OT: New Counting Crows song
Chaim
time... In the mid 90s, before I started listening to PJ, Counting Crows were
very close to tyhe top of my favorite band list (others were STP, RHCP...), and
Recovering the Satellites has been, for a long time, way up on my favorite
albums list... I mean... I mean like Desert Island Five CD pick sort of
favorite... August and Everything after, the popular favorite it seems, is a
GREAT record... but I must say that I think Recovering the Sattellites perfects
the formula they were working with on the first record... I=a truly great
record, musically, lyrically, spiritually... Thge album is full of feelings, of
dreams, of ghosts, of stories, or people, of places.... The thing is EPIC...
and there are pew things I can think of more satisfying foor me to hear, when I
am in any kind of slightly unbalanced mood, than the opening notes of
Catapult... goddamn... what a way to open an album...
Anyway, I am getting of the topic I am exploring here... August, the Satellites
both, have a sort of loosness about them... a kind of free and easy feeling...
like the buzz you have after a few of shots of whisky... You are still in
contol, but at the same time you feel really free, alot more accomodating, and
alightly impulsive. Its a really wonderful feeling, and to sustain it for an
hour of music, not once, but twice, I think takes GREAT talent and skill.
I have always compared those two albums to two pairs of REALLY comfortable
jeans... old one, the kind you have had longer than you can remember, and like
to slip into on a sunday when you have nothing to do but wind down and take
your mind to nowhere... Those jeans. We all have a pair.
That's how I felt about the Counting Crows.
Then This Desert Life came out.
You know, that album had good things going for it... I got it the day it came
out... I was starving for the new Crows... I mean, putting out an album only
once every three years is really cruel in my opinion... So, I listened to the
album, and I liked some of it.
Let me say that Hanginaround is a realy good way to kick off the album, and I
like the song alot... but it was very significant in that it signalled not only
something new for the album, but seemingly for the crows.... It was free of
what made the first ALbum so compelling... a kind of lazy sadness... as well as
the second... a sort of Summer angst... The song didn't have those things.. so,
what did it have? Well, it was a fun tune, it had a sort of self-satisfaction
that continued for the rest of the album... I don't know how to explain it. It
felt like the band had lost something with that album... I guess they seemes...
well, satisfied with something. It was something they didn;'t have before. On
the first two records, the music seems to come from the empty place, and it's
from that very dissatisfied region of the heart that the tuned escaped from,
and it was truly magical.
This Desert Life was free of that quality, and as a result, most of the album
still is very forgettable from me (Although, to be fair, St. Robinson is one of
my favorite Crows songs, and Kid Things ain't far behind it)
If August and Satellites were jeans, then This Desert Life is a pair of
Khakis... a comfortable fit, no doubt, but still clean l,ooking enough to pass
as a kind of casual dress statement. Not clothes to let it all out in, but
definitely more comfortable than most clothes.
The album still retained a relaxed fit, but without the personal charms and
folk wisdom of your old Levi's.
A couple of nights ago, the same night I heard the Civialian song on the radio,
I heard American Girls, the new song by the Counting Crows.
It was my first exposure to new material by them.
For those of you that don't know, the song features Sheryl Corw as a backup
singer. I don't know how many of you are familiar with my stance on her, so
let me fill you in: I think she has one saving grace, and that is that her
first album was really brilliant, but that was only because she had the benefit
of working with some really talented people (Kevin Gilbert, B. Bottrell, etc).
As far as everything else, I couldn't care less for it. That does not even
include her new record, of which I have heard one song: Soak up the Sun... I
don't know if she is trying to recraft herself into some kind of pop goddess or
something, but this song is really full of shit. Personally, I don't know if
she chose to lift a riff off of Third Eye Blind as a career move, (to be fair,
I think Blue was probably the best album by a rather poor band that I have ever
heard) but whatever her reasons, it does not look good for her. It is one of
the most obnoxiously void songs I have ever heard.
So, she is singing backup on a crows song.. this is the same week that I see a
Coke commercial featuring the Counting Corws selling pop. Jesus christ...
