Wake Up & Smell the Coffee (Cranberries)

2 1/2 Try as they might, Cranberries were never quite able to recapture the essential spark that made their mild alternative rock so endearing on two start-up releases, so listeners slogged through a few more albums attempting to salvage redemptive scraps of melodic purity, as lyrical content stubbornly preaches. Even if some relatively solid songs remain, the juice feels all but extracted.

Just one song in this album enjoyed significant airtime: "Analyse." I remember even hearing it blaring from a jeepney in the Philippines. This album was born in 2001, right after 9/11. The video of "Analyse," with the silhouette of a man walking among high-rise buildings, took on a particular poignancy. But the songs were still Cranberry-hopeful. In "The Concept" Dolores chants: "Hold on to the concept of love, always darling/ Hold on to the concept of love, always/ Night all night, all night/ Night all night, all night." Wake Up and Smell the Coffee sounds like a rehash of the third album, with all its sins intact. To the Faithful Departed earnestly sang of the Bosnian conflict; it was panned by critics. I remember a review from Time magazine. It said the band's understanding of theconflict was wrong, that it was a case of music and politics mixing badly. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee also couldn't let go of clichéd didacticism/preachiness (item: "Looks like we've screwed up the ozo... Read more

Wake Up and Smell The Coffee has become one of my favorite Cranberries CDs. Dolores O'Riordan seems to have worked through a lot of the issues from Bury the Hatchet, and this reflects in the calmer, more hopeful music. The lyrics are more introspective, the depth of the lyrics is broader and the music is less angry and more cheerful. The hidden track, Cape Town, is one of best songs on the entire CD, a true gem about escaping the daily grind and going off on your own to do what you want. If you are a fan of the Cranberries at all, this is well worth any investment might make.

Did you enjoy that Evanescence record you bought? Well, can I recommend an album to you? While listening to The Cranberries 2001 release "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee", I end up listening to the title track. And for some reason, my original view was that the title track sounds too similar to Evanescence. From then, I was baffled. I am listening to two spiritually-influenced rock bands. I predict that you'd say, "It's simple. The Cranberries are poser rock. Because they copied from another poseur band". Hang on there, Trusty stallion. The Cranberries do sound like Evanescence lyric-wise and only on that song. I listened to this album because they were mentioning on the "I Love The 90's" marathon that they make sweet music, but it is not something that you would want to listen to all of the time...unlike Evanescence today. But enough. This album should be in every Rock fan's CD Player. Let me try to evaaluate the album, shall I? In "Never Grow Old" she dreams of a day in which we live a ... Read more

In 2001, the Cranberries seemed to be a band the public had forgotten about. But they proved that they were still around on their 5th (and final) album. It's sad to say that the Cranberries have dismembered, but it is the truth. On their final effort, the Cranberries give it one last go round and it is quite a success. Maybe it's Dolores' angelic voice or the light strumming of the guitar but I truly have not disliked any album and think "Wake Up..." is yet another grand success. The lyrics are bit simpler on some songs and less politically charged but Dolores' voice is as pure as it ever was especially on the whispy and dreamlike "Pretty Eyes". The band keeps an up-tempo feel throughout the whole album only stopping a few times to slow it down. "Analyse", "Time Is Ticking Out" and "Do You Know?" are delightful fast-paced tunes that will have you singing "La-la-la the strangest moment...La La La the strangest day...La-la-la the greatest love of them all..."! But the last tra... Read more

what the hell the are good

GOOD SNACK ONCE IN A WHILE.

have all their work but should see them live Amazing!

Not their very best work, but I enjoy that they went back to some of their original styles. Stephen Street is a must for production if/when they do more albums. EEIDISWCW is the best album by far.