Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
International cover. The UK special edition uses a similar, brighter image
Studio album by
The Cranberries
Released22 October 2001
Recorded2000–2001
StudioWindmill Lane Studios (Dublin)
Genre
Length44:23
LabelMCA
ProducerStephen Street
The Cranberries chronology
Bury the Hatchet
(1999) 		Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
(2001) 		Treasure Box – The Complete Sessions 1991–1999
(2002)
Singles from Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
  1. "Analyse"
    Released: 27 August 2001[1]
  2. "Time Is Ticking Out"
    Released: 12 March 2002
  3. "This Is the Day"
    Released: 16 July 2002
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic62/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Alternative Press[2]
Blender[4]
E! OnlineC+[5]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[6]
Q[2]
Slant Magazine[7]

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee is the fifth studio album by Irish alternative rock[8] band The Cranberries, and their last before their six-year hiatus. Released on 22 October 2001, the album sold 170,000 copies in the US by April 2007.[9] Worldwide, the album had sold 1,300,000 copies by 2002.[10]

This marks the band's only album on MCA Records. They were transferred to MCA after the merger of PolyGram (which owned their previous label, Island Records) with MCA's parent Universal Music Group in 1999.

While the album did not initially receive a vinyl release, on 16 February 2023, it was announced that the album would receive a limited vinyl issue for Record Store Day on 22 April 2023.[11][12]

Artwork

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Several different covers exist for the album, with the most widely distributed being a man lying in a bed on the beach with gym balls moving towards him. Later European editions, namely the UK special edition, use a similar, brighter shot taken at a different time of day with a slightly different number of gym balls. The American version of the album uses a shot of the clustered gym balls as the main cover art, with the man in bed on the reverse side of the image (the other side of the booklet). The Japanese edition also uses a shot of the gym balls, but bouncing on a grass field instead of the beach.

Designer Storm Thorgerson, who also designed the cover of their previous album, Bury the Hatchet,[10] said: "The idea of red balls came from granules of coffee percolating the atmosphere, settling in your nose and waking you up. These became red (cranberries) and then enlarged to gym balls to satisfy our rampant egos. The location changed from an interior to an open space. Because this idea was preposterous, it needed testing before we did the proper thing on a beach in Somerset. The test... was done on a small grass aerodrome near London."[13]

The version of the artwork featuring a man in bed on the beach is similar in concept to another Thorgerson creation, Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Thorgerson's anomalous red balls recall another of his earlier album covers, Elegy by The Nice (1970).

Critical reception

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At review aggregator Metacritic, the album received a score of 62 out of 100 based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the album "as reminiscent of their debut as anything they've done since" as well as "melodic, stately, and somber [...] with a dogged sense of decorum that keeps not just the group's musical excesses in check, but also O'Riordan's political polemics", although found there to be nothing that "really result[s] in a record that will restore the Cranberries to the status they enjoyed in the early '90s".[3]

John Aizlewood of Blender described Wake Up and Smell the Coffee as "the set of inspired anthems they needed to deliver in '96—all tremulous vocals from Dolores O'Riordan [...] and encouraging lyrics [...] It may be too late, but it's not too little."[4] Alternative Press found it to be a "slight improvement" on Bury the Hatchet (1999),[2] and Q felt it was "Charming, if slight".[2] Sal Cinequemani of Slant Magazine wrote that the album "sticks to what the Cranberries do best: constructing the radio-friendliest of pop alternatives", but concluded that "Dolores and company fall a bit short of the emotive and atmospheric heights" of their "creative (and commercial) zenith", No Need to Argue (1994).[7]

E! commented that "the band sounds strong but derivative of its own best work", going on to say that "O'Riordan's voice aims for spiritual passion but sometimes, as in the title track, becomes a chafing bray" and that it "may please old fans".[5] Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "It's official: Dolores O'Riordan is rock's most vapid lyricist", quoting O'Riordan's couplets "Birds in the sky/They look so high" from "Never Grow Old" and "Looks like we've screwed up the ozone layer/I wonder if the politicians cay-ay-are" from "Time Is Ticking Out" as examples. Willman found positives to be the return of "original producer Stephen Street", who makes "a few tracks into palatable ear candy, and O'Riordan ha[ving] traded stridency for softer tones".[6]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Dolores O'Riordan; all music is composed by O'Riordan except where noted