Okay, so the song. I was unimpressed. It was such a clean-sounding mess...
everything about it just sounded clean.. hell, I don't even know what the song
was about anymore... I only came in halfway though anyway, but all I can say is
that the song, SOUNDED BAD to me. the steady beat, the skweaky clean vocals of
SHery Crow (haha.. Sheryl Crow, and the Counting Crows! Get it! Heehee!), and
some kind of electronic implement being used in the background which seems to
scream "COunting Corws for the New Millenium!"
I don't know, maybe I am passing judgement too soon, but I want my old crows
back, this new sound aint working for me. I was unimpressed. I felt like I
was listening to a song by some other band, not by the band that crafted my
beloved Recovering the Sattelites... Even the Duritz vocals, a beloved
character in crows music, seemed to be pushed intot he background for this
one.. all of his vocal charm was sort of flattened out into some kind of studio
wash, all the while, the song is mixed to shove sheryl crow in your face as
backup, as if Duritz isn;'t enough to make us like it.
Anyway, I think it kind of funny that two of my most anticipated musical events
this year, Civilian and COunting Crows , are ceasing to impress me, while
meanwhile, Lauryn Hill Unplugged is rocking my world. Here we have an album by
an artistwho works a genre of music I don't even particularly like, but I am
loving it like mad and wishing Civilan and the Crows would do the same.
Ah well, at least I know that the new PJ is amazing, since I have heard so much
of it already...
~~
Chaim ~ cupin...@aol.com
"you could be the one to liberate me from sun,
so please, give the moon to me"
Bridget
"Chaim" <cupin...@aol.coma> wrote in message
news:20020518190304...@mb-fz.aol.com...
I read this entire post........with respect to your opinion.....all the way
till we got to the Lauren hill part.
I love Counting Crows.......RTS is possibly my favorite too or it could be
Face the promised land ( hard to say)
I like what Sheryl brings to AMERICAN GIRLS. Sheryl & Adam are friends &
have sung together before.
You can listen to more of CC's new record at www.annabegins.com there are
some of the new songs their recorded LIVE last summer. Miami seems to be a
favorite amoung the CC NG. I like Black & Blue
As for Sheryl Crows new record.......I wasn't thrilled with Soak up the
sun........but I do like Steve McQueen. I haven't heard anything other than
those two.
People change.......their attitude, their taste, their moods.
Maybe Crows sound has changed into something you don't like.....but that
doesn't make it bad. I don't think it's fair to give these great guys a poor
review based on one song before the record even comes out.
I like AMERICAN GIRLS, I like Adam Duritz !
As for PJ......I have not heard any of the new stuff but I'm looking forward
to it...I've yet to hear anything I could complain about.
I think Lauren Hill is dangerously close to One Hit Wonder status....but
then again......that's my opinion.
Bridget
dan
disappointed with this version that is on their album. not sure why, just
doesnt sound as good
Jon Eve
taste in music....Now....my response to your jeans and shit :)
> Let me say that Recovering the Satellites is one of my favorite songs of
all
> time... In the mid 90s, before I started listening to PJ, Counting Crows
were
> very close to tyhe top of my favorite band list (others were STP,
RHCP...), and
> Recovering the Satellites has been, for a long time, way up on my favorite
> albums list... I mean... I mean like Desert Island Five CD pick sort of
> favorite... August and Everything after, the popular favorite it seems,
is a
> GREAT record... but I must say that I think Recovering the Sattellites
perfects
> the formula they were working with on the first record... I=a truly great
> record, musically, lyrically, spiritually... Thge album is full of
feelings, of
> dreams, of ghosts, of stories, or people, of places.... The thing is
EPIC...
> and there are pew things I can think of more satisfying foor me to hear,
when I
> am in any kind of slightly unbalanced mood, than the opening notes of
> Catapult... goddamn... what a way to open an album...
Completely agreed, Recovering the Satellites is one of the best Studio
albums ever made, and is my favourite crows album; but it has to be said
that Across A Wire: Live In New York is a VERY close 2nd. I'd buy that CD
for the first disc alone. The acoustic mr. jones, in my opinion, is one of
the best songs ever (re)written.
