The new Counting Crows album is fantastic !
Posted by pleasetrydmt@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 50 comments
The band delivers yummy music, right up there with anything they've done before.
Lou_Skunnt69@reddit
Problem is when you go see them live and they sound absolutely nothing like the album. I only made that mistake once in life.
Victory33@reddit
I went to a CC and Live show once where he even didn’t do Mr Jones or Round Here…and this was back in like 2001, when they didn’t have many albums. He kinda refused to let the crowd sing along with his random cadence and tempos.
theguineapigssong@reddit
That is awful. You gotta play the hits. You know why the Rolling Stones are still touring after six decades? Because you come to see them play the hits and that's exactly what they do. RIP Charlie Watts.
solo1001@reddit
I’m a big fan and I get the complaint. However I also see why they do that sometimes. They don’t want to just phone it in and go through the motions so they switch it up sometimes. Mr Jones and Round Here are played more traditionally now. If you listen to Across the Wire, you can hear how they were originally written (more acoustic coffee house songs). They did Rain King acoustically for a while but came back to the fast, electric version. I’m glad they still tour and sound great. But again, totally get the shock when they don’t sound just like the album.
djsynrgy@reddit
It's a delicate balance for any band to manage. Sound too much like the album, you're not 'performing' enough; sound not enough like the album, you're 'alienating' the audience.
Play too many of the hits, you're "lazy"; play none of the hits, you're "pretentious". 😆
Ok-Energy5358@reddit
Couldn’t agree more. I mainly listen to jam bands, but I’m 42, and love my 90’s bands. I loved CC because they were different. Since I listen to so many jam bands I’m completely used to and expect variation, but CC doesn’t really follow this. Proper jam bands have maybe an elaborate/lengthy intro, then the actual recognizable song, then jam in the space of the song, then bring you back to the song to finish or morph in to the next song.
CC just completely change shit and Adam is a dick. I’ve seen them live a few times, the last one being several years ago at Red Rocks. He stopped the show because people up front were talking too much and then insulted them and the audience calling them/us “fucking idiots”. Seriously, such a prick. It’s ruined the whole band for me.
So, yeah, they’re not even jam-adjacent, they’re just pretentious and don’t want the audience to follow along.
peepeeinthepotty@reddit
I hate bands that call out crowds for playing a boring ass set (especially in a giant arena or ampitheater). Ray LaMontagne is on my shit list too for that.
ilovepi314159265@reddit
Yeah, they're better IMO. Back in the limewire days i stocked up in so many live versions that were awesome!
DoctorFenix@reddit
Counting Crows are one of those bands that notoriously have good and bad nights.
I was lucky to see a few of the good ones.
worksnake@reddit
Oh no, could you elaborate a bit on that? Do they become like a country hip hop band, or?
RoyDonkeyKong@reddit
They famously perform their songs differently than their studio recordings. Check out some of the live albums on your favorite streaming services. There’s a version of “Rain King” out there that takes F O R E V E R because A) they play it super slow and B) they go ahead and throw in a whole-ass cover of “Thunder Road” in the middle of it. Also slow.
Weary-Inspector-6971@reddit
That version of rain king is incredible. Their extended live performance cuts are magical. Blow some of the studio versions out the water.
marbotty@reddit
Yeah, it’s far superior to the album version. In fact, that particular rendition (assuming we’re talking about the same performance) ranks as probably my favorite Counting Crows song overall
emptybeetoo@reddit
I really love their live albums, but I need to be in the right headspace for them. I couldn’t imagine actually being at a concert and listening to them play a super slow 10+ minute interpretation of one of their greatest radio hits.
dayman-woa-oh@reddit
Adam plays around with the melodies and phrasing of the lyrics, sometimes it seems like he ad libs some stuff too. They have a touch of jam band in their live performances, though I havent seen them live in over 20 years.
CliveBixby1984@reddit
Went and saw them just a few years ago and they were great.
tableleg7@reddit
The lead singer changes how he sings the melody for almost every song, i.e, he sings the same lyrics but to a slightly different tune than the album version of each song.
It makes it impossible for the audience to sing along.
Jenaaaaaay@reddit
Same
freshleysqueezd@reddit
Totally pumped to see them play August and Everything After as a kid. This was when it was hot too and they changed EVERYTHING. They even fucked with Mr Jones. MR. JONES!
andrewjamesvt78@reddit
Agreed! Butter suite miracle 1 is the better album but “Under the Aurora” on butter suite miracle 2 is the best song. IMHO of course.
Planetofthought@reddit
DV me into oblivion, but I never liked em.
Moxie_Stardust@reddit
I'm pretty neutral on them, I won't complain about hearing them, but I've never actively decided to listen to them either.
AmputeeHandModel@reddit
Um, that's fine. No need for abuse.
abbydabbydo@reddit
Really?! That’s awesome. One of my favorites. I didn’t even know they had a new release, so thank you very much.
Suspicious_Yam_69420@reddit
I haven't heard it but I'm positive it isn't
Weary-Inspector-6971@reddit
I wasn’t even aware of a new album. Thank you!
Ok_Mango324@reddit
totally get you, its easy to miss new stuff when you’re busy with life
Weary-Inspector-6971@reddit
Be gone, bot!
Lughaidh_@reddit
Album cover has Neutral Milk Hotel vibes to me… lol
MrNice1983@reddit
I sincerely doubt that but ok!
AmputeeHandModel@reddit
What the hell, is this real? Confused.
ThepalehorseRiderr@reddit
Whenever I hear about the Counting crows I always think about the fact that the lead singer suffers from a dissociative disorder and at the time, it's the first time I've ever heard of that.
veepeedeepee@reddit
Spaceman in Tulsa is a solid jam
hurl9e9y9@reddit
I'm not wild about the album but was still happy to have some new stuff from them.
pleasetrydmt@reddit (OP)
Does have an old school charm to it, no ?
hurl9e9y9@reddit
Absolutely! Virginia Through The Rain sounds like it belonged on Recovering the Satellites to me.
dayman-woa-oh@reddit
I couldn't get into anything after recovering the satellites.
hurl9e9y9@reddit
Understandable. I also liked This Dessert Life and Hard Candy really well but they kind of lost my attention after that.
There's a song on the new one that sounds like it could have come from Recovering the Satellites. I think it's Virginia Through The Rain but I'll have to double check and I'll edit if that's not the one. Maybe at least give that one a try.
pleasetrydmt@reddit (OP)
Give it a shot
dayman-woa-oh@reddit
ok, i will, but only because your username made me chuckle
SpicyLoafette@reddit
IDK who did their album cover, but they def deserve a raise. It's like a fever dream at a Sunday brunch.
PhoneJazz@reddit
Unless it’s AI…it’s not AI, right?
hurl9e9y9@reddit
No, four of the tracks came out on an EP in 2021 called "Suite One" and it had the same cover.
pleasetrydmt@reddit (OP)
My friend heard the album and literally said "perfect sunday morning rock music"
worksnake@reddit
How would you characterize the band's genre these days? Jam band-adjacent?
pleasetrydmt@reddit (OP)
First two albums- adjacent
Li-RM35M4419@reddit
Ugh
Buddyblue21@reddit
Literally a butterface on the cover
onion4everyoccasion@reddit
She's hot...
ohwowimonredditcool@reddit
very springsteen sounding