The official US headquarters for The Cranberries, www.cranberries.com, has relaunched with a slightly simpler look, promoting next Tuesday’s release of “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions”. There’s not a whole lot to see, but it’s worth the look anyway. The site had not been updated previously for nearly a year and a half.

However, there is a major point of interest under “Current Album”, where information about “Complete Sessions” is listed. Firstly, the “frontal” image is not the same as the cover of the import version — this image was inside. Seconly, the track list neglects “Delilah” live, one of the live tracks also featured on the import. Does this suggest that the US version is different from the import?
We will have a full report on the US release on Tuesday.

We have word that the the previously-announced tour scheduled for August will not be a “world tour” as previously reported. Instead, the tour will be for promotional interviews and appearences on TV networks, for radio stations, etc…
Here’s the message we received from Rainer, the official page webmaster:

While looking through your site (and many others) we noticed that there is a misbelief that the band are doing a worldwide tour in August 2001. The band will be starting a media tour, that means just things like tv shows and press meetings. A full scale live tour has not been planned as yet, and will most likely come after the release of the new album.
We hope that this is helpful to you!
Webmaster – www.cranberries.ie

As previously reported, a new DVD title will be released on Tuesday, titled “From a Whisper to a Scream”. The documentary covers over thrity years of Irish music history, including of course, The Cranberries. We now have the self-description of the release, from its back cover:

“Ireland in the 1950’s was a gray and conservative place. Elsewhere, it was the decade that heralded the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. But as the ’50s accelerated into the ’60s, an emerging generation began to turn on to the revolutionary sounds that were changing musical expectations and values around the globe. Irish songwriters and musicians embarked on an adventure that, in time, would lead to an explosion in creativity and achievement unparalleled anywhere in the world.

“Ireland, a small country off the Western coast of Europe, has succeeded in producing some of the most popular and acclaimed music of recent decades. It has done so to an extent that is completely out of proportion to its size. From a Whisper to a Scream focuses on the extraordinary individuals behind this story. It traces the evolution of the music, from its humble beginnings in overcrowded dance halls and beat clubs to the glittering venues where it is performed today. Featuring rare archival footage, exclusive interviews and live performance clips, this electrifying film presents thrilling highlights from over 30 years of Irish popular music.”

The documentary appears to be a limited release, so if you’re eager to watch it, you may want to try some online retailers.

The Cranberries have donated an autographed poster to the Great Daffodil Day Internet Auction to aid the Irish Cancer Society.

The poster is a lithograph of the “Bury the Hatchet” cover and back artwork. The litho is autographed by the artist, Storm Thorgerson, as well as the band. The auction is being hosted by EBid.ie. The bidding began at £5 (about $7.20 US) and is currently at £180 ($260 US). The auction ends on March 23rd.

The Irish Cancer Society, founded in 1963, is the national charity dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem and improving the lives of those living with cancer through patient care, research and education. All of the funding to the organization comes from public donations.

The Cranberries have begun scheduling for the new world tour to launch later this year. The new tour, to coincide with the band’s 5th album, will kick off in August and last until the end of this year. Venues are currently being planned for Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and North America. At the moment, the tour will most likely begin in Asia.

In other news, the yet-untitled fifth album is still on schedule for October 2001, while the first single has been confirmed for a September release. It will begin airing on radio stations in mid-August. (No title has been selected for the first single release.)

Source: Official Cranberries Homepage

Just when you thought things were getting boring. The brand new, gorgeous Official Cranberries Site has hit the internet and with it come tons of news.

Dolores and he new baby girl Molly are in the best of health. Today Molly turns 5 weeks old. Dolores hasn’t been able to leave the house much, as she is nursing Molly herself. Noel, on the other hand, is currently in London, as his wife is carrying their second child, due in about three weeks.

And now on to the new album and tour (drumroll please!). As you know, the band finished up the first half of the album in August and September of last year. “The new stuff sounds very cool,” said Dolores. “Real music I’d say. Doesn’t all that manufactured stuff sound sooooo the same really?” Indeed it does. She went on, “Well that’s all I can think of for now except I’m totally looking forward to the next album and tour.”

The band got a chance to do some rehersals last week and write some new material, according to Fergal. The band will return to Windmill Lane Studios in April to resume recording of the fifth albu. As you will recall, Windmill Lane was the same studio where “To the Faithful Departed” was recorded five years ago. Also, the news section now states that album has been moved up to a September release!! Previously, the album was slated for October.

The new biography section is extremely well-written (yes, it rivals my own Biography here). In fact, the intro gives us much insight to the August and September sessions of Album #5 (still untitled). The new tracks have “a unique sound that has lost none of its character” from the band’s previous works. Here’s a very informative excerpt:

“One song, ‘Pretty Eyes’ slips out between the more feisty numbers, a soft lulliby ballad that blends the talents of band and producer into one soft, lucious performance. A hint of things to come.”