> Anyway, I am getting of the topic I am exploring here... August, the
Satellites
> both, have a sort of loosness about them... a kind of free and easy
feeling...
> like the buzz you have after a few of shots of whisky... You are still in
> contol, but at the same time you feel really free, alot more accomodating,
and
> alightly impulsive. Its a really wonderful feeling, and to sustain it for
an
> hour of music, not once, but twice, I think takes GREAT talent and skill.
>
> I have always compared those two albums to two pairs of REALLY comfortable
> jeans... old one, the kind you have had longer than you can remember, and
like
> to slip into on a sunday when you have nothing to do but wind down and
take
> your mind to nowhere... Those jeans. We all have a pair.
Interesting comparison....I'll give you that....but I guess...in some crazy
way..you are right!
> That's how I felt about the Counting Crows.
>
> Then This Desert Life came out.
uh oh...this doesn't sound good....someone isn't happy.....
>
> You know, that album had good things going for it... I got it the day it
came
> out... I was starving for the new Crows... I mean, putting out an album
only
> once every three years is really cruel in my opinion... So, I listened to
the
> album, and I liked some of it.
oh phew..you liked it :)
> Let me say that Hanginaround is a realy good way to kick off the album,
and I
> like the song alot... but it was very significant in that it signalled not
only
> something new for the album, but seemingly for the crows.... It was free
of
> what made the first ALbum so compelling... a kind of lazy sadness... as
well as
> the second... a sort of Summer angst... The song didn't have those
things.. so,
> what did it have? Well, it was a fun tune, it had a sort of
self-satisfaction
> that continued for the rest of the album... I don't know how to explain
it. It
> felt like the band had lost something with that album... I guess they
seemes...
> well, satisfied with something. It was something they didn;'t have
before. On
> the first two records, the music seems to come from the empty place, and
it's
> from that very dissatisfied region of the heart that the tuned escaped
from,
> and it was truly magical.
Yes...unfortunately, buy the time it came round to writing TDL Adam had
stopped being depressed, and was actually quite a happy man (damn him!)...so
he wrote a happy album...I didn't really like it at first, but trust me,
it's a damn good album. You have to listen to it with a completely open
mind....The guy can't write depressing songs all his life..i mean c'mon, any
more depressing songs and he'd have probably topped himself....but no, This
Desert Life is infact a great album...not quite as great as AAEA or RTS but
it's very, very good. You really will have to trust me :)....I think the
counting crows are the prime example of an artists ever evolving
sound....they have done it to perfection.
> This Desert Life was free of that quality, and as a result, most of the
album
> still is very forgettable from me (Although, to be fair, St. Robinson is
one of
> my favorite Crows songs, and Kid Things ain't far behind it)
St. Robinson is one of the greatest stories ever told....it's even better
live too :)
> If August and Satellites were jeans, then This Desert Life is a pair of
> Khakis... a comfortable fit, no doubt, but still clean l,ooking enough to
pass
> as a kind of casual dress statement. Not clothes to let it all out in,
but
> definitely more comfortable than most clothes.
Yes, but Khakis are sometimes necessary, particularly in the summer. For
that lighter, airy feel.
> The album still retained a relaxed fit, but without the personal charms
and
> folk wisdom of your old Levi's.
ok, these comparisons are going to have to stop...or next time I have a
counting crows conversation I'll start talking about Levi's and well...we
don't want that to happen.
> A couple of nights ago, the same night I heard the Civialian song on the
radio,
> I heard American Girls, the new song by the Counting Crows.
I've only heard part of the song in the coke commercial but we'll get to
that....
> It was my first exposure to new material by them.
I'm lucky enough to have some of the bootlegs of the live shows they did
last year where they previewed some of their stuff....I didn't pay too much
attention, but what I heard was very, very good.
I'm not a fan of Ms. Crow either, but I do like Third Eye Blind...I hopethis
doesn't make me a bad person :-/...Although saying that, they decided to
kick out thier Guitarist, Kevin Cadogan who was the best part of that band,
and is an extremely talented guitarist. And for that I don't like them,
it'll be interesting to see what they can do on their new album (when it
finally gets released)....oh and just to be geeky and shit....ex-Counting
Crows drummer Steve Bowman used to play with Third Eye Blind, before they
recorded their debut album, before current drummer Brad Hargreaves joined
the band....sorry...just thought you all might like to know :)
> So, she is singing backup on a crows song.. this is the same week that I
see a
> Coke commercial featuring the Counting Corws selling pop. Jesus christ...
