To the Faithful Departed

It was 1996; Dolores and the guys were coming off worldwide success with "No Need To Argue", driven by the global smash-hit "Zombie", a single that has made the history of rock music, a raising awareness/manifesto song against war atrocities. Expectations at that time were sky-high, in the wake of the incredible record sales from their previous two albums, above all "No Need To Argue"; "To The Faithful Departed" was released in the spring of the same year, launched by the leading single "Salvation", an energetic and fast-paced rock song with clear post-punk influences, a hymn to life calling on young people to say no to drugs and heroine. "To The Faithful Departed", as the name of the record suggests, is dedicated to those who are no longer among us. The cd packaging which is yellow-transparent, is not the only element grasping the buyer's attention: the booklet and the pictures of the cd show the band inside a wooden room, the remains of a small cabin in the woods. A forest of firs where the sunlight does penetrate through it, yet with difficulties, between snow furries and thick darkness. Such pictures are evocative of what is enshrined in the songs of the album: a metaphysical and spiritual path that invites us to deeply think through major themes such as death, war, free will, genocides, the hardness of life, which is far different from the glossy reality seen in Hollywood's movies, in spite of some circumstantial resemblances, as the sublimely gloomy opening track says. "Hollywood"'s rock dark atmosphere is followed by the above mentioned "Salvation", which ends making room to the very true pearl of the record: the heart-wrenching and romantic "When You're Gone", a languid, poetic ballad to be included among the best songs ever in its genre and in rock music history. The sweetness of the notes whispered by Dolores sounds like a lullaby which takes us to a melancholic dreamlike imaginary, at the end of which we are once again immersed in the current events with a track that emphasizes the political and social commitment of the band, "Free To Decide": another classic masterly arranged with which Dolores raises awareness on the importance of standing up for the individual's freedom of choice, even if this means not living at all, stressing that we've run out of time, as "there's a war in Russia and Sarajevo too". After that, another sweet and melancholic ballad, the delicate "Warchild", which in spite of its light and airy sound, once again deals with an extremely delicate and sensible issue, i.e. all those children affected by the horrors of the war, with a special focus on Vietnam. "Forever Yellow Skies" reminds us of the rhythms and the upbeat-tempo of "No Need Argue", in particular the sound of "I Can't Be With You". Vibrant, energetic and luminous just like skies painted yellow, crossed by a blinding sunlight: a song to be sung as loudly as possible. After that, we get into the very core of the record, with a track which apparently can sound not as striking as the previous ones, but which in its simplicity can be considered as a very enjoyable interlude, "The Rebels": its delicate and slow-paced opening gradually grows in intensity to then explode in a resounding chorus which gets stuck in the listener's mind. The eight track of the album is entirely instrumental: an harmonious intermission where the piano and the bass are joined by words and background voices which are difficult to get.The journey through the record goes energetically on with the scratchy rock of "I Just Shot John Lennon", where hyper-powerful guitar riffs and Dolores' angry voice alternate one another in an increasingly fast-paced rhythm peaking with the sound of the gunshots which led to the unforgettable ex Beatles' death. The tenth track of the album makes us discover a hidden treasure: it's "Electric Blue", a gothic-folk ballad standing out for its dark atmosphere reflecting the gloomy and evocative setting shown in the booklet of the record, that is to say the enchanted forest. The bass contributes to create a mournful atmosphere, that is though mystical and reassuring at the same time, enhanced by the use of the Latin language, which Dolores uses like an elegiac sacred hymn invoking the protection of her electric blue-eyed guardian angel. The experimentalism leaves then room to the sweet though melancholic "I'm Still Remembering", which honors the memory of people and personalities who rightfully made history, among whom Kurt Cobain and JFK. Thereafter it's the time for "Will You Remember?", an experimental track which sounds as if it has been conceived after a night at a magical amusement park, featuring a Burtonian-Felliniesque twilight/circus like atmosphere à la "Big-Fish"/"La Strada". The magic doesn't end here: it's quite the opposite; the lyricism of the spiritual themes the record is about has in fact its climax in the magnificent pair "Joe" + "Cordell", interspersed with the heartbreaking and highly dramatic "Bosnia", whose pathos makes it impossible to remain unaffected, especially when Dolores repeatedly invokes "Sarajevo", as if it was a mantra. As for the first track, this delicate ballad features the sound of a hypnotic mandolin which softly embraces us with its touching lullaby-like melody composed to honor the memory of Dolores' grandfather; the second one is instead dedicated to Cordell, a man remembered with great love and affection, whom the band owns very much to.What should I say... Justice should be done to this record, in the full sense of the word, as it has been underrated for quite a long time, to say the least. Such a shame, since this album is perhaps the highest as well as the greatest artistic expression of the Cranberries' career: it's a real gem, or better said, a real "emerald". The remastered version of the album contains 4 extra tracks, among which "Ave Maria", a duet with "The Master" Luciano Pavarotti, as well as the epic and folkloric "God Be With You" and last but not least, Fleetwood Mac's beautiful cover "Go Your Own Way". Definitely a must-have masterpiece as well as the best work to honor and immortalize the memory of an artist and a band who've now become a legend.Rest In Peace, beloved Dolores.❤️