Anyway, that’s the new site, and it has met and exceeded my expectations. For those of you having trouble accessing the new flash site at the www.cranberries.ie, try here for a direct link. (Link no longer available)

Source: Official Cranberries Site

I love writing news stories about odd merchandise, and this is about the oddest thing I’ve seen from “Bury the Hatchet”. As a promotional effort for the “Promises” single in the UK, apparently Universal created a very limited production of actual teddy bears to coincide with the release. The bears themselves seem to be normal high-class collectible bears. The bears include a small white T-shirt, with the logo “The Cranberries: Promises”. If you’re looking for one of these rarities, watch your wallet. This turns out to be one of the most expensive pieces since the $50 “Bury the Hatchet” golf shirts sold on tour.

As previously mentioned on the Official Cranberries Homepage, the double- disc set “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions” would release this month in the US.
Apparently, the release is suprisingly still on schedule.

“The Complete Sessions” was released in Europe and Japan in April 2000. The set includes all of “Bury the Hatchet”, 6 B-sides, and 7 live tracks recorded in Paris, December 9th, 1999. Unfortunately, according to listings at Amazon and Tower Records the US release will be identical to the European release. Americans can look for the limited edition in stores March 20th, 2001 with an MSRP of $19.99

As reported earlier, “Fields of Hope”, the new benefit compilation for those starving in central Africa, has just been released in the UK. Below is the first image of the cover art, which features a painting of a person travelling across a sun-scortched land. The new compilation, which features a live version of the Cranberries’ “Dreaming My Dreams”, is available in the UK on Dara Records.

“Empire Records”, a movie about the dying breed of independent music stores, will be released on DVD in less than two months. The movie, filmed in 1995, features the Cranberries tracks “How” and “Liar”.
“Liar” was also placed on the film’s soundtrack, being pushed as a major selling point for the CD.

The DVD release of the movie will feature several new additions, including theatrical trailers, widescreen anamorphic display, Dolby Digital 2.0, and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portugese.
The disc will be cased in snap case packaging. The movie will be released on DVD on April 3rd, 2001 with an MSRP of $19.99

Source: Amazon

The opening page of the Cranberries official site is a far cry from what it was just days ago. The opening page features a preview of what to expect from the newly-designed site. The new design features a curious mix of the “Bury the Hatchet” signature line-and-circle art, mixed with morphed band photos and sketches that look like they’re out of a 1950’s biology book.

Some new features are also to come. A “Press Release” section will be launched. Flash technology will also be mandatory to view the page. Lastly and most intriguing is a bright red-and-blue sun that features the word “Live” lightly enscribed into its center.

I’m now quite anxious to see the new page, so be sure to check it out when it launches this Saturday.
In the meantime, click here to see the preview, or check out the picture below. (Link no longer available)

Source: The Official International Cranberries Website

In an unsuprising note, the webmaster of the official international Cranberries webpage reports that the new redesign of the site has once again fallen behind schedule. The new site has been planned to hit the bandwith today. The relaunch has been pushed back innumerous times since its original planned launch late last year. The new layout will feature art by Storm Thorgerson, the “dark and sexy” artist who did most of the art for “Bury the Hatchet” and its singles.

In related news, an official mailing list is now up on the official site. Those interested can enter their email address and receive news and other updates, sent straight to their inbox.

Source: Cranberries Official International Homepage

A review is out to promote the new benefit compilation “Fields of Hope”

VARIOUS ARTISTS “FIELDS OF HOPE” Dara 2000
65 min

Tracklisting:
Dolores Keane: Storm in My Heart – Altan: Castles in The Air – Van Morrison & The Chieftans: Irish Heartbeat – Sinead Lohan: Everything Around Me is Changing – Mary Black: Ae Fond Kiss – David Gray: Lead Me Upstairs – U2: Staring at The Sun – Sinead O’Connor: Ode To Billie Joe – Maire Brennan: Ceolfidh Mi – Christy Moore: Lovely Young One – Dsnal Lunny & Coolfin: Butlers – The Cranberries: Dreaming My Dreams – Jack L: Rooftop Lullabye – The Corrs: Runaway

Although it goes without saying that the thinking behind it was a truly admirable demonstration of how people power in a needy hour could really save lives, the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Feed The World)” will always bring a bad taste to many mouths. Apart from giving rise to countless other cheesy charity tunes featuring duets from ‘well intended’ faltering stars who linked arms while grinning inanely (you know who they are!), the music itself amounted to little more than second rate, lame pop. Several years on from this we have learnt the hard way that like puppies, benefit albums are not just for Christmas, but for life! Here’s where this album comes in. There are no ill-fitting duets or sing-along anthems here, but quite a few rare tracks which showcase some of Ireland’s most established songwriters and musicians with a predominantly traditional and folk vibe. Dolores Keane’s distinctive sean nss touch to an airy “Storm in My Heart” complements the low-key acoustic touches of Sinead Lohan’s “Everything Around Me is Changing”. Meanwhile U2’s live acoustic version of “Staring at The Sun” proves that they can still churn out a striking tune without the aid of their arsenal of electronic gadgetry, just as David Gray’s sauntering sonnet “Lead Me Upstairs” finds him in flying form on front of an adoring audience. Doing more than their bit to compensate for The Corr’s uninspired, albeit well delivered live rendition of “Runaway”, Sinead O’Connor offers her sparse, soulful recording of “Ode To Billie Joe” while Kildare crooner jack L does his Scott Walker thing on the wide screen “Rooftop Lullabye”. More importantly, the distressing fact that 40,000 children die every day from lack of food is a problem that really shouldn’t be forgotten until the next Christmas compilation is rolled out. Buy this record, not just because you feel you should, but because it is worth the money.

