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| Counting Crows - Hard Candy Classification: Pop Band: Counting Crows Tracks: - Hard Candy - American Girls - Good Time - If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead) - Goodnight L.A. - Butterfly In Reverse - Miami - New Frontier - Carriage - Black And Blue - Why Should You Come When I Call? - Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood) - Holiday In Spain - Big Yellow Taxi INCREDIBLE ALBUM! I've never been a big fan of Counting Crows - not because of dislike,but because i've never really heard much of their stuff besides a few past hit singles- But i happened to read several great reviews on their latest work "Hard Candy",and since i'm a fan of ANY good music no matter what the genre,i decided to go out and buy it. After the first listen through the entire album,i was very satisfied and knew it would only get better hearing it again...and it has! Just about every song on this CD is great and the guitar work is also excellent. But one of the tracks is not even listed -- it plays about a minute after song #13 ends...why they chose not to list it is beyond me,because it is one of the best on the CD! Some people have said that this album sounds like all their previous records,but who cares - good music is good music. And if it really does sound like all their old CD's,then i need to go out and buy them when i get a chance because this is Truly good quality music. Highly recommended! Nice fourth album by the Crows With The Counting Crows taking an average of two and a half years between album releases, it would be a shame if all that time spent writing and recording produced an under-average album. Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet. In their three prior releases, the Crows showed a willingness to take textured sounds, thoughtful lyrics, and rootsy production and turn them all into something memorable. They rarely attempt the same thing twice, moving from the rootsy Americana of "August and Everything After", to the hard-edged "Recovering the Satellites", to the kaleidoscopic "This Desert Life". <BR> <BR>"Hard Candy" continues the Crows' desire to push forward with their sound and continue to write intelligent, focused, and thoughtful music. Although this is clearly the Crows of old, there is one noticable change. They're not quite as sad - here, they seem to actually be having fun, sounding loose and playful on songs like the jangly title song, the bouncy, summer-ish "American Girls", and the silly, new wave "New Frontier". It's a good fit for the group. Adam Duritz, often derided for his dark, sometimes self-loathing lyrics, seems to have things going his way a little more often (although I would still not use the word "happy"). Maybe he sums it up best in the opening lyrics to "Miami" - "I guess I think I feel alright".<BR> <BR>"Hard Candy" also features its share of ballads, the strongest being the soft "Goodnight LA" and the Bacharach-ian "Butterfly in Reverse", co-written with Ryan Adams. Another winner is the coincidentally-titled, The Band-like, "If I Could Give All My Love or Richard Manuel is Dead". <BR> <BR>This is a very solid album. Even though I wouldn't say that it's their strongest album, mainly due to the fact that it runs a little long and that it seems a little more like just a collection of songs rather than an Actual album, it's still another worthwhile release from a group that continues to grow, expand their sound, and make some of the best American music today. Pop Music, Solid as a Rock Since storming popular music with their smash debut, "August and Everything After," Counting Crows has always been a love-'em-or-hate-'em proposition. Fans praise the band's sensitive songwriting and tight arrangements; bashers complain about maudlin lyrics and lead singer Adam Duritz's whining. "Hard Candy" will Change neither camp's opinion. The Crows' usual mix of wasted days and lost Love is ever-present, but redeeming the record are a handful of bouncy tracks marked by jangling guitars, soaring harmonies, and infectious choruses. The title track, "American Girls" (which features nice supporting work from Sheryl Crow), and "New Frontier," in particular, deserve to be blasted from your car's speakers while you sing along at the top of your voice. None of the songs has the transcendence that made "August" one of the best albums of the '90s, but that doesn't mean "Hard Candy" isn't worth a listen -- or two. This is solid pop music -- fun, polished, and fizzy as a fresh glass of Ginger ale. Chances are the more you hear, the more you'll find the record growing on you. Unless, of course, you think Adam Duritz is a whiner. Buy Counting Crows Hard Candy at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
