Counting Crows Album: “August and Everything After”

Description :

Counting Crows: Matt Malley (vocals, guitar, bass); David Bryson (vocals, guitar); Charlie Gillingham (vocals, accordion, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Chamberlain); Adam Duritz (vocals, piano, harmonica); Steve Bowman (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: David Immergluck (vocals, guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, mandocello); Bill Dillon (guitar, guitorgan); T-Bone Burnett (guitar); Denny Fongheiser (drums, percussions); Maria McKee, Gary Louris, Mark Olson (background vocals). Counting Crows were nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. "Round Here" was nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Counting Crows: Adam Duritz (vocals, piano, harmonica); Matt Malley (guitar, bass, background vocals); David Bryson (guitar, background vocals); Charlie Gillingham (accordion, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Chamberlain, background vocals); Steve Bowman (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: David Immergluck (guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, mandocello, background vocals); Bill Dillon (guitar, guitorgan); T-Bone Burnett (guitar); Denny Fongheiser (drums, percussion); Maria McKee, Gary Louris, Mark Olson (background vocals). Counting Crows were nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. "Round Here" was nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. With their stunning craftsmanship and a classic sound DEEPLY rooted in whistlestop America, the anthems and rural overtones which distinguish the songs on AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER evoke the same kind of visceral reaction which once greeted The Band. But AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER is not an exercise in nostalgia. Some listeners have reacted to vocalist Adam Duritz's gruff, ecstatic vocals in the way they once responded to such dark angels of revelation and regret as Van Morrison and Michael Stipe. On "Time And Time Again," Duritz conjures up a startling sense of longing and loneliness, as the listener is drawn in and consumed by a spooky sense of space and solitude. Credit must go to producer T-Bone Burnett, who has gotten a lot of mileage out of similar themes and sounds. He frames Duritz's fervent vocals in Charlie Gillingham's mysterious keyboards and David Bryson's supple guitar, to particular effect on "Sullivan Street," where Maria McKee's harmonies give the tune a forlorn country resonance. All in all, there's a tactile, spiritual air to Counting Crows' tunes, as if by losing yourself in their lyric loneliness, by boarding their "Ghost Train," you could lose your own isolation. With their stunning craftsmanship and a classic sound DEEPLY rooted in whistlestop America, the anthems and rural overtones which distinguish the songs on AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER evoke the same kind of visceral reaction which once greeted The Band. But AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER is not an exercise in nostalgia. Some listeners have reacted to vocalist Adam Duritz's gruff, ecstatic vocals in the way they once responded to such dark angels of revelation and regret as Van Morrison and Michael Stipe. On "Time And Time Again," Duritz conjures up a startling sense of longing and loneliness, as the listener is drawn in and consumed by a spooky sense of space and solitude. Credit must go to producer T-Bone Burnett, who has gotten a lot of mileage out of similar themes and sounds. He frames Duritz's fervent vocals in Charlie Gillingham's mysterious keyboards and David Bryson's supple guitar, to particular effect on "Sullivan Street," where Maria McKee's harmonies give the tune a forlorn country resonance. All in all, there's a tactile, spiritual air to Counting Crows' tunes, as if by losing yourself in their lyric loneliness, by boarding their "Ghost Train," you could lose your own isolation.

August & Everything After is the amazing debut from Counting Crows. They mix the lyrical stylings of Van Morrison and the rustic sounds of The Band with a dash of U2 thrown in for good measure. But despite these obvious influences, they band has a fresh and unique sound all their own. Adam Duritz uses a sharp pen in his writing and he has one of the most soulful and expressive voices in music. He practically bleeds on songs like somber "Round Here", the condemning of suburban life of "Perfect Blue Buildings" and the gorgeous and lilting "Sullivan Street". "Anna Begins" is a sweet love song and "Rain King" has a soaring sound to it. "Murder Of One" closes the album in a U2-esque, spiritual like rocker. "Mr. Jones" was the breakout song from the album and the one that gained the band large airplay. It is an immediate classic with a memorable guitar riff and vivid lyrics. Mr. Duritz says he wants to Bob Dylan in the song and he comes damn close on the song. The album was an alternative to the alternative music that dominated the airways at the time. The album was heaped with well-deserved praise, as it is one of the ten best of the 90's.