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Never Grow Old" 2:35
2."Analyse" 4:10
3."Time Is Ticking Out"O'Riordan, Noel Hogan2:59
4."Dying Inside"O'Riordan, Hogan3:10
5."This Is the Day" 4:15
6."The Concept" 3:03
7."Wake Up and Smell the Coffee"O'Riordan, Hogan5:15
8."Pretty Eyes" 3:48
9."I Really Hope"O'Riordan, Hogan3:42
10."Every Morning" 2:24
11."Do You Know" 3:09
12."Carry On" 2:21
13."Chocolate Brown"O'Riordan, Hogan3:32
US bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Cape Town"O'Riordan, Hogan2:48
UK bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Dreams" (live in Paris)O'Riordan, Hogan4:37
15."Promises" (live in Paris) 5:06
16."In the Ghetto" (Elvis Presley cover)Mac Davis2:42
International bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Salvation" (live in Paris)O'Riordan, Hogan2:35
15."In the Ghetto" (Elvis Presley cover)Davis2:42
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."I Can't Be with You" (live in Paris)O'Riordan, Hogan3:13
15."Zombie" (live in Paris) 5:26
16."In the Ghetto" (Elvis Presley cover)Davis2:42

Other tracks

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Bonus tracks and B-sides
Song Length Physical/digital release(s)
"In the Ghetto" 2:42

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [UK edition] (bonus track)
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [International edition] (bonus track)
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [Japan edition] (bonus track)

"Cape Town" 2:48

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [North American edition] (bonus track)
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [Asian tour edition] (bonus track)

"Many Days" 2:43

Digital format on The Cranberries website
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [Asian tour edition] (bonus track)

"Such a Waste" 2:31 "This Is the Day" single (B-side)[14]
"7 Years" 2:46 Wake Up and Smell the Coffee [promo CD]

Personnel

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The Cranberries

  • Dolores O'Riordan – vocals, guitars, keyboards
  • Noel Hogan – electric and acoustic guitars
  • Mike Hogan – bass guitar
  • Fergal Lawler – drums, percussion

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales for Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[36] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[37] 2× Gold 200,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[38] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[39] Gold 20,000^
United States — 170,000[9]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1416. 24 August 2001. pp. 156, 175.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Critic Reviews for Wake Up And Smell The Coffee". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (23 October 2001). "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee - The Cranberries". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b Aizlewood, John. "The Cranberries Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Blender. Archived from the original on 20 August 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Music – The Cranberries Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". E! Online. Archived from the original on 18 November 2001. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b Chris Willman (26 October 2001). "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  7. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (4 October 2001). "The Cranberries: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Limerick alt.rock icons The Cranberries". udiscovermusic.com. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Billboard (23 March 2007). "Ask". Billboard. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  10. ^ a b "The Cranberries & Dolores O'Riordan Russian Fan-Site". The-cranberries.ru. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  11. ^ "Wake Up + Smell The Coffee". Record Store Day. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ^ The Cranberries [@The_Cranberries] (16 February 2023). "We're delighted to announce that 'Wake Up And Smell The Coffee' is out April 22nd for the first time ever on vinyl, exclusive to @recordstoreday 2023!" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Classic Rock 2010 calendar
  14. ^ "This Is the Day by The Cranberries". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  15. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  16. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  19. ^ "The Cranberries Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  23. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2001. 43. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Cranberries". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  25. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  26. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  27. ^ "Hits of the World - Spain". Billboard. 3 November 2001. p. 62. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  28. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  29. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  30. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  31. ^ "The Cranberries Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  32. ^ "Year in Review – European Top 100 Albums 2001" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 52. 22 December 2001. p. 15. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  33. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2001" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2001". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  35. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2002" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  36. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". Music Canada.
  37. ^ "French album certifications – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  38. ^ "Spanish album certifications – The Cranberries – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  39. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Wake Up and Smell the Coffee')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
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