Source: Thanks to Suzy Aston

A new benefit compilation has been released in Ireland to aid starvation in central Africa. Fourteen Irish artists collaborated for the project, ranging from the classic The Chieftains to the contemporary U2, and everything in between. The project is funded by the Gorta organization. The profits from the new compilation, “Fields of Hope”, go entirely to The Street Children’s Repatriation Project in Zimbabwe, one of several starvation-fighting projects funded by Gorta.

Most notably, the album features a previously unreleased live version of The Cranberries’s “Dreaming My Dreams”. The album also features live and B- side material from the most prominent of Irish bands. The band list includes:

» Sinead O’Connor
» Van Morrison
» The Chieftains
» U2
» The Cranberries
» The Corrs
» Dolores Keane
» Sinead Lohan
» Mary Black
» Maire Brennan
» Donal Lunny’s Coolfin
» Jack L.
» Christy Moore
» Altan

The album was produced in Ireland and is only available in limited quantities. Gorta is a program estabished by Ireland’s Department of Agriculture in 1965 and continues to fight hunger throughout the world, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America. Over 800 million people in the world are chronically undernourished and nearly 40,000 children die a day due to it.

Source: 1550 AM Boston

Representatives from The Cranberries Official Homepage have confirmed that the band will be working with artist Storm Thorgerson for their next album. Thorgerson designed the art for “Bury the Hatchet”, its singles, “The Complete Sessions”, as well as “Beneath the Skin”, released earlier this month on DVD. He is best known for, however, his exotic art for bands such as Pink Floyd. The band has commented in several interviews that their first three albums were like a trio, and perhaps they’re looking to make another.

Source: Noel Hogan

“Beneath the Skin”, The Cranberries’ new VHS and DVD concert was just released in Mexico on Sunday (the 21st). The response from the public has been overwhemling thus far. The release has sold over 10,000 copies in Mexico since its release, enough to push it to #2 on the Top 10 Selling Videos in Mexico. Videos have been flying off shelves there, making it nearly scarce to find. No word yet on American sales figures, but The Herald will do some research, and we’ll see what we can find.

Source: Thanks to mexfan

The official page has been updated with some great news!
First, to begin, “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions” will be released in the United States in March!! The 2-CD set was released in Europe last April, and therefore only available as an import. Disc 1 includes the full album of “Bury the Hatchet” and the UK bonus track “Sorry Son”. The second disc includes five more B-sides and several live tracks, most recorded in Paris, December 9th, 1999 (the “Beneath the Skin” show). The US release will have an MSRP of $19.99. Please, please include something new! (New packaging, different tracks… something!)

Fascinating! A news story from Zombieguide made it to the official page! To clarify, the “greatest hits” CD was intended only as a promotional pack-in to the Turkish magazine “Blue Jeans”, and is not a separate release. According to online rare music retailers, the compilation is licensed by Universal, however it was probably something handled by the record company entirely and the band was never notified.

Odds are, we WILL indeed hear “Analyze” before autumn! As previously reported, the track didn’t make it to the soundtrack. This is due to Universal’s decision to delay the track. Because the new album is now slated for October 2000, the company wants the track to be on a movie closer to it’s release. (”Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”, anyone? Nah, it’d be out of place.)

Click here to read the news, straight from Fergal. (Link no longer available)

Source: The Cranberries Official International Homepage

Dario G’s “Dream to Me” is doing fairly well in Europe, appearing in several European Top 10 lists. The track is a dance remix of the Cranberries’ hit “Dreams”, as previously reported.

The track made its debut at #9 on MTV’s Dance Floor Chart in the UK for the week of January 12th. The track has since been slowly climbing the charts, with the video being played in the top 8 on MTV UK.

The international release date for the single is currently set at February 26th, 2001 (this probably does not cover the US). The album, “In Full Colour” will follow shortly.

Sources: MTV UK, Dario G Official Website

Weeks after the American release, Europe has finally received the PAL format DVD of “Beneath the Skin”. The European release is virtually identical to the American release, with the exception of regional coding. No new artwork or any extra goodies.

Source: Thanks to Jesus Castillo

The official site has updated with the following bit of news about the redesign of the official website:

UPDATE ON “NEW-LOOK WEBSITE”
News just in from Storm Thorgerson, (who is redesigning the website) is that it should be up and running by the 18th of February (barring any major disasters). By the way, we are not allowed to call him “legendary” anymore, he would rather be known as “dark, mysterious, handsome and sexy”.
Keep coming back to the latest news for more updates….