Right, I'm a regular in the Counting Crows newsgroup, and this is really all
that's been talked about in the last week or so since it was aired....and
there's been all sorts of shit about them selling out and what not..and I'd
just like to say that it's all bollocks. Lets look look at this closely.
August and everything after has some like multi-millions of copies, and
recovering the satellites did the same, but wasn't as successful as
August...theoretically, This Desert Life should have been as successful, or
at least more successful than it was, it only just scraped 1 million sales.
Why is this...well it'spartly their fault for only releasing an album once
every 3 years, but the record company couldn't really give a shit about TDL
and there was zilcho promotion for it....now 3 years on from that and they
have hardly had any mainstream media coverage...So what do you do when
you've had no media coverage in over 3 years? You APPEAR in a commercial of
one of the biggest selling products in the world with your song playing in
the background. They need exposure, they are now grown up, happy, contented
men with families who (finally) want to become famous just like they did
waay back in 1993. "We all wanna be big, big stars. But we got different
reasons for that".....then in 1997: "We all wanna be big, big stars, then we
get all fucked up about that", and now they want to be back in the
spotlight....but I ain't talking TRL kind of spotlight...If you actually
watch the commercial again, you'll notice that they aren't themselves saying
"buy coca-cola" they just appear and adam says "Hey"....it's actually a
really funny commercial...it's corny as shit...and it at least gets them
some exposure after 3 years.
> Okay, so the song. I was unimpressed. It was such a clean-sounding
mess...
> everything about it just sounded clean.. hell, I don't even know what the
song
> was about anymore... I only came in halfway though anyway, but all I can
say is
> that the song, SOUNDED BAD to me. the steady beat, the skweaky clean
vocals of
> SHery Crow (haha.. Sheryl Crow, and the Counting Crows! Get it!
Heehee!), and
> some kind of electronic implement being used in the background which seems
to
> scream "COunting Corws for the New Millenium!"
I think the clean sounding-ness has something to do with a certain Mr. Steve
Lillywhite. He's renound for that kind of sound in his producing....just
look at Dave Matthews' old stuff....and look how well it sold. Their (crows)
new material supposedly sounds alot like the stuff they did
pre-august..which is by no means a bad thing. "Lightning" ,"Bulldog", "Open
All Night"...VERY good songs....I personally can't wait for the new album.
> I don't know, maybe I am passing judgement too soon, but I want my old
crows
> back, this new sound aint working for me. I was unimpressed. I felt like
I
> was listening to a song by some other band, not by the band that crafted
my
> beloved Recovering the Sattelites... Even the Duritz vocals, a beloved
> character in crows music, seemed to be pushed intot he background for this
> one.. all of his vocal charm was sort of flattened out into some kind of
studio
> wash, all the while, the song is mixed to shove sheryl crow in your face
as
> backup, as if Duritz isn;'t enough to make us like it.
Dude, if it's old, angry, depressed crows you want...I'm afraid those days
have gone. LikeI said, Adam is now happy, no longer suffers from insomnia,
depression or the burnden of being in the spotlight..it's all about
evolvement in character and the music...The only thing you can do now is buy
the new album and listen to it with the openest of minds...because if you go
into it expecting recovering the satellites, you will be disappointed. I
have faith in the crows, and I believe that this album could be great. I've
heard live cuts of Miami, American Girls, Up All Night....etc...and they
have potential...and I have confidence in them. But I guess we'll have to
wait till July 9th to find out.
Oh and just to say...if you've never been before www.annabegins.com is
probably the best counting crows site around. It's run by a Girl called
Lisa, who also manages the official site....but AnnaBegins is a
comprehensive site with everything you could ever want to know about the
crows.
