Counting Crows - August and Everything After
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Free Music Notes for August and Everything After
Free Music Review: Great Albumn the First Time Around
Hit: 5 Stars
August and Everything after is a great albumn, one of the best of all time.
This 'delux' version doesn't offer much to all but the die-hard fans.
If you're a casual fan who doesn't have or hasn't heard every song from this CD, then by all means, BUY THIS CD. You won't be dissapointed.
If you're a diehard fan, also buy this CD. I thought it was kind of a let-down to have two versions of the same song as 'bonus' tracks, but they do both sound very good. 'This Land is Your Land' is a surprisingly good song.
The only person I would NOT recomend this CD to would be a casual fan who allready has 'August and Everything After'. Everyone else, do yourself a favor, and buy one of the best CDs of all time!
Free Music Review: eh, Im still a fan but...
Hit: 3 Stars
True to the Counting Crows style, "Round Here" has original voice, tone, and topic. This postmodern ballad uses intelligent analogies and symbols to tell the story of a girl frustrated in her life. The song's topic embodies the deterioration of morality in society. "Round Here" smartly relates the anxiety of expectations from culture versus society to the narrative of young girl named Maria who wrestles with the fine line between wrong and right in her life.
In the song, Maria struggles with the pain of her previously made decisions and presently made mistakes. The narrator of the song has sympathy for her confusion and relates her problems to the place she is in physically and mentally in her life. The plot of this ballad wonderfully portrays the writer's feeling towards the state of morality in society. The writer relates to Maria and uniquely reveals his message.
The tone of this song is desperate yet grounded. This enables the listener to grasp the meaning of the song while still relating to the sentiment of the story. This is the best aspect of the construction of this song. While lyrically I think "Round Here" is intriguing because of its multiple levels of meanings. The music however is somewhat lacking. The rhythm is constant throughout most of the song, but nattily changes during the illumination of the writer's thoughts towards Maria to accentuate their meanings. This inimitable use of contrast seizes the listener's attention at the peak point of interest. However it likewise makes the verse of the song monotonous and causes it to drag at points. The sheer talent of the instrumentalists is present but not outstanding. On the first level this song appears to be another Dave Matthews rip-off. "Round Here" has merit, but not to the obtuse mind.
While I commend the contemporary use of language in this song, there is little I can say else wise. "Round Here" has an individual sound that tends to be the signature of Counting Crows' albums. It's unfortunate though that such a compelling literary piece was put to the uninteresting instrumental in this song. Because of that, on a scale from one to ten, I would rate this song's lyrics a nine and the music a five. That makes "Round Here" an average of seven. Good enough to make the charts but not note worthy enough to, "notice the contrast of white on white".
Free Music Review: amazing, even for a crows fan
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm taking the time to write this because everyone should know the live Paris show (Disc 2) is amazing. Taking advice from another fan, I read the extensive liner notes before listening; the context of what was going on for the band and Adam personally helped explain the intensity of the show. Intense is an understatement--Adam is nearly always very emotionally present--but, for me, this show is a whole new category. Being a relatively new (about 10 years) Crows fan, I hadn't heard of the significance of the Paris show before. It would be an understatement to say it is the rawest music I've ever heard. Couldn't stop thinking about it or listening for days. Buy it--you'll like it!Free Music Review: awesome
Hit: 5 Stars
The original was good but the extra songs included as well as the live tracks really put it over the top. If you're a true Counting Crows fan, you don't want to miss this.Free Music Review: CCHC Fans Should Like This
Hit: 4 Stars
I can't tell if the remastering of the original album makes this sound any different - someone with better ears than mine will have to comment - but the demos sound great! I was expecting it to be a rehash of Flying Demos, but these are different versions. I wish there was info about when they were recorded. In any case, they sound beautiful.
The live show has its pros and cons. The sound is fantastic, and I love that you can hear the nuances in the vocals much more so than on the bootleg. One reviewer commented that the vocals are too prominent - I disagree. But I do agree that it doesn't feel so much like a live show. The between-song banter is missing, as is much of the crowd noise and at least one song. Some will think this a good thing, but I think those are important to the listening experience of a concert cd. Regardless, this is one of my favorite live shows so I will be listening to this cleaned-up version just because the band was so "on" that night and the songs sound great, but I won't be giving up my bootleg copy either.
All in all, I think the demos & live disc along with the extensive liner notes and added photos make this a great package for a fan or first-time buyer.