Released 3 October 1994 Length 52:30 Release date 3 October 1994 Producer Stephen Street | Recorded January–August 1994 Artist The Cranberries Label Island Records | |
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No Need to Argue
(1994) To the Faithful Departed
(1996) Genres Rock music, Alternative rock Similar The Cranberries albums, Alternative rock albums | ||
No Need to Argue is the second studio album by the Irish rock band The Cranberries, released on 3 October 1994. It is the band's best selling album, and has sold about 17 million copies worldwide. It contains the band's most successful single to date, "Zombie". The album's mood is darker and harsher than that on Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, released a year before. It shows a more mature performance by lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, writing about war, death, love and disappointment. Her voice is clearer, without the previous album's double and triple voice layering.
Contents
In some of the songs, the band decided to take on a rockier and heavier side, using distortion and increasing the volume. The song "Yeats' Grave" – incorrectly listed on the album as "Yeat's Grave" and never corrected for any of the album's physical re-releases – is about William Butler Yeats, and quotes one of his poems, No Second Troy. The song "Zombie", written by O'Riordan, is according to her about the IRA bombings in 1993 that resulted in the death of two children.
For the sleeve design, Art Director Cally re-enlisted photographer Andy Earl and hired the same sofa that featured on the debut album. The sofa was transported by hand to many locations in and around Dublin including Dalkey Island, coming to rest in a photo-studio in Dublin where the white room had been constructed for the cover shot. Whilst travelling around Dublin in a bus: band and sofa aboard, the bus was shot at, the bullet piercing a side window but missing all on board. The band, somewhat influenced by a recent Blur photo, decided to dress up and wear suits. The hand lettering was by Charlotte Villiers; video co-ordinator at Island Records and distant relative of the Villiers engine manufacturing family. Each single sleeve featured the band on the sofa in a different location. The sofa went on to star in the video 'Alright' by the British band Supergrass.
Reception
In July 2014, Guitar World placed No Need to Argue at number 41 in their "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Dolores O'Riordan; all music composed by O'Riordan and Noel Hogan except tracks 4, 7, 10–13 which are by O'Riordan.
The album was re-released in 2002, under the title No Need to Argue (The Complete Sessions 1994–1995). This version of the album featured bonus tracks as well as B-sides from the singles that lifted off the album.
Personnel
Soundtracks
Songs
1Ode To My Family4:31
2I Can’t Be With You3:08
3Twenty One3:08