Linger The MTV Unplugged series is pretty legendary in its own right, with memorable and iconic performances from bands like Nirvana and Alice In Chains setting a high bar for others to try and reach for. Originally recorded at Brooklyn’s Howard Gilman Opera House on Valentine’s Day in 1995, The Cranberries’ MTV Unplugged session is finally getting a widespread and official release. The magic of the late-vocalist Dolores O’ Riordan, and her band’s performance in The Cranberries, is finally getting its proper day in the limelight with this stunning 9-track collection released today. You probably know all the songs by heart; from the vulnerable “Linger”, to the visceral delivery of “Zombie”, The Cranberries had a knack for writing legendary songs during the mid to late 90’s. The MTV Unplugged series continues to live on with grace on this ultra-memorable performance from The Cranberries.
The set starts off with “Dreaming My Dreams” that begins cautiously with some acoustic guitar before adding in a gorgeous string section from the quartet known as Electra Strings to round out the approach from the band. Dolores O’ Riordan’s iconic vocals remain the centerpiece of the song, and she showcases why she was one of the best vocalists during the height of the 90’s Alternative scene. “Ode To My Family” was one of the singles to be released from 1994’s No Need To Argue, and it gets a stunning re-imagining with a backing orchestral section here on MTV Unplugged. Other key songs like “Linger” were simply built for this setting, and the floaty single takes on a whole new set of wings on this memorable performance. The steady acoustic guitar riffing from Noel Hogan paired with the bass supplied by Mike Hogan makes for a majestic template for O’ Riordan to lay her transcendent vocals over. It’s the biggest standout moment from the set, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Deep cuts like “Free To Decide” and “I’m Still Remembering” are well-received by the audience, who likely hadn’t heard the new at the time songs before, and the mesmerizing vocals from Dolores remain the biggest reason why this performance was so long sought after for fans of the band. “Zombie” gets one of the biggest reactions from the crowd, and the re-imagined version found here is truly worth the price of admission alone. The band evokes all the right emotions of the key single and gets the crowd geared up “Yesterday’s Gone”, that has some gently played drums, that follows the better-known song. After wrapping up the set with the title track from No Need To Argue, The Cranberries firmly cement their status as one of the best performances in the MTV Unplugged series, and highlight the reason why their music still lives on to this day and is adored by fans all over the world.