Counting Crows: A Non-Review
Counting Crows today released their fifth studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, their first release in six years. I’m guessing at that figure. It could also be five or seven years - I really don’t feel like fact checking. Regardless, it’s been a while.
While I do have quite an interest in the album, I may not get around to acquiring it for a while. So, in lieu of a new review, I thought I’d take today to revisit the best of the past. That’s right, I burned a CD of my favorite Crows songs. Jump with me past the break to see the tracklist.
- Catapult
- Hangin Around
- Mr. Jones
- Amy Hit The Atmosphere
- Anna Begins
- Have You Seen Me Lately?
- Miami
- Rain King
- Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood)
- High Life
- Sullivan Street
- Angels Of The Silences
- A Murder of One
- Why Should You Come When I Call
- Recovering the Satellites
- Hard Candy
- St. Robinson In His Cadallac Dream
A few notes…
The starting and ending tracks are non-negotiable. The best of the best, in my opinion. The only other must-have track is Sullivan Street. Love that song. Everything else is just personal seasoning to taste. I went for a balanced playlist across the four albums, but I’d probably have put more from This Desert Life otherwise.
Anyway, that’s the kick I’m on for today. If anyone cares to debate, or offer up opinions (or hey, a review of the new disc if you like), feel free to have at the comments section.
March 26th, 2008
ooh. fun! i’m coming up with a mix of my own. in the meantime..
august and everything after - 1993
recovering the satellites - 1996
this desert life - 1999
hard candy - 2002
so, they’re clearly behind schedule.
March 26th, 2008
Whatever happend to the outtakes? There was that “Einstein on the Beach” song from the DGC Rarities which was a moderate hit, and then the extra rare “Wiseblood”, which I still can’t prove is a cover or an original.
Both are great songs, and deserve wider releases, imo.
March 26th, 2008
ok– here’s mine. i restricted myself to the same number of tracks (mostly) as alex, but didn’t balance across the discs; my like for “satellites” is equal to my dislike of “desert.” anyhoo:
1. Recovering The Satellites
2. Hard Candy
3. Perfect Blue Buildings
4. Anna Begins
5. Goodnight Elizabeth
6. Have You Seen Me Lately
7. Rain King
8. Daylight Fading
9. Round Here
10. If I Could Give All My Love
11. Catapult
12. Omaha
13. Monkey
14. I’m Not Sleeping
15. Angels of the Silences
16. A Murder of One
17. St. Robinson
Bonus Track:
18. So Long, So Long (Dashboard song that Duritz sings on)
March 26th, 2008
oh, yeah– “einstein” is one of my favorites and would easily have made the list if i had, um, remembered it. i understand why they left it off of the first album– it’s a great song, but doesn’t quite fit the mood.
March 26th, 2008
I recall an interview where Duritz said he didn’t like Einstein and was annoyed that DGC had released it without his permission. I personally like the song, but was sticking to official releases. I’ll see if I can dig up anything on Wiseblood, that’s a good song too. And just for the record, I did almost put Recovering the Satellites as my first song, so that’s a good call, Wade.
March 26th, 2008
Jake - here’s a kind-of answer on Wiseblood:
http://www.popculturecorn.com/music/issues/nov97/concert-countingcrows.html
Says it’s a cover, or a song written by a friend(s) of the band. For what it’s worth…