High atop the wishlist of The Cranberries’ fans has been an official release of their 1995 acoustic concert for MTV’s epochal, intimate performance series Unplugged. Never before available as a standalone release, MTV Unplugged will finally be available on CD via Island Records/Ume.

Originally recorded on February 14, 1995, the special nine-song performance made its broadcast debut on April 18 th that year. Filmed at Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, NY, the episode was aired during the sixth season of the acclaimed series that highlighted a stripped down and acoustic setting by some of the most popular artists and musicians of the era.

“We’d seen some of the biggest names in music like R.E.M., Pearl Jam, The Cure and Nirvana do their Unplugged’s and were blown away to be following in their footsteps,” recalls drummer Fergal Lawler. “MTV were doing a series of recordings in this beautiful old theatre with curved seating. It was a really chilled, relaxed vibe with the audience sat on the floor.” Accompanied by Electra Strings (the string quartet who had accompanied the band on the UK program Later with Jools Holland in 1994), the eloquence of The Cranberries’ songwriting was on full display, firmly underscoring the band’s importance in the pantheon of alternative rock.

Following the release of their mainstream breakthrough second album No Need to Argue, the setlist for MTV Unplugged included selections from that pivotal album, including “Dreaming My Dreams,” “Ode To My Family,” Empty,” “Zombie” and the title track. The other tracks performed include the smash “Linger” (from their debut Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?) and “Free to Decide” and “I’m Still Remembering,” both of which were unreleased at the time and would subsequently appear in recorded form the following year on their 1996
album To The Faithful Departed.

1. Intro/Dreaming My Dreams
2. Ode To My Family
3. Linger
4. Free To Decide
5. I'm Still Remembering
6. Empty
7. Zombie
8. Yesterday's Gone
9. No Need To Argue