Counting Crows Album: “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings”

I've had a soft spot for Counting Crows, despite being a music snob (according to my wife, anyway). There's just something perfectly enjoyable about the music and lyrics. I've always felt Duritz was a great lyricist, even though he seems to come across as self-obsessed (his songs never seem to embody characters and so many of them are are about "looking at me" that it's hard to see any identities in the songs); his biggest weakness as a writer/singer is his proclivity to repeat certain phrases too many times. "American Girls" suffers from this a lot; on this album "Hanging Tree" has some annoying repetition. But his use of place and strange strings of imagery are always satisfying.

I've always held their first two albums as my favorites (both have different strengths). Saturday Nights... is quite strong, though it's not necessarily anything new or exciting. I think 1492, Insignificant, and Cowboys would make it onto any Crows mix I make from now on. "When I Dream of Michaelangelo" is a great call back to "Angels of the Silences" on album 2. "Sundays" moves from chipper to a more emotional chorus. And the band doesn't lose a chance to rock out when necessary.

Maybe 3 good songs on this album. I've been a fan since their first release and I gave this album a while before I finally reviewed it.

Self indulgent lyrics, mediocre instrumentals, poorly done. I've come to expect more from the Counting Crows.

Well, they can't always be on the ball right?

4.5 Stars.

The Counting Crows are "back," although honestly I don't know where from. Their commercial zenith may have been

, but their path from that record to

has actually been one of growth and this new offering shows them continuing in an interesting and very heartfelt direction. What they've done here is to essentially create a Stones album, but it's a better one than most of what the Stones have put forth since Exile on Main St. Some of the songs have echoes of Springsteen at his bleakest (think

), such as "Cowboys" which speaks of everyday violence. This album also oddly reminds me of

, which tackles the downside of success. In fact the two discs are kindred spirits or even partners in crime with their raw bluesy attack and cynical take on the concept of fame or at least the hedonistic lifestyle that often accompanies it (footnote: it's unclear whether these songs are about actual experiences that singer-songwriter Duritz has had or instead are based upon things that "could" happen to someone in his position; however the subject matter is dealt with in a manner that keeps it feeling personal, real and even relatable).

Listening to all of this in one sitting is a little difficult, especially after reaching the halfway point on the somber "second side" where the slow tempos begin to drag a little. Perhaps mixing it up might have made for a somewhat easier listening experience. But from a purely artistic perspective, the concept works. Additionally, taken song-by-song this is a very strong disc, each contributing thought-provoking ideas in a tumble of words set against the rootsiest, rawest rock n roll I have heard since Marah's

. My favorite songs here are "Hanging Tree," "Insignificant," "Cowboys," "Washington Square," "When I Dream of Michaelangelo" and "You Can't Count On Me." I'm not going to do a track-by-track analysis because that has already been covered very well by other reviewers. I will say however that each track merits full attention from the listener. They all contain plenty of interesting ideas and a lot of imagery which will take time and thought to decipher. It's serious music for a serious music lover, and this band maintains its integrity by continuing to produce such music in an era when that sort of thing has become very scarce.

As you can see from the other albums I have referred to in my review, this disc echoes an earlier time when big, sprawling roots-rock albums were what was considered "pop" music. There's no fooling anyone that this sort of thing is really "pop" in the "popular" sense anymore. Yet there are bands and individuals out there creating truly classic rock albums (Marah, Wilco, REM and Ian Hunter to name a few) if you are willing to dig a little deeper. I suppose the greatest praise I can give any new release these days is that it sits proudly alongside the better works of its predecessors from both current and past eras. This album does that in spades. A worthy addition to any true rock fan's collection.

So yes, I'm the guy who has every Crows album since the early 90s; has collected import CD and radio performances; occasionally trades on the Counting Crows trading network with other music dorks; and has gone on several man-dates to Crows concerts with my buddies. Sure the man-dates have been accidental - i.e. we didn't realize until we were sharing a blanket at Shoreline drinking Coors Light just the two of us that we were on a man-date - but that excuse really only covers you the first time, right?

Moving on.

I love the Crows. And people often think that this means they get a free pass because I get so geeked up to hear the new albums that I'll dig anything they put out. I argue it's the opposite - my expectations are so high, and I have so many awesome memories tied to Crows songs, concerts, car rides, life experiences, etc. that I'm actually twice as hard on the band as your casual fan.

And this, in my opinion, is their strongest album since Recovering the Satellites. Duritz has apparently gone down some crazy life paths since the release of the last album that wasn't live or a best-of compilation. And that's been 6 years. I think Hard Candy was 2002. This sounds like Duritz's most inspired album maybe ever - the emotion is there, each track is pretty solid, and after only one full listen I'm ready to anoint this top 3 status in the Crows' catalog (which I realize isn't that extensive).

Bottom line Johnson - if you like the Crows, you'll enjoy every minute of this album. It's what you expect, but it surpasses those expectations and over-delivers. I'm (clearly) impressed.

It's a Counting Crows CD, so it has to be good. But they have produced better albums.

If you are new to Counting Crows and want to start in the best place, get

instead. Then follow that up with

.