Famously dubbed The Appalling Cranes by the NME. Bit of a cause celebre at MM, which I went along with for a bit.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Nick, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
The first album (whose name I couldn't remember), _Loved_ (a completely different album from their first album), and the new one (whose name I couldn't remember) are good. I was listing three albums, not two.
― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― junichiro, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― del a robbo, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:15 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:54 (twenty years ago) link
― may pang (maypang), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 04:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 08:36 (twenty years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 10:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 11:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:05 (twenty years ago) link
― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:15 (twenty years ago) link
Quite like "Jewel" (the Cranes' song, not the snaggle-toothed pseudo-folk diva) as well.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:19 (twenty years ago) link
― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:24 (twenty years ago) link
― kephm, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 15:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:40 (twenty years ago) link
I too was at that Rose Bowl show. Mmm, volume.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 19:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Bryan (Bryan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:31 (twenty years ago) link
There was a song they played near the end of their set that featured the guitarist doing horrifically nasty things to his car while the vocalist pitched a petulant fit into her microphone. The only other Cranes song I've heard that is halfway similar to it is "Lillies" (which I know came out several years later); I would love to find out what song that was because it was fantastic. I would describe it as proto-Korn metal (only good) with a pissed-off Strawberry Shortcake coming down off of a PCP binge on vocals.
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Bryan (Bryan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:28 (twenty years ago) link
(Er, on second thoughts, I think it's a couple of hundred miles away at the moment. Similar Sharkboy box, anyone?)
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:50 (twenty years ago) link
Hm...you DID get that mp3 I have from the same year that has the queasy London version which also goes on forever and has him mentioning the various songtitles from Wish, I trust.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:43 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:53 (twenty years ago) link
I am sad that this description hasn't made anyone go, "Oh, I know that song, it's '_______'."
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 01:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 03:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Stupid (Stupid), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:14 (twenty years ago) link
― Stupid (Stupid), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:31 (twenty years ago) link
Wah!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Stupid (Stupid), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 23:03 (twenty years ago) link
― keith m (keithmcl), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 01:21 (twenty years ago) link
― spittle (spittle), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 03:39 (twenty years ago) link
― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 04:39 (twenty years ago) link
― Leigh Smith, Thursday, 8 September 2005 11:53 (nineteen years ago) link
Cool, don't know when I'll watch that but thanks.
I think they said they're working on a ton of stuff but it's been quite a wait. But I'm patient.
Solo EP from guitar/keyboard guyhttps://paulsmith.bandcamp.com/album/through-strange-windows
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 16 June 2019 18:35 (five years ago) link
Heading Starblood in the Rose Bowl (when opening for the Cure) will always remain engraved in me
That was definitely an experience.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 16 June 2019 18:48 (five years ago) link
I saw them live during that tour. Amazing.
― Duke, Sunday, 16 June 2019 20:21 (five years ago) link
18 September 1991
― Duke, Sunday, 16 June 2019 20:23 (five years ago) link
At the end of 1994 my life collapsed around me. Five years earlier I moved to NYC and attempted to make it into the "music biz" with varying degrees of success but i got involved with a person who was a mess and a combination of that and my own immaturity led to an untenable situation. The end result meant that I had no choice but to leave her as well as the city I loved and I thought everything else as well. I did the dreaded "move back with your parents a failure" thing in my mid 20s.
I didn't have a car. I got a job at the Ledo's Pizza walking distance from my parents place, but I didn't have any money for a car and public transportation around then in suburban DC was not the best. So I didn't think I could go to shows but I had an idea: Offer someone who was into music free shows in exchange for rides. I put up a little notice in the laundry room in the apartment complex and somehow someone answered. They didn't know Cranes, but I loved their last album Loved and I was able to snag free tickets from my former life and I bought one for her boyfriend.
It was 2/10/1995 at the 9:30 Club. I saw the band and they were wonderful, but more importantly it was a tiny shred of freedom and joy in music that I had started to take for granted when I was in New York attending 120 shows a year. It also allowed me to have some semblance of a social life, which is not easy when you sleep on your parents floor in your mid 20s with nothing lined up.
In many ways, that was the best show I ever went to. It was just what I needed, just when I needed it. I will always treasure the memory of that show.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Monday, 17 June 2019 02:45 (five years ago) link
Oh, and this is perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CH12Rxvz40
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Monday, 17 June 2019 02:47 (five years ago) link
Yeah, in many ways "Lilies" is my platonic ideal of what I want to hear from Cranes.
― brigadier pudding (DJP), Monday, 17 June 2019 13:02 (five years ago) link
I never owned any of their albums as a kid, but I must have listened to the Jewel EP with the Robert Smith mix hundreds of times. Been trying to track this one down for ages, I just could never remember the name of the song. Such an awesome version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZdEByzo-8I
― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 19 June 2019 10:13 (five years ago) link
yeah I got that EP for free at a show and it could well be my favorite release of theirs
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 11:21 (five years ago) link
this one's on it, too - i like it a lot more than the heavy version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOZDtGIHkM
― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 19 June 2019 12:35 (five years ago) link
Can't find the fan forum anymore where I used to check for updates. Hope the new stuff is further along.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 22 July 2020 23:40 (four years ago) link
Wow I was just thinking of them yesterday and wondering how they spent their days (just can’t imagine Alison Shaw having a normal job). Didn’t know they were working on new stuff
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, 23 July 2020 10:29 (four years ago) link
man I wore out the robert smith remix of 'jewel' in college. fell in love after seeing them open for the cure in '92. favorite song on wings of joy is 'thursday'. saw them again in NYC in '97 and it was the worst show i've ever seen
― this has been the best year fuiud (rip van wanko), Thursday, 23 July 2020 15:51 (four years ago) link
I watched that Luxor performance last night and she spends half the concert trying to hold her hat in place, but it's really good for a camcorder concert.