Source: Official International Cranberries Homepage

As if “Beneath the Skin” wasn’t enough, a second DVD release will hit the United States within a month. Save up your money for “From a Whisper to a Scream: The Living History of Irish Rock”, due in February.

Surprisingly, after doing a little research, there is no lack of information on the anthology. “From A Whisper to a Scream” is the brainchild of director David Heffernan, and compiles the most comprehensive look at the Irish music scene available, from the early 1900’s to today. The six-part series originally aired last year on the Irish television station RTÉ. The documentary lasts for well over 2 1/2 hours.

And, of course, if it didn’t include the Cranberries, you wouldn’t be reading it here. The documentary is chock full of exclusive interviews, as well as narratives from the artists themselves. Dolores O’Riordan is one of the featured voice-overs. Accoring to Tower Records’ description, the piece also contains “special archival footage, extensive reviews and specially staged performances” from various artists.

“It was relatively easy to get people,” Heffernan told Ireland.com. “There were not as many obstacles as you might imagine, because they had a sense this was a story worth telling. They were very giving of their time. When you start out to make these projects, you really don’t know whether you’ll get the sort of artists you’ll need. For other projects I’ve worked on in the past, negotiations to get artists to agree to commit take a lot of time. For this, people saw what we were trying to do and felt a sense of confidence in what was actually a compelling story.”

Interestingly, the project began as a book and 2 CD set. However, due to lack of funding, Heffernan was not able to fully realize his dream of a full- scale documentary. However, after extensive fund-raising, he was able to gather the over £1 million it took to materialize his ambition (that’s about $1.48 million+ for us Yanks). No doubt this is a large-scale project.

Both the VHS and DVD will release in the US on February 13th. The DVD will carry an MSRP of $29.99 while the VHS 3-video set will retail for $39.95. You can pre-order the DVD at Tower Records here for $25.99 or the VHS here for $35.99.

For lots more information, check out the links below. Major thanks to Pedro for the news tip.

Sources: Ireland.com, RTÉ.com, and Tower Records

ShowBiz Ireland, a premier entertainment source around Ireland, recently had an exclusive interview with Dolores shortly after the band’s gig at Vicar Street for the MTV Awards party.

Shortly before the show, Dolores, six months pregnant, said that she was looking forward to it. “It’s something I always wanted to do. I felt it would be an experience to play a concert while I was pregnant…. I’m really looking forward to playing at Vicar St. It’s a real treat, it’ll be a little different for a couple of reasons not only because I’m pregnant and I won’t be able to perform my usual stage gymnastics – it’ll be a completely different stage show but also it’ll be the Cranberries first really intimate gig since the early nineties when we played much smaller venues.”

When asked why they were going to play at the small Vicar Street gig and not at the awards themselves, the band responded, “We were not asked to play at the awards. We have in the past but as well as this it may be a bit too much to travel to Sweden and play a big gig with Dolores as pregnant as she is.”

Interestingly, ShowBiz talked long enough with Dolores to squeeze some social commentary out of her. “The state of our planet is something I’m getting concerned about. There will always be political problems; it’s our human nature. When I was younger I didn’t give a toss about the planet. I was a teenager and I was too busy partying. But the older I get the more I’m concerned about the planet, [even] more so again since I became a parent.”

Hmmm… perhaps we have some thematic structure for Album #5? We’ll have to wait and see.

Source: ShowBiz Ireland

Previously, it was reported by the Cranberries Tape Trader that “Beneath the Skin” would see release in Canada on January 3rd. Apparently, that date was not correct, as many reported. Now, the same site has reported that the new release date for Canada is February 1st. This date applies to both the VHS and DVD releases. Is this date trustworthy? Lets hope so.

Source: Cranberries Tape Trader

It’s the news I never wanted to hear, but somehow knew it would come.
Billboard.com has posted the track listing for the “Sweet November” Soundtrack minus the Cranberries. “Analyze”, a new song was announced by the band as being considered for the soundtrack.
The track listing is:

1. Enya, “Only Time”
2. BT, “Shame”
3. Stevie Nicks, “Touched By An Angel”
4. Paula Cole, “Heart Door”
5. k.d. lang, “The Consequences Of Falling” (previously unreleased Lenny B remix)
6. Tegan & Sara, “My Number”
7. Robbie Williams, “Rock DJ”
8. Barenaked Ladies, “Off The Hook”
9. Jackie Wilson, “Baby Work It Out”
10. Tracy Dawn, “You Deserve To Be Loved”
11. Amanda Ghost, “Cellophane”
12. Celeste Prince, “Wherever You Are”
13. Bobby Darin, “The Other Half Of Me”

I suppose that there is still a chance of the track list changing or of “Analyze” being used in the actual movie. But I think at this point that the chance of either may be slim.

This is all too cold a reminder of 1998’s “X-Files” soundtrack. “What’s On My Mind”, a new song, was announced to be included on the soundtrack. Later, it was absent from the track listing. Sources cited that the Cranberries weren’t exactly the band the music producers had in mind, so the track was therefore omitted. “What’s On My Mind” was later released on 1999’s “Bury the Hatchet”, and possibly the best track on the album in my opinion.