Personally, I have bigger things to worry about before the Crows album comes
out in July...Tomorrow britain's finest band in some time "Hundred Reasons"
release their debut album....I've been waiting for this for a long, long
time. Then we have Iron Maiden releasing their "Rock In Rio" live show on
DVD..I've seen 2 videos from the gig, and both had me drooling, I can't
wait.
Jon
P.S. - thanks for the interesting read, I enjoyed reading and replying :)
--
Email: edi...@exitstageright.co.uk
AIM: SabuECWDDP
Thy list of Bootlegs - http://members.tripod.co.uk/thebigfriend/boots/
==========================
"Say what you wanted to ask me,
While you were sitting down.
Say what you wanted to ask me,
You opened up now."
- Hundred Reasons "Silver"
"Into The Flood Again
Same Old Trip It Was Back Then
So I Made A Big Mistake
Try To See It Once My Way"
- Alice In Chains, "Would?" (R.I.P. Layne Staley)
==========================
Bridget
well said
I knew you'd squeeze that hundred reasons in there
somehow :)
Bridget
"Jon Eve" <brodi...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ac86pe$ncg96$1...@ID-66482.news.dfncis.de...
On2Legs
that pulled me through a tough relationship, but that being said I lost a lot
of respect for them when I saw that new Coke commercial. At least if you are
going to sell out, make sure its a good commercial... that was one of the
stupidest commercials I've ever seen!
...On2Legs
9/29/96 Randall's Island; 9/8/98 East Rutherford; 9/10/98 MSG; 9/11/98 MSG;
8/20/00 Cincinatti; 8/21/00 Columbus; 8/23/00 Jones Beach; 8/24/00 Jones Beach;
8/25/00 Jones Beach; 8/29/00 Boston; 9/1/00 Philly & 9/2/00 Philly.
Jon Eve
there
> that pulled me through a tough relationship, but that being said I lost a
lot
> of respect for them when I saw that new Coke commercial. At least if you
are
> going to sell out, make sure its a good commercial... that was one of the
> stupidest commercials I've ever seen!
but that's why it's so good! because it's so stupid, it shows that they
really don't give a shit and don't seem to be taking it seriously.
they are geniuses!
:-P
Jon
Chaim
<< I read this entire post........with respect to your opinion.....all the way
till we got to the Lauren hill part.
I love Counting Crows.......RTS is possibly my favorite too or it could be
Face the promised land ( hard to say)
I like what Sheryl brings to AMERICAN GIRLS. Sheryl & Adam are friends &
have sung together before. >>
I am aware they arer friends... however, it does not make me like her any more
than I do, nort does it make me want to. Seriously... she could tour with
fucking pearl jam, Ed could say she's the finest artist hes ever known, and it
would not change a thing... wouldn't even make me take a second listen to her
music....
<< You can listen to more of CC's new record at www.annabegins.com there are
some of the new songs their recorded LIVE last summer >>
Great website.
I would listen, but I surf on a 56k modem and the experience of DLing most
stuff is so infuriating over AOL on that modem that I worry if a have to sit
through it anymore I will break to computer out of anguish and bordem.
Then again, I do sit through it when DLing PJ, maybe I should do it for the
crows, too...
<< People change.......their attitude, their taste, their moods.
Maybe Crows sound has changed into something you don't like >>
Maybe... I mean, sometimes change is good for me... like, I love what PJ has
become... I like the PJ of Yield more than the PJ of, say, Vs... but I guess
they have retained the magic, while on This Desert Life I felt like the Crows
lost their fire...
<< I don't think it's fair to give these great guys a poor
review based on one song before the record even comes out. >>
I totally agree, my post was a post of worry, not of conclusion... I hope, I
hope, I hope, that I am wrong. Its jusrt a first impression, and an
extrapolation based on preliminary evidence, nothing more.
<< As for PJ......I have not heard any of the new stuff but I'm looking forward
to it. >>
Haven heard any of the stuff from the last Bride show? Or the ed solo shows?
Do it, get your hands on it... great stuff...
<< I think Lauren Hill is dangerously close to One Hit Wonder status....but
then again......that's my opinion. >>
She will probably not ever duplicate the success of Miseducation, but I still
think the unplugged record is just incredible.