Sometimes I think they were the best band of their era/generation, on the strength of Loved, Forever, Tragedie and Self Non Self.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 23 July 2020 19:09 (four years ago) link
anyone here own the Music on Vinyl reissues? Do they sound good?
― beamish13, Friday, 24 July 2020 01:25 (four years ago) link
listened to Cranes on shuffle on Spotify today, and nearly every song was good. lots of good ideas in their music
― this has been the best year fuiud (rip van wanko), Friday, 24 July 2020 03:40 (four years ago) link
Yeah. I understand the voice might be a dealbreaker for most but musically (esp arrangements) they were incredible. I love the buzzing drone that underpins most of their stuff, esp on Loved.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 24 July 2020 07:12 (four years ago) link
New album out today by Irish band Just Mustard who share a lot of Cranes DNA, right down to supporting The Cure. They have some great live sessions on YouTube too. There are a couple of passing mentions of them on ILM but I don't think anyone's yet pointed out this glaring similarity (which of course is a big recommendation!).
― Supposed Former ILM Lurker (WeWantMiles), Friday, 27 May 2022 13:19 (two years ago) link
Are we taking the early Swans-inspired Cranes or the later dream poppier material?
― Maresn3st, Friday, 27 May 2022 13:32 (two years ago) link
Early stuff, for sure.
― Supposed Former ILM Lurker (WeWantMiles), Friday, 27 May 2022 14:32 (two years ago) link
> the early Swans-inspired Cranes
maybe i should check out swans, which i never really have.
― koogs, Friday, 27 May 2022 15:45 (two years ago) link
I think maybe mid-eighties Swans might be worth checking out, the rhythms have that same flavour as songs like Starblood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHES9YAGGkU
― Maresn3st, Friday, 27 May 2022 18:14 (two years ago) link
was ok until the vocals, which were a large part of the appeal of the cranes
― koogs, Saturday, 28 May 2022 10:13 (two years ago) link
Still gods...and now on Bandcamp
https://cranes.bandcamp.com/
2000s albums for now, but various plans are in the works.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 3 November 2022 22:40 (one year ago) link
Bless’em
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Saturday, 5 November 2022 08:40 (one year ago) link
Okay, various reissues and things happening...and a 30th anniversary show for Forever, with the original lineup:
https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/cranes-30th-anniversary-show-of-earth-tickets/13090185
Also posted a very nice note about Ray Shulman the other day.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 6 April 2023 20:15 (one year ago) link
£1.75 for "delivery" of etickets. they need Robert Smith on the case
― koogs, Thursday, 6 April 2023 20:34 (one year ago) link
Just did a lovely near hour long chat with Ms Shaw. Forthcoming Bandcamp piece in a couple of months.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 16 April 2023 16:23 (one year ago) link
Good. I never did get the album reissues and wondered if there was any particularly good tracks that weren't on the EP collection
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 16 April 2023 19:39 (one year ago) link
Xp Nice! I always wondered about her. Did she go back into civilian life then?
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Sunday, 16 April 2023 19:54 (one year ago) link
I didn't get full details re what they're all doing now but sounds like everyone found their own particular paths, and that the last few months brought things back together nicely. (There's more news forthcoming but not yet public; the show is I believe a one-off for now at least.)
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 16 April 2023 20:11 (one year ago) link
This sparked a revisit of Wings of Joy (never my fave). I'd forgotten just how beautiful and timeless "Tomorrow's Tears" was.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 24 April 2023 08:37 (one year ago) link
Yeah that intro remains perfect.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 April 2023 11:36 (one year ago) link
The feature is live!https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/cranes-alison-shaw-interview-peel-sessions
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 May 2023 18:41 (one year ago) link
Thanks
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 22 May 2023 19:00 (one year ago) link
Yer welcome
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 22 May 2023 19:19 (one year ago) link
Forever anniversary gig is tonight. I probably should have listened to the album before coming because it's years since I've listened to it, have mostly listened to their early stuff recently
― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 14 October 2023 18:44 (eleven months ago) link
Jealous
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Saturday, 14 October 2023 19:23 (eleven months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DfXd2PsSsM
― MaresNest, Sunday, 22 October 2023 12:49 (eleven months ago) link
And a new reissue here: Fuse, on vinyl for the first time as well:
https://cranes.bandcamp.com/album/fuse
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 6 February 2024 17:14 (seven months ago) link
I never thought this would be reissued
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 7 February 2024 20:41 (seven months ago) link
Really remarkable to see it. I think any further reissues after that would have to go through Cherry Red because I gather they have access to the Dedicated releases (which explains the Chapterhouse box from the other year), but I think that's still in the works. We'll see what follows next!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 7 February 2024 20:50 (seven months ago) link
Really excited to see them in May
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 7 February 2024 21:39 (seven months ago) link
Saw them last night. The songs are still a joy but the band was pretty rough. Often out of sync and missing cues. But they nailed Starblood. Hope they can play a few more shows and shake things off.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 1 May 2024 07:18 (four months ago) link