Source: Billboard.com

“Beneath the Skin” has finally been released in America, approximately 1 year and 7 months after the last release in the US, “Bury the Hatchet”. And oh boy, is it nice.

Distribution at the moment is a bit sparse. Some stores simply are not carrying it, whereas many have only either the VHS or DVD and not both. Nevertheless, after a good searching, one should find a copy with some luck.

We’ve all see the cover and back many times, so here are some exclusive scans of what we haven’t seen from the DVD: the chapter index, the disc, and the jumbo sticker on the outside of the plastic.

Full “Beneath the Skin” Review Here (Link no longer available)

Source: Exclusive

Australia now has a date for the new VHS/DVD “Beneath the Skin”, which gets released in the US tomorrow and Canada on Wednesday. Aussies can get their money ready for February 5, 2001. The concert will carry a price tag of $39.95 AUD (approx. $22.30 US), which is slightly lower than the US price of $24.95.

Source: Johannes Schmidt

The date for the “Sweet November” soundtrack is now official. The December 2000 issue of ICE Magazine reports that the CD will hit retail shelves on February 6, 2001 (in the US). Meanwhile, the movie itself will relese in theaters on February 16, ten days later. Hopefully “Analyze” will still make it to the soundtrack and the band won’t be rejected a la “X-Files”. Apparently though, the film makers are looking for new material for the soundtrack insteat of old recycled stuff. New songs “Only Time” by Enya and “Touched by an Angel” by Stevie Nicks will also be highlights of the disc.

Source: ICE Magazine, December 2000 Issue

The volume of Bury the Hatchet-era commercial live bootlegs has been scarce over the past two years. Last year brought us “One’s Better Self”, “The Undead”, “Little Fruits”, and a few other titles basically all consisting of the April ’99 Germany show.

Now just recently released in Europe is the new bootleg, “Loud and Clear”. It marks the first, and only, live commercial bootleg of 2000. The show was recorded at the Theatre Antique de Fouriere on July 24th, 2000 in Lyon, France. This show also marks the last gig in the Loud and Clear 1998-2000 Tour. Although the tour is officially recognized as the 1999-2000 tour, the band kicked it off in Oslo, Norway in December 1998 for the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. The back insert also bears the name of one brave man, Vince Dome, by stating that he recorded the show.

Tracks are:

1. Intro (new one)
2. Promises
3. Loud and Clear
4. Linger
5. Wanted
6. Salvation
7. Desperate Andy
8. Go Your Own Way
9. Daffodil Lament
10. When You’re Gone
11. I Can’t Be With You
12. Free to Decide
13. Waltzing Back
14. Zombie
15. Ridiculous Thoughts
16. You and Me
17. Just My Imagination
18. Animal Instinct
19. Dreams

My first encounter with this show was on eBay, from where the pictures came. I thought that because I hadn’t seen it elsewhere that the packaging, etc., was a one-of-a-kind homemade effort to peddle a live show on eBay. However, lately the CD has been popping up in stores across Europe. Sebas tells The Cranberries Herald that some shops across Spain carry the CD for a price tag of approximately $10 US.

Luckily, The Herald was able to get a copy of the show from a European trading friend. First, I can tell you that the quality is excellent if this Vince Dome person is an ameteur. Grading it, I give the quality a 9.5/10. In addition, The Cranberries Herald has some exclusive MP3 clips for all those interested in downloading. First is the brand new intro, which is quite suspenseful, and hopefully something we can look forward to for the next tour. Note that these are just sample MP3’s and the actual sound quality is better than I can capture.

New Intro (MP3, 435k)
Loud and Clear (MP3, 538k)
Ridiculous Thoughts (MP3, 481k)

Enjoy, and also check out the full size cover art, back art, and disc art. (No longer available)

Partial Sources: eBay, also thanks to Sebas

Amazon.com, arguably the biggest and baddest multimedia superstore on the ‘net has posted their review of “Beneath the Skin”. Here’s what editor Tom Keogh had to say:

“Amazon.com
Recorded in December 1999 before a massive and wildly enthusiastic French audience, this Cranberries concert is remarkable testimony to the Irish band’s seasoning, evolving confidence, and heightened sense of fun in the years since the release of their breakthrough hit singles (“Linger,” “Zombie,” “Ode to My Family,” all performed here). Fans who saw the Limerick-born group’s early- ’90s tours recognized in singer-songwriter Dolores O’Riordan equal parts gamine, witch, and an inspirational incarnation of W.B. Yeats’s Glimmering Girl. Now, however, Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris underscores O’Riordan’s more relaxed, womanly stage presence, as well as a rounder, fuller sound from founding members Mike Hogan (bass), his brother Noel Hogan (guitar), and drummer Fergal Lawler.

