Live In Paris 2010
Selected from the nine gigs that the pioneering Concert Live label recorded on their European tour, the Cranberries' 2010 sell-out gig at the Zenith de Paris shows that the Irish rock quartet have lost none of their spark during their nine-year hiatus. On a 21-track set (spread over three discs here), Dolores O'Riordan reveals her distinctive, lilting tones are still as powerful as ever, effortlessly switching from angst-ridden banshee on the crunching rock of their emotive signature hit "Zombie," and the anti-drug anthem "Salvation," to delicate, folky songstress on the beautifully nostalgic "Ode to My Family," and the shuffling acoustic ballad "You and Me." Despite a new album in the pipeline, the band wisely opt to steer clear of any unknown new material or radical interpretations, providing fans with the opportunity to hear faithful renditions of hit after hit from their '90s heyday, although the six numbers from 1999's Bury the Hatchet seem a little unrepresentative, considering it only sold a fraction of their first two juggernauts. The three tracks from O'Riordan's solo career ("Ordinary Day," "Switch of the Moment," "The Journey") slot in surprisingly well with the likes of U.K. Top 20 singles "Promises" and "Ridiculous Thoughts," and although the audience interaction, such as the constant handclaps on "Dreams," and the singalong chorus of "Linger," sometimes becomes a little too audible, it's a consistently enjoyable affair which, unlike many reunion tours, never feels likes it's simply going through the motions.