This album changed my life in many ways. Nothing overt, it's not like I heard this album and then suddenly I found Jesus or something. No, it was more like Adam helped me see things a bit more clearly. I know a lot of people identified with his sense of lonliness and isolation and I am no exception. I wish I could say that I empathize with him and not sound corny. When I first heard "Round Here" I literally stopped in my tracks, and to this day it still turns my head. There's something about his turn of phrase and haunting vocals that take me away to another time in my life. Once I heard the whole CD I played and I played it and I played it and I kept playing it for months I listened to practically nothing else because each time I would find something new, something that I had missed before and I would fall in love all over again. Every single song on this album, even "Ghost Train" which is my least favorite track is worth the price of this album. How many other albums can that be said about? I know this is not only my opinion because for a while back there, EVERYONE had a copy of this album and most people I know still do. They may not like the later albums, but they all have this one. It help give a voice to a part of society that feels lonely, isolated and afraid. One thing I want to stress is the WAY he sings it out to you. It comes from the depths of his soul, I can't believe he can even move after concerts the way he reaches down in and pulls it out and has all that bitterness, happiness, sadness, and lonliness bleed all over everyone and everything. If you understand what I am trying to say rather poorly here and you don't have this album, you need to hear it, honestly. This is something special, something precious and I am so grateful Adam shared his feelings with the world. I wish I could thank him and not sound like I am after something because that's all I want to do is just say "Thank you, I appreciate your time." I love Counting Crows, and it's not fair to say the band is just Adam, because he also surrounded himself with extremely talented musicians and you'd have to hear them live to truly understand what I am talking about. If I could give one album to everyone in the world, it would be this one.

I don't have the patience to sit and type a long review, but I just want to encourage anyone out there who is thinking of buying this CD to do so. Counting Crows is not my favorite band (they're awesome, but not my favorite), but this just might be my favorite CD. It's a front-to-back beautiful, melodic, emotional experience - but mostly it's a musical experience. These are varied, musically interesting songs, some of which happen to be gut-wrenchingly lovely. Standout tracks are Omaha, Mr. Jones, Anna Begins (give it three full listens and you'll be hooked), Rain King, Sullivan Street, and A Murder of One. The other tracks are almost as phenomenal. "August..." hangs together as an album better than almost any other I can think of. Just so you know my musical tastes - two other favorite single albums are R.E.M., "Automatic for the People" and Weezer's blue album. Still, even if you don't like those, give this one a try. My entire family adores it, and I recommend it unconditionally.

I first heard this CD two years ago while taking courses over the summer at a well-known university, when a friend let me borrow his copy. I thought it was pretty good and enjoyed the meloncholy tone/lyrics, but it was different from pretty much everything I listened to (at the time, my idea of perfection was AEnima by Tool) and the student bookstore didn't have a copy, so I forgot about it.

A few weeks ago, I randomly decided to download it. It completely rocked me. I now own every Counting Crows CD out there and listen to them constantly. My personal favorite songs are "Mr. Jones," "Omaha," and "Sullivan Street," although the whole album is very good. There's not much that I've heard that I can compare it to... maybe Wilco, although the only Crows CD that has the same sort of vibe as them is This Desert Life. it's just really good, albiet simple, music, great for fans of singer/songwriters. Adam Duritz is a great lyricist/songwriter.

Is this worth the hype? Most definately. Very few bands can accomplish so much on their debut; even great bands like Radiohead and Sigur Ros put out sub-par first albums. I guess this is the best album by the Counting Crows, although all of their CD's are good. If you are at all interested in music focused around storytelling and well thought-out lyrics, then you need this CD. Also, if you are a big fan of this, it wouldn't hurt to pick up This Desert LIfe.

It's almost a tradition that this disc ends up in my CD-player when I'm down. Adam Duritz melancholic lyrics and moving voice is just perfect for such occasions. Furthermore this CD is probably one of the best CDs released in the 90s, having no weak songs whatsoever. To find a CD where there is no need to skip tracks is, as you all know, a rare phenomenon.

The highlights of the CD are Anna Begins, A Murder of One, and the rather up-beat Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones came to be the biggest hit of August and Everything After, much like Shiny Happy People became a big hit for REM on their Out of Time album. My point being both songs seem to be the odd-song-out of their respective albums.

It's easy to compare Counting Crows to REM for several reasons. Adam Duritz and Michael Stripe are two of the most distinct singers of contemporary rock, and their lyrics seem to mirror their most personal feelings and experiences. But Counting Crows is perhaps more down to earth, their albums more complete.

August and Everything After represents the best work of Counting Crows yet, and I concider this CD a must!!