Strutting at various times in a flowing robe, leather mini-skirt, or white pants, the diminutive O’Riordan leads the Cranberries through an overview of their Celtic-tinged, alternately jangly or thrashing repertoire. As always, they’re at their best when they reach beyond O’Riordan’s tendencies toward lyrical self-congratulation. When they don’t, a bit of monotony fogs up the proceedings. When they do, however, which is frequently in Beneath the Skin, the Cranberries demonstrate exquisite pop craftsmanship (“Just My Imagination,” not to be confused with the Temptations’ classic) and ferocity of spirit (“Animal Instinct”). In any case, the passionate Parisian audience at this show amplifies the band’s thorny glories while, paradoxically, easing them into a comfortable encounter with stardom. All in all, this is a must for Cranberries fans and a multifaceted introduction to the group for everyone else. –Tom Keogh

Additional features
The DVD edition is filled out with supplementary material, some of which is underwhelming (lifeless, backstage photos) while other goodies have genuine value (printed, albeit tiny, lyrics; videos and performance clips going back to 1993). –Tom Keogh”

Source: Amazon.com

It looks like Asia will be the first region of the world to get their hands on “Beneath the Skin”, in VCD form.
The first thing I should point out is that it is difficult to determine if this is pirated or not. Keep in mind that Asia is the piracy capital of the world and that 95% of the VCD (preferred video format) market is pirated, mostly in China and Hong Kong. However, the video is marked with the Island logo as well as a “ratings” sticker. The publisher, Panorama, even lists their Hong Kong address, so we will have to assume that this is an official release.

The 2-VCD set features the entire concert, as well as the bonus DVD features, such as “Yesterday’s Gone” from MTV Unplugged, and the three music videos. Here is the breakdown:

Disc 1

1. Promises
2. Animal Instinct
3. Loud And Clear
4. Ode To My Family
5. The Icicle Melts
6. Linger
7. Wanted
8. Salvation
9. Desperate Andy
10. Go Your Own Way
11. Pretty
12. When You’re Gone
13. I Can’t Be With You

Disc 2

14. Waltzing Back
15. Free To Decide
16. Zombie
17. Ridiculous Thoughts
18. Dying In The Sun
19. You And Me
20. Just My Imagination
21. Delilah
22. Dreams
–DVD Extras–

For those that don’t have a DVD player, remember that VCDs are playable on nearly any PC or Mac with an MPEG player, so you may want to look out for a copy of the Asian version.

Webmasters: Please remember to credit Zombieguide.com if borrowing these pics/news story for your page.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries Tape Trader, a Canadian fan page, is reporting that retailers there currently have the release date for the new Cranberries VHS and DVD. Canadians will be happy to know that they will only have to wait a day longer than the US, as the release goes on sale there January 3rd, 2001.

Black Star, a popular e-tailer of videos and DVDs for the UK and the rest of Europe has posted two different release dates for Europe. The DVD will be the first released, on January 15th. The VHS will follow two weeks later on January 29th. Europeans looking to order a Region 2 DVD can do so here. PAL videos can be purchased from Black Star here. Note that these dates are tentative, but probably accurate.

Sources: The Cranberries Tape Trader, Black Star

The Official Dario G Website has updated with all the details of the upcoming “Dreams” remix single.
The actual title of the track is “Dream to Me”, a lyric from the original song. Unfortunately, the song is not exactly a true remix. Instead it is a remake, with Dolores’ vocals removed, and have been replaced by Dario G lead singer Ingfrid Straumstoyl. The single will feature other mixes by Airscape, Warrior, Ian Wilkie, and Above and Beyond. The single will be out January 22, 2001.

Those interested in a sample of the song can click here (Real Audio clip) (Link no longer available)

Sources: Dario G Official Site, Loud and Clear 2001

The Cranberries Official International Homepage has gone under more than one delay in the new design. The new design is being done by legendary artist Storm Thorgerson, who has done the band’s cover art for Bury the Hatchet and all of its singles as well as the upcoming “Beneath the Skin”. He is probably best known for his abstract Pink Floyd cover images.

In a previous post, the new design was set for January, but today, this note was posted:

“We have just got word from Storm Thorgerson, who is re-designing our website, that the “new look” site will be up and running by mid February 2001. More on that soon!”

Looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer to see the new layout, but I’m willing to do so.

Source: The Cranberries Official International Homepage

It looks like trying to get any peek at the new DVD before January 2nd is extremely difficult. Today, while contacting an employee at Image Entertainment, the distribution company for “Beneath the Skin”, he told me that not even the employees at the distribution house are permitted to handle the release until after the busy holidays.

“The disc is manufactured but the holidays are keeping everything tight and we are not allowed to touch the Cranberries title until next week,” said Burgess Wilson, an Image representative.

Even those that have ordered it directly from DVDPlanet.com, the online retail branch of Image, will probably not receive it early. For those, “it will probably show up the week of [January 2nd],” said Wilson. He concluded, “Better on time than never.”

Source: Exclusive

Image Entertainment, the distributor of the upcoming VHS and DVD “Beneath the Skin” has posted a new press release on their website. No really new info. here, but it is newsworthy.

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE DVD AND VIDEOCASSETTE OF “THE CRANBERRIES: BENEATH THE SKIN: LIVE IN PARIS” ON JANUARY 2, 2001

 

Worldwide Home Video and Broadcast Rights Granted in Exclusive Agreement with Island Records, Inc.

