Counting Crows: Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings

First of all, let's just say that the Counting Crows are officially out of the dog house. Tour dates here (including Marcus Amphitheatre in Milwaukee).
As requested, here are my initial thoughts about the new album.

Actually, for fun, I'll just blog as I listen to it (and try to do some Law Review work).

Opening Lyrics: "I'm a Russian Jew American, Impersonating African Jamaican, What I wanna be's an Indian, I'm gonna be a cowboy in the end I guess, I bought a gun cuz it impresses, All the little girls I see, And then they all wanna sleep with me." Um, okay...if that's what you say.

Saturday Nights

Okay, I'm through the Saturday Nights portion of the album and my first thought is this: If you think that "Recovering the Satellites" is the Counting Crows' best work to date (as I do), you will like this album. They are definitely taking a few more chances than they have recently - the music is more raw and emotional. I have a feeling there will be nothing on this album that could possibly be on the soundtrack for Shrek 12, whenever that comes out. I must confess that I thought I might be through with the Counting Crows when they had that terrible song on Shrek 2. This album may redeem them.

Favorite overall song: Los Angeles.
Favorite Music and melody: Sundays.
Worst Music and melody: Cowboys.
Favorite Lyric: Insignificant (Classic Duritz).
Worst Lyric: Hanging Tree (tired of Duritz describing life - dizzy, desert, etc. - we get it, life is hard for you).

Speaking of life being hard for Duritz, great little piece over at Rolling Stone about his mental illnesses and hair (spoiler: his dreads are fake, in case you didn't know). There's actually a list of good articles on the Counting Crows website for anyone else who might be interested in this much reading (i.e., Brad). Note that Duritz shrares my love of Justin Timberlake's first album.

Sunday Mornings

Initial question: Why 8 songs for Sunday morning and only 6 for Saturday night? Shouldn't a rock band be more focused on Saturday night?

You definitely sense the move from Saturday to Sunday. Not sure if I like how abrupt the change is, but at least they warn you.

Favorite overall song: Le Ballet D'Or (acoustic guitar is great on this song)
Favorite Music and Melody: On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago
Worst Music and Melody: Anyone But You (the Ba Ba Ba's at the end are just annoying)
Favorite Lyric: When I Dream of Michelangelo ("I see god upon the ceiling, I see angels overhead, And he seems so close as he reaches out his hand, But we are never quite as close as we are led to understand.")
Worst Lyric: Is it a cop out to say I don't have one? I guess On Almost Any Sunday Morning, if I had to choose.

Overall

This is the best "first reaction" I've had to a Counting Crows album since "Recovering the Satellites." I remember not really liking "Hard Candy" and parts of "This Desert Life" at first listen, but later appreciating the albums for what they were.

I've also decided I like the transition from Saturday to Sunday now that I've heard the whole thing. It's a nice concept, and shows the band's diversity better than other albums.

Of course, the one thing I've learned about Counting Crows albums is that my initial thoughts are never the thoughts I have in the future. The album always grows on you...the songs you don't like at first become your favorites (best example: "Time and Time Again" from "August and Everything After").

I expect a new album from the Counting Crows in 2024, so we had better enjoy this one while we can.

71-70: Kudos to the Bruins

One Point. Just one point.

As heartbroken as I am over the loss Belmont University (my alma mater) suffered to Duke last night, I just want to say that it was fantastic to watch them put up such a fight. I don't think anyone outside of Belmont's team and coaching staff thought they had a chance. We were all wrong.

Article from ESPN's Dana O'Neil:

"Belmont was the tougher team. And for all but a few bad choice spot-up-and-shoot 3s in transition and one harebrained inbounds pass, it was the better team in a devastatingly close 71-70 loss."

"Belmont took it to Duke, sometimes right down the gut or on slippery backdoors. The Bruins schooled and exposed the Blue Devils' defense, and they put a searchlight on all the warts and worries that have dogged Duke all season."

Thanks for the thrill!

Rock 'n' Roll Bracket

Adding to my obsession with brackets in March, WYSP in Philadelphia has created Rock Madness, a contest to determine the best rock band of all time. Worth filling out the bracket (click here) just for the fun of it (you can also win money if you pick it right).

Here are some of my thoughts:

• I think Nirvana got screwed getting a 2 seed, especially in Led Zeppelin's bracket. They would make the Final Four easily in the Pearl Jam bracket and possibly the others as well.
• How is Green Day a 1 seed?
• Not sure I understand Pink Floyd being a 3 seed either, but I have them making the Final Four anyway, so they don't have much to complain about.
• My token 12 over 5 upset is Sublime over Aerosmith. Aerosmith has been and is overrated (both in the bracket and in real life).
• I initially picked Weezer to go to the Final Four on the strength of their early stuff, but am having some regrets due to their more recent work. In fact, you could make a legitimate argument for them not getting out of the first round. However, they are in the weakest region. I mean, GNR as a 2 seed?
• I think the biggest surprise in my bracket is Beck making a run to the Elite Eight - upsetting a 4, 5 and 1 seed on the way.
• So these are not my four favorite rock bands, but based on the brackets, I have a Final Four of Weezer, Led Zeppelin, U2, and Pink Floyd.
• Led Zeppelin beats U2 in the Finals, but U2 barely edged out Pink Floyd to get there. I realize I am a little goo goo over U2 and will probably regret that pick as well. I think maybe Red Hot Chili Peppers deserved to win their bracket, but it's a tough call. If Pink Floyd was still making albums, they would beat U2 for shizzle.

If anyone else fills it out, let me know your picks.

HT to Extra Mustard at SI.com.

spring comes early...only to madisonians

The Mayor of Madison has declared Sunday, March 9, the beginning of spring.

The proclamation reads:

"Whereas, the winter of 2007-2008 will go down as one of the most severe in Madison history with record snowfall, strong winds, freezing rain, below zero temperatures and now, on top of it all, Brett Favre retires (for cryin' out loud), and
"Whereas, these conditions make us better, hardier people of higher character than our friends who have fled to places like Florida where they can't even get a primary election right; and
"Whereas, even with those advantages, we've had ENOUGH already; and
"Whereas, Madison has never been a community that simply accepts the status quo whether that be the results of national elections, the realities of nuclear fallout, general market conditions, or, for that matter, mere astronomical forces; and
"Whereas, Spring is a state of mind brought on by the thought of paddle sports and the sight of sleek new canoes and other cool canoe gear;, and
"Whereas, Madison has been described as so many square miles surrounded by reality; and
"Whereas, Madison has been growing at a nice pace which must mean that reality is therefore shrinking; and
"Whereas, reality is overrated.
"Now, therefore, be it resolved that Spring officiallly begins in the City of Madison at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9."

Now this is what I pay taxes for (although, technically, I don't live in Madison). Great job, Mayor Dave! Reality is definitely overrated.