Music Talk: In Defense of Counting Crows

Some good feedback from last week’s article about the 90’s… and I have to admit, that period wasn’t ALL bad… so I thought I’d take some time to point out some of the good things that came from that time, most specifically a band that was very much a major part of that period, and has somehow dropped off and been forgotten compared to some of their contemporary bands, who sucked.

It’s a bit of a mystery, so let’s explore the Strange Case of Counting Crows.

I’ve made no secret that I’m generally not a fan of the prevailing trends of pop music in the 90s. It felt like the end of a certain creative period, and a replacement with some lesser bands that were heavily promoted for sounding and/or looking like bands that had hit it big. The results were bands that weren’t as good, and/or were painfully derivative and formulaic. I already crapped on some of these examples last week, but to mention a few that particularly stuck out to me as examples of bands that did quite well for some period of time in terms of sales and popularity for reasons that escape me:  Stone Temple Pilots, Live, Creed, Oasis, Black Crowes…

Now, I know, the majority of you reading may very well like or even love some of these bands…more power to you, I’m happy to have that discussion. In my opinion, they sound like what they were…bands that either played to a formula to create a sound that their producer decided was what was marketable, or bands that were painfully derivative of other bands that preceded them and were better and more creative. Please go ahead and tell me how wrong I am. You won’t be the first or last.

One band that came across to me as unique and creative was Counting Crows… again, I know that they have the double whammy of having had their first album played all to hell on the radio, and then having other bands come on and do better than them after their moment.

But the truth is, August and Everything After is easily one of the best albums of the first half of that decade. Their first hit song, Round Here (believe me, you’ve heard it), is incredibly well written and arranged, with lyrics that tell a story that’s both interesting and indicative of a certain disassociated mood and tone. The music is interesting and highlights the lyrics while still showing great musicianship, and they didn’t just steal some drop-d riff from a heavier song, slow it down, and turn it into an arena ballad.

Other songs on the album do have very catchy riffs (Mr Jones is a goddamn banger),and some are a little more introspective…like an old time singer songwriter found himself with a rock band with two guitars, a bass, a keyboard, drums, and a general instrumentalist who plays everything from a flute to a sitar. Like having Jim Croce in front of the E street band.

Adam Duritz can sing, too, unlike a few of his contemporaries I will not name. Check out August and Everything After. Then, after you’ve done that, look at their next album, Recovering the Satellites. Daylight fading, Goodnight Elizabeth, and the title song, to start you out. It’s more complex and better articulated than what we were shown on the first album.

It follows on with nine other albums over the next twenty years, including Across a Wire, and great live album that shows how vibrant this band was outside of the studio. And they’re still touring!

My experience has been that people who like the bands I’ve listed about do not like Crows, if they know about them at all. Bands that play covers of songs from that period VERY RARELY cover Counting Crows songs…and I honestly don’t know why that is. I could make some smartass guess, but I seriously don’t understand it. Being a Harry Chapin fan as well, I’m used to thinking very highly of bands that other people seem to have forgotten all about, so perhaps it’s just me.

Really…I’m asking. Please reply and tell me your thoughts. And if you’re not familiar with counting crows, I invite you to check them out. They just put out an album last year and they’re touring as we speak. Creed toured last year too, which I believe is proof that there is a God and he or she is punishing me for my wicked youth.

I would also point out to you 90s people that this is also the time that brought us the boy bands. So we have boring, fake “heavy” bands, carbon copy bands, and the musical equivalent of pixie sticks. Just sayin.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Black Crowes briefly got their shit together, then they went weird and decided they hated each other. K’s choice showed up, and they’re another group you should check out, if you don’t know them. Morrissey did some interesting solo stuff right after the Smiths broke up, before he went all…well, Morrissey.  As I mentioned last week, Alanis Morrissette put out a great album and a very much not-bad second album… but as I said, I can’t get past just how badly she wanted to be taken seriously. It’s like my REM problem… I liked some of their really early stuff before they apparently decided it was time to make some money and they went Automatic for the Money… but I can’t get past Stipe annoying me, even to listen to the good stuff.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me, and please explore, or let me know what you think about Counting Crows, and why they don’t engender the same loyalty over time as other bands of that period. Don’t tell me their music didn’t age well, because that’s not true, and I would point you to anything by Live in that department… and don’t tell me you don’t like Duritz’ voice and then tell me you like Smashing Pumpkins.

I imagine this will lead to certain among the local music scene, in vengeance, subjecting me to songs they know I’ll hate in their sets… this is the life I’ve chosen, I guess.  Morris gonna Tremonte, Crider gonna Black Crowes. And every last one of you, apparently, is going to do “Creep”.

Nietzsche was wrong…god isn’t dead. Alive,  and hates me. Wasn’t bad enough that I had to live through this the first time…

PS. Coming in about a week, Flatted Fifth has MERCH!! Your long thirsty wait is over. Coming soon to the website, there will be T shirts and other things, some immortalizing the Battlefield Hound himself, who often adds his input to these reviews, Grant. He’s already eaten a Peter Wile and a Nick Staver CD so far… any one of you could be next!

Catch you soon. Ask Gabe for the Yardbird.