 

CHATSWORTH, CA (December 5, 2000) – Image Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISK), a leading licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America, today announced the January 2, 2001 release of The Cranberries Beneath the Skin: Live In Paris, filmed at the Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy in Paris. The DVD and videocassette are being released through an exclusive agreement with Island Records, Inc. that grants Image all facets of home video and broadcast distribution throughout the world.

 

The Cranberries, featuring vocalist and songwriter, Dolores O’Riordan-Burton, guitarist and co-writer, Noel Hogan, bassist, Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler, reside in their hometown of Limerick, Ireland. The quartet was formed in 1989 and their first single, “Uncertain”, was released in 1991. The band’s first album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, was released in March 1993 and has sold over five million copies, spawning two hit singles: “Linger” and “Dreams”. From there, The Cranberries went on to release No Need To Argue and To the Faithful Departed, each album more successful than the last, and winning international awards and recognition, including the MTV Award for European Single of the Year for “Zombie.”

 

The Cranberries most recent tour began in Oslo, Norway in 1998 and lasted 18 months, reaching 700,000 fans, in 90 cities over four continents. Their most recent album, Bury the Hatchet, topped the charts around the world. To date the band has sold over 33 million albums. This is their first concert, since 1994, to be released to home video, and marks The Cranberries first ever DVD release.

 

The DVD will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 multichannel audio and exclusive bonus features including documentary footage, bonus performances from MTV Unplugged, promotional videos, rare live performance footage and more! The video was produced by Ned O’Hanlon for Timeless Music and Dreamchaser Productions and executive produced by Lewis Kovac. Audio was produced by the band and the program was directed by Maurice Linnane. Menuing and design for the project were handled by legendary artist, Storm Thorgerson.

 

The Cranberries are currently writing and recording new material for their fifth album, slated for release in Autumn 2001 by Universal Music Group.

 

Image Entertainment, Inc. is a leading aggregator of content for DVD with over 1,200 Image-exclusive DVD titles in release. The Company also has exclusive videocassette, broadcast, streaming video and downloading rights for certain properties. The Company maintains its distribution facility in Las Vegas, Nevada and is one of the largest distributors of DVD programming in North America. Additionally, Image has distribution agreements in Japan, China and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, and throughout most of Europe for select programming on DVD and videotape as well as for broadcast. The Company owns and operates an e-commerce subsidiary, DVDPlanet.com.

Source: Image Entertainment

Dario G, a popular dance artist in the UK, has decided to take on the fragile task of creating a dance remix of the Cranberries’ well-known “Dreams”. The song will definitely see a release in the UK early next year, possibly late January or early February 2001 (probably as an independent single). For those that recieve the UK digital music channel, The Box, it is now available for listening via selection number 268. The song has just been added to the channel as a Box Fresh Exclusive, which points to its forthcoming release soon.

The Cranberries’ songs have seen a varied mix of good and deplorable remixes. Unfortunately, the deplorable ones have been the ones recieving the most publicity. For those looking for a good mix, check out the “How” mix on the “Linger” single, “Pretty (Radical Mix)” on the “Pret-a-Porter Ready to Wear” soundtrack, or the elusive “Twenty-One (c-On Air Remix)”, which is not available on any official release. Stay away from A.D.A.M.’s “Zombie Dance Mix”, which got a single in the UK along with some radio airplay there. Also steer clear of the “Zombie (Camel’s Hump Remix)” available on the US single of “Free To Decide/When You’re Gone”.

Source: Loud and Clear 2001

Apparently, the idea of a DVD playable on a CD player is not as impossible as it seems. Several other bands have done the same thing. How? By manufacturing a double-sided DVD, one side with audio data for CD players, the other with DVD data for DVD players. If what Mike said in the E-Merge chat is true, then this is probably what the band is planning. Now, fans without a DVD player may feel compelled to buy both the VHS and DVD version — VHS for watching, DVD for listening.

Once again, “Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris” is due out in America on January 2nd.

Source: Exclusive, thanks to Norbert Brühn of Zombieguide Germany

If you live in Italy, or receive MTV Italy, mark your calenders and set your VCRs for Wednesday, the 20th at 9 P.M. The station will be re-airing the special “Simply the Best — A Night with the Cranberries”. The show originally aired this past July, but a few missed it. The show features an interview with Dolores and Fergal, along with airing all of the band’s videos, except for the new “You and Me”.

Source: Thanks to Daria

…but only in Turkey. Completionists looking for something new and especially rare to add to their collection can look for the new “The Cranberries Greatest Hits”. The disc is licensed by Universal, but is only available as a pack-in with the recent issue of the Turkish magazine “Blue Jeans”. The disc includes both CD audio components as well as enhanced CD-ROM features. There are 10 audio tracks, while the CD-ROM includes videos for “Zombie”, “Linger”, “Dreams”, and others, as well as lyrics and a photo gallery. The CD does come with its own case and packaging, but no scans for the moment. Zombieguide will have more info as it comes in.

