Title - 'Bualadh Bos: The Cranberries Live'
Artist - The Cranberries
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear ... this is such a depressing, lackluster recording that you wonder why UMe decided to even bring it out. I mean, I can't for the life of me think for a second that The Cranberries have put their backing behind this musical debacle as it is just so bloody lifeless!
Don't get me wrong, for I love The Cranberries in general, but being that lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan has to encourage the crowd at the start of the second song to even clap along (as 'Bualadh Bos' means exactly that, 'Clap Your Hands') you know that there can't be much gusto for the band there live, let alone here; some 15 years later, listening along!
Amazingly still, this is The Cranberries' first ever live album. Including classic recordings from 1994-1998, all captured in various live settings around the world: Los Angeles, Toronto, Michigan, Oslo and even Tipperary, 'Bualadh Bos' hits us with tracks such as "Dreams," "Zombie," "Ridiculous Thoughts," "Promises," "Linger," and more (blandness).
The long, overly-drawn out instrumental before '"Forever Yellow Skies' must mean the band left the stage for a period of time, but why they chose to come back is beyond me! Before "Free To Decide," O'Riordan tells us that it is their new song, and as it happens it is one of the better renditions on the CD.
"You might not remember this next one," she then admits, "because it came out two years ago now." And she is right as she has to coax the crowd along lyrically throughout "Dreams." Later, as the song is heading into its final bend, she asks, "Does anybody know the words?" Hmmm, I think that just sums it up really, sorry!
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