Counting Crows - 11/14/25

[kalvingj]

by Kalvin Johnson

November 14, 2025

11/14/25 - 9:39pm Zushi, Japan

I've talked about this band before, but I can't stress enough on how great this band is. You may know Counting Crows from Shrek 2, but that really isn't who they are. I really dislike that song lol. Counting Crows was formed in 1991. Around this time grunge was gaining so much popularity from bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, both of which I think are great in their own ways.

But...

Counting Crows came out of nowhere, they didn't sound anything like what was coming out during the time, I would say they were a mix of Alternative Rock and Emo, But more Alternative Rock more than anything. Most bands sounded great during the 90s, but they didn't have the best song writing, not saying that any of that was bad. But Counting Crows, specifically the lead singer Adam Duritz, has some of the most prolific, and emotional song writing I've EVER heard.

The first album they released, "August and Everything After" came out in 1993, grunge and rock were on the top, but pop was on the rise, that's why the late 90s had SO much pop. It's not bad, be me personally I don't like pop music. To me, it just sounds like radio silence.

August and Everything After released, and man.. it's one of the best debut albums I've ever heard. It opens up with the track and one of the singles of the album "Round Here". The song is so insanely perfect that I'm not even gonna describe it, just listen to it.

Most people know the song "Mr. Jones", it was a MASSIVE radio hit, but it's simply not the best song on the album. The best song to me is "Sullivan Street". Absolutely a perfect song, and I've never heard a song that captures the feeling of nostalgia and longing as that song. Some other notable songs from that album are "Time and Time Again", "Perfect Blue Buildings", "Ghost Train", and "A Murder of One". All in all, it is a PERFECT 10/10 album.

Despite it being there most popular album, it's not my favorite. My favorite album would have to be "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings" which released in 2008. This is album that I can bet you NO ONE KNOWS, which confuses me because of how great it is. The album has some songs that I would consider not really that good, but also not filler, they serve a purpose. The album has two sides "Saturday Nights" and "Sunday Mornings". Saturday Mornings is A LOT more rock heavy, having loud electric guitars. The best song on that side is hands down "Cowboys". From hearing the name you might think it's some cheezy country music, BUT that's so far from the truth. Absolutely heart wrenching and one of the greatest songs they've ever made across their discography.

The first side has no skips AT ALL, but the second side is kind of different. "Sunday Mornings" is almost the complete opposite of the first side! It's almost entirely acoustic, more naked guitars, and piano's. Like I said this side isn't perfect. There's like 2 or 3 songs on this side that I don't listen too, not that they're bad, it's just not playlist worthy. But this side has so many good songs. "Anyone But You", "You Can't Count On Me", "Come Around", and "Baby, I'm a A Big Star Now".

This album is so fucking underrated and I don't even know why.

I'd give this album a 8/10 because of some of the songs I don't like on it. But that's not all, almost EVERY Counting Crows album is worth listening too. "Recovering the Satellites", "This Desert Life", "Hard Candy", "Somewhere Under Wonderland".

All of these albums sound different, but one thing ties them ALL together... the songwriting. All of these albums have 10000/10 songwriting and it's so worth listening too. I 100% that Counting Crows has some of the best song writing of ALL TIME.

"If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts"

- This Desert Life: Mrs. Potters Lullaby

"I wanted to see you walking backwards, and get the sensation of you coming home.
I wanted to see you walking away from me, without the sensation of you leaving me alone"

- August and Everything After: Time and Time Again

"I wanna be the light that burns out your eyes, cuz I know there's little things about me that would sing in the silence of so much rejection"

- Recovering the Satellites: Catapult


"We're getting older and older and older, and always a little further out of the way. You look into her eyes, and it's more than your heart will allow. In August and everything after, you get a little less than you expected somehow"

- August and Everything After: August and Everything After

These aren't just lyrics for songs, this is poetry. Hands down one of the greatest bands of the 90s, and top 5 greatest song writers of ALL TIME.

kj