No Need to Argue

The Cranberries

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 4, 1994)
• Original Release Date: October 4, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000001E7L
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,511 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
It was a tough act to beat when Irish group the Cranberries released the follow-up to their debut disc Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We, an interesting and intimate album highlighted by the memorable hit "Linger." Critics chided that Everybody was timid in nature both musically and lyrically, but No Need to Argue quickly changed all that. The 1994-released effort was decidedly more confrontational, instantly evident by the lyrics, inspired by the Irish conflict, in their hit "Zombie." In her trademark sharp alto, frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan sings, "In your head they are fighting/With their tanks and their bombs/and their bombs and their guns." Since anger is more difficult to embrace than love, many fans were initially disappointed with the tougher stuff, but those who stayed discovered a much more emotionally layered effort. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An album of somber beauty and emotional intensity, March 29, 2003

By	Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Following up a remarkable debut album can pose quite a problem for a musical artist or group, but the Cranberries shrugged off any hint of a sophomore slump and really outdid themselves with this album. It doesn't have quite the appeal and ethereal magic of Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, but the complexity and maturity of No Need To Argue is really quite remarkable. Rather than trying to repackage the appeal of their first effort, the Cranberries greatly extended their musical tendrils into the solid ground of serious, socially conscious, heart-stirring lyrics. This album doesn't have the instantaneous listenability of what came before, but that is largely due to the fact that this album is a much more personal, revealing statement on the part of singer and songwriter Dolores O'Riordan. We see a richer, somewhat darker side of the Cranberries in these thirteen songs. Leading the charge is Zombie. I for one love this song; some might say its atypically heavy, rocking delivery doesn't fit the Cranberries' style or O'Riordan's voice, but I say the song merely goes to show the versatility of the band. This was not the type of music expected from this group at the time, and that makes it an eye-opening triumph in my opinion. Ridiculous Thoughts contains traces of the same hard-driving presentation of Zombie, but really and truly this album is one of plaintiff, melancholy songs. There is a touching sadness to tracks such as Ode To My Family, 21, Empty, Daffodil Lament, and Disappointment. Dreaming My Dreams is a quiet love song O'Riordan wrote and dedicated to her husband. Yeat's Grave is a somber and respectful tribute to poet W.B. Yeats, while the title track is funereal in its presentation. Raw emotion does appear in a couple of songs: the specter of child abuse puts O'Riordan's voice on edge in The Icicle Melts, while lonely frustration fuels the passion of I Can't Be With You.

This album put to rest any suggestions that the Cranberries' music lacked substance. No Need to Argue comes across as a deeply personal album that, if anything, is slightly too introspective and serious. This being the case, it takes several listens before the beauty and incredible, emotional intensity of this album really comes across completely. If you only listen to the album a couple of times, you might well dismiss it as a somewhat disappointing followup to the much more accessible music of the group's first album. In time, though, the depth and beauty of this album manifests itself, grabbing you with its incredible intensity. In its own way, No Need to Argue is even more remarkable than Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? With their debut album, The Cranberries soared into the sky; with No Need To Argue, they proved they could fly.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cranberries' best, October 3, 1999

By A Customer

If you had to buy only one CD by the Cranberries it would undoubetly have to be this one. Though the Cranberries' efforts have been spotty throughout their career, this is the one instance where they don't fall prey to writing bad lyrics and stealing other bands' melodies.

What did they do wrong on all their other CDs? To put it simply, they were trying too hard--whether it be trying to deliver some sort of social message or to contrive a certain sound. In conrast, nothing on "No Need to Argue" sounds forced. Songs such as "Ode to My Family" "Empty" and "Yeats' Grave" are just so naturally beautiful, in terms of both lyrics and melody. It's hard not to fall in love with this album.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for any comprehensive modern rock collection., April 10, 2000

By	Erix (L.I.C., NY USA) - See all my reviews

"No Need To Argue" is one of the most important albums to be released in the decade of the nineties. But you really wouldn't know that, considering that The Cranberries are, I think, one of the most underrated bands of our time. If this album didn't have any influence in today's music scene (and I think it did), it certainly had tremendous impact. "Zombie" is one of the finest anthemic rock numbers of all time, right up there with U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday"... Does anybody recognize this? Sadly, no. Because today's music scene seems to be all about fashion and little else. Well, if that's the case, let's remember that from 1993 to 95, The Cranberries were indeed "a big deal" if that means anything. Back in a time (the early to mid nineties) where it seemed, for one brief shining moment, music and MTV and radio really was worth listening to. And you know what? They accomplished that in such a remarkable way. Dolores O'Riordan had (and to this day HAS) killer pipes, and these guys just had a kanck for cranking out tremendously moving and convincingly powerful melodies. "No Need To Argue" is a contemporary classic, with a brilliant production job by Stephen Street. And yet, it's so simple. A well balanced mix of folk and grunge rock that delivers on so many levels that are constantly rewarding. To date, The Cranberries have recorded four albums. Each of them travelling in different, unexpected directions. This variety keeps the band interesting, and so, I am a fan. But this is by far superior to anything they've done. As much as they've matured musically, they haven't quite topped this superb work. (Their upcoming album just might, or at the very least equal it because they are returning to Stephen Street) In any case, this is my favorite of their albums, but more than that, it is with little doubt my favorite album of all time. Period. No album has ever moved me as much as this, and I suspect that no album will. The structure- from the melancholy reminiscence of childhood, to the heartbreak of lost love, to commenting on various social injustices of this world, to finally accepting the way things have turned out and maybe finding a corner of happiness. Brilliant. I urge those who haven't yet heard it to give it a few listens... And those who have, you know what I'm talking about.