Source: Exclusive

The Official Cranberries Homepage has updated their tour section with a new notice. Aside from the note that the band is currently working on a new album, due in Autumn 2001, they add that “a tour is not anticipated until early 2002”. This is a rather disappointing note, as the band began touring weeks before the release of their last album in order to promote it. Now, it appears that the band will either be doing promo work or else just resting. Hopefully, it’s the former as not doing any promo work for an album will slaughter its sales.

Source: The Official International Cranberries Homepage

Fergal has updated the official page with a bit of promising news. The song “Analyze”, played last week at the once-off Dublin gig will be included in a movie starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron in February. The title, which slipped his mind, is “Sweet November”. To check out the news, click here (No longer available)

Source: The Official International Cranberries Homepage

An Ireland Corner has gotten ahold of a recording of the Dublin show from Saturday and has been gracious enough to post some clips of the two new songs!
Here is the setlist from the show, as well as the new MP3 clips.

1. Time is Ticking Out (MP3, 59 sec, 232k)
2. Linger
3. In the Ghetto (Elvis Cover)
4. Ode to My Family
5. Shattered
6. Animal Instinct
7. Loud and Clear
8. I Can’t Be with You
9. Analyze (MP3, 31 sec, 124k)

Quality is not top-notch, as it appears to be taken from the webcast. However, no doubt a bootleg of the show will begin spreading quickly among traders. In the meantime, enjoy this first glimpse at the new album!

Source: An Ireland Corner

Although they decided not to make the webcast a universal privilage, E- Merge has posted some shots of the show, and even those take some serious searching of the site to find. Thanks to Norbert Brühn of Zombieguide Germany for finding them.

Source: E-Merge

I must give my sincere applause to E-Merge for showing us today how not to do a webcast. As nearly anyone who tried to access the site today found, those interested in watching the broadcast had to fall into three strict categories:

-A resident of Ireland
-Owner of a cell phone
-Agree to use E-Merge’s services

As if the show wasn’t hard enough to get into, you had to be one of the “privilaged” to view the live shots. Very few people at all fall into this, and so it is clear that Ericsson was using this to gain profit rather than for good publicity. Perhaps they will be posting clips up later, but it appears doubtful.

Source: Editorial

During the chat yesterday, a question was asked about if any new songs are going to be played tonight. Mike responded, “analyse and time is ticking out”. I overlooked this as a riddle, but now people are pointing out that these are the two new songs! Now we know that tonight, these two new titles will be played:

-“Analyze”
-“Time is Ticking Out”

Once again, the full transcript of the chat is here. (LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Source: E-Merge

We now have new photos of Dolores and the rest of the band taken from yesterday’s Press Conference in Dublin, Ireland. We can see that Dolores has returned to the long blonde hair look of the early BTH era (wohoo!). No specific details yet of any info given out at the conference, but The Herald will keep you informed.

Source: Norbert Brühn of Zombieguide Germany

The Cranberries participated in an online chat eariler today in Dublin, thier first interview in several months. Eager fans were told of more scraps of detail of both the forthcoming 5th album as well as the Dublin show tomorrow night. Those lucky enough to attend can not only look forward to older songs, but also:

-A cover of Elvis’s “In the Ghetto”
-2 New Songs (!)

The band performed the cover only once before for BBC’s Radio One early last year. Neither “False” nor any of the “Uncertain” tracks will be any of the older unreleased songs on the new album. The band would not reveal any of the titles of the new songs, but they did comment that the themes and styles are a mix of all the previous albums, and so far have no definite theme. The band claims that the upcoming DVD “Beneath the Skin” will have a function that will allow it to play on a normal CD player — I’ll have to see that one before I take their word for it. And lastly, the album following the new one will be a Greatest Hits album. Perhaps they will revive the cancelled “Odd Bits and Hits” from 1998? For a full transcript of the chat, click here. (LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

 Source: E-Merge

The Cranberries were featured on CNN’s World Beat on Sunday, as the show had a special about the current pop scene in Ireland. Interview clips from “Love & Rock ‘n’ Roll” of Dolores, Mike, and Noel were featured focusing on how Ireland is different from the rest of the world when it comes to music. Clips of “Ode to My Family” were also played. Other featured artists were Sinead O’Connor, Westlife, Boyzone, and others, where other artists mentioned the Cranberries as one of their major Irish inspirations.

Source: Exclusive!

E-Merge, one of the many sponsors of the upcoming Dublin gig has announced an online chat with the Cranberries on Friday. It will be hosted on the E-Merge homepage from 4:00 – 5:00 PM GMT, or 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon EST. Those (such as myself) who can’t tune in for the live chat can submit questions beforehand here. (LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Source: E-Merge

If you live close to Dublin, check out the official homepage’s current contest for tickets to Saturday’s gig. The contest requires a bit of creativity, as fans are asked to create a story, poem, etc. about the band. Winners will be notified on Friday, so you’d better have a clear schedule as there isn’t much notice. If you don’t get the tickets, you can also win some Ericsson products, or — even better (in my view) — a pre-release copy of “Beneath the Skin”!!

Source: The Official International Cranberries Homepage