacred Echoes” (released in Winter 2025 in shortened form as “Sacred Echoes Part II”), for which the singer adds, “Bleak and yet beautiful ‘Sacred Echoes’ is unlike any previous Church song ever with its almost orchestral climaxes and its somber mood...The lyrics and voice are the weariness at the point where hope and hopelessness merge. The music is by turns delicate and sparse turning into a churning monstrous racket. Intense, forlorn and exultant."

Current band members include bassist, vocalist and founder Steve Kilbey; longtime collaborator, drummer and producer Tim Powles, who’s remained a staple across 18 albums since 1994; guitarist Ian Haug, who has been strumming with the band since 2013 and is formerly of Australian rock band Powderfinger; multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Cain from American alt-rock band Remy Zero who first joined the band as a touring musician before joining the band full time in 2020; Ashley Naylor, one of Australia’s finest guitarists and a long-time member of Paul Kelly’s touring band; and newest member Nicholas Meredith on drums. 

Track listing:

Lumbini Grove
Western
Ferrari
Sky River
Winter
Have You Been Here Before
The Lemurian
Everytime
Sky and Hill
Paladin
Martian Skyline
I Want It
The Place of Eternal Spring
Rapture
Forever
Lumbini Theme (Slight Return)
Sacred Echoes

Midge Ure solo collection due this winter

On Nov. 13, Chrysalis Records will release a new Midge Ure retrospective, 'Chapters: The Best Of (2026),' showcasing music he created in the '80s. This follows his recently acclaimed new studio album A Man Of Two Worlds, released earlier this year.

Listen to Midge Ure 'Fade To Grey (Single Version) on YouTube

In addition to Midge Ure solo tracks, the 3CD Deluxe Edition consists of the new stereo mixes and for the first time, newly recorded studio versions of Visage’s 'Fade To Grey' and Phil Lynott’s 'Yellow Pearl.' 

CD 1 contains seventeen tracks, including two bonus tracks not on the standard version. CD 2 consists of ten newly commissioned remixes by artists and producers who have worked with Midge over the years, such as soundtrack composer Craig Armstrong, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen (Japan), Wolfgang Flür (Kraftwerk), and Chris Payne (Visage/Gary Numan), among others. CD 3 consists of new Instrumental mixes of all seventeen tracks from CD1.

The set will be available on a Double LP Black Vinyl, a CD Standard Edition, a 3 CD Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition to exclusively release a Blu-Ray Atmos Mix of the compilation and a hand-pressed edition of the 2 LP on Splatter Vinyl.

Track listings:

CD One - The Songs [2026 Stereo Mixes]

01 Yellow Pearl 2.27
02 Fade To Grey 3.56
03 No Regrets 4.04
04 The Man Who Sold The World 6.00
05 After A Fashion [Midge Ure & Mick Karn] 4.12
06 Living In The Past 5.44
07 The Gift 5.07
08 If I Was 6.15
09 That Certain Smile 4.10
10 Wasteland 4.52
11 When The Wind Blows 4.11 *
12 Call of The Wild 4.24
13 Hell To Heaven 4.05 *
14 Answers To Nothing 5.01
15 Sister & Brother [Midge Ure & Kate Bush] 5.47
16 Dear God 5.02
17 Remembrance Day 4.30
* Deluxe Edition bonus track

CD Two - Connections

01 Fade To Grey - Chris Payne Mix 5.13
02 After A Fashion - Richard Barbieri Remix 5.15
03 The Man Who Sold The World - Midge Ure 2026 Remix 7.46
04 That Certain Smile - Craig Armstrong Remodel 4.44
05 Call of The Wild - Ty Unwin Reconstructed 4.55
06 If I Was - Blank & Jones so8os Reconstruction 6.45
07 Sister and Brother - Steve Jansen Remix 4.35
08 Wastelands - Danny Mitchell’s Remix 8.04
09 Answers To Nothing - 2026 Rework 5.15
10 Dear God – Flür/Duggal Remix 5.05

CD Three - The Music [2026 Instrumental Versions]

01 Yellow Pearl 2.27
02 Fade To Grey 3.56
03 No Regrets 4.04
04 The Man Who Sold The World 6.00
05 After A Fashion [Midge Ure & Mick Karn] 4.12
06 Living In The Past 5.44
07 The Gift 5.07
08 If I Was 6.15
09 That Certain Smile 4.10
10 Wasteland 4.52
11 When The Wind Blows 4.11
12 Call of The Wild 4.24
13 Hell To Heaven 4.05
14 Answers To Nothing 5.01
15 Sister & Brother [Midge Ure & Kate Bush] 5.47
16 Dear God 5.02
17 Remembrance Day 4.30

Live Dates:

Nov. 20 - York, UK - Barbican
Nov. 21 - Derby, UK - Vaillant Live
Nov. 22 - Hull, UK - Connexin Live
Nov. 23 - Brighton, UK - Dome
Nov. 25 - Cardiff, UK - Depot
Nov. 26 - Llandudno, UK - Venue Cymru
Nov. 27 - Watford, UK - Colosseum
Nov. 26 - Llandudno, UK - Veune Cymru
Nov. 29 - Coventry, UK - Warwick Arts Centre
Nov. 30 - Guildford, UK - G Live

Tickets available from midgeure.seetickets.com/ & www.midgeure.co.uk

Bryan Adams news

Bryan Adams' next studio album, How’s It Goin,’ arrives November 6 via BAD Records.

Rooted in the people, places, landscapes and stories that have shaped his home country of Canada, How’s It Goin’ draws on country, folk and rock.

For Adams, the album began with a single song inspired by Canada’s east coast and grew into something much bigger: a collection of stories about the country he has called home throughout his life.

“The idea was simply to make a record about Canada,” says Adams. “It started with writing the song for the documentary Canada’s Wild Eastern Edge and after doing so much research, I was inspired to start writing more songs about Canada. Musically it took me somewhere a little different too, which made the whole thing exciting.”

Among the album's songs is ‘The Ballad of Terry Fox,’ a tribute to one of Canada’s most inspirational figures. The song will also feature in the forthcoming documentary film about Terry Fox, Run Terry Run.

The album will be released across CD and LP, with the LP housed in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves, obi and shrink wrap. A special A4 hardback book edition will also be available, featuring the album on CD, song lyrics and images connected to the stories and subjects explored across the record.

PRE-ORDER HERE

WATCH ‘The Ballad of Terry Fox’ video HERE

WATCH ‘51st State’ video HERE

Track Listing: 

How’s it Goin’
Highway 16
Diesel & Dirt
The Battle Of Lundy’s Lane
The Ballad Of Terry Fox
51st State
When Canada Joined Newfoundland
A Handful Of Gold
Iron Ribbon
The Bridge
Canada’s Wild Eastern Edge
Heave Away
Lake Ontario ** digital album bonus track