lambchops's Full Review: August And Everything After by Counting Crows
While in the years since the excellent August and Everything AfterCounting Crows have managed to occasionally tickle my fancy, I remain relatively certain that the band will never be able to surpass that release. This is not to say the debut was flawless, but those songs that stand out are unquestionable classics. In an era of grunge/metal sameness, Counting Crows made a name for themselves with upbeat, mainstream rock that even today resonates brilliantly.
At the time that Counting Crows made their debut, they had few peers in music. In 1993 (before their genre’s boom in the mid- and late-1990s) the band was most easily compared to Hootie & The Blowfish. But the California rockers benefited for only minor over exposure whereas poor Hootie was everywhere. I guess their image was cleaner cut. At the time it may have seemed that Counting Crows were one hit wonders. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. Consider that since that initial album, they have released three more…each hitting the chart and each producing no fewer than two moderately popular singles.
Counting Crows may not be the best looking act out there, but their musical prowess makes up for it. This isn’t to say that I’m a major fan of the band—I am not. Rather I do have an amount of respect for them and for the fact that they haven’t particularly changed their image or music to fit the era. And though I do think that some of their songs are rather mushy, I do believe that they have talent as musicians and songwriters.
Leading the Counting Crows is atypical dread locked singer-songwriter Adam Duritz. He is not good looking, his face is not custom made for videos. It is clear that his voice and his words are the centerpiece of the music. Rounding the band out are Charlie Gilliangham (keys), David Immerglück (guitar), David Bryson (guitar), Matt Malley (bass), Ben Mize (drums), and Dan Vickrey (guitar). Earlier versions of the band including demos and the debut included Steve Bowman on drums instead of Mize.
As mentioned, August and Everything After marked the debut of Counting Crows. Just four years earlier marked the birth of the band with the meeting of Duritz, Bryson, and Immerglück. Years passed and after adopting the band name, adding members, and playing clubs the outfit was signed to DGC in 1992. Just over a year later, August and Everything After hit shelves.
The rest really is history. August and Everything After gave the world a number of hits, not the least of which is Mr. Jones. Other songs Rain King, Round Here, and A Murder of One were also awarded chart and radio attention. But even today and even after all of the albums, singles, videos, and various other successes it is Mr. Jones that is my favorite from Counting Crows. It is an emotional, creative, and fun musical expression that most bands must wait a lifetime to put together. But Duritz and company managed to do it their first time out.
August and Everything After begins memorably with Round Here. Duritz sings with chilling, touching emotional integrity. His voice is uniquely uneasy. The beautifully plucked guitar, light percussion, and other layers fit like a puzzle around the words. The words, the voice, and the melody are flawless. To listen to Round Here is to explore your innermost self. It certainly is a light, airy rock-pop track. Despite the overwhelming mainstream appeal, the song is wonderfully executed. And those words…well, they are certainly worth mentioning:
Step out the front door like a ghost
into the fog where no one notices
the contrast of white on white.
And in between the moon and you
the angels get a better view
of the crumbling difference between wrong and right.
It would seem an impossible feat to equal the brilliant beginning of this debut, but Counting Crows does it. Omaha is a wonderful, nearly acoustic ballad. It is quiet, plain, and emotional. And this is what I believe the band does best. They cut to the chase, eliminating all the waste and crap that too many pop-rock bands think it important. The production, courtesy of T-Bone Burnett (Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, The Wallflowers) is exquisite. Duritz, the guitars, and even the tiniest elements shine through with what seems like pristine, untouched perfection. Omaha is another notch in the band’s bedpost.
Mr. Jones picks up the pace and solidifies the band’s position as music giants of the era. The beginning of the track is memorable…a stark booming drum. It is impossible to deny the classy, evocative, and radio friendly nature of the track. But even as the melody and vocals appeal there the lyrics to speak to. Durtiz is a talented lyricist. His songs aren’t exactly the traditional kind of poetry, rather they flow from one words to the next with ease and without seeming forced or unimportant.
Believe in me because I don't believe in anything
and I want to be someone to believe
August and Everything After continues relatively strongly. And though there is less of note as the album continues it is still worthwhile to hear the entire disc. Anna Begins and Perfect Blue Buildings are both touching, somewhat cliché mid-tempo ballads while Time and Time Again turns down the volume and tugs at the heartstrings. This song really shows Burnett’s touch with the assimilation of the organ (The Wallflowers did the same thing, usually better).
Rain King is a welcome change of pace—literally. The tempo is faster, the attitude is less serious and this is when I most enjoy Counting Crows. The band is talented, but they seem most comfortable in lighter material despite their continual attempts at being honest and emotional. These same things can be done with a light heart. Rain King proves it. The acoustic guitar, kinetic drums, and lovely chorus all strike a chord. The lyrics too are tight. The entire song, in fact, is wonderful and is clearly one of the album’s best.
Continuing on, Sullivan Street, Ghost Train, and Raining in Baltimore are all passable songs. I particularly enjoy the guitars and piano on Sullivan Street. Where some (not all) of the other ballads seem contrived, this just feels purposeful and somehow real. A Murder of One wraps the disc up on a wishy-washy note. I like the fact that it’s a more upbeat effort but I do not like that it feels just like everything else of the era. The chorus is fine, but the song itself is indistinguishable from the crap-pop-rock of the mid-1990s.
August and Everything After is an overall good debut. Sure some of the tracks lack depth while others are entirely ineffectual, but Counting Crows did show that they are talented time and time again. The band did follow with one live and three studio albums with the most recent Hard Candy. Occasionally they’ve glanced over the home-style exuberance of their debut, but never have they surpassed it. August and Everything After is a good, not great, album.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. Round Here
2. Omaha
3. Mr. Jones
4. Perfect Blue Buildings
5. Anna Begins
6. Time and Time Again
7. Rain King
8. Sullivan Street
9. Ghost Train
10. Raining in Baltimore
11. A Murder of One
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