Crows

I've seen Counting Crows live several times. I admit fully to being a fan and there are several reasons for that. (See how "Mr. Jones" is already slipping into this piece?) I was quite pleased to receive a copy of the Counting Crows' concert DVD, August And Everything After: Live At Town Hall. This particular concert is unique because for this one show, the set list was the album August And Everything After, (and is there a fan out there who doesn't love this album?) played beginning to end. After watching this DVD, I think I would have given my right leg to be at that show. I've always loved Adam Duritz's lyrics because his metaphors have always spoken to me.

Stone the Crows was a tough-luck, working class, progressive soul band that came out of the pubs of Scotland in the early '70s. They had everything going for them at the start: not one, but two gritty singers, a talented guitarist, a rhythm section that had played with John Mayall, and the name recognition of having Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant as their producer. Despite favorable reviews by the critics, however, they never managed to sell their hybridized soul music to a large audience. In addition, they lost two of their key members early on, one of whom was tragically electrocuted, and the group broke up after four albums. Their biggest contribution to rock was the immense vocal talent of one Maggie Bell. Winner of several Top Girl Singer awards in Britain, Bell had a raunchy, gutbucket voice that, although it fell short of the naked emotion and range of Janis Joplin's, came probably closer to her style than any other female singer.