My favorite band, Counting Crows, are going on tour this summer. Not that it's a rare thing, they go on tour nearly every summer. Which is fantastic; they are an AMAZING live band.
There are different kinds of people who go to these concerts. You have the super die-hard fans who follow the band around, you have the fans who see the band when ever they come to their town, and then you have the casual fans, the people who have one or two of the band's albums, or who liked the band "back in the day" and saw that they were playing a local show, and well, they have nothing going on that night, so sure, they'll go. I'll admit that the first time I saw Counting Crows back in 2009, I was a casual fan, but now I'm one of those die-hard fans.
The funniest thing to me about the casual fan is that they get really, really excited when the "radio hits" get played, or on the other hand, get pissy when they don't. But Counting Crows is far more than the radio hits. In fact, some of their best work hasn't ever made it to the radio. So, for the casual fan, I've put together, in my opinion, and also taking suggestions from friends, a list of essential Counting Crows' Deep Cuts, or songs you should know before seeing the band this summer. Now, there's no guarantee that they will play these songs, but at least you'll be prepared if they do.
1. Cowboys - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings
There's a very, very slim chance of the band playing this song. But that doesn't mean it's not one to know. The guitars are amazing, Adam's vocals incredible, and the song as a whole is just incendiary. The lyrics are some of my favorite ever, the story they tell, well, just check it out.
2.
Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood) - Hard Candy
Hard
Candy is a hell of a record. There are so many amazing songs on that album, a
few of them will show up here, Up All Night is just the first. From the simple
piano intro to all the fantastic guitar work, to Adam's brilliant vocals, this
song is all around great. It's one of my favorites to sing in the car, and
though the band plays it frequently at live shows, I have yet to experience it.
Maybe this year?
3. Anna Begins/Margery Dreams of Horses/Another Horsedeamer's Blues - August & Everything After/Bootleg/Recovering the Satellites
I've
read that the trilogy of Anna/Margery/Horsedreamer was both intentional and
unknown/unintentional. Does it really matter? Probably not. All I know is that
these are three great songs, and being that they all weave together is great.
4. Baby I'm a Big Star Now - The Rounders Movie Soundtrack
Now
we're getting into the real deep stuff. You won't find this song on any Crows
albums, it's not even on
the Rounders soundtrack on iTunes, if you want
it you'll have to do some digging, but it's totally worth it.
5. Chelsea - Across A Wire: Live in New York City
To call this a Counting Crows song may be slightly incorrect, it's really just Adam Duritz, a piano and a horn section. But that doesn't make it any less special. Listening to this song makes you dream of NYC, makes you visualize every word. But again, don't expect to see this one live, unless you've brought along your own horn section.
6. Kid Things – This Desert Life
When you make it to the end of St. Robinson on This Desert Life, you’re
treated with the hidden track Kid Things.
This jaunty little tune is complete with jangley guitars and great pop-rock
vocals. The Crows will sometimes play this one live, sometimes.
7. Good
Time - Hard Candy
Another awesome song from Hard Candy, Good Time showcases one of my favorite things about the band: the
guitar players. Not only is the acoustic guitar great, and there’s the added
bonus of the banjo, but the main attraction for me is that sultry, slide-y
guitar from David Immerglück. And there’s that last “would you please invite me
in?” that just kills me every time.
8. On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago –
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
This song is heartbreakingly beautiful.
It’s just Adam Duritz singing, backed simply by Charlie Gillingham on the
piano. From the “Sunday Mornings” side of the record, the songs lonely,
yearning feeling fits so well with the theme of the record as a whole. The
“come back to me” lines just gut you. It doesn't get much better than that.
“come back to me” lines just gut you. It doesn't get much better than that.
9. August and Everything After – Bootleg
This is the quintessential Counting Crows
deep cut, the ultimate bootleg, the holy grail of Counting Crows songs; the
title track of their first record that never made it on the record, or any
record for that matter. There are a few versions of this song floating around
the interwebs. In my opinion, it is lyrically the best thing Adam Duritz has
ever written. I even found my favorite version for you. Enjoy.
10. Underwater Sunshine (or What We
Did on Our Summer Vacation)
Yes. The whole damn album. I’m always
surprised how many “fans” don’t know about this record. Or they heard about it,
but as it is a covers album, didn’t pay much attention to it. It’s their loss,
the record is fantastic. Yes, it’s all covers, but the band takes all the songs
and makes them their own. Most of the songs unfamiliar songs, so you’d never
know they were covers if you didn’t know they were covers. Like Teenage Gravity, Start
Again, Four White Stallions, and Borderline (iTunes bonus track) are
my favorite tracks, but the whole record is golden.
