The band released their first album on vinyl, Self Non Self in July 1989. The intensity of that album garnered very good reviews and caught the attention of John Peel, who picked up on the album right away, with the group recording a session for him in the album's first week of release. Shortly afterwards they signed to the label Dedicated (which also became home to Spiritualized and Beth Orton) and went on to record their EP "Espero" in 1990, with the album "Wings of Joy" following a year later. The release of "Wings of Joy" caught the attention of Robert Smith of The Cure who picked the Cranes to open for them on their world tour in 1992. They then went on to record the albums "Forever" (1993), "Loved" (1994), "La Tragedie d'Oreste et Electre" (1995), and "Population Four" (1997).
After a 4 year break, Cranes re-emerged on their own independent label Dadaphonic to release "Future Songs" (2001) and "Particles & Waves" (2004), which saw the band heading in a more electronic direction while retaining the trademark sound of previous releases. In January 2007 the band released a download only album, "Live at Amsterdam Paradiso," originally recorded in 1991. The show captures the darker, heavier days of the early Cranes and is available only via www.dadaphonic.co.uk.
In 2008 Cranes albums "Wings of Joy', 'Forever' and 'Loved' were re-issued by Cherry Red Records, www.cherryred.co.uk as part of their series of 'influential artists' re-releases.
In October 2008 Cranes released their self titled album 'Cranes', to which they did a supporting tour. After that there was the odd performance here and there up until 2012 after which Cranes fell silent again.
In 2022 they re-emerged with several newly opened social media accounts to which the purpose soon became clear: Cranes have reformed in their original nineties line-up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the "Forever" album with some gigs in the UK (see events) and they are currently rehearsing.
In June 2023 they also released a 'new' album: their previously unreleased "Peel Sessions 1989-1990" which you can get on their Bandcamp site (see Linktree below) both digitally and on CD/Vinyl.
Current members
Alison Shaw – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar (1985–1997, 2000–present)
Jim Shaw – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums (1985–1997, 2000–present)
Mark Francombe – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, spanner (1989–1997, 2022-present)
Matt Cope – guitar (1989–1997, 2022-present)
Former members:
Kevin Dunford – lead guitar (1988–1989)
Paul Smith – guitar, keyboards (1995–1997, 2000–2012)
Manu Ross – drums (1996–1997)
Ben Baxter – bass guitar (2000–2012)
Jon Callender – drums (2000–2007)
Jon Mattock – drums (2008–2012)
Cranes official Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cranesofficial
Tangled Up
Cranes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sense of joy that sometimes makes it
All worth fighting for
... Lovely as the wind
That takes my breath and breathes it in...
Oh no.. not again
It seemed so close this time
Got tangled up... got
Caught inside
I tried to explain
The peaceful life I thought I wanted
Gentle as the rain
That falls on us from every corner
Lovely as the clouds
That make me ache and cry out loud
... Oh no... not again
Did I really fuck it up again?
It seemed so close this time
Got tangled up... got
Caught inside
In "Tangled Up," Cranes' lead singer Alison Shaw ponders the purpose of her existence, wondering if it's worth pursuing "a sense of joy" in life, which can give her the strength to fight on even when things get difficult. The song explores the agony of failure and frustration with the line "Oh no...not again / Did I really fuck it up again?/ It seemed so close this time / Got tangled up...got caught inside."
Despite her doubts, Shaw also acknowledges how beautiful life can be. She compares the loveliness of the wind to her breath and the peacefulness of rain to the life she thought she wanted. However, even these beautiful things can make her ache and cry out loud, further emphasizing the complexity of her emotions.
Thematically, "Tangled Up" is a song about grappling with the complexities of human experience. It explores feelings of doubt and despair alongside hope and wonder, ultimately creating a portrait of a person struggling to find meaning in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
What do I live for ?
Wondering about the reason for existence
A sense of joy that sometimes makes it All worth fighting for
Finding happiness in life despite the struggles
Lovely as the wind That takes my breath and breathes it in
The beauty of nature taking over and engulfing oneself
Oh no.. not again
An expression of defeat or disappointment
Did I really fuck it up again ?
Questioning one's own mistakes and flaws
It seemed so close this time Got tangled up... got Caught inside
Being close to something but getting stuck in it
I tried to explain The peaceful life I thought I wanted
Attempting to communicate a desired way of life
Gentle as the rain That falls on us from every corner
Finding comfort in the natural occurrences that surround us
Lovely as the clouds That make me ache and cry out loud
The beauty of nature evoking strong emotions
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Lu11abi
How does she have the strength to drag out these feelings most of us want to keep buried forever and make us revisit them over and over?
If I ever need a good cry, just the opening notes to this track open the floodgates.
💖😥💖😭💖
@h2pbrad
Still one of my most cherished CDs.
@reddevilman94
love this song!! !GraciAS!
@iclandgirl
Love this- have all of their music.......