Music Reviews: Counting Crows, John Mayer, Sheryl Crowe

This is kind of a career-overview summary for some big name artists who I happen to not have listened to very much, but maybe should have. So, I'm educating myself here. ;)

Counting Crows - "August and Everything After", "Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings", "Films About Ghosts": This last one is really a "best of" CD (the title derives from a line in their song "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby", which I still don't quite follow: "if dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts." Hm. I'm not sure that the second half of that sentence really follows logically, but.. it's an interesting notion, anyway.)

The first CD is their debut from 1993 (which placed 5 songs on the "best of" collection), the middle one their latest release. And overall, I can understand the appeal of the music. It's thoughtful and sort of cross-over-y. A little country, a little folk/rock, a little pop. Sort of like America and the Eagles were, back in the day.

But I just can't warm up to the lead singer's voice. :( It sounds to me like he's trying really hard to sound like Van Morrison and not quite getting there. I'd heard "Mr. Jones" before, and remembered why I never bothered to follow up on who it was, at the time. Just didn't care for his vocal. But, there were some tracks on the debut CD that I did like: Perfect Blue Buildings, Rain King, Sullivan Street; but I think it was more for the playing than the vocals.

Other favorites - from "Films About Ghosts": A Long December, Big Yellow Taxi (aww... reminds me of Joni Mitchell's original. and really, I think this is a better style for Adam Duritz as a vocalist, anyway), Friend of the Devil, Holiday in Spain, Accidentally in Love (from Shrek 2.) From "Saturday": None, really. "Come Around" isn't too bad, I guess. I think they should lose the banjo and harmonica, stop trying to be Van Morrison doing angst-y Dylan, and just play the solid pop that I know they can.



John Mayer - "Inside Wants Out", "Room For Squares", "Heavier Things", "Continuum": Now I'm sure there are going to be a chunk of people who disagree with me, but - I think this guy started out to be nearly perfect, and gradually slipped from that state as he went along. His first EP, "Inside", was just him and his guitar and was flawless. Just a gorgeous sound and style.

He held on to it do a degree during "Squares" (to some extent because some songs were rolled over from the debut EP), but not quite as consistently. The extra instruments took away from his voice and playing. Heavier Things went way electric, and Continuum went dark and slow. I wish he would've just held still.

But change is inevitable, you know? It's the ebb and flow, yin and yang of life, the constant process that's wired into the universe. (Just like his song "Wheel", in fact.) People change, as much with success as with failure, and you don't necessarily find the change attractive.

With an artist, though, it doesn't affect your relationship. ;) You can just.. let them change, and then go listen to whatever of them you choose to (you don't have to discuss it over coffee.) :) Favorites: every track on Inside Wants Out, plus Your Body is a Wonderland, 83, 3x5, Wheel, Waiting On The World To Change, Stop This Train, I'm Gonna Find Another You, Dreaming With a Broken Heart.

Sheryl Crowe - "Detours", "Wildflower", "The Very Best Of": The first two CDs came out after her greatest hits one, so they are needed to supplement the career overview, since she's still pushing out the hits.  

So what would you call her music?  Pop-folk-country-rock?  It's often feel-good music, even if the lyrics are directionless & post-modern.  It's sort of like: "hey, let's have fun and not think about how lost we all are, okay?"  

It's like that on her early hit, Strong Enough ("Lie to me, but please don't leave.")  And on her latest hit, from "Detours", Love Is Free.  

Ohhh, no it's not.  This isn't 1967 anymore, baby.  We know better now.  There's a cost to love, all right.  No self-deception, please.  

It's not free.  There's an emotional cost.  A psychological one, and sometimes a physical one.  There's costs in terms of time spent and opportunities passed up and lost privacy and character flaws revealed.  And often there's a cost in terms of heartache, loss, longing, regret.  

When love is good, the costs are well worth it - no doubt.  But love is *never* free.  Yes, it's a nice song... top 40 hit... fun to listen to... but face reality?  Nooooo.  Not if you want people to keep buying your records.  And she sells a few.

Okay, rant over.  :P

So, for music's sake only, I liked (from the "best of" CD):  Strong Enough, My Favorite Mistake, A Change Would Do You Good, Home, Soak Up The Sun, First Cut Is The Deepest, Light In Your Eyes.  From Detours: the title track, Motivation, Love is All There Is, Love is Free (yes, yes, I know...)  

Wildflower is a really, really nice album, much more laid-back and contemplative.  And when Sheryl is mellow, she sounds a lot like Sara Groves, who I love.  :)  I like all tracks here, but especially I Know Why, Perfect Lie, Chances Are, I Don't Wanna Know, Always On Your Side, Live It Up. It's all good; a great CD.  :)