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.