Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings : Counting Crows : Review : Rolling Stone

"If you see my picture in a magazine/I'm just tryin' to make some sense outta me," Adam Duritz apologizes on the Crows' first studio album in six years. We know, dude: Life in L.A. is tough. A record about holding on to your soul amid delusions (of celebrity, masculine vanity, nationalism and love), Saturday Nights has something to prove, opening with bare-knuckle riffs and veering between outsize, Gil Norton-produced rock-radio fare and introspective balladry. The hair-shirt single "You Can't Count on Me" and the cheerily grim "Hanging Tree" are little masterpieces of pop craft, their arrangements and Duritz's invitingly petulant wail often echoing golden-era R.E.M. Sometimes that craft is enough: The latter song is so packed with guitar fireworks that its buzz-killing lines about freezing to death barely register. But sometimes that's not enough: The spiritual emptiness of getting Italian disco hotties to go down on their knees before you — which Duritz bemoans in "1492" — is an existential crisis many people would love to have.

WILL HERMES

(Posted: Apr 3, 2008)

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Give us your review of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

Review 1 of 5

1of 5 Stars

THIS ALBUM SUCKED ,I CANT SAY ANY MORE BUT THESE DONT TAKE CRAP AND PUT IT ON RECORD.

Jun 15, 2008 10:09:34

Review 2 of 5

1of 5 Stars

utter garbage. not even worthy of a paragraph.
the only redeeming fact is got it off limewire and didnt have to shell out for this turd.

Apr 17, 2008 12:11:47

Review 3 of 5

5of 5 Stars

Adam Duritz and boys are back! Like another mentioned already this IS their best record since August and Everything After. Now they are out of the early 90's limelight and where they can survive a while unlike many of their contemporaries from that same time peiod who have died. This album was what they wanted to do and they held true to thatand made a brilliant heartfelt album about everything their tired and worn out leader has been through. Starting with song #11 You Can't Count on Me until the end, I cannot think of a better more stunning ending to an album. Like I said now they can be the ultimate musicians and poets and enjoy making music and let the "fad bands" of today Fall out Boy and Panic at the Disco die out!

Mar 30, 2008 16:55:03

Review 4 of 5

4of 5 Stars

In my humble opinion, both Crowes bands are back. I believe this is there best effort since the first album. Very melodic, tightly produced, and just a great package overall.

Mar 28, 2008 09:48:21

Review 5 of 5

5of 5 Stars

Counting Crows are back. Six years removed from their last studio album Hard Candy, the band has released their fifth studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, this week in a return to the radio airwaves. The band that exploded onto the pop scene in 1994 with their hit song, “Mr. Jones” sounds different. SNaSM is about the untamed sin of Saturday night, and the inevitably following hangover of Sunday morning with the crafty music following suit. The first half of the album, produced by Gil Norton, is a bold electric guitar-heavy set that screams rock and roll. It contains a pair of the best songs Duritz has ever created: “Los Angeles” (Los An-gel-ees) and “Cowboys”. Duritz’s captivating voice has never sounded as good as it does on “Cowboys” in which he imagines being so far removed from the constantly-changing world that he can no longer have any effect on it. “Come Around” highlights the more pop-friendly half of the record. The Crows proclaim, “We’ll still come around,” referring to their improbable longevity. This album is a tough listen for the “Mr. Jones” or “Accidentally in Love” Counting Crows fans. It’s a heavier album then most are accustomed to from a band with over 20 million albums sold. The song “1492” is an automatic turnoff to some people because of its screaming guitar and Duritz’s “tranny whore” lyrics. This album is a great compilation of sounds that capture the wild and crazy expressions of a Saturday Night, and the unavoidable regrets of a Sunday Morning. Duritz and the Crows constantly prove that they will come around, and that they’re not going anywhere. Counting Crows will be touring with Maroon 5 this summer. Catch them on A&E on March 30th for a look at the album’s recording.

Download: “Los Angeles”, “Cowboys”, “Come Around”

Mar 23, 2008 22:29:46

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